Eastern Colorado Placed Under Slight Risk of Severe Weather Thursday May 21 as SPC Day 1 Outlook Targets the Eastern Plains With Marginal Risk Spreading Across Nebraska Kansas Oklahoma and Texas
COLORADO — The Storm Prediction Center issued its Day 1 Categorical Outlook at 12:54 AM CDT on Thursday, May 21, 2026, placing parts of eastern Colorado under a Slight Risk of severe weather valid from 1200Z Thursday through 1200Z Friday, May 22. The outlook was issued by SPC forecasters Broyles and Squitieri out of Norman, Oklahoma.
Eastern Colorado Is the Focal Point Today
The Slight Risk zone on today’s outlook is narrow and focused, centered directly over the eastern plains of Colorado. This tight bullseye indicates forecasters have identified a specific corridor where severe storm development is most favored today. The eastern Colorado plains, including communities along and east of the I-25 corridor through Pueblo, La Junta, and Lamar, sit inside the highlighted zone.
A Broader Marginal Risk Covers the Central United States
Surrounding the eastern Colorado core, a Marginal Risk zone spreads across a wide area of the central United States, covering:
- Colorado and Wyoming
- Nebraska and Kansas
- Oklahoma and the Texas Panhandle
- Portions of the central and southeastern United States
A general thunderstorm coverage zone extends even further, stretching from the northern Plains southward through Texas and eastward across much of the South and Southeast.
Full Risk Zone Summary for Thursday
| Risk Level | Coverage |
|---|---|
| Slight (2/5) | Parts of eastern Colorado |
| Marginal (1/5) | Colorado, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas Panhandle and broader central US |
| Thunderstorms | Northern Plains through Texas and into the Southeast |
What Residents of Eastern Colorado Need to Know
Anyone living across the eastern Colorado plains should remain weather-aware throughout Thursday afternoon and evening. The narrow and focused nature of the Slight Risk zone means that when storms do develop in this area, they will have the atmospheric support needed to become organized and potentially severe. Keep weather alerts active and have a plan ready before storm activity develops.
Stay with CabarrusWeekly.com for live updates as Thursday’s severe weather threat develops across eastern Colorado and the broader central United States.
