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Severe weather hits Denver area; more expected across US

The system responsible for the Denver storms is now advancing across the upper Plains.
Posted at 8:48 AM, Jun 23, 2023

A second round of thunderstorms dropped large hail in parts of the Denver area Thursday.

A tornado was on the ground for about 6 miles in the Highland Ranch suburb, just south of Denver; fortunately, most of the damage was minor.

The Mile High City and its suburbs were bombarded by hailstones the size of baseballs, prompting the National Weather Service to issue an alert of utmost concern, known as a "particularly dangerous situation" warning.

The EF1 tornado packed winds of 97 miles per hour, damaging roofs, toppling trees and knocking out power to thousands. More than 140 flights at Denver International Airport were canceled, and 800 were delayed. The storm comes just a day after hail injured nearly 100 people at an outdoor concert at Red Rocks Amphitheatre in nearby Morrison, Colorado.

Concertgoers at Red Rocks Amphitheater in Colorado take cover from a major hail storm.

Dozens injured when freak hailstorm pummels Red Rocks concertgoers

Seven people were taken to the hospital and 80 to 90 more were injured at the Louis Tomlinson concert at the Colorado venue.

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In other parts of the country: The National Weather Service satellite shows rain moving across northern and central Florida, and another weather system in the Southwest that's going to intensify Friday, threatening the Oklahoma and Texas panhandles.

The system responsible for the Denver storms is now advancing across the upper Plains, affecting states including Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota. On Friday, the upper Plains will be the focal point for severe weather alerts. There will be an increased risk of powerful storms, significant hail, and tornadoes in this region.

There are also risks in the Southwest; the heat dome is still sitting over Texas, with excessive heat warnings.

Additionally, there are red flag warnings for almost the entire state of New Mexico, and more air quality issues from Chicago up through Wisconsin and across through Minneapolis and Saint Paul.

The storm threat is expected to push across the Ohio River Valley on Saturday and end up in the mid-Atlantic states on Sunday.

Furthermore, a tropical storm has spun up in the Atlantic. However, it's going to be a fish storm, which means it’s staying out to sea.