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<br />. <br /> <br />~~ <br /> <br />The weather patterns in the South Platte River basin pro- <br /> <br /> <br />duce intense isolated thunderstorms quite frequently, although the <br /> <br /> <br />moisture inflow into the region is usually not of sufficient <br /> <br /> <br />quantity to cause a major storm. Occasionally, however, a quasi- <br /> <br /> <br />stationary front fed by heavy moisture supply from the Gulf and/or <br /> <br /> <br />the Pacific Ocean formS along the eastern slope or out in the <br /> <br /> <br />plains. These air masses, when triggered by a cold air mass from <br /> <br /> <br />Canada, can cause unusually large amounts of precipitation to occur <br /> <br /> <br />in just a few hours. Some of the major storms which have occurred <br /> <br /> <br />in the basin are discussed in the following paragraphs. <br /> <br />STORM OF 30 MAY-3 JUNE 1894 <br /> <br /> <br />Warm moist air from the Gulf was moved into Eastern Colorado <br /> <br /> <br />by a low pressure system centered over New Mexico. This air was <br /> <br />forced up the eastern slopes of the Rockies by a high pressure <br /> <br /> <br />system centered over the Dakotas and Minnesota. The greatest <br /> <br /> <br />depths of rainfall recorded during the storm were 7.5 inches in <br /> <br /> <br />54 hours at Lake Morraine, Colorado, and 8.54 inches in 78 hours <br /> <br /> <br />at Ward District, Colorado. Both of these amounts were recorded <br /> <br /> <br />above elevation 9,000 feet. The isohyetal pattern for this event <br /> <br /> <br />is shown on plate 2. <br /> <br />STORM OF 14-16 APRIL 1921 <br /> <br /> <br />A low pressure area centered in Arizona and New Mexico <br /> <br /> <br />coupled with a high pressure area centered north of Colorado <br /> <br /> <br />caused a major air flow into the mountains. The storm began as <br /> <br /> <br />rain, but as the temperature dropped during the night of 14 April, <br /> <br />it turned to snow. Most of the precipitation fell in the form of <br /> <br />14 <br /> <br />. <br />