Over 5 million people are at risk of severe storms on Thursday. A low-pressure and several impulses of energy in the upper levels of the atmosphere will emerge from the Rockies onto the Central Plains, bringing the chance for damaging winds, large hail, and a few tornadoes.

This morning was a busy one across far southeastern Colorado, the Texas Panhandle, and Oklahoma with a few strong storms swinging by before sunrise. Storms have started to lose their punch but wait! There will be more coming later today.

Thursday will be characterized by several rounds of severe weather happening over the same broad area between eastern Wyoming, eastern Colorado, Kansas, western Nebraska, and southwestern South Dakota. Evening storms will start across the northern Plains, then move their way southward where they will likely become stronger and more dangerous.

On Thursday afternoon into the evening, the risk for dangerous storms that could produce large hail, damaging wind gusts, and tornadoes will be possible across the Great Plains. Hail could be larger than 2 inches in diameter, winds could exceed 75 mph, and there could be several tornadoes developing across the area under an enhanced risk, level 3 out of 5 on the severity scale.

The threat of severe storms will be present for Denver, and Pueblo, Colo., and Garden City, Kansas., for several days as there is a stationary pattern that will keep the instability over the same general area for the rest of the week into the weekend.

If you are in the area at risk, make sure to stay informed and aware that storms will be happening throughout the day and on Friday and to begin the weekend. Please keep at least three ways of receiving weather alerts turned on. Remember nighttime tornadoes are twice as deadly as daytime tornadoes.