Dark clouds and fast-moving scattered showers are this afternoon, and the entire region has a 50 percent chance or rain this afternoon and 40 percent today, according to the National Weather Service.
As clouds gathered after lunch, the at 79 degrees, according to weather records.
Seven southeast Colorado counties are under a thunderstorm watch until 10 p.m. The counties are Baca, Bent, Crowley, Kiowa, Las Animas, Otero and Prowers.
“The primary storm threats this afternoon will be hail up to 1.5 inches in diameter, as well as wind gusts up to 60 mph,” .
Late tonight, a second wave of thunderstorms on the southeastern plains “have the potential to encounter greater instability and wind shear favorable for the production of large hail around 2 inches in diameter or greater, wind gusts over 60 mph and even an isolated tornado.”
After a week of record- and near-record heat, Denver should see a high of 67 Friday. The average daily highs for this week are 63 to 65 degrees.
Friday could be breezy in the city, however, with gusts up to 28 mph during the day and 20 mph in the evening.
There is a 20 percent chance of showers Saturday and a 10 percent chance Sunday.
Temperatures are expected to return to the 70s next week.
. After the driest March on record, the official monitoring site at Denver International Airport is nearly a half-inch below the 30-year average of 1.36 inches of total precipitation for the month of April. About half that amount fell on April 2 and April 3.
Statewide the snowpack is at a dire 28 percent of the 30-year average for the date.
This afternoon, Denver Public Works issued .
“Rainstorms in Denver are common throughout the spring and summer months,” the agency stated.
