DENVER – Weather conditions will come together Monday afternoon and evening to bring potential flash flooding to the Denver metro area and communities along Colorado’s Front Range and eastern plains.
Along with the flood threat, strong to severe storms are also possible which could bring damaging winds and large hail to the metro and eastern plains.
“Eastern Colorado is under a marginal risk of severe weather, we could see some larger hail, wind gusts over 60 mph and we might even see some isolated tornadoes pop up,” said Denver7 Meteorologist Lisa Hidalgo.
A Flash Flood watch went into effect at 2 p.m. and lasts through 9 p.m. Monday including Denver, Castle Rock, Parker, Highlands Ranch, Aurora, Brighton, among other communities.
The National Weather Service (NWS) in Boulder said storms could drop up to 1 to 2 inches of rain in less than 45 minutes.
“Ingredients are about as good as we`ve seen all year for potential for flash flooding,” said the NWS in its forecast discussion.
Portions of eastern Colorado, also under the flood watch, could see up to 2 to 3 inches of rain in an hour, said the NWS.
In a mid-afternoon update, the NWS said the highest threat of flash flooding "would likely occur from the south/east sections of the Denver metro and the Palmer Divide due to urban flooding."
Weather forecasters said the heaviest totals were expected in Elbert, Lincoln and Washington Counties, “but rainfall rates of 1-2 inches in 30-45 minutes will also be possible closer to Denver and Douglas County,” according to the NWS.
Colorado’s burn scar areas will also see a flood threat from Monday’s storms. “We still think this will be one of the higher threat days we`ve seen this year mainly for the recent burn areas,” added the NWS.
During the late afternoon and early evening hours, Denver7’s Futurecast showed much of the storm activity pushing through Denver with heavier storms lingering out on the eastern plains.
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“Limon, Akron and up into Sterling a few strong storms will be possible and then later on this evening some continued moisture up into the mountains,” said Denver7 weather forecaster Katie LaSalle. “We may be seeing some areas of fog once again early on Tuesday across the plains with lingering showers early,”
The storm threat returns Tuesday to the Denver metro and I-25 corridor with potentially stronger thunderstorms again on the plains.
The eastern plains could see stronger storms on both Monday and Tuesday.
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