Colorado tornadoes
Every recorded tornado since 1950 · 54 counties with a record
Colorado has recorded 2,479 tornadoes from 1950 through 2025, about 42 a year since 2000, with 26 rated F3/EF3 or stronger (NOAA Storm Prediction Center). The deadliest was the March 28, 2007 Holly tornado (2 deaths in Colorado). Colorado ranks 12th of 52 states and territories by count and 29th of 51 per square mile.
Tornadoes in Colorado, 1950 to 2025
Tornadoes per year (SPC; a tornado that crossed a state line counts in each state it touched).
- recorded, no damage figure
- under $1 million
- $1 million or more
- $10 million or more
- $100 million or more, or 10 deaths
- $1 billion or more, or 100 deaths
- a year's colour: its recorded damage or deaths
- a year with a death
- 1996: tornado reports rose with NEXRAD Doppler radar, mid-1990s (SPC)
- Tornadoes
- 2,4791950 to 2025
- A year since 2000
- 42average
- Deaths
- 5290 injuries
- F3/EF3 or stronger
- 261% of tornadoes
- Busiest year
- 199698 tornadoes
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database, 1950-2025 (state segments). SPC severe weather database.
Are tornadoes common in Colorado?
Colorado averages about 42 tornadoes a year since 2000, 12th of 52 states and territories by count. The busiest year on record was 1996 (98). Per 10,000 square miles of land, Colorado records 239 tornadoes since 1950, 29th of 51 states and territories by that measure.
Source: NOAA SPC, tornadoes 1950-2025, per 10,000 square miles of land area (Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer; places under 1,000 square miles not ranked). Damage colours: Storm Events damage, 2025 dollars.
Which counties in Colorado have the most tornadoes?
Per square mile, Denver County leads Colorado: 18 days with a tornado record since 1950, 117.6 per 1,000 square miles of land. By raw count, Weld County has the most tornado records (293 since 1950); large counties collect more records simply by covering more ground, so the ranking counts days with a record per unit of area (a storm filed for several forecast zones adds several records but one day).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, days with a record in the county since 1950 per 1,000 square miles of land (Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer); in brackets, the count of records.
When is tornado season in Colorado?
60% of its tornadoes since 1950 fell in May and June. The busiest month is June (890 tornadoes).
The values, month by month
Jan 0 · Feb 2 · Mar 24 · Apr 122 · May 591 · Jun 890 · Jul 499 · Aug 253 · Sep 58 · Oct 40 · Nov 0 · Dec 0 (records).
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database, state segments by the month they began, 1950-2025.
What were the deadliest tornadoes in Colorado?
| Date | Counties | Rating | Path in state | Killed | Injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007-03-28 | Holly · Prowers, Kiowa | EF3 | 28 mi | 2 | 9 |
| 1960-06-27 | Sedgwick | F3 | 6.5 mi | 2 | 3 |
| 2008-05-22 | Fort Collins · Weld, Larimer | EF3 | 38.69 mi | 1 | 78 |
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database (state segments: deaths and path inside Colorado), 1950-2025; counties are the first four the SPC lists for the segment. SPC severe weather database.
Where have the strongest tornadoes tracked in Colorado?
- F2/EF2
- F3/EF3
- F4/EF4
- F5/EF5
- no end point filed
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database, 1950-2025, start and end points of each track; county lines: Census Bureau cartographic boundaries (2017), via us-atlas. SPC severe weather database. Census cartographic boundary files.
The strongest tornadoes in Colorado
| Date | Counties | Rating | Path in state | Width | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1977-05-18 | Baca | F4 | 9.3 mi | 440 yd | 0 |
| 2007-03-28 | Holly · Prowers, Kiowa | EF3 | 28 mi | 900 yd | 2 |
| 1960-06-27 | Sedgwick | F3 | 6.5 mi | 10 yd | 2 |
| 2008-05-22 | Fort Collins · Weld, Larimer | EF3 | 38.69 mi | 1,760 yd | 1 |
| 2023-08-08 | Yuma · Washington, Yuma | EF3 | 15.65 mi | 212 yd | 0 |
| 2023-06-23 | Prowers | EF3 | 13.12 mi | 320 yd | 0 |
| 1993-07-21 | Washington | F3 | 12 mi | 150 yd | 0 |
| 1953-10-20 | Fowler to Olney Springs · Otero | F3 | 11.9 mi | 880 yd | 0 |
| 1993-07-07 | Bethune · Kit Carson | F3 | 9 mi | 500 yd | 0 |
| 1975-05-10 | Akron · Washington | F3 | 8 mi | 440 yd | 0 |
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database; F scale before February 1, 2007, EF scale after.
The longest tornado paths in Colorado
| Date | Tornado and counties | Rating | Path in state | Width | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008-05-22 | Fort Collins · Weld, Larimer | EF3 | 38.69 mi | 1,760 yd | 1 |
| 1951-06-18 | Olney Springs · Crowley, Otero | F2 | 29.9 mi | 10 yd | 0 |
| 2007-03-28 | Holly · Prowers, Kiowa | EF3 | 28 mi | 900 yd | 2 |
| 1986-09-18 | Morgan | F2 | 25 mi | 300 yd | 0 |
| 1962-05-17 | Baca | F1 | 23 mi | 10 yd | 0 |
| 1990-06-09 | Wellington · Larimer, Weld | F2 | 23 mi | 200 yd | 0 |
| 2021-05-29 | Las Animas | Unrated | 22.75 mi | 100 yd | 0 |
| 1957-05-20 | Kit Carson | F0 | 22.5 mi | 10 yd | 0 |
| 1975-05-10 | Kit Carson · Cheyenne, Kiowa | F2 | 21.9 mi | 440 yd | 0 |
| 1951-06-25 | Sedgwick | F1 | 20.2 mi | 10 yd | 0 |
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database, state segments: path length and width inside the state. SPC severe weather database.
Tornadoes in every Colorado county
All 54 counties: tornadoes whose track touched each, and the strongest
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database: whole tornadoes whose track touched the county (any state segment listing it). SPC severe weather database.
The costliest tornadoes in Colorado
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008-05-22 | TornadoPlatteville Airport, Weld County A powerful tornado swept north-northwestward across Weld County and into Larimer 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. A tornado assessment in ... | EF3 24.26 mi x 1,760 yd | 1 | 78 | $201M |
| 2001-05-28 | TornadoEllicott, El Paso County | F2 0.5 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 4 | $13M |
| 1996-07-13 | TornadoStrasburg, Adams County A fast moving tornado ripped a 12-mile path of destruction near Strasburg, in eastern Adams County. The tornado caused extensive structural damage to several galvanized metal grain silos, farm buildings and sheds in the area. The roof of a two-story log home was completely torn off. The home received substantial ... | F2 12 mi x 440 yd | 0 | 0 | $13M |
| 2002-08-29 | TornadoEnglwood Arapah, Arapahoe County The second tornado, associated with the storm, touched down in a subdivision that was under construction at Gartrell and Arapahoe Road. Four large condominiums under construction were destroyed. The most heavily damaged portions of the structures had not been sheet rocked. Adjacent sections, where the walls were in ... | F1 0.1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 1 | $9.8M |
| 1999-05-31 | TornadoGenoa, Lincoln County Two 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. It also caused moderate damage to 2 framed houses. At one farm, several ... | F3 7 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $7.1M |
| 2007-03-28 | TornadoHolly, Prowers County With a maximum rating of EF3 and a maximum damage path width of 900 yards, the tornado raced through Holly, causing two fatalities and nine injuries. | EF3 17 mi x 900 yd | 2 | 9 | $5.7M |
| 2004-06-09 | TornadoSterling, Logan County A tornado touched down in downtown Sterling, causing extensive damage. At least two commercial buildings, including a car dealership, and one college dormitory lost roofs. Several trees were uprooted; one caused major damage to a home when it fell on it. A semi-truck was also knocked on its side. Downed power lines ... | F1 0.5 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 2 | $3.0M |
| 2004-06-20 | TornadoLas Animas, Bent County A tornado caused severe damage to at least seven buildings at Mountain Prairie Hog Farms. Seven farrowing barns (380 feet x 60 feet) were destroyed. Only one pig was killed. A fire started in one of the structures when a gas line broke. Debris was scattered a few miles east southeast of the Farms. | F1 1 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 1 | $1.6M |
Before 1993 NOAA filed damage by category, not amount, so the list above starts in 1993. The highest category filed here before then (entered as $25M, in the dollars of the day) holds: June 3, 1981 (tornado, Adams County); June 6, 1990 (tornado, Lincoln County); June 15, 1988 (tornado, Denver County).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: property and crop damage as estimated by the National Weather Service, in 2025 dollars.
Are tornadoes becoming more frequent in Colorado?
Colorado's count per decade against the whole country's, and its share. The Storm Prediction Center notes that tornado reports rose especially around the installation of the NEXRAD Doppler radar network in the mid-1990s, so a rising count is partly better detection; the share of the national total is the fairer comparison across decades.
| Decade | Colorado | United States | Colorado's share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 107 | 4,837 | 2.2% |
| 1960s | 137 | 6,863 | 2.0% |
| 1970s | 204 | 8,633 | 2.4% |
| 1980s | 336 | 8,250 | 4.1% |
| 1990s | 601 | 12,205 | 4.9% |
| 2000s | 436 | 12,892 | 3.4% |
| 2010s | 407 | 12,232 | 3.3% |
| 2020-25 | 251 | 8,234 | 3.0% |
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database, state segments.
The most recent tornadoes in Colorado
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-30 | TornadoSterling, Logan County | EFU 0.06 mi x 5 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-30 | TornadoIliff, Logan County | EF1 0.11 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $20K |
| 2026-06-24 | TornadoPowell, Logan County | EFU 0.35 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-24 | TornadoFleming, Logan County | EFU 0.28 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-24 | TornadoKeota, Weld County | EFU 0.01 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-30 | TornadoHolyoke, Phillips County | EFU 2.91 mi x 15 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-30 | TornadoAlvin, Yuma County | EFU 4.42 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-21 | TornadoThurman, Washington County | EFU 0.14 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-21 | TornadoThurman, Washington County | EFU 0.95 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-21 | TornadoThurman, Washington County | EFU 0.34 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-26 | TornadoSeibert, Kit Carson County | EFU 0.01 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-09-16 | TornadoBurlington, Kit Carson County | EFU 0.01 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records through June 30, 2026; the newest months are revised by NCEI as reports arrive. Search the record at NCEI.
Federal disaster declarations for tornadoes in Colorado
FEMA has declared 4 disasters in Colorado for tornadoes, counting its incident type and declarations that name tornado in the title (FEMA files most storm disasters under Severe Storm); 4 were major disasters, the latest on August 25, 2023.
| Declared | Number | Title | Areas named |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-08-25 | DR-4731 | Severe Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes | 14 |
| 2015-07-16 | DR-4229 | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides | 15 |
| 2008-05-26 | DR-1762 | Severe Storms and Tornadoes | 2 |
| 1965-06-19 | DR-200 | Tornadoes, Severe Storms & Flooding | 27 |
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries (v2), through October 2, 2026. OpenFEMA dataset page.
Next
- Denver County: the county's whole recordThe Colorado county with the most tornadoes per square mile
- Tornadoes across the United StatesEvery state ranked, by year and month
- Every natural hazard in ColoradoTornadoes, floods, storms, heat and the federal declarations
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