Colorado, 1987

Tornado and Hail in Colorado, May 17, 1987

May 17, 1987 · NWS DEN · 4 events in 3 counties and zones

2 thunderstorm wind, 1 hail, 1 tornado, as filed by the National Weather Service.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.

  • Tornadoes
  • Tropical storms and surge
  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
  • Other

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
4

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

Event by event

2 thunderstorm wind, 1 hail, 1 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Douglas

When
May 17, 3:49 PM CST
Where
Douglas County
Measured
75 kt (86 mph)
Coordinates
39.370, -104.870

Hail, Washington

When
May 17, 5:55 PM CST
Where
Washington County
Measured
0.75 in hail
Coordinates
40.170, -103.200

Thunderstorm Wind, Washington

When
May 17, 6:18 PM CST
Where
Washington County
Measured
75 kt (86 mph)
Coordinates
40.170, -103.200

Tornado, Kit Carson

When
May 17, 6:30 PM MST
Where
Kit Carson County
Rating
F1
Path length
0.6 mi
Path width
30 yd
Coordinates
39.220, -102.170

What these are

Thunderstorm Wind
Winds from a thunderstorm of 50 knots (58 mph) or more, or lower winds that caused damage or casualties. Measured gusts are marked MG, estimated EG.
Hail
Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.
Tornado
A violently rotating column of air in contact with the ground and extending from a thunderstorm, filed with its path, width and Fujita or Enhanced Fujita rating from the damage survey.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Colorado in 1987Every state in 1987This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Colorado, 1987Warnings in Colorado, May 1987

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 9986990, 9986991, 9986992, 9986993.