Ground stop issued for Denver International Airport due to high winds

On Thursday evening, high winds brought by a recent round of storms prompted officials to issue a ground stop at Denver International Airport.

Departures to Denver International Airport are currently grounded. This applies to departures from ZLA, ZLC, ZDV, ZKC, ZAB and ZMP.

The ground stop was initially expected to end by 6:30 p.m. However, officials said the probability that the ground stop will be extended is between 30% to 60%. It was later extended to last until 8 p.m.

The airport is also reporting an average departure delay of 15 minutes due to thunderstorms in the area. That number is expected to increase.

Severe storms are possible on Thursday for the eastern half of the state. There's a slight risk for damaging winds and hail in the area, as well as the possibility of isolated tornadoes.