A landspout tornado touched down at Denver International Airport. The tornado sent 10 thousand travelers on the concourse, on planes and in the terminal scrambling to get into tornado shelters.
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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 episode as NWS BOU wrote it up.
A landspout tornado touched down at Denver International Airport. The tornado sent 10 thousand travelers on the concourse, on planes and in the terminal scrambling to get into tornado shelters. The tornado formed just to the south of Runway 35R and then moved slowly northwest between Runway 35R and 35L, and moved to within one third of a mile of Concourses A and B before dissipating. The tornado moved extremely close if not over the ASOS (Automated Surface Observation System) and another low level wind shear sensor at DIA. The ASOS weather observing system reported a 97 mph wind gust, while the wind shear sensor reported a wind gust to 109 mph at the same time indicative of an EF1 tornado. There was only minor damage noted to this equipment. Nine flights were diverted elsewhere during a tornado warning. Severe thunderstorms also produced large hail up to quarter size in Adams and Weld Counties.
The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.
NWS Denver/Boulder, CO wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jun 18, 10:57 AM MST, 2 hours 24 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER/BOULDER CO 1157 AM MDT TUE JUN 18 2013 .UPDATE... WEAK UPPER LEVEL SHORTWAVE MOVING OUT OF UTAH IS HELPING TO FIRE EARLY THUNDERSTORMS THAT HAVE ALREADY MOVED INTO THE LOWER FOOTHILLS. 12Z DENVER SOUNDING WAS FAIRLY IMPRESSIVE BUT GPS PRECIPITABLE WATER TRENDS HAVE BEEN DOWNWARD THIS MORNING THOUGH NOW LEVELING OFF NEAR 0.6 INCHES WHICH IS DOWN A BIT FROM THE SOUNDING. SURFACE DEWPOINTS HAVE ALSO COME DOWN SOME ON THE PLAINS WITH UPPER 40S TO LOWER 50S GENERALLY. SOUTHEAST FLOW HAS PRODUCED A MODEST DENVER CYCLONE WITH THE CONVERGENCE LINE NEAR DIA. NO RECENT HRRR RUN BUT EARLIER RUNS SHOWED THE EARLIER DEVELOPMENT OF CONVECTION THAT WE ARE SEEING NOW. THIS ALSO AGREES WITH HI RESOLUTION NCEP MODEL RUNS. STILL EXPECT THE MOST ORGANIZED ACTIVITY TO BE GENERALLY EAST OF DIA TO GREELEY AND POSSIBLY FAVORING MORE SOUTHERN AREAS OF THE PLAINS NEAR AND SOUTH OF I70 WHERE MOISTURE LOOKS DEEPER. ENOUGH SHEAR FOR SOME SUPERCELL DEVELOPMENT AND ADDED ISOLATED TORNADOES TO THE HWO. WITH THE DENVER CYCLONE CANNOT ELIMINATE SAME THREAT NEAR DIA ALTHOUGH AT THIS POINT LOOKS TO BE ON THE LOWER THREAT END. && .AVIATION...MOVED CHANCE OF STORMS UP A COUPLE OF HOURS BASED ON ITEMS NOTED ABOVE. WINDS WILL BE A BIT TRICKY BUT AFTER COORIDNATION WITH CWSU WE SETTLED ON DCVZ BOUNDARY SLIPPING BY AIRPORT. && .HYDROLOGY...SOME BRIEF HEAVY RAIN IS POSSIBLE MAINLY EAST OF DENVER WITH STORMS FARTHER EAST POSSIBLY PRODUCING MORE DECENT RAINS. RIGHT NOW ANY FOOTHILLS STORMS NOT LIKELY TO BE WORRISOME FOR BURN AREAS. && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 319 AM MDT TUE JUN 18 2013/ SHORT TERM...AN UPPER LEVEL LOW WILL MOVE OVER THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST TODAY. THIS WILL PUSH THE WEAK RIDGE THAT'S BEEN OVER COLORADO EAST. THERE IS A SHORT WAVE SHOWING UP ON WATER VAPOR SATELLITE IMAGERY OVER UTAH. IT WILL MOVE ACROSS COLORADO THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING...HELPING TO TRIGGER SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. MOISTURE WILL INCREASE TODAY WITH PRECIPITABLE WATER VALUES 0.10 TO 0.25 INCHES HIGHER THAN YESTERDAY WITH READIES RANGING FROM 0.60 TO 1.00 INCHES EAST OF THE FOOTHILLS. THIS INCREASE IN MOISTURE IN ADDITION TO THE SHORT WAVE IS EXPECTED TO BRING MORE SHOWERS AND STORMS TODAY. BEST CHANCE FOR SEVERE WEATHER WILL BE EAST OF LINE FROM GREELEY TO DIA WHERE CAPES WILL BE 1000-2000 J/KG. STILL ENOUGH SHEAR IN PLACE FOR A FEW SUPER CELL THUNDERSTORMS. IN THE FOOTHILLS AND ALONG THE URBAN FRONT RANGE CORRIDOR...CAPES WILL BE 500-1000 J/KG. HIGHS TODAY WILL BE IN THE SAME BALL PARK AS YESTERDAY WITH TEMPERATURES IN THE LOWER TO MID 80S. MUCH DRIER AIR WILL MOVE IN FROM THE WEST TONIGHT AS WINDS TURN SOUTHWESTERLY. THIS WILL BRING CONVECTION TO AN END FROM WEST TO EAST. THE DRIER AIR WILL ALLOW LOWS TO DROP INTO THE UPPER 40S TO LOWER 50S TONIGHT WITH 30S IN THE MOUNTAIN VALLEYS. LONG TERM...WEST TO SOUTHWEST FLOW ALOFT WILL COVER COLORADO WEDNESDAY THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT...WITH AN UPPER RIDGE AXIS EAST OF COLORADO. THE SYNOPTIC SCALE ENERGY IS PROGGED TO BE BENIGN ALL FOUR PERIODS. THE BOUNDARY LAYER WINDS WILL ADHERE TO NORMAL DIURNAL PATTERNS FOR THE MOST PART WEDNESDAY INTO EARLY THURSDAY. A WEAK SURGE OF COOLER AIR IS EXPECTED TO MOVE INTO THE CWA BEFORE NOON THURSDAY WITH ASSOCIATED WEAK UPSLOPE WINDS. BY THURSDAY NIGHT...NORMAL PATTERNS RETURN. THE CROSS SECTIONS SHOW MINIMAL MOISTURE OVER THE CWA WEDNESDAY THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT. THE BOUNDARY LAYER DEW POINT PROGGS SHOW ALL BUT THE FAR EAST OF THE CWA IN PRETTY DRY READINGS...MOSTLY UNDER 40S F ALL FOUR PERIODS. THERE ARE SOME 40S TO LOWER 50S F READINGS OVER THE BORDER AREAS WEDNESDAY INTO WEDNESDAY EVENING...THEN THEY DECREASE AFTER THAT. THE ONLY CAPE IS PROGGED OVER THE FAR EASTERN BORDER AREA LATE DAY WEDNESDAY AND LATE DAY THURSDAY. VALUES ARE NOT SIGNIFICANT. THERE IS ONLY A TAD OF MEASURABLE RAINFALL PROGGED ON THE QPF FIELDS OF THE ECMWF ONLY LATE DAY WEDNESDAY AND LATE DAY THURSDAY. WILL GO WITH NO POPS. FOR TEMPERATURES...WEDNESDAY'S HIGHS ARE ARE 3-6 C WARMER THAN TODAY'S. THURSDAY'S HIGHS COOL OFF A TAD...1-2 C FROM WEDNESDAY'S. FOR THE LATER DAYS...FRIDAY THROUGH MONDAY...THE FLOW ALOFT STAYS WEST-SOUTHWESTERLY. THERE IS MINIMAL MOISTURE...AND ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES SATURDAY THROUGH MONDAY. AVIATION...THERE ARE LOW CLOUDS OVER SOUTHEAST WYOMING AND FAR NORTHERN COLORADO AT THIS TIME. JUST A SLIGHT CHANCE OF THEM MAKING IT TO THE DENVER AREA...WILL MENTION A FEW AT 2000 FEET IN THE TAFS FOR THE SLIGHT CHANCE OF THEM MAKING IT INTO THE DENVER AREA. GUSTY SOUTHERLY WINDS WILL DEVELOP AROUND 17Z WITH GUSTS TO 30 KNOTS POSSIBLE. SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP AFTER 20Z. HEAVY RAIN...HAIL AND OUTFLOW WINDS TO 40 KNOTS WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH THE STRONGEST STORMS. THE THREAT FOR STORMS WILL END AROUND 02Z. HYDROLOGY...SIMILAR CONDITIONS WILL PREVAIL AS THE PREVIOUS AFTERNOONS WITH ISOLATED TO SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS EXPECTED OVER THE BURN SCARS. THERE MAY BE SHORT LIVED HEAVY RAIN...BUT THE THREAT FOR PROLONGED HEAVY RAIN OVER THE BURN AREAS WILL REMAIN VERY LOW. && .BOU WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && SHORT TERM...SZOKE LONG TERM....99 AVIATION...99
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER/BOULDER CO 1050 AM MDT TUE JUN 18 2013 COZ030>051-191700- JACKSON COUNTY BELOW 9000 FEET- WEST JACKSON AND WEST GRAND COUNTIES ABOVE 9000 FEET- GRAND AND SUMMIT COUNTIES BELOW 9000 FEET- SOUTH AND EAST JACKSON/LARIMER/NORTH AND NORTHEAST GRAND/ NORTHWEST BOULDER COUNTIES ABOVE 9000 FEET- SOUTH AND SOUTHEAST GRAND/WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST BOULDER/ GILPIN/CLEAR CREEK/SUMMIT/NORTH AND WEST PARK COUNTIES ABOVE 9000 FEET-LARIMER AND BOULDER COUNTIES BETWEEN 6000 AND 9000 FEET- JEFFERSON AND WEST DOUGLAS COUNTIES ABOVE 6000 FEET/GILPIN/CLEAR CREEK/NORTHEAST PARK COUNTIES BELOW 9000 FEET- CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST PARK COUNTY- LARIMER COUNTY BELOW 6000 FEET/NORTHWEST WELD COUNTY- BOULDER AND JEFFERSON COUNTIES BELOW 6000 FEET/WEST BROOMFIELD COUNTY- NORTH DOUGLAS COUNTY BELOW 6000 FEET/DENVER/WEST ADAMS AND ARAPAHOE COUNTIES/EAST BROOMFIELD COUNTY- ELBERT/CENTRAL AND EAST DOUGLAS COUNTIES ABOVE 6000 FEET- NORTHEAST WELD COUNTY-CENTRAL AND SOUTH WELD COUNTY-MORGAN COUNTY- CENTRAL AND EAST ADAMS AND ARAPAHOE COUNTIES- NORTH AND NORTHEAST ELBERT COUNTY BELOW 6000 FEET/NORTH LINCOLN COUNTY- SOUTHEAST ELBERT COUNTY BELOW 6000 FEET/SOUTH LINCOLN COUNTY- LOGAN COUNTY-WASHINGTON COUNTY-SEDGWICK COUNTY-PHILLIPS COUNTY- 1050 AM MDT TUE JUN 18 2013 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHEAST AND NORTH CENTRAL COLORADO. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP AGAIN THIS AFTERNOON AND CONTINUE INTO THE EVENING HOURS. THE BEST MOISTURE AND INSTABILITY WILL BE EAST OF A LINE FROM NEAR GREELEY TO DIA WHERE SEVERE STORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH GOLF BALL SIZE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS THE PRIMARY THREAT WITH A TORNADO ALSO POSSIBLE WITH STORMS THAT COULD BECOME MORE ORGANIZED AS THEY MOVE EAST. FARTHER WEST...BRIEF HEAVY RAIN...SMALL HAIL AND WIND GUSTS TO 50 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE FROM THE THUNDERSTORMS. IN ADDITION...A WEAK DENVER CYCLONE HAS ALREADY FORMED AND THIS SHOULD STRENGTHEN INTO THE EARLY AFTERNOON WITH THE STRONGEST CONVERGENCE RUNNING SOUTH TO NORTH NEAR DIA. ALONG THIS BOUNDARY STORMS COULD BECOME LOCALLY MORE INTENSE WITH A NON SUPERCELL TORNADO POSSIBLE. STORMS WILL DEVELOP IN THE FOOTHILLS BY LATE MORNING AND THEN ON THE PLAINS DURING THE AFTERNOON. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY DRY CONDITIONS WILL PREVAIL ACROSS THE OUTLOOK AREA THROUGH THE PERIOD WITH TEMPERATURES ABOVE SEASONAL NORMALS. THE DRY AND WARM CONDITIONS WILL HELP INCREASE THE FIRE DANGER. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED OVER THE NORTHEAST PLAINS AFTER 2 PM.
The Denver radar (KFTG), 9 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 20:19 UTC.
2 hail, 1 tornado, 1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
A tornado touched down east of the Denver International Airport Concourses but caused only minor damage.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Colorado in 2013Every state in 2013This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Colorado, 2013Warnings in Colorado, June 2013
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: 449960, 450016, 449958, 449959.