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Severe Storms Produce Large Hail, Weak Tornado Near Denver

DENVER (CBS4) - An unusually strong June cold front blasted through Colorado Saturday afternoon helping produce strong to severe thunderstorms with large hail. Some of the storms reached as high as 40,000 feet into the atmosphere. The first round of thunderstorms fired up after 3 p.m. and hit many of the northern Denver suburbs between Lafayette and Brighton.

Thornton Hail
Large hail fell in north Thornton Saturday afternoon. (credit: Jesse Markham)

Just over an hour later a second round of severe thunderstorms fired up across the southern suburbs of Denver with large hail falling from Castle Rock to Greenwood Village, Highlands Ranch and Aurora.

Zachary Canady_Castle Rock Hail_1
Large hail fell in Castle Rock late Saturday afternoon as a severe t-storm passed through Douglas County. (credit: Zachary Canady)

In southwest Elbert County a brief tornado was reported near Fondis, which is just a few miles east of the town of Elbert. Two other brief tornadoes were reported earlier in the day near Burlington in Kit Carson County.

William Coxsey_Elbert Co_Tornado
A brief tornado was reported east of Elbert late Saturday afternoon. (credit: Bill Coxsey)

The storms caused delays for arriving and departing flights at Denver International Airport.

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(credit: Flightaware.com)
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