Shawn and I were honored to be included to lead the Pagosa Springs 4th of July 250/150 Parade with the Vet 4 Vets Color Guard. Left to Right: Ist Class Petty Officer Raymond Taylor, SrA Danielle Whelsky (behind Taylor), MSgt Shawn Prochazka, SSG Shawna Snarr, SMSgt Arleen Prochazka, WO3 Fabie Van Cappel (behind flag), and MSgt Kenny Rogers (with flag). (Select title of post to see picture)
Saturday – 1 August 2026 – 7:20pm
Included in this newsletter: Big Thank You Waves to Individual Donors & Our Sponsors; Community Outreach News including Rio Blanco Fire Update; Calendar of events, CoCoRaHS and Contest Updates…
Personal Donations
Huge waves of thanks to: Carole & Steve Scott, Joan Rohwer, Jean Eilek, Carolyn Blechschmidt, Patricia McMahon and David Robb! Thank you!!!
What your generous donation goes towards…
Your donations help us pay for our website manager, Do Engelhardt at Fluid Elements Web, the Pagosa Weather website, commercial weather subscriptions, and other business expenses. Most importantly your donations ensure that we will be able to provide this FREE service for everyone for years to come!
To make a donation, click on this link: How to Donate. You can donate by PayPal, Square with Visa or MasterCard, or DAF Direct.
Checks can be made out and mailed to: Pagosa Weather, 56 Talisman Dr Unit 3, PMB 142, Pagosa Springs CO 81147. Thank you so much for your generosity!
Shawn and I have been truly touched by the support our followers have shown for us! THANK YOU!!!
Sponsors
We LOVE our Sponsors! They just amaze us with their support!
This Month’s featured sponsor: The Springs Resort! The Springs Resort is our Storm Sponsor. Whether it is a blizzard or a tropical storm they are ready to support us! Huge thanks to Jesse, Brooke, and the entire team at The Springs Resort for the help.
Remember Hot Springs Fest 2026 is coming this fall. It will be from November 6–8. Pagosa Springs will come alive with a weekend of soaking, wellness, and music.
The Springs Resort is home to the world’s deepest geothermal hot spring and now features more than 45 soaking pools and water features, all naturally heated by the Mother Spring. Recent expansion has added new wellness-focused pools and gathering spaces along the river, designed to enhance the overall soaking experience.
Guests can enjoy a range of pool temperatures while taking in views of the San Juan River and surrounding mountains. Local residents can take advantage of discounted daily soaking throughout the year.
Location
323 Hot Springs Blvd, Pagosa Springs, CO 81147
Phone: 800-225-0934
Email: info@pagosahotsprings.com
Shawn, Arleen, Brooke, and the rest of The Springs Resort Team. Picture taken Jan 2026.
2026 Sponsors! (Click on the sponsor’s name to follow link to their website.)
Blizzard Level Sponsor: Ski & Bow Rack
Snowman Level Sponsors
Terry’s Colorado Home Supply & Ace Hardware
Snowball Level Sponsors
Peggy Andrews, Independent Real Estate Broker
Dr. Leo Milner, D.C., Chiropractic Services
Pagosa Wilderness + Pagosa Rafting Outfitters + A1Taxi
Storm Sponsor: The Springs Resort
Community Outreach!
Rio Blanco Fire
Shawn and I have been working closely with the Pagosa and Columbine San Juan National Forest Wildland Fire folks. First, we provided fire weather training in the spring. In addition, we have been answering the questions and concerns from the team management this summer. They have been walking a fine line all summer with grave concerns about the fuel conditions due to the dry weather.
We felt we had dodged a bullet. Sadly…
The Rio Blanco fire, burning south of Eightmile Mesa, approximately 12 miles south of Pagosa Springs on Valle Seco B Road, was reported on July 28th and quickly grew. As of August 1st it is 1,011 acres. Nearby neighborhoods, on the Lower Blanco have been evacuated and others are under a warning for evacuation. For details on the fire follow the link for Watch Duty incident details or the Rio Blanco Fire page on Facebook.
The local San Juan Type 3 Incident Management Team was able to relocate from another fire to Pagosa Springs to assume management of the fire. Shawn and I attended a few of their early morning briefs. We were very impressed with the professionalism and expertise of these dedicated professional fire crews.
Our thoughts and prayers are with the firefighters’ safety. May they be able to safely control and contain this fire in short order.
Our thoughts are also with those who have been displaced, our Pagosa neighbors, as they worry about their homes and their future. We are so thankful to everyone in the community that has rallied to help the firefighters and our neighbors who have evacuated their homes. We love where we live!
The Archuleta County Sheriff’s Office and Rio Blanco Fire Incident Management Team will host a community meeting with a live presentation on the Rio Blanco Fire status.
Date/Time: Tuesday, August 4th, at 6p.m.
Where: Archuleta County Extension Office. 344 US-84 E Pagosa Springs, CO 81147
A live streaming option will be announced soon, per Rio Blanco Fire on Facebook.
More resources continue to arrive, with over 200 personnel on site this morning. They received a briefing and work assignments before heading out into the field. Briefings include a weather and fire behavior forecast, an update on night operations and the fire situation, a plan for the day’s work, a safety message, and logistical information such as where to get meals, showers, and bed down for the night. Photo courtesy of USFS.
America’s 250th & Colorado’s 150th Birthday
The 4th of July PARADE! This year the parade started on Hot Springs Blvd and wound around to Yamaguchi Park. Shawn and I donned our Air Force uniforms for the first time in 15 years. We were honored to be invited to march with the Vet for Vets of Archuleta County Color Guard leading the parade.
Pagosa’s Sesquisemiquincentennial 4th of July Party in the Park!!! Huge thanks to Shawna Snarr and the rest of the committee members who put this celebration together to reflect on our history.
We had a satellite and radar history information at our Pagosa Weather booth with a binder filled with photos from our years in the military.
Creation Care Pagosa; Water Crisis & Opportunities for the Colorado River Basin
Chuck Riehm, Vice President of the San Juan Water Conservancy District, discussed the current status of the Colorado River often referring to the 2026 State of the Basin Report. “The State of the Basin Report is the first comprehensive synthesis of the intensifying drought, governance challenges and potential solutions to the Colorado River’s worsening water crisis, which is impacting 40 million people and more than $1.4 trillion in annual GDP.”
There were about 35 locals in attendance who found the discussion critical for our area and future. There were many questions about the drought, rivers and reservoirs. Chuck discussed potential solutions such as the beaver and holding water upstream.
Going forward the Bureau of Reclamation will set up two year operating guidelines and review the status every two years with their priorities being to keep enough water in Lake Mead and Powell and to not allow dead pool or generation pool levels. That means California and Arizona will take hits to keep water in those lakes.
I gave a presentation on the current monsoon and what we can expect out of the strong El Nino this winter.
Creation Care Pagosa is a local, faith-based volunteer group in Pagosa Springs, Colorado, focused on environmental stewardship, community education, and local conservation action.
Pagosa Weather “Winter Weather Wonder”!
Friday, November 13th, 5:30pm to 8:30pm. Pagosa Lakes Clubhouse 230 Port Avenue.
Pagosa Weather, as the NWS Weather Ready Nation Ambassadors, will put on the 2nd annual Winter Weather Wonder in order to help the community prepare for winter. Everyone is invited to this FREE event!
We will passing out free snow windshield wiper brushes, again. There will be Hors d’oeuvres and dessert as well. Note, this event is open to the public.
Dustin English with the Upper San Juan Search and Rescue will be the guest speaker. Shawn and I will speak about this winter’s forecast and the influence of El Nino.
Upper San Juan Search and Rescue and other nonprofit organizations will have information booths. If you have a winter seasonal non-profit organization and you would like to have a table, contact Arleen at pagosaweather@gmail.com.
Pagosa Weather sponsors will have information booths & pop-up shops.
We look forward to an evening talking about everything winter and SNOW!
Pagosa Weather Calendar News
- August 6th, Thursday 5:30pm: Rotary Club – open to Rotary members
- August 15th: Grillin & Distillin. We’ll have a weather forecast out the week before.
- September 18th-20th: Colorfest! We’ll provide Aviation weather briefs and we’ll have a weather forecast out the week before.
- Friday, November 13th! Pagosa Weather Winter Weather Wonder…
If any teachers or organizations would like a Pagosa Weather class or presentation, send an email to Arleen at pagosaweather@gmail.com.
CoCoRaHS Newsletter Updates
Pagosa Weather is the Archuleta County “CoCoRaHS Coordinator” and “Weather-Ready Nation Ambassador”.
We have a new CoCoRaHS observer filling a red area!!! Brooke, Nik, Jese, and Danny will be reporting from the western frontier, just south of Chimney Rock. We look forward to their reports from this area.
Hopefully, we will have another new observer in Arboles next month.
HELP! Do you or do you have a friend that lives in one of the four areas highlighted below?
Archuleta County is well represented but we still have BIG data gaps. We really need a volunteer in southern Hinsdale County, Pagosa Junction, Dulce, and Upper Blanco. Sign up by filling out this web page: https://www.cocorahs.org/application.aspx. Or send us a note and we can send you more detailed information.
Weather Data Lovers, CoCoRaHS has released CoCoRaHS Data Explorer, or “DEx” for short. This tool provides countless new ways to visualize and analyze data. Note: it is highly recommended to use larger screens when viewing the DEx.
Click here to go to the DEx Station Search page for data access to any station in the database. (open to the public)
Pagosa Weather July SUMMARY & August Outlook News
Shawn’s July SUMMARY & my August Outlook will be out in a few days.
Contest Updates
Special Thanks to our sponsor businesses that have stepped forward to sponsor our weather contests. They are a lot of fun!
Active Contest – Monsoon!!!
This contest is closed to any new guesses.
Forecast the amount of measured rain that the Pagosa Springs area will receive during the monsoon season. This includes the months of July, August, and September, to the nearest 100th of an inch. If the monsoon starts earlier in June, Arleen and Shawn will determine the exact date that the monsoon set up and include that data from those dates.
The winner receives a Springs Resort General Admission Membership for a year! It includes:
- Enjoy unlimited soaking 7 days a week and exclusive early access from 8–9:00 am in our 25 hot spring soaking pools.
- Access to 20 pools + 5 VIP adult-only pools
- Unlimited Soaking – 7 Days/Week + Holidays
- Daily Locker Included
- Daily Towel Included
The Springs Resort is also Pagosa Weather’s Storm Sponsor and are there with us through blizzards and significant monsoon storms. We are deeply grateful for their support!
Everyone is still in the running. The average for July was 1.81″. Good Luck to everyone!
Dawn Barta 2.35
Brandon Beagle 2.44
Dave Stimpson 2.73
Peggy Andrews 3.27
Lori Cruser 3.6
Maureen Collins 4
Rob Barlow 4.2
Debbie Moore 4.25
Denise Giroux 4.43
Victoria Coleman 4.44
Kevin O’Brien 5.01- Mike Buckingham 5.16
Andrew Gonzales 5.25
Bobby Phillips 5.79
Phil Slusher 5.86
Darrell Smith 5.95
Bryan Weitzel 5.95
Chellie Panzera 6.07
Ed H H 6.13
CD Wagner 6.18
Gretchen Rettig 6.25
Musetta Wollenweber 6.26
Troy Rettig 6.33
Michael Offerman 6.56
Kenny Rogers 6.75
Donna Lewis 6.78
PATTI SPINDLER 7.11
James Bickel 7.13
Jeff Witten 7.26
Michelle Juneau 7.26
Terri Thielst 7.64
Jon Reed 7.69
Lida Gregory 7.76
Tina Edwards 7.76
Chris Edwards 7.77
Onyclare Wyrum 7.77
Paul Coleman 7.77
Chris Edwards 7.77
Brady Turner 7.85
Micah Stewart 7.89
Abey Nelson 8.15
Kate Porter 8.27
Eric Fisk 8.34
Mark Langford 8.72
Charlie Beach 8.76
Russell Wyrum 9
Rick Holter 9.17
Shelley Shrader 9.24
Jenny Yurechko 9.54
Diana Aragon 10.11
Rick Allen 11.23
Clayton Rizzi 12.24
Joni Bussoli 12.35
