June 6, 2023 Hail and Lightning, Pagosa Springs, CO
by John Farley
Just after 6 p.m. on June 6, a strong storm moved over our house in Pagosa Springs, CO, producing a rather sutstantial barrage of hail and some intense cloud-to-ground (CG) lightning. The hail was small, biggest stones around 1/2 inch in diameter, but fell heavily with some accumulation on the ground. This storm marked the beginning of about 3 hours of on and off (but more on than off) storms and rain that produced about 2/3 of an inch of rain. Storms this heavy are unusual in this area in June, which is usually one of the dryest months in NM and in southern CO, especially in the earlier part of the month. But the omega block pattern which was in place across North America through the early part of June brought anomalously cool and wet weather to the Four Corners region. On June 6, the wet pattern was enhanced by the approach of a dryline-like feature to southwest Colorado and northwest and north central New Mexico, which added some forcing to the already unusually humid and unstable air ahead of it, helping to trigger strong storms across much of west-central and southwest Colorado and northwest and north central New Mexico. One of the stronger of these storms was this one, which developed just south and southwest of Pagosa Springs, then consolidated and strengthened right over the town, resulting in the heavy shower of hail and intense lightning.
Here is a short video showing the hail and lightning: