Tornado in Colorado
Every tornado event the National Weather Service has filed in Colorado, year by year, with the most significant episodes. 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.
The most significant on the map
The most significant tornado 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
- 2,445
- Deaths
- 5
- Injuries
- 282
- Damage
- $298 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.
- Tornado and Hail in Colorado, June 27, 1960
- Tornadoes and Hail in Colorado, June 3, 1981
- Tornadoes and Hail in Colorado, July 11, 1990
- Tornadoes and Hail in Colorado, June 6, 1990
- Tornado in Colorado, May 18, 1977
- 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.
- Tornadoes in Colorado, October 17, 1971
- Tornadoes and Hail in Colorado, May 29, 2001The first in a series of seven tornadoes occurred with no known damage. The video documentation of the first six tornadoes indicated they were non-supercellular in nature.
- 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 in Colorado, May 31, 1999Two tornadoes touched down causing extensive damage north of Genoa. The first tornado, an F2, caused minor damage to a home, but substantial damage to trees in the area. The second tornado, an F3, destroyed 2 mobile homes and several grain bins.
- 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.
- Tornado and Hail in Colorado, July 5, 2000A large and destructive tornado accompanied with hail, up to softball size, ripped through eastern Logan County. An 88-year old farmer and his wife received minor injuries when the tornado flattened their home.
- Tornadoes and Hail in Colorado, June 13, 1977
- 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 in Colorado, May 30, 1996A large tornado estimated to be 1/2 mile wide in diameter caused approximately $300,000 damage to a farmstead near Elba as it destroyed several grain silos, storage sheds and vehicles. Only the home on the farm was spared.
- Tornadoes and Hail in Colorado, August 15, 1974
- 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.
- Tornadoes and Damaging Wind in Colorado, June 8, 1986
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.