Updated 5:12 p.m.:More than 800 flights were delayed out of Denver International Airport on Monday after a large hail storm pummeled the metro area.
The Federal Aviation Administration issued a ground stop at DIA just after 1 p.m., leading to scores of delays. The agency downgraded the stop to a delay at 3:08 p.m., and it was expected to be in place until 8:59 p.m.
As of 5 p.m., 809 flights had been delayed, including 270 from United and 228 from Southwest, according to FlightAware, an aviation tracking service.
The storm brought quarter-sized hail to Denver, as well as tornado warnings for Adams and Arapahoe counties. No tornadoes were confirmed to have touched down in the state as of Monday evening, the National Weather Service said.
The NWS also issued severe thunderstorm watches for the Interstate 25 corridor, the Denver area and the Eastern Plains and a flash flood warning for Aurora.
Updated 2:40 p.m.: A tornado warning is in effect for Adams and Arapahoe counties until 3:15 p.m. Monday, .
The affected area is just south of Denver International Airport and largely includes land between Watkins and Bennett, according to the weather service. Tornadoes are “radar indicated,” and quarter-sized hail is also expected in the area, forecasters said.
Updated 2:25 p.m.: A flash flood warning will be in effect for Aurora until 4:15 p.m. Monday, according to the .
“Move immediately to higher ground,” forecasters wrote in the alert. “Avoid walking or driving through flood waters.”
The severe thunderstorm warning for Denver International Airport was extended to 3 p.m. Monday and now includes both Watkins and Bennett, .
Updated 1:30 p.m.:A severe thunderstorm watch will be in effect for the Interstate 25 corridor, Denver area and Eastern Plains until 8 p.m. Monday, .
Scattered hail up to the size of tennis balls, 75 mph wind gusts and tornadoes will be possible, according to the weather service.
As of 1:35 p.m., a thunderstorm-fueled ground stop at Denver International Airport had already delayed hundreds of flights.
Severe thunderstorm warnings active at that time included:
- Denver, Aurora and Denver International Airport for 2-inch hail,
- Centennial, Greenwood Village and Lone Tree for half-dollar-sized hail,
- Elizabeth and Elbert for ping-pong-ball-sized hail,
“Seek shelter ahead of this storm!,” “Move your car into a garage if you are in the path of this storm, but only if you have time to do so safely.”
Updated 1:10 p.m.: The National Weather Service for Denver and Aurora on Monday afternoon that will remain in effect until 1:45 p.m.
Wind gusts up to 50 mph and hail the size of ping-pong balls will be possible, forecasters wrote in the warning. The area covered by the alert includes roughly 930,000 residents, 209 schools and 16 hospitals, according to the weather service.
Severe Thunderstorm Warning including Denver CO, Aurora CO and Denver Intl Airport CO until 1:45 PM MDT
— NWS Boulder (@NWSBoulder)
Original story: Afternoon thunderstorms will bring chances for large hail and damaging winds to the Denver area, Eastern Plains and southern Colorado on Monday, according to the National Weather Service.
Rain will be possible in Denver between noon and 8 p.m. Monday, according to . Thunderstorms are most likely in the city between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m., the forecasts show.
Scattered thunderstorms are expected across the Interstate 25 corridor and Eastern Plains between 2 p.m. and 8 p.m., .
“Large hail and damaging winds will be the main threats from the storms, however, a brief tornado or two will be possible as well,” forecasters wrote.
Storms are expected to form in the I-25 corridor and strengthen as they move east, forecasters said. The threat of severe weather is low in the Denver area and higher on the plains.
In southern Colorado, severe thunderstorms are forecast to bring up to ping-pong-ball-sized hail, roughly 1.5 inches in diameter, according to a from the weather service. The storms will grow stronger as they move from the I-25 corridor to the Colorado-Kansas border, with the greatest risk of severe weather in El Paso and Kiowa counties, forecasters said in the outlook.
Strong to severe thunderstorms will be possible across Colorado again on Tuesday, forecasters said.
As of Monday morning, the Tuesday storms were expected to bring up to quarter-sized hail roughly an inch in diameter, up to 60 mph winds, heavy rain and flash flooding, according to the outlook.
Chances for Tuesday thunderstorms in Denver will be highest between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m., according to hourly forecasts from the weather service.
This is a developing story and may be updated.
