Severe weather makes for bumpy afternoons across Northeast Colorado

This weekend brought the first day of summer, along with severe weather on both Saturday and Sunday across the northeastern plains. Severe thunderstorms popped up in Yuma County at 3 pm Saturday, bringing 60 mph wind gusts and reports of hail ranging from ping pong to golf ball in size. The storms tracked north and east over the next couple of hours, as this first round moved into Kansas by 5 pm. The storms intensified a bit in places like St. Francis and Goodland. The region remained under a tornado watch until 9 pm Saturday, with a few warnings issued in isolated areas.

The night wasn’t over, as two separate systems developed over Weld and Logan Counties beginning around 8 pm, with another cell exploding over Greeley and dropping heavy rains and small hail on Morgan County, before heading down Highway 34 at about 11:30 Saturday night and breaking up.

The National Weather Service issued a Severe Thunderstorm Watch until 8 pm Sunday for parts of northeastern Colorado, including Cheyenne, Kit Carson, Lincoln, Phillips, Sedgwick, Washington, and Yuma counties.

More storms produced hail up to three inches in diameter, along with damaging wind gusts up to 70 miles per hour and frequent lightning.

Meteorologists reported multiple landspout tornadoes from eastern Weld County toward the Kansas border Sunday afternoon as well, with additional tornado development, large hail, and damaging winds across the area.

The storms also caused problems at D.I.A., with over 600 flights delayed Sunday. There is a 30-90% chance of afternoon showers and thunderstorms throughout the coming week. The weekend looks drier and warmer.