A rainstorm that rushed through Pueblo County late Monday afternoon left the area so soaked that it set a daily record for precipitation.

Pueblo received 1.67 inches of rainfall on Monday, eclipsing the old record for June 16 of 1.39 inches in 1912, according to the National Weather Service's Pueblo office.

While the precipitation was significant, it didn't break the overall daily record for Pueblo. That mark is 2.95 inches on Aug. 29 of 1955, according to the weather service. The most rainfall ever seen on a single day in the month of June was 2.24 inches, which happened June 24, 1979.

This year, Pueblo has had 2.12 inches of precipitation from the start of June up through Tuesday. In 2018, Pueblo only received 0.16 inches of precipitation up to the same point in June.

The rainiest month in Pueblo history was in April 1900, when 8.13 inches of precipitation fell over the city. Unless there is a barrage of storms through the remainder of June similar to the one Monday night, that record is going to be safe.

In more recent history, the most precipitation that Pueblo has seen in a month was 5.55 inches in May 2015, which is ranked as the sixth-rainiest month in Pueblo history.

Since the beginning of this year through Monday, Pueblo has had 6.45 inches of total rainfall — up significantly from the 2.10 inches of precipitation measured from the same period a year ago.

The most rainfall Pueblo has ever received over the course of a full year was 23.09 inches in 1957. The lowest amount of precipitation over a full year in Pueblo is 3.94 inches in 2002, followed by 5 inches in 2012.

The all-time average annual precipitation in Pueblo is 11.79 inches.

No significant flooding was reported from the storm on Monday, but flooding remains a concern locally.

The weather service reported that due to fast and high flows in creeks, streams and rivers, there is potential for flooding, especially in the southwest mountains, portions of the San Luis Valley, and along the Upper Arkansas River Valley west of the Pueblo Reservoir.

Isolated thunderstorms are expected across the region through Thursday. Forecasters said one or two of these storms could bring strong gusts, especially today.

Last week, local law enforcement and state park authorities announced restrictions on recreational activity along the Arkansas River, citing melting snowpack that's doubled the flow rate and pushed the river near the point of flooding.

The Aransas River below Lake Pueblo Dam is closed to inner tubes and nonwhitewater boats, and the use of the Arkansas River from Pueblo Boulevard to the Otero County line is restricted to only whitewater canoes and kayaks.

Woody Percival, public information officer for the Pueblo Fire Department, said most people are obeying the restrictions put in place due to the unsafe water conditions.

“People are being pretty respectful of the water right now and that’s what we really were hoping for," he said. "For the most part, people are being pretty good.”

Even when it's safe for people to go into the water, Percival said those who recreate in lakes or rivers should be in pairs and let others now where they are going.

Percival said it's important for people to report instances when they think others are in danger in lakes or rivers, but frequently such reports are inaccurate.

“We don’t want to discourage anyone from calling to report. But a lot of times things get stuck in the river like tubes or paddles,” Percival said.

In the same vein, he said people should report to authorities if they have lost paddles, kayaks, rafts or other devices.

“It’s OK to call the nonemergency dispatch number for that. That way if we find it, we can account for it,” Percival said. “That could help us with an investigation.

rseverance@chieftain.com

Twitter: @RyanS_Chieftain

amestas@chieftain.com

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