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Here's how big the hail was that hit the Denver area

A severe thunderstorm dropped large hail in the Denver area in a path through Broomfield, Northglenn, Thornton, Commerce City and Aurora.

DENVER — Severe thunderstorms dropped baseball-sized hail on the Denver metro area late Thursday night.

The destructive storms left a path of hail from Broomfield to Aurora before leaving the metro area just before midnight.

The largest hail report was a 2.75-inch hail stone in southeast Commerce City.

There were also several reports of egg-sized hail, or 2 inches, in Aurora, Broomfield and Henderson. A substantial number of hail reports noted hail larger than an inch, or quarter size, in Denver, Northglenn, Federal Heights, Thornton, Erie and Niwot.

The hail caused significant damage in Thornton and Green Valley Ranch.

RELATED: Colorado Division of Insurance shares tips after hailstorm batters metro Denver

RELATED: Severe thunderstorms deliver lightning, hail to Denver metro area

Denver metro hail reports

  • 2.75 inches - Commerce City
  • 2.25 inches - Broomfield
  • 2 inches - Buckley Space Force Base
  • 2 inches - Henderson
  • 2 inches - Aurora
  • 1.75 inches - Thornton
  • 1.75 inches - Southeast Denver
  • 1.5 inches - West Aurora
  • 1.5 inches - Northglenn
  • 1.5 inches - Erie
  • 1.25 inches - Denver
  • 1.2 inches - Cherry Creek Reservoir
  • 1 inch - Federal Heights
  • 1 inch - Westminster
  • 1 inch - Niwot 

Hail size comparisons

  • Softball: 4.5 inches
  • Grapefruit: 4 inches
  • Tea cup: 3 inches
  • Baseball: 2.75 inches
  • Tennis ball: 2.5 inches
  • Hen egg: 2 inches
  • Golf ball: 1.75 inches
  • Pingpong ball: 1.5 inches
  • Half dollar: 1.25 inches
  • Quarter: 1 inch
  • Nickel: 0.88 inches
  • Dime/penny: 0.75 inches

Viewers sent pictures of the large hail from Brighton, Denver, Northglenn, Thornton and more. 

Share your photos

If you have a weather report, photo or video to share, you can contact the 9NEWS Weather Team in these ways:

On Friday, we will start the day with some minor cloud clover and seasonal highs in the upper 70s. Around midday, another round of spotty storms moves back in, likely becoming strongest across the eastern Front Range and plains.

These areas will be under marginal and slight risks for severe weather again. People should continue to prepare for large hail, damaging winds and heavy downpours to leave the biggest impact.

On Saturday, early sunshine returns and afternoon temperatures continue to rise, with highs climbing into the middle 80s. That heat will ignite more storms across the eastern half of the state. Again, the strongest storms will likely fall across the eastern plains. 

RELATED: Another chance for severe storms in eastern Colorado

RADAR: Click/tap here for Live Interactive Radar


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