Monsoon Moisture Surges, Flood Risk From California to Colorado

A lackluster monsoon season has been the story so far this year in portions of California, Arizona, and Nevada. The bulk of monsoonal storms have been impacting New Mexico and Colorado, but that will change through the next week as big surges of monsoonal moisture push all the way to the Pacific at times!

Monsoonal moisture is typically moved around the semi-permanent high pressure system that moves north from Mexico during the summer months. This ridge will steer moisture farther north and west this week as it sits over NM and CO.

Widespread thunderstorms are expected from the weekend through AT LEAST the mid-week time frame. While afternoons look the busiest with many new storms developing over high terrain, moisture will be plentiful enough to see some morning and overnight convection as well.

The WPC has issued Excessive Rainfall Outlooks (flood outlooks) for the next five days. Most areas will be under the level one risk, marginal, for isolated flash flooding, but a level 2 risk (slight) is being highlighted for some areas as well.