July has been as good a testament to the unpredictable nature of Colorado weather as ever.

Just under 4 inches of precipitation has fallen on Colorado Springs this month, with the official total at 3.98 inches as of Wednesday. A record-tying 1.66 inches of precipitation fell at the Colorado Springs Airport Tuesday, according to the National Weather Service.

Some parts of Colorado Springs saw close to 3 inches of rain, according to National Weather Service meteorologist Stephen Rodriguez. Pueblo also saw high precipitation totals, with 2 to 3 inches falling across Pueblo and Pueblo West, Rodriguez said.   

The 1.66 inches matches the measurement recorded at the airport July 26, 2017, part of a July in which 6.23 inches of precipitation fell, the third-highest July total in recorded history for the city and the 10th-highest total across all months.

For context, in the past five years, July 2021 saw 3.26 inches of rain, 2020 saw 1.53 inches, 2019, 1.40 inches, and 2018, 4.46 inches. 

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2022’s rain total so far ranks on the higher end in recent history, especially given the La Niña pattern that calls for a drier climate. While the moisture may be welcome, it doesn’t signify a change in the overall climate, Rodriguez said. 

According to Rodriguez, the rain will stay  for the next several days and while it is here, help with drought conditions across southern Colorado. However, looking at one-month and three-month models, Colorado Springs probably will return to a climate with lower-than-normal precipitation. 

The current rain is the result of monsoonal moisture moving into the area from the Pacific Southwest, Rodriguez said. The moist air adds not only to the coverage of thunderstorms but also to the intensity, he said. 

Forecasts for Thursday and Friday call for a quarter- to half-inch of rain during the day and a tenth- to a quarter-inch of rain at night. 

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Rodriguez said that residents such be especially vigilant regarding flash floods, as it will take less rain to trigger them, given that the ground is saturated from previous precipitation. In a flash flood, the weather service advises people to move to higher ground and to avoid walking or driving through floodwaters. 

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