DENVER — Storms carrying both a heavy rain and hail threat moved into the area Sunday afternoon. Severe thunderstorms and flash flood watches are in effect for most of the Denver metro and Palmer Divide.
A flash flood warning was issued for West Central Weld County until 11:30 p.m.
East Central Lamar County is also under a flash flood warning until 10:30 p.m. as is North Central Elbert County until 9:30 p.m.
A flash flood warning was issued for the Cameron Peak burn scar until 8:45 p.m. The National Weather Service said automated gauges have indicated heavy rain is falling in the area and additional rainfall is possible.
The NWS has issued a severe thunderstorm watch for most of Denver and the southern portion of the Front Range until 9 p.m. A flash flood watch is in effect until 3 a.m. Monday. The storms could bring large hail up to two inches in diameter and strong potentially damaging winds and heavy rain.
Portions of Douglas County were hit hard from the storms earlier in the afternoon. Denver7 viewers captured videos of pea-sized hail falling in the Highlands Ranch and Parker areas Sunday. And lightning is being blamed for sparking a house fire in the 10000 block of Valleybrook Circle in Douglas County. There were no injuries.
The NWS said storms would form over the higher elevations to the foothills and over the Palmer Divide with a few potentially becoming severe.
While hail, high wind, and heavy rains are the main severe weather threat in Colorado, the NWS saidit couldn’t rule out a brief tornado touchdown.
With any strong storm that forms Sunday, isolated street and creek flooding could occur in the Denver metro before storm activity decreases through the evening and overnight hours.
There is an elevated threat of flash flooding in Colorado’s burn scar areas including Cameron Peak and East Troublesome, according to the NWS. While Sunday’s flood threat in the burn scar areas does not include Williams Fork, flooding will again be possible on Monday in all three burn scar areas, the National Weather Service forecasted.
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It’s a rinse-and-repeat forecast to begin the work week. Denver’s weather forecast for Monday shows yet another round of potential storms in the afternoon through the evening hours.
Monday’s risk of a severe storm will remain across Colorado’s plains and the urban corridor, the NWS said.
There will be pockets of heavy rain lingering through the start of Game 5 of the NBA Finals if you’re headed out to Ball Arena on Monday.
Thunderstorms will stick around Tuesday but become more scattered in nature with storms still possible every day this coming week.
Explore June weather in Denver
If you're tired of all the thunderstorms you just need to make it through June. It's a month of transition in Colorado. We can see the most rounds of intense storms during June with tornadoes and hail becoming threats, according to the National Weather Service.
Colorado on average sees 27 tornadoes between May and June, with the tornadic threat peaking in June. In case you didn't know, most tornadoes happen in Weld County. And that's not just in Colorado but the country. 268 tornadoes have formed in Weld County since 1950.
Read Denver7's full, in-depth report on June weather in Denver and what to expect heading into the summer months in Colorado.
