DENVER — There was no question that a storm system that brought street flooding to Greeley and heavy rain to other parts of the state on Thursday afternoon was baring down on Denver: People could tell by looking right out their windows.
Multiple people in the area of the Denver Tech Center spotted what appeared to be a wall of rain approaching the Mile High City from the west.
For what it's worth, the actual name is "rain shaft," and this writer is lucky enough to have a meteorologist she can just DM at work with weather questions.
For context, here's what the conversation was referring to:
9NEWS Meteorologist Chris Bianchi said the reason this rain shaft was "so clear and easy to see" is because it's a big downpour for Colorado.
"It's Florida-like out here today," he said via an exclusive Microsoft Teams interview.
The mountains in this image taken in the Denver Tech Center by viewer Dave O'Hare show that Colorado is still thankfully not Florida despite the rain.
Chris elaborated a bit more on his perhaps daring Florida comparison in a follow-up instant message:
"Today's weather setup is similar to what you might expect in Florida: hit-or-miss showers and storms that produce prolific downpours," he wrote, in between live-tweeting important, possibly life-saving updates about the storm (what a guy!). "They also produce iconic-looking rain shafts, just like those in the photos."
And like we said: it was visible for miles.
Here's a look at the approaching wall of rain near South Colorado Boulevard and East Dry Creek Road in Centennial.
And here's another angle from Dave O'Hare, who seems like he has a great view from his office on any day!
This storm delayed flights at DIA and led to reports of rescues and street flooding in Greeley and other parts of the state.
There was an urban flash flood watch for parts of the Denver metro area due to the slow-moving system.
Did you get a unique view of Thursday's weather? If you can do so safely, upload your photos to the "Near Me" section of the 9NEWS app or text them to 303-871-1491.
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