7:46 a.m. overall weather outlook: Colorado’s wet weather likely will continue through Friday, and flooding from the record-setting rainfall has forced road closures but is expected to dissipate late in the day.
The National Weather Service issued a flood watch for metro Denver, the mountain foothills and high plains effective through noon. Water was pooling on walkways and roads. Some streams and rivers flowed over their banks.
Parts of Colorado’s Front Range urban corridor and eastern Colorado plains will receive more rain Friday afternoon. By evening the rain — and snow in the high mountains of western Colorado — will end, weather service forecasters said.
The high temperature in Denver will be 61 degrees Friday, decreasing to a low of 45 degrees at night, forecasters said. Partly sunny skies over metro Denver are expected Saturday with a high temperature of around 65 degrees, decreasing to a high of 57 degrees Sunday. Rain and thunderstorms are likely through the weekend and early next week, forecasters said.
Rainfall measured at 2.92 inches Thursday at Denver International Airport shattered the daily rainfall record of 1.55 inches set in 2011, weather service meteorologists announced Friday morning.
7:28 a.m.: Colorado Department of Transportation officials re-opened U.S. 6, both eastbound and westbound lanes, between west metro Denver and Interstate 70, after earlier closures for safety due to flood dangers.
7:14 a.m.: Weather service officials announced a flood warning effective through 3 p.m. that Cherry Creek, from around Parker downstream to Cherry Creek Reservoir, is expected to flow over banks in lowlands and meadows.
7:12 a.m.: Weather service officials announced a flood warning that Big Dry Creek may flood from the Thornton area to the confluence with the South Platte River near Fort Lupton. Weather service officials also advised drivers to avoid 144th Avenue between York and Washington streets because water was flowing over the road.
6:39 a.m.: Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge officials closed their Wildlife Drive due to flooding and warned that “First Creek is flowing very high,” advising visitors not to enter or cross floodwaters.
5:25 a.m.: Colorado Department of Transportation officials announced closures of U.S. 6, both eastbound and westbound lanes, between west metro Denver and Interstate 70 due to flood dangers.
5:16 a.m.: Weather service officials based in Boulder extended a flood watch through noon, saying more rain will fall as scattered storms hover over the Front Range thorugh Friday afternoon, diminishing Friday evening.
4:40 a.m.: Thornton police closed roads due to flooding: East 144th Avenue between Washington and York Streets; York Street between E-470 and East 156th Avenue; East 156th Avenue between York Street and Colorado Boulevard
Other road closures reported early Friday included: one northbound lane of Interstate 225 near the intersection with Colfax Avenue; the Lake view Road inside the Cherry Creek State Park from the Cottonwood Creek Trail to the 12 Mile Trail.
The 2.92 inches of rain measured at DIA over one day ranked 8th highest in recorded history for Denver, according to weather service records.
10:54 p.m. Thursday: Broomfield police closed Spader Way from Community Park Road to Descombes Drive due to street flooding and advised residents to avoid the area and not try to cross flooded sidewalks.
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