Heavy rain and hail pelted southern parts of the Denver area on Monday, and forecasters warned that strong thunderstorms could cause localized flooding in the region.
A hangar at Centennial Airport was damaged as storms moved through. Officials say there were no injuries or aircraft damaged but that the structure has been evacuated.
The National Weather Service in Boulder says 1.25 inches of rain could fall in 30 minutes with some of the weather systems, leaving localized street flooding in their wake.
Drifts of hail were forming in some areas south of Denver. The weather service says 2.17 inches of rain had fallen at Centennial Airport as of 3 p.m.
At about 2:30 p.m., the weather service issued a flash flood warning for northeastern Douglas and southwestern Arapahoe counties in effect until 5:30 p.m.
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“Some locations that will experience flooding include southwestern Aurora, Centennial, Highlands Ranch, Greenwood Village, Lone Tree, Arapahoe Park and Surrey Ridge,” the warning said.
The Colorado State Patrol said about 3 p.m. there was flooding at Broadway and County Line Road.
“Use caution in the area,” the State Patrol’s Castle Rock office said in a tweet.
A severe thunderstorm warning is in effect for southeast Park County through 3:45 p.m. Forecasters say a storm coming through could bring 1-inch hail and winds up to 60 mph.
Farther south, Colorado Springs officials say a thunderstorm that moved through El Paso County about noon on Monday left flooding in its wake.
The city’s fire department in a tweet said after the storms passed that it had “multiple rescues in effect.”
One showed several vehicles being carried away in a fast-moving torrent of mud and debris.
“Bye, bye daddy’s car,” a woman says in the recording.
The storm passed over the Waldo Canyon burn scar as it made its way east, sending mud and debris speeding down toward Manitou Springs and Colorado Springs.
In Manitou Springs, officials said their city hall was evacuated.
Video taken by The Gazette in Manitou Springs showed some isolated flooding at businesses. Photos from El Paso County showed heavy hail accumulation on roads and some flooded intersections.
Flash flood and thunderstorm warnings in effect for the county were canceled about 2:15 p.m.
The weather service says Denver’s high will be near 84 degrees. The chance of precipitation in the city is 40 percent.
“Increasing moisture behind a weak cool front will lead to a better chance of afternoon and evening thunderstorms across the Front Range and plains,” the weather service said in a forecast bulletin.
The bulletin says some of the storms will produce heavy rainfall with 1 to 2 inches of precipitation possible.
“Temperatures will remain warm through the end of the week as a strong upper level ridge builds over Colorado and the Four Corners region,” the bulletin said. “Monsoonal moisture will also move over Colorado, fueling afternoon thunderstorms over the mountains that move over the plains during the late afternoons and evenings.”
Forecasters say these storms will be slow moving and capable of producing heavy rainfall.
“The thunderstorms coverage will be highest on Tuesday, then decrease somewhat,” the bulletin said.
Jesse Paul: 303-954-1733, jpaul@denverpost.com or twitter.com/JesseAPaul
