The National Weather Service placed a dozen Colorado counties under a tornado watch until 9 p.m. Monday after forecasters warned of tornadoes and softball-sized hail across the state. Affected areas can also expect winds of up to 50 mph and with up to 75 mph gusts.
The alert has disrupted operations at Denver International Airport, with two flights cancelled by 4 p.m. FlightAware confirmed more than 300 flights were also delayed.
Tornado Watch Placed on 12 Colorado Counties
The tornado watch covers Adams, Arapahoe, Cheyenne, Denver, Douglas, Elbert, Kit Carson, Lincoln, Morgan, Washington, Weld, and Yuma counties, while a few counties in far northeastern and far southeastern Colorado were excluded as of 3 p.m.
Moreover, NWS issued additional severe thunderstorm warnings for portions of Elbert, Arapahoe and Douglas counties until 4 p.m., resulting in multiple overlapping alerts across the region.
'Tornadoes, very large hail, and strong winds will all be possible with today's storms,' the NWS stated. 'Please stay weather aware today and have a plan in case a tornado or severe thunderstorm warning is issued!' urging the public to be prepared as they monitor updates.
The primary threat stretches east of Interstate 25, from Greeley, Denver and Castle Rock out toward the Kansas border, covering both the metro and eastern plains.
Large Hail Forecasted with Tornado Alert
Greg Heavener, the warning coordination meteorologist for NWS Boulder and Denver, said the mere potential for hail and tornadoes should never be underestimated. 'We're mostly looking at a larger hail threat today on top of a few tornadoes,' he told CPR News.
'The main threat for the storms today is very large hail, upwards of 2- to possibly 4-inch diameter hailstones, possibility of a tornado or two also as we get from the metro area out towards the Eastern Plains of Colorado,' he added.
The NWS also explained the difference between a tornado watch and tornado warning, the latter described as a more urgent threat. A tornado watch is a situation where weather conditions 'favour thunderstorms capable of producing tornadoes,' while a tornado warning indicates that a tornado poses an imminent danger, having been sighted or identified on radar.
The agency cautioned the public not to be complacent during a tornado watch, but instead tune into local news or a NOAA Weather Radio for updates.
How Do You Survive a Tornado Threat?
The NWS offers a detailed advisory on what to do in the face of a tornado threat. For those at home, the safest shelter is a basement, safe room, or an interior room away from windows. Offices and schools will have designated shelters, and routine drills should ensure rapid evacuation for large groups. Avoid open areas like cafeterias or auditoriums.
Those caught in a tornado warning while outdoors should avoid sheds, storage facilities, mobile homes and tents at all costs, but instead find the sturdiest building possible. Motorists are not safe inside vehicles and should drive to the closest shelter. Find a low-lying area such as a ditch or ravine if a shelter is unreachable.
'Right now, (9 p.m.) is our best guess from when it begins to move out of the state into parts of Kansas, given the speed and progression of the storms,' Heavener noted. 'I'll have to see how the system plays out. We might be able to cancel some of the areas further west of the metro and eastern plains earlier than 9 p.m., but we do expect to see storms' development, like they are now, to kind of race off to the east.'
