7:05 p.m.: Colorado 36 is closed in both directions at Schumaker Road, according to Bennett-Watkins Fire Rescue. Areas of the highway are flooded between Watkins and Bennett. Motorists are advised to avoid the area and take alternate routes as emergency crews respond to multiple calls for help.
6:33 p.m.: Heavy hail accumulation on Colorado 36 just west of Bennett made the roadway barely passable late in the day Thursday. Flooding is also an issue in the area as severe thunderstorms rumble through northeastern Colorado.
Very heavy hail accumulation on CO-36 just west of Bennett. Roads are barely passable due to the combination of very deep hail and flooding.
— David Demko (@DavidDemkoWx)
6:13 p.m.: The Colorado Rockies are on a weather delay, with the time of the first pitch yet to be determined.
Traffic Update: 20th Street between Little Raven and Chestnut is set to reopen with one lane in each direction.
— Colorado Rockies (@Rockies)
5:52 p.m.: Water is flowing like a river along West Colfax Avenue near Sheridan Boulevard.
Colfax Avenue has turned into Colfax River in Denver.
📍 Colfax Ave. and Sheridan Boulevard
📸: Eric Scott
Latest weather conditions:
— Denver7 News (@DenverChannel)
5:45 p.m.: The Colorado Department of Transportation is using plows to clear dirt and debris that heavy rains washed onto southbound Interstate 25 near Exit 211 for 23rd Avenue.
Heavy rain washed dirt and debris onto SB I-25 at 23rd Ave. in Denver, closing two of the lanes. CDOT crews are using plows to clear the debris. Go to for the latest info on road conditions.
— Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) (@ColoradoDOT)
5:43 p.m.: A flash flood warning in effect until 8:45 p.m. has been issued for Bennett and Watkins.
Flash Flood Warning including Bennett CO and Watkins CO until 8:45 PM MDT
— NWS Boulder (@NWSBoulder)
5:40 p.m.: Severe thunderstorms are contributing to long and multiple delays at Denver International Airport. Inbound fights are delayed at airports of origin on average 1 hour and 44 minutes, according to flightaware.com. Departure delays are averaging 1 hour and 11 minutes and incoming arrivals are running late, on average, between 15 to 29 minutes. From 3 to 7 p.m., 163 flights at DIA are delayed and 30 flights have been canceled.
5:26 p.m.: Denver firefighters responded to a submerged vehicle near the intersection of West 38th Avenue and Fox Street. A dive crew searched the vehicle and found no one inside. Divers are out of the water now. Denver Fire Department urges motorists not to drive though standing water.
on scene of a vehicle submerged near 38th and Fox. Dive crews searched the vehicle to confirm no parties trapped in vehicle. All divers are out of the water. Please do not drive through standing water.
— Denver Fire Department (@Denver_Fire)
5:19 p.m.: Interstate 70 east of Denver is being hit hard by a severe thunderstorm that is producing 3-inch diameter hail and winds of 70 mph, according to the National Weather Service. Drivers and travelers are advised to avoid the highway between Watkins and Strasburg.
⚠️ Avoid I-70 between Watkins and Strasburg! ⚠️
Severe t-storm with up to **3 inch** diameter hail and 70 mph moving ENE over the area over the next half hour. This is a destructive storm.
— NWS Boulder (@NWSBoulder)
5:14 p.m.: The intersection of West 33rd Avenue and Irving Street in Denver’s West Highlands neighborhood was flooded by a downpour.
Here's a look at 33rd and Irving in the West Highlands from about 4:45 p.m. today.
Live weather blog:
(: )
— Denver7 News (@DenverChannel)
5:07 p.m.: Heavy rain caused debris and dirt to wash onto two lanes of I-25 southbound near 23rd Avenue, said Tamara Rollinson, a CDOT spokeswoman. Two lanes are blocked and two are open. Maintenance crews are enroute to clean up the highway. Travel delays will continue as the cleanup happens.
4:47 p.m.: CDOT is reporting traffic delays of more than 20 minutes on I-25 near Exit 211, 23rd Avenue, because of flooding. Two right lanes of southbound I-25 are closed, and three northbound lanes are closed.
southbound is flooded at 23rd Avenue. Two lanes of traffic are blocked, while two lanes remains open. CDOT crews are en route to clean debris.
— Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) (@ColoradoDOT)
4:32 p.m.: Severe weather is contributing to flight delays and cancellations at Denver International Airport. Between 2 p.m. and 6 p.m., 111 flights were delayed and 13 were canceled.
4:30 p.m.: A severe thunderstorm warning in effect until 5:15 p.m. has been issued for Aurora, Bennett and Denver International Airport. Quarter-sized hail and wind speeds of up to 50 mph are expected.
Severe Thunderstorm Warning including Aurora CO, Denver Intl Airport CO and Bennett CO until 5:15 PM MDT
— NWS Boulder (@NWSBoulder)
4:19 p.m.: Lanes of Interstate 25 are flooded in both directions near Exit 210 for Colfax Avenue, according to the Colorado Department of Transportation’s trip planner .
Quite a few reports of flooding in and around Denver, including on area interstates. Avoid the roads if you can as this storm moves through!
— NWS Boulder (@NWSBoulder)
4:16 p.m.: A severe thunderstorm warning in effect until 4:30 p.m. has been issued for Thornton, Westminster and Denver. Golf ball-sized hail should be expected, in addition to wind speeds of up to 50 mph.
Severe Thunderstorm Warning continues for Thornton CO, Westminster CO and Denver Intl Airport CO until 4:30 PM MDT. This storm will contain golf ball sized hail!
— NWS Boulder (@NWSBoulder)
4:10 p.m.: A flash flood warning for Lakewood, Wheat Ridge and Edgewater has been issued and remains in effect until 6 p.m.
Flash Flood Warning including Lakewood CO, Wheat Ridge CO and Edgewater CO until 6:00 PM MDT
— NWS Boulder (@NWSBoulder)
4:04 p.m.: Wheat Ridge police reported torrential rains and hail in that city, warning motorists of the potential for standing water on arterial roads such as Wadsworth Boulevard.
Torrential rains and hail! Beware of standing water. Here’s Wadsworth👇
— Wheat Ridge Police (@WheatRidgePD)
3:58 p.m.: A severe thunderstorm warning has been issued for Denver, Thornton and Arvada in effect until 4:30 p.m., according to the National Weather Service. Half-dollar-sized hail and 50 mph winds are possible.
Severe Thunderstorm Warning including Denver CO, Thornton CO and Arvada CO until 4:30 PM MDT
— NWS Boulder (@NWSBoulder)
3:38 p.m.: An intense thunderstorm just west of Denver is expected to produce hail up to 1-inch in diameter.
Strong and rapidly intensifying thunderstorm over the western Denver metro at this time. Expect hail up to 1" in diameter under the core(s), but hail size may increase with time. Stay indoors!
Appreciate any hail and flooding reports as well.
— NWS Boulder (@NWSBoulder)
3:36 p.m.: A flood threat bulletin has been issued for northeastern Colorado, where heavy rain, almost 3 inches in one hour’s time, is expected, according to forecasters.
Updated Flood Threat Bulletin
— CO – Emergency Mgmt (@COEmergency)
3:24 p.m.: A severe thunderstorm warning is posted for the metro area, including Denver, Lakewood and Arvada, until 4 p.m., according to the National Weather Service. Quarter-sized hail and 50 mph winds are expected.
Severe Thunderstorm Warning including Denver CO, Lakewood CO and Arvada CO until 4:00 PM MDT
— NWS Boulder (@NWSBoulder)
3:17 p.m.: Strong storms are firing up west of Denver, according to the National Weather Service. Storms are moving east and northeast and are expected to be severe.
Update: Strong storms firing west of , and also near Nederland (west of ). These may become severe as they move east/northeast into Denver metro 3:30 pm – 4:30 pm.
— NWS Boulder (@NWSBoulder)
3:15 p.m.: Stormy weather in northeastern Colorado is causing flight delays at Denver International Airport. Inbound flights are being delayed at their airport of origin by an average of 1 hour and 44 minutes, according to flightaware.com. DIA said some outbound flights are being delayed up to 2 hours. Thursday afternoon, 67 outbound flights are delayed between the hours of 1 and 5 p.m.
WEATHER ALERT: Flights may experience delays of up to two hours due to thunderstorms in the area. Check with your airline before you arrive at the airport.
(FYI, not actual picture of current weather)
— Denver Int'l Airport (@DENAirport)
1:57 p.m.: Storms are developing west and northwest of Denver and are expected to become more numerous — and intensify — later this afternoon. Some of the storms will likely become severe with large hail, strong winds and possibly a tornado.
At 1:42 PM, storms were developing west & northwest of Denver. The storms are expected to become more numerous & intensify later this afternoon. Some of the storms will likely become severe with large hail, strong winds & possibly a tornado.
— NWS Boulder (@NWSBoulder)
1:38 p.m.: The National Weather Service has shared the expected timing of this afternoon’s storms on . The Denver metro can expect heavy storms around 2-6 p.m.
Expected Severe Weather Timing Today:
— NWS Boulder (@NWSBoulder)
1:26 p.m.: A tornado watch is posted for a three-state area to include parts of northeastern Colorado, Nebraska and Wyoming. The Denver area and the northern Interstate 25 corridor, including Fort Collins and Boulder, are within the watch area. The watch is in effect until 9 p.m. Thursday.
A tornado watch has been issued for parts of Colorado, Nebraska and Wyoming until 9 PM MDT
— NWS Boulder (@NWSBoulder)
1:10 p.m.: Severe weather is in the forecast for northeastern Colorado, including the Interstate 25 corridor and the Eastern Plains where hail, strong winds, heavy rain, flooding and a possible tornado could strike Thursday afternoon, according to the . The strongest storms could produce hail up to baseball ball size and wind gusts to 70 mph.
⚠️Update: We've upgraded to an Enhanced Risk of Severe storms for portions of I-25 Corridor & adjacent plains!
Have multiple ways to receive warnings and be ready to seek shelter if storms approach.
Destructive hail
Damaging winds
Tornadoes
Locally heavy rain/flooding— NWS Boulder (@NWSBoulder)
1:10 p.m.: Severe storms are expected in northeastern Colorado arriving from west to east, according to the National Weather Service. Storms are in the foothills forecast from noon until 4 p.m.; along the Interstate 25 corridor from 2 to 6 p.m.; and on the plains from 5 to 10 p.m. A threat of flash flooding will be mainly in Morgan and Logan counties.
Severe storm timing today (aka be prepared to seek shelter/avoid outdoor activities)
* Foothills: Noon – 4 pm
* I-25 Corridor: 2 pm – 6 pm
* Plains: 5 pm – 10 pmIsolated to scattered storms linger thereafter, but should be less intense.
— NWS Boulder (@NWSBoulder)
This is a developing story and will be updated.
