Denver International Airport Halted Flights Amid Tornadoes

DENVER, CO — Flights were temporarily stopped at the Denver International Airport on Memorial Day, one day after a series of tornadoes reportedly halted operations there. Tornadoes were again occurring on Monday, May 27, according to the National Weather Service.

Three tornadoes were confirmed by the National Weather Service as of 4:30 p.m. on Monday:

• 3:03 p.m. near Fort Morgan Municipal Airport; a brief touchdown occurred in an open field.
• 3:23 p.m. near Willard; a brief needle tornado was reported in open space.
• 1:43 p.m. near Strasburg; weak tornado briefly touched down in an open field.

None of the tornadoes above caused any damage, according to the weather service.

A tornado watch was in effect until 9 p.m. on Monday for Adams, Arapahoe, Denver, Logan, Morgan, Phillips, Sedgwick, Washington and Weld counties. During a tornado watch, conditions are favorable for the development of tornadoes.

According to Flight Aware, Denver International was holding all inbound flights at their origin until 5 p.m. due to thunderstorms, and the FAA reported there was a temporary ground stop because of the weather.

Flights were also stopped at Denver International for about four hours as multiple tornadoes hit Colorado on Sunday, May 26, according to The Denver Post.

The National Weather Service issued a hazardous weather outlook for northeast and north central Colorado, stating that severe storms would be possible over the plains Monday afternoon and evening.

From the Denver metro area north to the Wyoming border and east across the northern Colorado plains, weather officials said that there was potential for severe storms with hail up to 3 inches in diameter and wind gusts up to 60 mph as well as brief but isolated tornadoes. Cooler temperatures and showers are expected across the plains overnight, with snow possibly mixing with rain over the top of the Palmer Divide, according to the National Weather Service.

Moderate to heavy snow could occur in the mountains late Monday through Tuesday night.