Hail hammered the Denver area Monday afternoon, briefly shutting down departures at Denver International Airport and leaving hundreds of travelers staring at departure boards instead of jet bridges. The fast-moving storm rolled off the Front Range into the airport corridor with enough hail and wind to halt ramp activity and slow arrivals. Airport operations were disrupted for several hours as controllers and airlines focused on keeping crews and equipment out of harm’s way. Many flights were held on the ground or routed around the worst of the weather, sending a ripple of delays across the system.
According to The Denver Post, flight tracking data from FlightAware showed 223 flights delayed and four canceled at DIA during the peak of the afternoon storm. That reporting listed United with about 84 delays and one cancellation, Southwest with roughly 75 delays, SkyWest with 26 delays and three cancellations, and Frontier with about 10 delays. The Post also noted that delayed movements were about two-thirds of departures and one-third of arrivals, a pattern controllers often lean on to keep aircraft safely spaced when severe cells pass over the field.
FAA ground stop, NWS warnings
The Federal Aviation Administration status board showed a ground stop at DEN as storm cells closed in, and the FAA listed arrival delays averaging about 46 minutes during the event. Per the FAA, controllers held departures until conditions allowed safe work on the ramps and runways. The National Weather Service office in Boulder had already warned of severe thunderstorms, large hail, and damaging winds for the Denver metro and eastern plains as the cells pushed through.
Hail and local impacts
Local outlets captured photos and video of the hail and heavy rain that swept across neighborhoods before the storm marched over the airport. CBS Colorado reported hail as large as 1 to 2 inches in some locations and noted the FAA ground stop that disrupted afternoon departures. Airport staff and airline ground crews inspected aircraft for possible hail damage before clearing planes to return to service.
What travelers should know
Anyone booked through Denver is being urged to check their airline app, the airport live arrivals page or a flight tracking service before heading out the door. DEN posts up-to-date arrival information, parking details and service advisories, along with customer contacts for rebooking. For background on the broader weather setup that teed up this round of storms, see Hoodline’s earlier look at the afternoon storm window.
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