Fourth of July weather dampens firework shows, produces impressive rainfall totals

Miles Blumhardt, Fort Collins Coloradoan
Updated ·4 min read

Northern Colorado municipal Fourth of July fireworks shows mostly went on Tuesday, though some were delayed or started early to fit between waves of storms that produced thunder, lightning and more than 1 inch of rain in the Loveland and Windsor area.

The fireworks shows went on at Fort Collins, Loveland, Wellington, Timnath and Windsor, while Estes Park postponed its show to July 15.

Rain and lightning caused City Park in Fort Collins to be cleared twice and washed out a scheduled concert, but the fireworks show ultimately took place.

The city's official weather station on Colorado State University's main campus, recorded 0.56 inches of rain, according to Russ Schumacher, professor in CSU's Department of Atmospheric Science and Colorado's state climatologist.

A Community Collaborative Rain, Hail & Snow Network rain gauge in Loveland recorded 1.67 inches of rain. Among the more than 700 gauge reports from the network, only three other reports exceeded more than Loveland's total: Two gauges in Broomfield, 1.77 inches and 1.68 inches, and one from Thornton that had the highest total of 1.82 inches.

Fort Collins residents surround Sheldon Lake at City Park to watch the annual Independence Day fireworks display on Tuesday, July 4, 2023. The display was delayed multiple times due to severe weather before the first firework flew into the sky.
Fort Collins residents surround Sheldon Lake at City Park to watch the annual Independence Day fireworks display on Tuesday, July 4, 2023. The display was delayed multiple times due to severe weather before the first firework flew into the sky.

How this year's wet weather compares to Fort Collins' wettest years

  • If Fort Collins doesn't receive any rain July 5, this year will be the 15th wettest start for year to date. The record of 17.21 inches occurred Jan. 1 through July 5, 1923.

  • Fort Collins has received 13.14 inches of precipitation so far this year. The average for year to date is 9.13 inches.

  • Fort Collins' annual average precipitation is 15.88 inches based on the 1991-2020 period.

Colorado rainfall totals: Loveland, Berthoud, Windsor areas get more than an inch

Rainfall totals Community Collaborative Rain, Hail & Snow Network, as of 7 a.m. July 5:

  • Loveland (2.7 miles east): 1.67 inches

  • Loveland (0.5 miles west): 1.46 inches

  • Loveland (3.8 miles southwest): 1.34 inches

  • Berthoud (2.5 miles north): 1.27 inches

  • Windsor (1.5 miles west-northwest): 1.26 inches

  • Loveland (1.7 miles southwest): 1.23 inches

  • Windsor (3.7 miles south-southwest): 1.15 inches

  • Drake : (1.8 miles north-northeast): 1.10 inches

  • Fort Collins (8.1 miles southeast): 1.02 inches

  • Greeley (3 miles south-southwest): 0.98 inches

  • Timnath (4.1 miles north-northeast): 0.93 inches

  • Berthoud (2.4 miles south-southwest): 0.84 inches

  • Ault (1.1 miles west-southwest): 0.83 inches

  • Estes Park 1.8 miles south): 0.83 inches

  • Windsor (3.2 miles south): 0.82 inches

  • Fort Collins (0.7 miles south-southwest): 0.76 inches

  • Timnath (2.1 miles southeast): 0.74 inches

  • Fort Collins (2.5 miles northwest): 0.67 inches

  • Drake (4.3 miles west-southwest): 0.65 inches

  • Fort Collins (2.7 miles southeast): 0.62 inches

  • Laporte (1.4 miles northwest): 0.58 inches

  • Wellington (3.7 miles west-northwest): 0.55 inches

  • Fort Collins (2.8 miles west): 0.49 inches

  • Fort Collins (5.4 miles north): 0.46 inches

  • Fort Collins (3.1 miles west-southwest): 0.44 inches

  • Horsetooth Mountain (3.2 north-northwest): 0.42 inches

  • Bellvue (2.3 miles south-southwest): 0.36 inches

Rain chances sticking around in Fort Collins forecast, according to the National Weather Service

Wednesday: 50% chance of showers and thunderstorms during the day and 40% chance at night. Cloudy, with a high near 61 and east wind 9 to 11 mph, gusting to as high as 18 mph. Fort Collins' record low maximum temperature for July 5 is 66 degrees, according to the Colorado Climate Center.

Thursday: 40% chance of showers and thunderstorms from afternoon until midnight. Partly sunny, with a high near 80 and wind becoming east-southeast 8 to 13 mph in the morning, gusting as high as 21 mph.

Friday: 30% chance of showers and thunderstorms after noon, increasing to 40% at night. Partly sunny, with a high near 79 and wind becoming east-northeast 9 to 14 mph in the morning, gusting to 22 mph.

Saturday: 50% chance of showers and thunderstorms after noon until midnight. Partly sunny, with a high near 79.

Sunday: Slight chance of showers and thunderstorms after noon. Sunny, with a high near 85.

This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: Fourth of July rain totals in Fort Collins, Windsor, Loveland and more