Colorado, 1995

Tornadoes and Hail in Colorado, May 16, 1995

May 16, 1995 · 19 events in 8 counties and zones

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

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 18 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. 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
$506,000
Events
19

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.

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

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

Hail, Crowley

When
May 16, 4:53 PM MST
Where
Crowley County, Crowley
Measured
1 in hail
Coordinates
38.327, -103.785 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Hail, Pueblo

When
May 16, 5:45 PM MST
Where
Pueblo County, Boone
Measured
0.88 in hail
Coordinates
38.173, -104.513 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Hail, Otero

When
May 16, 6:00 PM MST
Where
Otero County, Fowler
Measured
0.75 in hail
Coordinates
37.903, -103.716 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Hail, Crowley

When
May 16, 6:14 PM MST
Where
Crowley County, Olney Springs
Measured
1 in hail
Coordinates
38.327, -103.785 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Hail, Kiowa

When
May 16, 6:20 PM MST
Where
Kiowa County, Haswell
Measured
1.5 in hail
Coordinates
38.433, -102.740 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Hail, Crowley

When
May 16, 6:22 PM MST
Where
Crowley County, Ordway
Measured
1.75 in hail
Coordinates
38.327, -103.785 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Hail, Cheyenne

When
May 16, 6:50 PM MST
Where
Cheyenne County, Kit Carson to Colorado
Measured
1.75 in hail
Coordinates
38.828, -102.603 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Tornado took off portion of roof, blew lumber pile apart, and turned over gas tank.

Tornado, Cheyenne

When
May 16, 6:50 PM MST
Where
Cheyenne County, Kit Carson
Rating
F1
Path length
0.2 mi
Path width
30 yd
Crop damage
$3,000
Coordinates
38.828, -102.603 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Tornado took off portion of roof, blew lumber pile apart, and turned over gas tank.

Hail, Kiowa

When
May 16, 6:50 PM MST
Where
Kiowa County, Eads 5 N & 8 N
Measured
1.75 in hail
Coordinates
38.433, -102.740 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Hail, Cheyenne

When
May 16, 7:00 PM MST
Where
Cheyenne County, Kit Carson
Measured
1.5 in hail
Crop damage
$3,000
Coordinates
38.828, -102.603 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Large hail and high winds damaged outbuildings, carports, TV antennas, and downed branches up to one foot in diameter.

Hail, Cheyenne

When
May 16, 7:00 PM MST
Where
Cheyenne County, Kit Carson
Measured
1.75 in hail
Coordinates
38.828, -102.603 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Large hail and high winds damaged outbuildings, carports, TV antennas, and downed branches up to one foot in diameter.

Thunderstorm Wind, Otero

When
May 16, 7:03 PM MST
Where
Otero County, Lajunta
Measured
81 kt (93 mph)
Coordinates
37.903, -103.716 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Thunderstorm Winds gusted to as high as 81 knots (97 mph) at LaJunta Airport.

Hail, Otero

When
May 16, 7:05 PM MST
Where
Otero County, Cheraw
Measured
0.75 in hail
Coordinates
37.903, -103.716 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

,,,,,,,,Thunderstorm Winds (G70)

Hail, Bent

When
May 16, 7:12 PM MST
Where
Bent County, W Las Animas
Measured
1.75 in hail
Coordinates
37.955, -103.072 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Hail, Kiowa

When
May 16, 7:15 PM MST
Where
Kiowa County, Brandon
Measured
2.75 in hail
Coordinates
38.433, -102.740 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

,,,,,,,,Thunderstorm Winds (G80) Thunderstorm winds downed power lines near Brandon. A large grain bin was destroyed.

Hail, Bent

When
May 16, 7:25 PM MST
Where
Bent County, La Junta
Measured
1.75 in hail
Coordinates
37.955, -103.072 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

,,,,,,,,Thunderstorm Winds (G65) 2 W Las Animas ,16,1940MST,,,?,0,?,?,Hail (2.50) Large hail totalled a squad car.

Hail, Weld

When
May 16, 7:50 PM MST
Where
Weld County, Cheyenne Wells
Measured
1.5 in hail
Coordinates
40.555, -104.392 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Lightning struck a Greeley fire station damaging part of a wall.

Tornado, Bent

When
May 16, 7:58 PM MST
Where
Bent County, McClave
Rating
F0
Path length
1 mi
Path width
75 yd
Coordinates
38.130, -102.850

A tornado briefly touchdown just south of McClave, no damage.

Hail, Prowers

When
May 16, 8:15 PM MST
Where
Prowers County, Lamar
Measured
2.75 in hail
Crop damage
$500,000
Coordinates
37.955, -102.393 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

,,,,,,,,Thunderstorm Winds Extensive building damage sustained by winds estimated at 78 to 87 knots (90 to 100 mph). The severe weather that swept across southeast Colorado was responsible for an estimated $4 million damage.

What these are

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.
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.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Colorado in 1995Every state in 1995This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Colorado, 1995Warnings in Colorado, May 1995

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: 10318722, 10318200, 10318658, 10318723, 10318537, 10318724, 10316617, 10316618, 10318538, 10316619, 10316620, 10318659, 10318660, 10316548, 10318539, 10316549, 10318308, 10316550, 10318760.