Slow-moving storm to bring flooding downpours, hail to southwestern US
The same storm that brought heavy rain, hail and gusty winds to Southern California over the weekend will spread chilly air, severe thunderstorms and torrential downpours into the southwestern United States through Wednesday.
The storm will manufacture unusually cold air over the region and result in temperatures of 10 to 20 degrees Fahrenheit below average for the middle of May.
Temperatures will be no higher than the 70s through Wednesday after soaring above 100 late last week.
A few inches of snow can fall in the highest elevations of the Colorado Rockies.
Gusty winds will accompany the unsettled weather in the Southwest.
The air will not only be chilly near the ground, but also high up in the atmosphere. This setup will lead to locally severe thunderstorms.
One thunderstorm that moved over Denver on Monday afternoon dropped hail larger than golf balls, and caused damage around the city.
Large hail that fell in Lakewood, Colorado, located near Denver, on Monday afternoon. (Photo/Twitter user @JuliaLytvyn)
Through midweek, the storm system will creep eastward and threaten to bring slow-moving showers and soaking thunderstorms to the Four Corners region.
Rounds of drenching downpours and gusty thunderstorms are set to target cities such as Phoenix and Tucson, Arizona; Albuquerque and Roswell, New Mexico; Denver and Colorado Springs; and Lubbock and Amarillo, Texas.
“Severe thunderstorms will again threaten the I-25 corridor on Tuesday night, but should expand eastward into the Oklahoma and Texas panhandles into Wednesday as an extra surge of moisture is drawn northward by the storm,” AccuWeather Meteorologist Kyle Brown said.
Large hail may again damage vehicles, roofs and young vegetation in the front range of the Rockies and western Plains.
In addition, damaging wind gusts and even a few tornadoes can pose a risk to lives and property.
Any thunderstorm that develops in the Four Corners region and western Plains through Wednesday will have the potential to quickly produce copious amounts of rainfall.
It will only take an inch or two of rain in a short amount of time to cause flash flooding in the deserts of the Southwest and throughout the southern Rockies.
Roadways affected by the flooding can quickly be washed out or rendered impassible. In the case of flooded roadways, it is always best to turn around and find an alternate route to avoid putting one’s life at risk.
By late in the week, the storm system responsible for the chilly air and severe weather will push into the Central states and allow warmer and drier conditions to return to the Southwest.
Report a Typo
