Colorado has a long and well-documented history of severe storms, with 2,408 confirmed tornadoes, 14,753 hailstorm events and 4,286 damaging-wind events recorded by the National Weather Service since 1950. The state ranks 13th nationally for tornado frequency, and averages 32.1 tornadoes per year over the 75-year record. Colorado lies within Tornado Alley, the historic core of the country’s most active severe-weather climate. The interactive map below plots every significant severe-weather event in Colorado from the official NOAA Storm Events Database (1950 through September 2025).

Use the map to find your county, click any marker for the date, magnitude, and casualty details of that event, and switch between tornadoes, hail and wind using the chips. For the national view across all 50 states, see our NOAA Storm Reports interactive map. For tornado tracks specifically, see the US Tornado Tracks map; for hail size and frequency, the US Hailstorms map.

Colorado Severe Weather by the Numbers (1950–2025)

• 2,408 tornadoes recorded between 1950 and 2025
• 162 violent tornadoes rated F2/EF2 or stronger
• 5 direct tornado deaths and 276 direct injuries
• 14,753 hailstorm events recorded by the NWS
• 4,286 damaging-wind events on record
• 32.1 tornadoes per year on average across the 75-year record
• June is the peak severe-weather month, accounting for roughly 36.3% of Colorado tornadoes
• 288 total direct deaths from all severe-weather event types tracked by the NWS

When Colorado Severe Weather Happens

Colorado tornado activity is heavily concentrated in spring. March, April, May and June account for 67% of all Colorado tornadoes, with June alone responsible for roughly 36.3%.

• June: 875 tornadoes (36.3%) — peak month
• May: 586 tornadoes (24.3%)
• July: 448 tornadoes (18.6%)
• August: 252 tornadoes (10.5%)
• April: 122 tornadoes (5.1%)
• September: 56 tornadoes (2.3%)

Top 10 Colorado Counties by Tornado Frequency

Tornado activity in Colorado is geographically broad, but a handful of counties have logged many times the state average. The combination of population density (more spotters and damage reports), county land area and local climatology drives the rankings below.

The Deadliest Tornadoes in Colorado History

Colorado has lost 5 lives to tornadoes since the National Weather Service began systematic tornado record-keeping in 1950.

Colorado Tornado Strength Distribution

Most Colorado tornadoes are weak: roughly 93% are rated F0/EF0 or F1/EF1. Violent tornadoes (F2+/EF2+) account for around 7.4% of rated tornadoes in the state.

• F0/EF0 (weak): 1,461 tornadoes — 66.5% of rated events
• F1/EF1: 574 tornadoes — 26.1% of rated events
• F2/EF2 (strong): 138 tornadoes — 6.3% of rated events
• F3/EF3: 23 tornadoes — 1% of rated events
• F4/EF4 (violent): 1 tornadoes — 0% of rated events

Record-Setting Severe Weather in Colorado

Largest hailstone: 5.25 inches in diameter, observed in Yuma County near Kirk on August 8, 2023. The three largest hailstones on record in Colorado measured 5.25″, 4.83″, 4.50″.

Highest measured wind gust: 98 knots (113 mph) recorded in Washington County near Akron on June 8, 2020. Most damaging-wind events in Colorado are estimated rather than measured because anemometers are sparse across the rural areas where supercells most often produce destructive thunderstorm winds.

How Colorado Compares Nationally

Colorado ranks 13th nationally for tornado frequency since 1950, placing it in the upper third of states by severe-weather activity.

• Tornadoes (top 5): Texas (9,908), Kansas (4,890), Oklahoma (4,856), Florida (3,779), Iowa (3,417).
• Colorado tornado total: 2,408 — ranked 13th nationally.
• Colorado hail total: 14,753 hail events on record since 1950.
• Colorado wind total: 4,286 damaging-wind events on record since 1950.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many tornadoes does Colorado have on average per year?

Colorado averages 32.1 tornadoes per year over the 1950–2025 period. Counts vary widely year to year, but the long-term mean over 75 years of NWS records is a reliable benchmark for typical activity.

What was the deadliest tornado in Colorado history?

The June 27, 1960 tornado, rated F3 on the Fujita scale, killed 2 people and injured 3 in Sedgwick County. It remains the single deadliest tornado in the Colorado modern record.

Where in Colorado are tornadoes most common?

The single county with the most tornadoes on record is Weld County with 290 events. The three most active counties overall are Weld, Washington, Adams.

How does Colorado compare to its neighbors?

Colorado shares a severe-weather climate with Wyoming, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Utah. Severe storms regularly cross state lines, so the same supercells, hail cores and wind events often appear in Colorado’s neighbors’ records on the same date.

How recent is the data on this map?

The map and statistics on this page are pulled from NOAA’s official Storm Events Database, which currently runs from January 1950 through September 2025. New records typically appear in the database within 30–90 days of the event date, once damage surveys and ratings are complete.

Compare Colorado to Neighboring States

Severe weather doesn’t stop at state lines. The same supercell systems that produce Colorado tornadoes regularly cross into neighboring states. Compare Colorado’s storm history to its land neighbors:

• Wyoming severe storm history — ranked 28th nationally, mountain-west severe weather, mostly hail and high wind
• Nebraska severe storm history — ranked 7th nationally, core Tornado Alley state
• Kansas severe storm history — ranked 2nd nationally, core Tornado Alley state
• Oklahoma severe storm history — ranked 3rd nationally, core Tornado Alley state
• New Mexico severe storm history — ranked 29th nationally, core Tornado Alley state
• Utah severe storm history — ranked 39th nationally, mountain-west severe weather, mostly hail and high wind

Explore the national NOAA Storm Reports map · US Tornado Tracks map · US Hailstorms map