Slow-moving thunderstorms dropped heavy rain on the southern parts of the Front Range and southern mountains this evening, causing water rescues, mud slides and flash flood warnings.
Denver, however, has collected only scattered light showers but rain chances persist until midnight, according to the National Weather Service.
El Paso County remains under a flash flood warning until 11 p.m., after weather radar picked up a storm at 9:39 p.m. capable of dropping 1 to 3 inches or rain.
Two children had to be rescued in Colorado Springs at about 8 p.m. after they were swept away in a drainage swollen by heavy rain near Academy Boulevard and American Drive, the National Weather Service said.
The children reportedly were OK.
Water in Colorado Springs was reaching as high as car bumpers, police said.
The Colorado Department of Transportation said boulders fell across both lanes of U.S. 50, temporarily closing the highway west of Canon City. No cars were reported to have been hit.
Another slide blocked U.S. 550 north of Red Mountain Pass in southwest Colorado, but traffic was moving Tuesday night.
The National Weather Service had warned of mudslides and fast-rising mountain streams as thunderstorms moved through the state Tuesday. It issued flash flood warnings for parts of several southern and central Colorado counties.
Earlier tonight, central Pueblo County and north-central Huerfano County were on alert for flooding by a similar storm.
Just after 2 p.m., a thunderstorm dropped more than 1.5 inches of rain in less than 40 minutes southeastern Jefferson County and western Douglas County.
A flash flood watch remains in effect until midnight along the southern Front Range, the foothills, the Palmer Divide area and in the mountains south of Interstate 70.
The monsoon rains could produce up to 3 inches of rain in less than two hours in the foothills, and up to 2 inches of rain in some areas along the Front Range, forecasters said.
Heavy moisture and cooler temperatures will move into the metro area this week as well.
The rain has cooled temperatures. After 18 consecutive days in the 90s, temperatures in Denver peaked at 83 degrees today, forecasters said.
Tuesday, the high was 83 degrees at 2:27 p.m.
The average temperature for the dates is 88 degrees.
Forecasters expect a high of 83 degrees today, under a 40 percent chance of rain. Temperatures are expected to top out at 88 degrees Thursday, with a 30 percent chance of rain.
Temperatures will rise Friday, with a forecast high of 89 degrees. But the rains will linger, with a 20 percent chance of storms.
