Colorado's monsoon season turns Boulder afternoons into a predictable lightning and hail window each July through September — the mechanism and safety basics.

Boulder's afternoon storms build over the foothills before they reach downtown — how to set up National Weather Service and phone alerts that catch that lead time.

When Boulder's hail season peaks, why the Front Range is North America's hail capital, where hail hits hardest near Boulder, and how to protect cars, roofs, and gardens.