A dangerous line of severe thunderstorms is expected to tear through a wide stretch of the Great Plains on Tuesday, putting millions of residents from Denver, Colorado to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma at risk for large hail, destructive winds, and isolated tornadoes — and forecasters say the worst may arrive without much warning.
The storm system is expected to ignite across the High Plains through Colorado and Kansas during the afternoon hours as intense daytime heating fuels explosive thunderstorm development. These early supercells are considered the most dangerous phase of the event, carrying the potential for baseball-sized hail and wind gusts capable of flipping vehicles and destroying structures before the storm system reorganizes into a broader, more chaotic form.
The tornado threat, though limited, is being taken seriously near Cheyenne, Wyoming and Denver, Colorado. A 2 percent tornado probability has been issued for that zone — a figure that may sound small, but represents a real, confirmed risk in a densely populated corridor. Forecasters warn that any brief tornado could touch down with little lead time before the storm mode shifts…