2:28 p.m.: A severe thunderstorm warning is in effect for Aurora, Centennial and Littleton until 3:15 p.m. Friday, according to the National Weather Service.
The area could see quarter-sized hail and up to 50 mph winds, NWS forecasters said.
2:20 p.m.: Colorado Parks and Wildlife officers rescued a person trapped on the water of Chatfield State Park during a Friday afternoon thunderstorm.
One person was trapped on the reservoir as hail came through the area, according to South Metro Fire Rescue. The person was rescued from the water and is being evaluated by paramedics on land.
RELATED: More than 300 flights delayed at Denver International Airport as severe thunderstorm rolls in
2:11 p.m.: The National Weather Service issued a severe thunderstorm watch for eastern Colorado as well as parts of Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas and Wyoming.
Colorado’s Front Range and Eastern Plains could see between golf ball- and tennis ball-sized hail, wind gusts of up to 80 mph and a couple tornadoes, according to NWS forecasters.The watch will remain active until 9 p.m.
2 p.m.: Denver, Aurora and Lakewood could see quarter-sized hail and 60 mph winds as a severe thunderstorm rolls across the metro, according to National Weather Service forecasters.
The NWS issued a severe thunderstorm warning for a large part of the Denver metro until 2:30 p.m., impacting 1.3 million people, 306 schools and 22 hospitals.
Winds up to 60 mph and half-dollar hail is also possible in La Junta, Rocky Ford and Swink, according to the agency.
Original story: A new wave of severe weather is set to move across Colorado on Friday, bringing heavy rain, large hail and a chance of tornado touchdowns, according to the National Weather Service.
Numerous thunderstorms are expected Friday afternoon across northeastern Colorado, including the Denver area, NWS forecasters said. The bulk of Friday’s storm is expected to rain down across Colorado’s Front Range and Eastern Plains between 2 p.m. and 9 p.m..
The further east of Interstate 25 an area is, the higher the threat of severe weather, NWS meteorologists said. Denver and the eastern metro area will be affected by the storm system, but areas out in the eastern plains have a higher chance of being hit harder.
Severe weather in the metro area will be strongestbetween 3 p.m. and 5 p.m., according to forecasters. The plains will be hit the hardest after 4 p.m. and rain showers may linger in the area until 11 p.m.
Heavy rain will start in the afternoon eastward of I-25 and could be accompanied by up to golf ball-sized hail — about 1.75 inches in diameter — forecasters said. Friday afternoon’s rain storms may also cause flash flooding, but it’s hard to tell how much rain any area might see until the storm hits.
Isolated tornadoes are possible but more likely to touch down in the plains than the metro area, according to NWS forecasters.
Damaging wind gusts of up to 65 mph across the Front Range and 90 mph in the plains are also possible throughout the afternoon Friday, according to NWS hazardous weather outlooks.
Temperatures highs in the Denver area are forecasted to have dropped 12 degrees overnight, going from a recorded 97-degree Thursday to a expected 85-degree Friday amid the weather cooling storm, according to NWS forecasters.
Warmer, drier weather will return over the weekend as the rain stops and temperatures return to the 90s.
Saturday and Sunday will remain significantly cooler than Thursday, when Denver came within two degrees of beating its all-time heat record for June 13 and Limon smashed its own record.
The Lincoln County town hit 101 degrees Thursday, not only breaking its all-time heat record for June 13, but also tying for the 11th hottest temperature ever recorded in the town, according to NWS meteorologists. Normal June temperatures for Limon are in the high 70s and low 80s.
Originally Published: June 14, 2024 at 6:38 a.m.
