When is hail season in Colorado?
DENVER (KDVR) — Temperatures are warming up in Denver weather, and while it is still possible, it’s unlikely that snow will fall again in the city until summer has passed.
But Coloradans may want to keep a snow shovel handy as plowable hail is possible in the summer in the Centennial State.
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Monsoon season doesn’t typically start until late June, but now is the time to prepare for severe weather because hail season is beginning in Colorado.
Thursday night, severe weather is bringing a chance for large hail and gusty winds to the northeast corner of the state.
Colorado is ‘hail alley’
Meteorologists often describe the Front Range and areas eastward as “hail alley.” Pinpoint Weather Meteorologist Travis Michels said Colorado is known for its severe hail storms, and the science behind why makes it all make sense.
Because of Colorado’s high elevation, Michels explains that it is easier for storms to produce hail in the Centennial State compared to other states. Because of the elevation, storm clouds sit at a higher altitude in the atmosphere in Colorado where it is colder and therefore requires less energy for storms to produce hail.
“As those storms come over the mountains, they will squeeze out some moisture but because it is so high in the atmosphere, they are so cold so as they drop down — if they are going to have any moisture coming out, everything is frozen up there because it is so cold,” Michels said.
When does hail season begin in Colorado?
Hail storms start to pick up toward the end of April and the beginning of May. According to data from Colorado State University’s climate center, severe hail days peak early to mid-June, decreasing slightly in July and again in August. Hail days tend to dwindle around the middle of August.
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Michels noted that hail days tend to increase quickly when May comes around.
“We’re leading up to the peak and we’re gonna ramp up quick,” Michels said. “But you don’t want to be prepared for the peak, you want to be ready before we get there.”
Hail exceeding two inches in diameter is historically most likely from the end of May to the last week of June.
Where is hail most impactful in Colorado?
Throughout the hail season, Michels explained that hail is the worst and impacts the most people near the Front Range.
The storms are already high in the atmosphere as they move over the mountains, making it easier for the storm to produce hail near the Front Range.
Hail certainly impacts the plains to the east throughout the season, but Michels explains that the storms get lower in altitude as they move across the plains where the elevation of the land below also gets lower. That results in lower atmospheric temperatures, essentially making it more difficult for the storms to produce hail in the Eastern Plains compared to the Front Range.
Michels noted that it is still cold enough to produce hail in the plains, and the plains do get plenty of hail throughout the season, it just isn’t as likely as it is closer to the Front Range.
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Meanwhile, areas west of the Continental Divide receive very little hail, with most of the hail reports on that side of the state occurring near Grand Junction and the Southwestern corner of the state.
AAA spokesperson Skyler McKinley told FOX31 that now is a good time to look over homeowner, rental and car insurance plans to make sure coverage includes hail damage.
“I really advise all motors in Colorado to carry comprehensive coverage in the event of a catastrophic hail event,” McKinley said. “Double check, read your policy because we get so much hail and sometimes your deductible might be much higher for hail claims, in which case, you know, find a different policy or find a different agent.”
McKinley said Colorado is the No. 2, and sometimes No. 1, state when it comes to hail damage on cars and homes per capita.
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