ARVADA — Two days of torrential rains in Colorado have left a sloppy landscape after storms dropped up to 4 inches over 18 hours in some parts of the Denver area.
“It’s like a pond out here,” Jon Morpurgo said as he dodged puddles and navigated a flooded Ralston Creek trail in Arvada on Friday.
Noticing a break in the rainfall and wanting some exercise, Morpurgo headed out on his bike and made sure to avoid underpasses. He said he had his fair share of splashes while riding around.
“Nothing a shower won’t cure,” he said
Forecasters say the metro area is expected to get a reprieve from ominous storm clouds and omnipresent water this weekend.
Still, many intersections and roadways have been closed as deep runoff heads downstream.
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Cherry Hills Village police, for example, warned that flooding had closed University in both directions at Quincy. Officials say motorists should stay away from trouble areas to prevent being caught in flood waters.
The Denver Fire Department reported Thursday night that firefighters rescued five stranded motorists from rising waters.
Susan Hernandez, a manager at the Target on Wadsworth Boulevard in Arvada, said the store last week sold out of umbrellas.
“We just got a ton of umbrellas back in stock, though,” she said, adding that during heavy bouts of rain — like this week’s onslaught — umbrella stocking is at the forefront of her mind.
For Steve Cowell of Greenwood Village and his dog Maverick, an umbrella wasn’t necessary. He said the storms were no barrier to going outdoors.
“I’ve got the four-wheel-drive, all-weather dog,” he said. “It doesn’t matter what the weather is, he wants to go.”
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Mike Hall, head tennis pro at the Holly Tennis Center in Centennial, was not quite ready to get out the towels or the squeegee Friday morning to hit the courts.
“Well, we won’t have any players today, will we?” he said.
Hall said he is relying on nature to dry his courts in time for a Saturday tournament for 117 kids.
The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office and Golden police on Clear Creek at 3 p.m., banning anyone from swimming, “body surfing” or riding an inner tube. Violators face a ticket up to $100.
Kayaks, whitewater canoes and multi-chambered professionally guided rafts and river boards are exempt from the restriction, but enthusiasts are encouraged to use extreme caution, the sheriff’s office said.
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“Temperatures will increase this weekend with afternoon and evening showers and thunderstorms possible both days,” the National Weather Service in Boulder said in a bulletin. “Storms for the week will be more isolated, but you can expect a slight chance of afternoon showers or thunderstorms each day.”
Forecasters say next week’s high temperatures will be in the 70s and by Thursday in the upper 80s.
Jesse Paul: 303-954-1733, jpaul@denverpost.com or twitter.com/JesseAPaul
