Alert archive / Colorado / Tornado Warnings in 2026

Tornado Warning 4, NWS Denver/Boulder, CO

May 21, 2026Washington County, Colorado

NWS Denver/Boulder, CO issued this tornado warning at May 21, 2026, 5:59 PM MDT for Washington County, Colorado. It was in force for 31 min. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The outline as issued.

The facts

Issued: May 21, 2026, 5:59 PM MDT (23:59 UTC)
Expired: May 21, 2026, 6:30 PM MDT
In force: 31 min
Issued by: NWS Denver/Boulder, CO
Area: Storm-based polygon
Tornado: Radar indicated
Hail: 2.75 in

County Washington County, CO

The radar

The Goodland radar (KGLD), 122 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 00:00 UTC, the scan nearest the moment this went out.

Open the radar archive at this moment

The archived warnings, watches and discussions in force at that minute are drawn over the scan, this one among them.

The watch it was issued in

The SPC watch in force over the same counties when this warning went out.

Issued	Product	Office	Lasted
May 21, 2:55 PM MDT	Severe Thunderstorm Watch	SPC	7 hr

The text

As transmitted.

504 
WFUS55 KBOU 212359
TORBOU
COC121-220030-
/O.NEW.KBOU.TO.W.0004.260521T2359Z-260522T0030Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
Tornado Warning
National Weather Service Denver CO
559 PM MDT Thu May 21 2026

The National Weather Service in Denver has issued a

* Tornado Warning for...
  South Central Washington County in northeastern Colorado...

* Until 630 PM MDT.

* At 559 PM MDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado
  was located 6 miles east of Thurman, or 38 miles northeast of
  Limon, moving east at 15 mph.

  HAZARD...Tornado and baseball size hail.

  SOURCE...Radar indicated rotation.

  IMPACT...Flying debris will be dangerous to those caught without
           shelter. Mobile homes will be damaged or destroyed. Damage
           to roofs, windows and vehicles will occur. Tree damage is
           likely.

* Locations impacted include...
  Mainly rural areas of South Central Washington County.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a well-built building
away from windows. If you are outdoors, in a mobile home, or in a
vehicle, move to the closest substantial shelter and protect yourself
from flying debris.

&&

LAT...LON 3957 10319 3966 10318 3967 10294 3957 10294
TIME...MOT...LOC 2358Z 279DEG 13KT 3957 10310

TORNADO...RADAR INDICATED
MAX HAIL SIZE...2.75 IN

$$

63

3 follow-up statements

559 
WWUS55 KBOU 220008
SVSBOU

Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service Denver CO
608 PM MDT Thu May 21 2026

COC121-220030-
/O.CON.KBOU.TO.W.0004.000000T0000Z-260522T0030Z/
Washington CO-
608 PM MDT Thu May 21 2026

...TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 630 PM MDT FOR SOUTH
CENTRAL WASHINGTON COUNTY...

At 608 PM MDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado
was located 9 miles east of Thurman, or 19 miles north of Flagler,
moving east at 15 mph.

HAZARD...Tornado and baseball size hail.

SOURCE...Radar indicated rotation.

IMPACT...Flying debris will be dangerous to those caught without
         shelter. Mobile homes will be damaged or destroyed. Damage
         to roofs, windows and vehicles will occur. Tree damage is
         likely.

Locations impacted include...
  Mainly rural areas of South Central Washington County.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a well-built building
away from windows. If you are outdoors, in a mobile home, or in a
vehicle, move to the closest substantial shelter and protect yourself
from flying debris.

&&

LAT...LON 3957 10319 3966 10316 3967 10294 3957 10294
TIME...MOT...LOC 2359Z 279DEG 13KT 3957 10310

TORNADO...RADAR INDICATED
MAX HAIL SIZE...2.75 IN

$$

63

980 
WWUS55 KBOU 220020
SVSBOU

Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service Denver CO
620 PM MDT Thu May 21 2026

COC121-220030-
/O.CON.KBOU.TO.W.0004.000000T0000Z-260522T0030Z/
Washington CO-
620 PM MDT Thu May 21 2026

...TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 630 PM MDT FOR
SOUTHEASTERN WASHINGTON COUNTY...

At 620 PM MDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado
was located 10 miles southwest of Cope, or 19 miles north of Flagler,
moving east at 10 mph.

HAZARD...Tornado and two inch hail.

SOURCE...Radar indicated rotation.

IMPACT...Flying debris will be dangerous to those caught without
         shelter. Mobile homes will be damaged or destroyed. Damage
         to roofs, windows and vehicles will occur. Tree damage is
         likely.

Locations impacted include...
  Mainly rural areas of Southeastern Washington County.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a well-built building
away from windows. If you are outdoors, in a mobile home, or in a
vehicle, move to the closest substantial shelter and protect yourself
from flying debris.

&&

LAT...LON 3957 10311 3964 10309 3965 10294 3957 10294
TIME...MOT...LOC 0008Z 281DEG 10KT 3957 10304

TORNADO...RADAR INDICATED
MAX HAIL SIZE...2.00 IN

$$

63

144 
WWUS55 KBOU 220031
SVSBOU

Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service Denver CO
631 PM MDT Thu May 21 2026

COC121-220041-
/O.EXP.KBOU.TO.W.0004.000000T0000Z-260522T0030Z/
Washington CO-
631 PM MDT Thu May 21 2026

...TORNADO WARNING HAS EXPIRED FOR SOUTHEASTERN WASHINGTON COUNTY...

The tornado threat has diminished and the Tornado Warning has been
cancelled. However, large hail and damaging winds remain likely and a
Severe Thunderstorm Warning remains in effect for the area.

A Severe Thunderstorm Watch remains in effect until 1000 PM MDT
Thursday for a portion of northeast Colorado.

&&

LAT...LON 3957 10311 3964 10309 3965 10294 3957 10294
TIME...MOT...LOC 0020Z 281DEG 10KT 3957 10299

$$

63

The office that day

Everything else NWS Denver/Boulder, CO issued on the same UTC day.

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
May 21, 2:53 PM MDT	Special Weather Statement	BOU	Arapahoe	37 min
May 21, 3:30 PM MDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BOU	Arapahoe	30 min
May 21, 3:57 PM MDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BOU	Logan	33 min
May 21, 4:30 PM MDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BOU	Logan	30 min
May 21, 4:33 PM MDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BOU	Adams, Arapahoe, Washington	42 min
May 21, 4:52 PM MDT	Tornado Warning	BOU	Lincoln, Washington	38 min
May 21, 5:22 PM MDT	Tornado Warning	BOU	Lincoln, Washington	38 min
May 21, 5:32 PM MDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BOU	Logan	43 min
May 21, 5:56 PM MDT	Tornado Warning	BOU	Washington	36 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Colorado, 2026 Every tornado warning in 2026 Tornadoes in 2026

Sources

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.