By Anna Skinner0ShareNewsweek is a Trust Project memberSee more of our trusted coverage when you search.Prefer Newsweek on Googleto see more of our trusted coverage when you search.Severe storms tore across the Denver metro area on Monday, dumping what amounts to an entire month’s worth of rain in just a matter of hours, triggering multiple urgent weather warnings and raising concern over flash flooding and possible tornadoes.
The unusually intense burst of rain—exceeding what typically falls over the entire month of June—has created immediate hazards across a densely populated metro area at the start of the summer storm season. With flash flooding already underway, alongside an active tornado warning and severe thunderstorms producing large hail and possible tornado development, conditions can deteriorate rapidly and with little notice.
The timing is especially critical because the storms are hitting during peak daytime activity, increasing exposure for commuters and residents, while saturated ground and continued rainfall raise the risk of dangerous runoff in urban areas, making even short-duration impacts potentially severe.
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Denver Weather Radar
Animated weather footage from windy.com shows continued severe storms hitting Denver as of 2:54 p.m. MDT.
How Much Rain Fell?
In the hardest hit areas, 2.28 inches of rain fell during the intense burst of storms, National Weather Service (NWS) meteorologist Paul Schlatter, who works at the Boulder office, told Newsweek, well above Denver's typical June average of 1.94 inches for the entire month.
Severe Storms Hit Denver: What to Know
The NWS issued a Flash Flood Warning at 2:14 p.m. MDT for parts of Adams, Arapahoe and Denver counties as thunderstorms rapidly intensified east of the city. Radar and rain gauges indicated between 1.5 and 2 inches of rain had already fallen near Buckley Space Force Base, with an additional 0.5 to 0.75 inches possible within an hour. The warning covered areas included northwestern Aurora and key stretches of Interstate 70 and Interstate 225.
Videos shared on social media showed the impacts of the storm as streets quickly flooded in downtown Denver.
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Officials warned that flash flooding was either already underway or imminent, with the potential to inundate small creeks, streams, roads and low-lying areas. Motorists were urged to avoid flooded roads and move to higher ground immediately.
Other severe weather threats were also prevalent. Extreme storm chaser Reed Timmer said he and his team were chasing a "vigorous supercell" with the capacity to produce "gorilla hail" over parts of Denver on Monday afternoon.
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Hail falling across parts of Denver prompted a ground stop at Denver International Airport as strong storms moved toward the facility.
Denver's peak severe weather season is for the first two weeks of June, Schlatter told Newsweek.
"That's when we see our most severe weather and heaviest rainfall," he said.
What Happens Next: Forecast
Although the tornado warning and severe thunderstorm warnings were expected to expire soon, meteorologists cautioned that conditions remained volatile as storms continued tracking across northeastern Colorado. Schlatter said the biggest concerns with the ongoing storm are continued large hail, gusty winds, and isolated flash flooding through 8 p.m. MDT. The storm is tracking east, and it will impact eastern Colorado before moving into Kansas and Nebraska.
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