Denver metro hit by largest hail in 35 years as baseball-sized stones pummel area
The National Weather Service (NWS) issued a 'destructive' Severe Thunderstorm Warning for the Denver area, emphasizing the life-threatening situation with baseball-sized hail and wind gusts up to 50 mph.
Green Valley Ranch, Colorado hit with massive hailstorm Thursday
The Denver, Colorado metro area was hit with a massive hailstorm Thursday, causing significant damage to cars and resulting in major injuries. FOX 31 Denver's Jim Hooley is currently in Green Valley Ranch, Colorado with the latest.
DENVER – The Denver metropolitan area experienced an intense hailstorm Thursday, which led to the largest hailstones recorded in the county in the last 35 years, resulting in widespread damage.
Glass breaks after golf-ball-sized hailstones strike the Denver area on May 30, 2024. (@homejames4 / X)
The National Weather Service (NWS) issued a 'destructive' Severe Thunderstorm Warning for the Denver area late Thursday evening, emphasizing the life-threatening situation with baseball-sized hail and wind gusts up to 50 mph.
Large hailstones fall in Denver on May 30,2024. (@Quidnunciac / X)
The largest hail report in Denver County measured 2.75 inches in Commerce City on Thursday. It's the largest hail report in the county since 1989, the FOX Forecast Center said.
"The hail was just pounding many of these areas for almost an hour," said Jim Hooley with FOX 31 Denver.
The Denver metropolitan area experienced an intense hailstorm Thursday, which led to the largest hailstones recorded in the county in the last 35 years, resulting in widespread damage. (FOX Weather)
Overall, there have been at least 55 hail reports of at least 1-inch diameter around the Denver area.
"The trees that started to leaf out — they’ve all been shredded," Hooley said. "Some people in the neighborhood say that they had their car windshield smashed, they had some of their windows in their homes smashed."
HOLY HAIL! WHAT CAUSES THE DIFFERENCES IN HAIL SIZE?
The Denver metropolitan area experienced an intense hailstorm Thursday, which led to the largest hailstones recorded in the county in the last 35 years, resulting in widespread damage. (FOX Weather)
Aurora police said they had a busy night responding to security alarms as hail caused damage to vehicles, businesses and homes after the storm passed through and triggered the alarms.
Golf-ball-sized hail falls in Denver on May 30, 2024 (@homejames4 / X)
"With the influx in calls regarding the alarms, we’re asking the affected public to safely check their property for damage or a triggered alarm if possible," officers warned on social media.
After a tumultuous few days in eastern Colorado, the forecast for the beginning of the weekend remains more of the same.
Severe storms are anticipated to develop early Saturday afternoon, bringing with them the potential for golf-ball sized hail, frequent lightning and wind gusts exceeding 60 mph, particularly in the areas just east of Denver.