Thunderstorm Wind in Colorado
Every thunderstorm wind event the National Weather Service has filed in Colorado, year by year, with the most significant episodes. 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.
The most significant on the map
The most significant thunderstorm wind episodes in Colorado.
- Tornadoes
- Tropical storms and surge
- Floods
- Wind
- Hail
- Winter weather
- Heat and drought
- Cold
- Fire, smoke and dust
- Marine and coastal
- Other
The record
- Events
- 4,650
- Deaths
- 15
- Injuries
- 108
- Damage
- $45 million
Every year
The most significant
Ranked by deaths, injuries, damage and size together.
- Tornadoes and Hail in Colorado, May 22, 2008A powerful tornado swept north-northwestward across Weld County, carving a path of destruction, nearly 39 miles in length. The tornado, up to one-mile wide at times, initially touched down northeast of Platteville and finally lifted 6 miles west-northwest of Wellington.
- Tornadoes and Flash Flooding in Colorado, June 17 to 22, 2023Long duration severe weather event across the northeast plains, and most of the Denver metropolitan area beginning during the early afternoon hours. Scores of tornadoes occurred across Washington and Logan counties.
- Tornadoes and Hail in Colorado, March 28, 2007A few severe thunderstorms occurred over extreme southeast Colorado... producing damaging winds and large hail. One supercell generated large hail...damaging winds...and two tornadoes.
- Tornadoes and Hail in Colorado, June 15, 1988
- Tornadoes and Hail in Colorado, May 28, 2001A slow moving supercell thunderstorm stayed over the Ellicott area of eastern El Paso county for over an hour on Memorial Day evening. For over an hour, heavy rain and large hail pelted the area.
- Tornadoes and Hail in Colorado, June 23, 2009Severe thunderstorms produced quarter size hail across Adams, Denver, Douglas and Elbert Counties. In addition, wet microbursts produced thunderstorm outflow winds up to 80 mph across Logan, Morgan, Phillips and Sedgwick Counties.
- Damaging Wind in Colorado, July 2, 2005Strong thunderstorm winds occurred at Boyd Lake. Two women drowned when the boat they were in capsized. Four others that were in the boat had to be hospitalized, one was in intensive care.
- Tornadoes and Flash Flood in Colorado, June 7, 2012Severe thunderstorms brought damaging wind and hail, heavy rain, along several tornadoes, one of which was rated an EF-2. The storms produced hail from 1.5 to 2.75 inches in diameter. In addition to the large hail, heavy rainfall from 1 to 2 inches also accompanied the storms.
- Tornadoes and Hail in Colorado, August 8, 2023During the afternoon hours, a strong supercell developed over Logan and Washington Counties. As the storm moved southeast near the community of Hyde, Colorado, it produced a EF-3 tornado that continued into Yuma County.
- Dust Storm and Heavy Snow in Colorado, December 12 to 15, 2021A potent upper level system and surface low approached the region late in the day on the 14th, and then lifted across Colorado during the day on the 15th.
- Tornadoes and Flash Flooding in Colorado, June 4 to 5, 2015Severe thunderstorms broke out across Boulder, Denver, Elbert, Jefferson and Larimer Counties. Two large and long lived tornadoes developed in Larimer County near Berthoud and near Simla in Elbert County.
- Tornado and Hail in Colorado, June 24, 1979
- Tornadoes and Flash Flooding in Colorado, June 9, 2004Severe thunderstorms producing very large hail caused extensive damage across southern sections of the Denver metropolitan area. Parts of Aurora, Lakewood, Littleton and South Denver incurred much of the damage.
- Tornado and Hail in Colorado, June 7 to 12, 1997Lightning injured a man while talking on the telephone. The bolt passed through the phone line burning his ear. He received minor injuries.
- Flash Flooding and Flood in Colorado, June 29 to 30, 2023Severe thunderstorms produced large hail, from penny to tennis ball size across parts of Jefferson, Adams, Arapahoe, Denver and Washington counties. The hail along with heavy rain caused flooding and flash flooding problems.
- Tornadoes and Damaging Wind in Colorado, June 8, 1986
- Tornadoes and Hail in Colorado, June 19, 2018Very large hail, up to 3 inches in diameter, pummeled portions of the Front Range Urban Corridor and extended across the northeast plains of Colorado. Reports of collapsed roofs due to hail were reported, with major hail damage across northern portions of the Denver metro area.
- Tornado and Hail in Colorado, July 29, 2009Numerous severe thunderstorms occurred over the southeast plains. There was hail up to the size of baseballs and wind gusts around 60 mph at times were noted. The city of Pueblo was particularly hard hit with golf ball to tennis ball size hail.
- Tornadoes and Hail in Colorado, June 7, 2009Severe thunderstorms in Denver and the surrounding metropolitan area produced five tornadoes, large hail and damaging thunderstorm winds. The strongest of the tornadoes touched down near Southlands Mall, in southeast Aurora. Two men were injured, one seriously.
- Flash Flood and Hail in Colorado, July 24, 2018Thunderstorms produced very heavy rainfall, 1 to 2 inches in less than 30 minutes. In Englewood, the floodwaters quickly inundated a basement apartment and trapped a woman inside. She was found unresponsive in the apartment and died several hours later.
- Flash Flood and Hail in Colorado, July 13, 2011Severe thunderstorms produced extensive damage as they moved across the Urban Corridor.
- Tornado and Flash Flooding in Colorado, July 12, 2000Heavy rain fell across a portion of the Hi Meadow burn area near Buffalo Creek, causing localized flash flooding. Approximately three quarters of an inch /0.75/ of rain fell in 30 minutes across Miller Gulch. Some culverts became plugged by debris from the fire.
- Tornadoes and Flash Flood in Colorado, May 26, 2010Severe thunderstorms pounded parts the Urban Corridor and Northeast Plains with very large hail, damaging wind and tornadoes. The hail, ranging from golfball to baseball size, hit northeast Denver, Brighton and Commerce City the hardest.
- Tornado and Hail in Colorado, July 20, 2009A severe thunderstorm produced damaging winds, large hail and very heavy rain across the western and southern suburbs of Denver. Widespread damage was observed in the cities of Arvada, Wheat Ridge and Lakewood.
- Tornadoes and Flash Flooding in Colorado, June 6, 2012Severe thunderstorms broke late in the evening, striking areas hardest from Denver southward. Locations impacted by the storms included but were not limited to: Aurora, Castle Rock, Centennial, Highlands Ranch, Lone Tree, Parker, Surrey Ridge.
More
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.