Pea-sized hail in Colorado Springs Tuesday night may be just the beginning of severe weather patterns this week, according to the National Weather Service in Pueblo.

The Weather Service issued a warning for nickel-sized hail and wind up to 50 mph for Colorado Springs and the Broadmoor neighborhood until 8:30 p.m. Tuesday. People were asked to seek shelter in sturdy structures.

Senior meteorologist Steve Hodanish reported that pea-sized hail fell in the Colorado Springs area, but said severe weather is on its way.

There is a potential for strong damaging winds and hail along the Interstate 25 corridor this week into the Memorial Day weekend. There may also be tornado warnings across the southeast plains. 

“We’re setting up for a severe weather pattern,” Hodanish said. “This is the very beginning of something potentially bigger.”

A hazardous weather outlook has been issued for central to southeast parts of the state, including El Paso County.

Severe thunderstorms with large hail and strong winds are possible Wednesday into Thursday, but the storm may be held in place, making severe storms possible into the weekend.

Moderate to heavy rainfall combined with warm temperatures are expected to increase river and creek levels, creating possibly fast flows. The threat of flash flooding from heavy rainfall increases Wednesday and Thursday, according to the weather outlook.