TL;DR
Ten tornadoes were reported across Colorado, Wyoming, Nebraska, and Mississippi on Thursday, May 22, 2026. Most were brief landspouts in the High Plains, with the longest-lived tornado lasting four minutes near Thurman, Colorado. A morning tornado in Mississippi caused tree damage south of Raymond. No injuries have been reported.
What Happened Thursday
Severe thunderstorms produced 10 confirmed tornadoes across four states on Thursday, part of a broader severe weather day that also brought 32 hail reports and 18 wind reports spanning from the Rockies to the Southeast.
The tornado activity split into two distinct episodes: an afternoon and evening outbreak of landspouts across the High Plains, and an early-morning tornado in central Mississippi associated with a separate weather system.
High Plains Landspout Outbreak
The majority of Thursday's tornado reports—nine in total—came from a cluster of brief landspouts that developed across the Colorado-Wyoming-Nebraska border region between 2145 UTC and 2347 UTC (approximately 3:45 PM to 5:47 PM MDT).
The National Weather Service office in Cheyenne (CYS) documented multiple landspouts near Pine Bluffs, Wyoming, beginning at 2204 UTC. A fire department reported the first landspout approximately 3 miles west of town, with radar showing a boundary collision at the time. Two minutes later, broadcast media shared photos of another landspout kicking up dust about 4 miles north-northwest of Pine Bluffs. At 2223 UTC, law enforcement reported a funnel producing a ground circulation for approximately 45 seconds.
Landspouts are a type of tornado that forms along boundaries near the ground rather than descending from a mesocyclone aloft. They typically occur in environments with strong surface heating and converging boundaries, conditions that were present across the High Plains on Thursday afternoon.
Nebraska Tornadoes
Two brief tornadoes touched down near Kimball, Nebraska, in quick succession. At 2251 UTC, a National Weather Service employee reported a tornado due west of their location approximately 4 miles north-northwest of Kimball. Eight minutes later, at 2259 UTC, an emergency manager observed a quick tornado spinup about 3 miles southeast of Kimball that lasted approximately 30 seconds.
Colorado Tornado Cluster
The most concentrated tornado activity occurred near Thurman, Colorado, where four tornadoes were reported in a 16-minute window. The National Weather Service office in Boulder (BOU) documented:
- 2335 UTC: Brief ground circulation 3 miles west-northwest of Thurman
- 2341 UTC: A tornado 3 miles west-southwest of Thurman that lasted 4 minutes—the longest-lived tornado of the day
- 2347 UTC: A brief one-minute tornado 2 miles west-southwest of Thurman
An earlier landspout was reported at 2145 UTC approximately 6 miles north-northwest of Pritchett, Colorado, by the NWS office in Pueblo.
All of the High Plains tornadoes were classified as landspouts and appeared to cause minimal damage, consistent with their brief duration and rural locations.
Mississippi Morning Tornado
The day's only tornado outside the High Plains touched down at 0938 UTC (4:38 AM CDT) approximately 5 miles south-southeast of Raymond, Mississippi. The National Weather Service office in Jackson (JAN) reported that a thin funnel touched down about a quarter mile south of Seven Springs Road just east of Midway Road.
This tornado caused tree damage, and a Tornado Debris Signature (TDS) was noted on radar following the touchdown. The morning timing and tree damage distinguish this event from the High Plains landspouts, suggesting it formed from a more traditional supercell structure associated with the overnight convection moving through the Mid-South.
Significant Hail Across the High Plains
While tornadoes grabbed headlines, the most significant severe weather impact Thursday came from very large hail across eastern Colorado and northeastern New Mexico.
The largest hailstone of the day—estimated at 4.5 inches in diameter—fell at 2350 UTC approximately 7 miles southeast of Last Chance, Colorado, according to a storm chaser report to the NWS Boulder office. That measurement approaches the size of a softball.
Multiple reports of tennis ball-sized (2.5 inches) and baseball-sized (2.75–3.0 inches) hail were documented near Thurman and Last Chance, Colorado, the same area that saw multiple tornadoes. One report from 1 mile south of Thurman at 2347 UTC documented 3-inch hail—classified as "tea cup" size in the hail size chart.
The hail threat extended into the Texas Panhandle, where golf ball-sized hail (1.75 inches) was reported near Ozona and Sonora.
Atmospheric Setup
The Storm Prediction Center's Day 1 outlook issued Thursday morning highlighted the potential for severe weather across multiple regions, including the southern High Plains where most of Thursday's tornado activity occurred.
The SPC discussion noted that modest cyclonic mid-level flow would extend from the Interior West through the south-central United States. A weak disturbance moving east across the Permian Basin combined with a seasonably moist airmass and strong daytime heating to create conditions favorable for severe thunderstorms.
Forecast soundings showed relatively cold air aloft (near -14°C at 500 millibars) with steep low- to mid-level lapse rates—conditions that support strong updrafts. The SPC noted that large to very large hail would be possible with the more intense updrafts, a forecast that verified with the giant hail reports across eastern Colorado.
For the Mississippi tornado, the SPC outlook discussed a disturbance moving northeastward across the ArkLaMiss region with an isolated risk for a tornado across much of the area. The morning Raymond tornado fell within this forecast corridor.
Context: Active May Pattern Continues
Thursday's 10 tornadoes continue an active stretch across the central United States. Recent VORTEX blog posts have documented multiple tornado days this month:
- May 17: 10 tornadoes across five states
- May 17: Six tornadoes across four states
The current pattern features repeated upper-level troughs moving through the central Plains, each bringing a round of severe weather as they interact with warm, moist air from the Gulf of Mexico. This is typical of May, historically the most active month for tornadoes in the United States.
Why Landspouts Matter
While Thursday's High Plains tornadoes were brief and caused minimal damage, landspouts pose real risks and should be taken seriously. Because they form quickly along surface boundaries rather than from organized rotating supercells, landspouts can develop with little warning.
The National Weather Service does not always issue tornado warnings for landspouts, particularly when they occur in open country away from populated areas. However, anyone caught outdoors near a landspout faces danger from flying debris and the tornado's circulation itself.
Thursday's landspout cluster demonstrates why storm spotters and the public should report any funnel clouds or rotating columns of dust to the National Weather Service, even if they appear small or brief.
Looking Ahead
The Storm Prediction Center's Friday outlook maintains severe weather potential across portions of the southern Plains, with a Slight Risk area covering parts of the Texas Panhandle, northwest Texas, and southwest Oklahoma. The primary threats are large to very large hail and severe wind gusts.
Additional Marginal Risk areas extend across the central Gulf Coast states, where isolated tornadoes remain possible Friday afternoon and evening.
VORTEX is a free web app at vortexintel.app that monitors severe weather nationwide. Pro ($4.99/month) places phone calls to your phone when a tornado or flash flood warning is issued for a location you care about — calls can ring through Do Not Disturb once you enable Emergency Bypass for the number, unlike most third-party app notifications.