Denver Metro Hail Storm on August 14, 2026: What Homeowners Should Do Next

 

The short answer Severe thunderstorms moved across the Denver metro on the afternoon of Friday, August 14, 2026. The National Weather Service confirmed 1.00 inch hail, quarter size, in Englewood at 3:05 p.m. MDT. Severe thunderstorm warnings covered Denver, western and central Arapahoe, Douglas and Elbert counties, with nickel to quarter size hail and wind gusts up to 60 mph, and Englewood, Centennial, Lakewood, Littleton and Franktown were all inside warned areas. Quarter size hail is the threshold where asphalt shingle damage becomes likely. If hail fell on your property, document it now and schedule a free inspection. Hail damage does not always look like damage from the ground.

What happened across the Denver metro

Friday brought a second consecutive day of storms to the Front Range. The National Weather Service in Boulder placed a flood watch in effect at 11:30 a.m. covering the plains, the Palmer Divide and the Southern Front Range Foothills from 2 p.m. until 10 p.m., including Elbert, Lincoln, eastern Adams and Arapahoe, Washington, Morgan, Logan and northeastern Weld counties.

Storms fired through the early afternoon along the Palmer Divide, then pushed north and west into the urban corridor. By mid afternoon, cells were tracking directly over the southern and central metro. A severe thunderstorm warning issued at 3:20 p.m. covered Western Arapahoe and Denver counties for a cell near Englewood moving north at 10 mph, carrying quarter size hail and wind gusts to 60 mph.

Confirmed hail reports: what we know so far

Here is an important distinction that most storm coverage skips. The hail sizes quoted in a severe thunderstorm warning are usually radar indicated, meaning the radar detected a signature consistent with hail of that size aloft. A confirmed report is different. It comes from a trained spotter, a public observer or an official who measured or photographed hail on the ground, and the National Weather Service publishes it as a Local Storm Report.

For August 14, the National Weather Service has confirmed a measured hail report in the Denver metro.

Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center preliminary hail reports for August 14, 2026. This is the only confirmed Colorado hail report in the file at the time of publication. The Storm Prediction Center compiles each daily report from 12Z on the date through 12Z the following morning, and storms were still active across the Front Range through 10 p.m., so additional reports are expected.

Elsewhere in the region, NWS Denver logged three thunderstorm wind gusts in Elbert County earlier in the afternoon, measuring 64 mph, 62 mph and 53 mph near Kiowa and Elizabeth.

One confirmed report is thin coverage for a storm that produced warnings across four counties. That gap between what fell and what got reported is the single most important thing for a homeowner to understand right now.

This article will be updated as additional confirmed reports are published and as the Storm Prediction Center finalizes its daily storm report for August 14, 2026. Final figures enter the NOAA Storm Events Database roughly 60 to 90 days after the event.

What nickel and quarter size hail does to a roof

Hail is described by comparison to familiar objects. Here is what those terms mean in inches and what each size typically means for a Colorado roof.

Quarter size hail is the size at which asphalt shingle damage becomes likely, and it is the size the National Weather Service used in two of today's metro warnings. Below that threshold, the story is more complicated. Soft metal components show damage well before shingles do, which is why an inspection looks at gutters, downspouts, roof vents, flashing, fascia wraps and air conditioner fins as much as the shingles themselves. A roof that is fifteen or twenty years old will also bruise at smaller hail sizes than a roof installed three years ago.

Wind matters as much as size. Hail driven sideways at 60 mph strikes at a very different angle and velocity than hail falling straight down, and it concentrates damage on one or two slopes rather than spreading it evenly. That is why the west and south facing slopes often tell the story on a Front Range roof.

Two days in a row: the August 13 storm

Today's storms landed on neighborhoods that had already taken a hit twenty four hours earlier. On Thursday, August 13, the National Weather Service recorded 1.75 inch hail at Arapahoe Park at 4:25 p.m., with hail over an inch reported in Foxfield and Centennial. A trained spotter reported 1.50 inch hail two miles north northwest of Foxfield at 4:15 p.m.

Hail drifts reached two to three feet in Foxfield, and most leaves were stripped from trees in the area. One report from Arapahoe Park noted dents on metal roof vents, which is exactly the kind of detail that matters in an insurance claim, because roof vents are a standard damage indicator that adjusters check.

Thursday's storm also produced a flash flood warning for Centennial and Foxfield and a ground delay at Denver International Airport averaging 94 minutes, with 595 delays and 6 cancellations logged by 4 p.m.

If you live in Centennial, Foxfield, Arapahoe Park, Parker, Lone Tree, Greenwood Village or southeast Aurora, your roof has now been through two hail events in two days. Cumulative impacts from back to back storms compound. A shingle that was bruised but holding on Thursday can fracture on Friday.

What to do in the next 72 hours

1. Document conditions now. Photograph your yard, deck, patio furniture, vehicles and any hail on the ground with a coin or ruler for scale. Time stamped photos taken the day of the storm are far stronger evidence than photos taken next month.
2. Check ground level indicators. Walk your property and look at gutters, downspouts, window screens, fascia wraps, siding, mailboxes and the fins on your air conditioner condenser. Dents on soft metal are the clearest signal that hail was large enough to matter.
3. Look for granules. Check the base of your downspouts and along the driveway for accumulated shingle granules that look like coarse black sand. Heavy granule loss is a sign the shingle surface was impacted.
4. Stay off the roof. Wet shingles, steep pitches and hidden soft spots make a post storm roof genuinely dangerous. Damage assessment is not worth a fall. Have someone inspect it who is insured to be up there.
5. Get a professional inspection before you call your insurer. Knowing whether you actually have damage, and how much, puts you in a far better position on the phone with your carrier than filing blind.
6. Understand your deductible before filing. Many Colorado policies carry a percentage based wind and hail deductible rather than a flat dollar amount, which can be significantly higher than homeowners expect. Check your declarations page.
7. Do not sign anything with a door knocker. Storm chasing crews follow hail across the Front Range within hours. See the next section.

A word about the trucks that show up after a hail storm

Within a day or two of any significant Front Range hail event, crews from out of state begin working the affected neighborhoods. Some are legitimate. Many are not. The pattern is consistent: a knock at the door, an urgent claim that your roof is destroyed, a contract presented as an authorization to inspect, and a request for money up front.

Colorado law gives homeowners specific protections here. Under the Colorado Roofing Contractor statute, a roofing contractor must hold your deposit in trust until materials are delivered or work begins, and you have the right to rescind a contract within 72 hours of being notified that your insurer has denied all or part of your claim. A contractor also may not offer to pay, waive or rebate your insurance deductible. That last one is not a favor. It is illegal, and it puts your claim at risk.

Questions worth asking anyone who knocks

• How long have you been in business in Colorado, and what is your physical office address here?
• Are you licensed in this specific municipality? Licensing in Colorado is handled locally, not at the state level.
• Can you provide current general liability and workers compensation certificates?
• Who honors the workmanship warranty in five years, and will you still be here?
• Are you asking for any money before materials are delivered?

How Excel Roofing handles a hail inspection

Excel Roofing has been family owned and operating in Colorado since 1993, and we have served more than 55,000 customers from our Englewood headquarters and our offices in Colorado Springs, Sheridan and Casper. We are an Owens Corning Platinum Preferred Contractor, a designation held by a small fraction of roofing companies nationwide.

Our inspection is free and carries no obligation. We photograph and document every damage indicator we find, we give you a written assessment whether or not you have a claim, and we tell you plainly when we do not think you have enough damage to file. We collect no money up front and we charge no cancellation fee. If you decide partway through that you would rather work with someone else, that is your call and it costs you nothing.

Frequently asked questions

Did hail fall in the Denver metro on August 14, 2026?

Yes. The National Weather Service confirmed 1.00 inch hail, quarter size, in Englewood in Arapahoe County at 3:05 p.m. MDT on August 14, 2026. NWS Boulder also issued multiple severe thunderstorm warnings and a special weather statement for the metro that afternoon, citing nickel to quarter size hail. Warned areas included Denver, Lakewood, Centennial, Englewood, Littleton, western and central Arapahoe county, and portions of Douglas and Elbert counties.

How big was the hail in Denver on August 14, 2026?

The largest confirmed hail report in the Denver metro was 1.00 inch, quarter size, in Englewood at 3:05 p.m. MDT. The National Weather Service also cited nickel size hail, roughly 0.88 inches, in a 3:00 p.m. special weather statement covering Lakewood and Centennial, and quarter size hail in severe thunderstorm warnings at 2:08 p.m. for Douglas and Elbert counties and at 3:20 p.m. for Western Arapahoe and Denver counties. Those warning sizes were radar indicated rather than measured, and additional confirmed reports may follow as storms continued into the evening.

What size hail damages a roof?

Quarter size hail, about one inch in diameter, is generally the threshold where asphalt shingle damage becomes likely. Smaller hail from three quarters of an inch to one inch can still bruise aged or brittle shingles and commonly dents soft metals such as roof vents, gutters, fascia wrap and air conditioner fins. Roof age, shingle type, wind speed and impact angle all change the outcome.

Which Denver metro areas were hit hardest this week?

The southern metro took the worst of it. On August 13, the National Weather Service recorded 1.75 inch hail at Arapahoe Park and 1.50 inch hail near Foxfield, with hail drifts two to three feet deep in Foxfield. Centennial, Parker, Lone Tree, Greenwood Village and southeast Aurora were all inside warned areas. On August 14, warnings again covered Englewood, Centennial, Lakewood, Littleton, Denver and the Palmer Divide.

Can I tell if my roof has hail damage from the ground?

Usually not. Hail damage to asphalt shingles often appears as bruising, a soft spot where the mat beneath the surface has fractured, and it is frequently invisible from the ground and sometimes from the roof edge as well. Ground level indicators like dented gutters, damaged air conditioner fins and granules collecting at downspouts tell you hail was large enough to be a concern, but they do not tell you how much shingle damage you have.

How long do I have to file a hail damage claim in Colorado?

Most Colorado homeowners policies require prompt notice of loss, and many carriers apply a one year or two year window from the date of loss for hail claims. The exact deadline is in your policy, so check your declarations page or call your agent. Filing sooner is almost always better, because the connection between a documented storm date and your damage is easier to establish while the event is recent.

Should I file a claim if my hail was only nickel size?

Get an inspection before you decide. Nickel size hail alone may not produce enough shingle damage to justify a claim, but the answer depends on your roof's age and condition, the wind speed during the storm, and whether your property took hail on multiple days. The southern metro saw significantly larger hail on August 13, and cumulative damage across both days may change the picture.

Does Excel Roofing charge for a hail inspection?

No. Inspections are free and carry no obligation. We provide a written assessment with photo documentation whether or not we find damage worth claiming, we collect no payment up front, and we charge no cancellation fee.

Storm data in this article is drawn from National Weather Service Denver/Boulder warning products, preliminary Local Storm Reports, and the NOAA Storm Prediction Center preliminary hail report file for August 14, 2026, all retrieved August 14, 2026. Preliminary storm reports are subject to revision, duplicate reports may be merged, and final figures are published in the NOAA Storm Events Database roughly 60 to 90 days after the event.