Severe weather returns to Sterling & northeast Colorado on Wednesday, causing damage and flooding

From the heat to the humidity, this was the case in many spots across northeast Colorado on Wednesday evening.

Severe thunderstorm warnings went out across the region, bringing some much-needed rain, but causing some unneeded damage in Sterling.

Following a stretch of temperatures in the upper nineties & triple digits over the past week, severe weather returned, bringing heavy rain, lightning, and damaging winds. The rains in Sterling caused some minor localized flooding in several places across town, forming some lakes in low-lying areas. There are reports that over an inch of rain fell within an hour in Sterling.

A few trees were knocked down Wednesday evening, too, as a large tree was uprooted and fell on a house near 6th and Walnut, damaging the roof and even slightly lifting a car off its driveway. Another small tree went down in Propst Park. No injuries have been reported.

80 mph wind gusts were reported near the Sterling Airport, causing downed power poles and power outages throughout the area. The high winds caused big problems on the interstate as multiple semi-trailers were blown over on I-76 near Brush.

Cooler temps are on tap for Thursday, with a 40-60% chance of showers and thunderstorms in Logan County and across Northeast Colorado for the afternoon and evening. The storms will be short-lived, as the heat returns for Friday and the weekend with temperatures climbing back into the upper 90’s and low 100’s, with a slim chance for any shower activity until Monday.

A large tree is uprooted and falls on a house near 6th & Walnut in Sterling on Wednesday, July 22, 2026 - a car (to the right, parked in the driveway) was damaged as well. Photos courtesy of Sharon Jones