The National Weather Service says two waves of storms that could include severe winds and large hail are expected for parts of southern Colorado on Tuesday.

The winds could gust up to 70 mph, and the hail could be as large as 3 inches in diameter, meteorologists from the Weather Service’s office in Pueblo report.

The first wave is expected to develop Tuesday afternoon across the Eastern Plains. More storms are forecast along the Interstate 25 corridor later in the evening.

During the day, meteorologist Alan Rose of Gazette news partner KOAA said most areas will see hot and dry conditions in the 80s and 90s, an increase of around 5-10 degrees from Monday.

By late afternoon, a cold front will move in along with the surge of severe storms. The most impactful storms are expected from 10 p.m. to 4 a.m., Rose said.

The strongest storms are expected east of Interstate 25. Rose said the conditions could create an isolated tornado or two. Though the Weather Service reports the chances are low.

Along the I-25 corridor, storms could still produce hail ranging from 2 to 3 inches in diameter and very strong winds, according to the Weather Service.

As one half of southern Colorado experiences storms, its western half continues to have critical fire conditions, the Weather Service reports. High fire danger exists for portions of the Upper Arkansas River Valley and areas west of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains.

High Fire Danger is predicted for portions of the mountainous areas today due to gusty winds and continued, very dry conditions. Please use caution and avoid fire starts. A single spark can cause a wildfire. Obey fire restrictions and do your part! #cowx #firewx pic.twitter.com/nEuoUA9y6m

— NWS Pueblo (@NWSPueblo) June 23, 2026

Winds up to 25-35 mph and single-digit humidity levels are expected. Recently, at least two wildfires were sparked in the region, including one in Pueblo County that burned seven houses to the ground before being controlled, KOAA reports. Days before that, residents near Penrose were evacuated for the KO fire, which has been fully contained.

The expected storms follow several severe thunderstorm warnings across the Pikes Peak region on Monday. A preliminary local storm report from the Weather Service states that a tornado occurred near the town of Fowler, located southeast of Pueblo. The incident was reported at 5:42 p.m. and lasted five minutes.

Strong winds and hail were also reported across several counties, including in parts of southern El Paso County in the Fountain area.

The Fountain Fire Department said it had no reports of hail damage in the area.

While cities across the region reported some rain, precipitation levels are still well under average for the month of June, Weather Service data shows.

Colorado Springs has recorded 0.10 inches of rain for the month of June so far, with half of that coming from Monday’s storms. The city’s normal amount of precipitation is 1.68 inches.

Pueblo and Alamosa saw much the same, with each city being .85 and .26 inches below its normal levels, respectively.