Severe thunderstorm watch issued for parts of southeastern Colorado
The National Weather Service in Pueblo has issued a severe thunderstorm watch for several counties until 8 p.m. Monday as forecasters anticipate possible 75 mph winds, tennis ball-sized hail and a few tornadoes.
The watch, issued by several Weather Service offices, covers over 5 million people from Baca County to northern Nebraska and eastern Wyoming through the Denver metro area. In southeastern Colorado, Baca, El Paso, Kiowa, Prowers and Teller counties comprise those under a watch.
By 2 p.m., the Weather Service in Pueblo issued four severe thunderstorm warnings within its jurisdiction, including two in El Paso County.
Several local reports to the Weather Service show those storms produced 1-inch hail near Black Forest and Falcon. The Air Force Academy also reported receiving hail, but no size was attached to its report.
Weather Service officials in Norman, Okla., indicated earlier on Monday that a watch or two was likely due to atmospheric conditions primed to induce severe thunderstorms. Forecasters believe storms will develop from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. before tracking eastward.
The tornado risk remains greatest across eastern Colorado, which is not expected to reach above 90 mph, or an EF-1 tornado, if one occurs.
A severe thunderstorm watch has been issued for parts of Colorado, Nebraska and Wyoming until 8 PM MDT pic.twitter.com/frFanGVyUq
— NWS Pueblo (@NWSPueblo) June 1, 2026
In the Denver area
The Denver area was pelted with an intense bout of hail amid severe thunderstorms Monday afternoon, halting area traffic and putting the airport on a ground delay.
After the morning was dominated by sunny skies, dark clouds rolled in just after noon, giving way to heavy rain around 1 p.m. That rain then turned to hail, about a quarter inch in diameter, that descended on the downtown area, driving pedestrians to find cover under building overhangs.
The intense weather also put Denver International Airport into a ground stop until 2:30 p.m. Monday, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. As of 2 p.m., 333 flights were delayed and four canceled, according to flightaware.com.