Utah experiences relatively infrequent severe weather compared to the central United States, with 140 confirmed tornadoes, 620 hailstorm events and 2,210 damaging-wind events recorded by the National Weather Service since 1950. The state ranks among the lowest in the country for tornado frequency, and averages 1.9 tornadoes per year over the 75-year record. Most of Utah’s severe weather comes from short-lived high-elevation thunderstorms producing hail and damaging wind rather than long-track tornadoes. The interactive map below plots every significant severe-weather event in Utah 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.
—Significant events
—Tornadoes
—Hailstorms ≥ 2″
—Wind ≥ 65 kt
—Direct deaths
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Utah Severe Weather by the Numbers (1950–2025)
140 tornadoes recorded between 1950 and 2025
10 violent tornadoes rated F2/EF2 or stronger
1 direct tornado deaths and 96 direct injuries
620 hailstorm events recorded by the NWS
2,210 damaging-wind events on record
1.9 tornadoes per year on average across the 75-year record
May is the peak severe-weather month, accounting for roughly 22.1% of Utah tornadoes
229 total direct deaths from all severe-weather event types tracked by the NWS
When Utah Severe Weather Happens
Utah tornado activity peaks in spring, with March through June accounting for about 44% of all events. The single busiest month is May, which alone produces around 22.1% of recorded tornadoes.
May: 31 tornadoes (22.1%) — peak month
August: 30 tornadoes (21.4%)
September: 22 tornadoes (15.7%)
June: 21 tornadoes (15%)
July: 20 tornadoes (14.3%)
April: 6 tornadoes (4.3%)
Top 10 Utah Counties by Tornado Frequency
Tornado activity in Utah 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.
County
Tornadoes since 1950
Salt Lake
14
Davis
11
Box Elder
10
Sanpete
10
Utah
10
Uintah
8
Wayne
8
Weber
8
Beaver
7
Emery
7
Utah Tornado Strength Distribution
Most Utah tornadoes are weak: roughly 91% are rated F0/EF0 or F1/EF1. Violent tornadoes (F2+/EF2+) account for around 8.7% of rated tornadoes in the state.
F0/EF0 (weak): 81 tornadoes — 70.4% of rated events
F1/EF1: 24 tornadoes — 20.9% of rated events
F2/EF2 (strong): 9 tornadoes — 7.8% of rated events
F3/EF3: 1 tornadoes — 0.9% of rated events
Record-Setting Severe Weather in Utah
Largest hailstone: 2.00 inches in diameter, observed in Washington County on August 30, 1971. The three largest hailstones on record in Utah measured 2.00″, 2.00″, 2.00″.
Highest measured wind gust: 92 knots (106 mph) recorded in Utah County near (Pvu)Provo Muni Arpt on August 1, 2006. Most damaging-wind events in Utah are estimated rather than measured because anemometers are sparse across the rural areas where supercells most often produce destructive thunderstorm winds.
How Utah Compares Nationally
Utah ranks among the lowest in the country for tornado frequency, with severe-weather activity well below the central-US average.
Utah hail total: 620 hail events on record since 1950.
Utah wind total: 2,210 damaging-wind events on record since 1950.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many tornadoes does Utah have on average per year?
Utah averages 1.9 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.
Where in Utah are tornadoes most common?
The single county with the most tornadoes on record is Salt Lake County with 14 events. The three most active counties overall are Salt Lake, Davis, Box Elder.
How does Utah compare to its neighbors?
Utah shares a severe-weather climate with Idaho, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada. Severe storms regularly cross state lines, so the same supercells, hail cores and wind events often appear in Utah’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 Utah to Neighboring States
Severe weather doesn’t stop at state lines. The same supercell systems that produce Utah tornadoes regularly cross into neighboring states. Compare Utah’s storm history to its land neighbors:
Idaho severe storm history — ranked 35th nationally, mountain-west severe weather, mostly hail and high wind
I'm Daniel O'Donohue, the voice and creator behind The MapScaping Podcast ( A podcast for the geospatial community ). With a professional background as a geospatial specialist, I've spent years harnessing the power of spatial to unravel the complexities of our world, one layer at a time.
