Mostly sunny blue skies with moderate heat and light breezes across metro Denver on Thursday may lead to afternoon thunderstorms bringing lightning and hail, according to the National Weather Service.
High-elevation storms forming over the mountains and valleys west of Denver in the early afternoon will be isolated as they spread eastward across Colorado’s Front Range urban corridor, mostly after 5 p.m., weather service meteorologists said, estimating the likelihood of rain at 20%. These storms, if they hit, may bring bursts of wind at speeds as fast as 50 miles per hour and small hail, forecasters said.
In the mountains northwest of Denver, storms could cause flash flooding over the forest burn scars from the 2020 Cameron Peak and East Troublesome fires northwest of the city.
The high temperature in Denver on Thursday will be 90 degrees, decreasing to 62 degrees at night, forecasters said. On Friday, the high temperature is expected to be 90 degrees.
Around Colorado, temperatures on the eastern plains likely will exceed 95 degrees, forecasters said. Air quality alerts for areas near Gunnison and the west side of the San Luis Valley, due to spreading smoke from wildfires burning in southwestern Colorado, were scheduled to lift Thursday morning.
