An intense storm blew through the metro area Monday afternoon, dropping large hail that forced a Lakewood mall to close, broke windows and caused multiple car crashes.
The largest piece of hail reported was 2¾ inches in diameter. It fell near Lutheran Medical Center in Wheat Ridge, said Scott Entrekin, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Boulder. Hail from 1 to 2 inches in diameter was reported in other areas, particularly west of downtown.
Colorado Mills on West Colfax Avenue closed until further notice after hail busted skylights and caused extensive flooding inside stores, said Agent Mary Munger, a Lakewood Police Department spokeswoman. No injuries were reported, but shoppers were reporting broken car windows in the parking lot.
West Metro Fire Department reported downed power lines, property damage and car crashes. A small-stream flood advisory was issued for Denver, northwest Adams County, northwest Arapahoe County and northeast Jefferson County until 4:30 p.m., according to a tweet from the Aurora Police Department.
Denver International Airport said via Twitter that some flights may be delayed as a series of storms pass through.
Adams 14 school district announced on its website that schools would be closed Tuesday due to inclement weather.
The hailstorm, which hit around 3 p.m., is the first in a series of storms expected to roll through the area throughout the night, Entrekin said.
“We’re going to see several rounds, but this will be the most intense,” Entrekin said of the afternoon onslaught.
Weekend lightning strikes that killed a woman and her horse and injured a 15-year-old girl and another woman in the Denver area are tragic reminders of how deadly thunderstorms can be, meteorologists warn.
“This is the season — between May and September — that lightning can strike,” said Kyle Fredin, meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Boulder. “It’s every day in Colorado.”
afternoon as she watched a youth baseball game in Highlands Ranch.
“It’s a horrible reminder that lightning is the No. 1 killer,” said Fredin, referring to deadly weather conditions. “When thunder roars, go indoors.”
Lightning killed 38 people last year in the United States, National Weather Service data show. Thatap the most since 2007, when lightning killed 45 people. When weather service researchers analyzed all the U.S. lightning deaths between 2004 and 2013, Colorado ranked third, with 18, behind Texas (22) and Florida (46).
Hail just did a number on the marque at The Oriental off Tennyson.
— Stan Bush (@StanBushTV)
Strong spring thunderstorms are forecast for most of this week, Fredin said.
There is a 60 percent chance of rain Tuesday. The high temperature will be around 66 degrees. The chance for rain increases on Wednesday to 70 percent, according to forecasters. The high temperature will be around 63 degrees.
On Friday the forecast for the Denver area calls for sunny skies and a high of 72 degrees. There is a slight chance for rain and afternoon thunderstorms with high temperatures in the mid-70s.
“When you have a thunderstorm, you really have to take care. You have zero time to react. If shelter isn’t available, the best place to go is inside a car,” he said.
Even on a day in which only scattered thunderstorms are forecast, there is a chance of a deadly lightning strike, Fredin said.
Denver announced Monday that the city and county would conduct a full three-minute test of its outdoor warning siren system at 11 a.m. Wednesday.
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