Severe thunderstorm warning issued for north central Las Animas County
North central Las Animas County was in the path of 60 mph winds and half-dollar hail, with the warning set to expire at 6:15 p.m.
A severe thunderstorm warning covered north central Las Animas County and east central Huerfano County until 6:15 p.m. June 25, putting the county’s northern stretches in the path of fast-moving hail and wind. At 5:43 p.m., the storm was about 20 miles northeast of Walsenburg and moving southeast at 30 mph.
The hazard was not just rain. The warning called for 60 mph wind gusts and half-dollar-sized hail, a combination that can damage vehicles, shred siding, snap branches and make driving dangerous in minutes. Large hail can damage vehicles and buildings and can be life-threatening to animals and people.
Residents in the warning path needed to move quickly: get inside, bring vehicles under cover if possible, secure loose outdoor items and avoid unnecessary travel. For farms and ranches, that also meant getting livestock into shelter or tighter cover before the hail line hit. A storm moving at 30 mph can cross open country quickly, leaving very little time to protect property once the first dark cloud appears.
National Weather Service Pueblo’s hazardous weather outlook for June 25 called for isolated to scattered showers and thunderstorms, with strong to severe storms possible and large hail and strong winds the main threats. The morning area forecast discussion forecast the same concern for Thursday and Friday across the eastern plains.
Severe thunderstorm warnings are issued when winds reach 58 mph or higher or hail is at least one inch in diameter, so the 60 mph gusts and half-dollar hail in this storm put it squarely in severe territory. The Pueblo office’s warnings can also go out through NOAA Weather Radio All Hazards and the Emergency Alert System for the county in danger.
That county has faced violent storms before, including tornadoes east of Trinidad in 2014 and a Las Animas tornado in 2020.
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