NWS Confirms EF-1 Tornado Hit Parts Of Denver & Aurora

DENVER (CBS4) - The National Weather Service in Boulder says the damage produced by an intense severe thunderstorm on Wednesday was caused by a tornado.

The tornado first touched down at 4:48 p.m. near Quebec and 6th Ave. in east Denver.

It moved east-northeast across the Lowry Campus and into extreme western Aurora.

The tornado lifted around 5:10 p.m. near Mount Nebo Memorial Park.

The twister was on the ground for 2.8 miles and was less than 50 yards wide with maximum winds estimated between 86 and 90 mph.

Meteorologist Chris Spears writes about stories related to weather and climate in Colorado. Check out his bio or follow him on Twitter @ChrisCBS4.