A line of storms pushed eastward through the state Monday afternoon, bringing lightning, rain, hail, high winds and even tornado warnings to parts of Colorado.

In the Pikes Peak region, the storms dropped heavy, but brief, rain in the downtown area and blanketed Pikes Peak with “thunder snow,” said Brian Bledsoe, chief meteorologist for Gazette news partner KKTV. Bledsoe said lightning posed a bit of a threat on the summit.

The weather also prompted a brief urban and small stream flood advisories for Manitou Springs, Chipita Park, and the Waldo Canyon burn scar.

Elsewhere, a tornado watch was issued for 14 counties, including Elbert and Douglas counties, until 9 p.m., but was canceled for all but five counties shortly after 6 p.m. A tornado warning was also briefly issued for portions of Elbert and Arapahoe counties.

The Denver area saw the most severe weather. The Denver Post reported that up to 4 inches of hail fell on parts of Centennial, and conditions reportedly delayed the release of students at some metro area schools and also flooded streets.

Eastern portions of the state also were hit hard, including Kit Carson, where wind gusts of up to 80 mph were reported, Bledsoe said. But drought-stricken portions of the state also received much needed rain, he added.

While rain is possible in the Pikes Peak region for the rest of the week, Bledsoe said Monday’s thunderstorms could be the last hurrah for the type of severe weather that prompted advisories and flash flood warnings this summer.

“This time of year we usually get one last one. This may have been it for the season,” he said. “I think this is certainly our last severe weather episode for the week.”

Fall-like weather will return after last week’s unseasonably high temperatures and blue skies, he said.

Bledsoe predicts temperatures to remain in 60s before warming up for the weekend.

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Contact Lisa Walton: 476-1623

Twitter @LisaWaltonCO

View from Wolf Creek Pass. Photo via @weather5280

Rain started shortly after 2;15 p.m. Monday in downtown Colorado Springs. (Dalton Walker, The Gazette)

Rain started falling in downtown Colorado Springs shortly after 2:15 p.m. Monday. (Jerry Herman, The Gazette)

Golf ball sized hail in Aurora @AndreainCO

‘Yup, this is Colorado. Thanks Tod Meyn’ – @7Marshall