TL;DR

Three tornadoes touched down across Colorado, Illinois, and Wyoming on June 24, 2026. The most significant damage occurred near Huntley, Illinois, where a tornado damaged a barn roof. The day also produced 76 hail reports—including baseball-size hail in Fort Morgan, Colorado—and 83 wind reports spanning 14 states.

What happened on June 24

Severe weather unfolded across a broad swath of the United States on Wednesday, June 24, with confirmed tornadoes in three states and widespread hail and wind damage from the Rockies to the Great Lakes.

The National Weather Service confirmed three tornadoes:

  • 2106 UTC near Medicine Bow, Wyoming — A landspout tornado touched down 3 miles east-southeast of Medicine Bow. The NWS in Cheyenne rated it EF-U (unknown intensity). No damage reports were included in the local storm report.
  • 2234 UTC near Huntley, Illinois — A tornado struck 3 miles west-southwest of Huntley, causing roof damage to a barn along Harmony Road near Brier Hill Road. The NWS in Chicago noted that video shared to social media showed "likely tornado with lofted debris" in the vicinity. McHenry County Emergency Management confirmed the damage.
  • 0025 UTC near Fleming, Colorado — A tornado was confirmed by the fire department 2 miles north-northwest of Fleming in Logan County shortly after midnight. The NWS in Boulder issued the report. No damage details were provided.

Illinois tornado: barn damaged near Huntley

The most documented tornado of the day occurred in McHenry County, Illinois, northwest of Chicago. According to the NWS office in Chicago (LOT), the tornado touched down around 5:34 PM local time (2234 UTC) and damaged a barn roof along Harmony Road.

Social media video captured the tornado with visible debris lofted into the air. The twister remained on the ground in a rural area, and no injuries were reported.

Huntley sits roughly 50 miles northwest of downtown Chicago in a region that sees occasional tornadoes during the warm season, particularly when strong upper-level systems move across the Great Lakes.

Colorado and Wyoming landspouts

The other two tornadoes were likely landspouts—short-lived tornadoes that form along boundaries in high-based thunderstorm environments typical of the High Plains.

The Medicine Bow tornado in Wyoming occurred in an area where scattered severe thunderstorms developed during the afternoon. The NWS in Cheyenne classified it as a landspout with unknown intensity, suggesting limited or no damage.

The Fleming tornado in northeastern Colorado was confirmed by local fire officials shortly after midnight. Fleming is located in Logan County along the South Platte River valley, an area that frequently sees severe weather during June as moisture surges north from the Gulf of Mexico.

Baseball-size hail pummels Fort Morgan, Colorado

While tornadoes were limited, hail was the dominant severe weather hazard on June 24. A total of 76 hail reports were logged across the country, with the largest stones falling in northeastern Colorado.

Fort Morgan, Colorado—about 80 miles northeast of Denver—was hit hardest. The NWS in Boulder received numerous reports of golf ball to baseball-size hail (1.75 to 2.75 inches in diameter) around 4:16 PM local time (2216 UTC). The reports noted "considerable damage" in the area.

Nearby communities also reported large hail:

  • Log Lane Village, CO — Golf ball-size hail (1.75 inches)
  • Adena School area, CO — Hen egg-size hail (2.00 to 2.50 inches)
  • Cokedale, CO — Golf ball-size hail with shredded tree leaves and broken house windows

Farther east, Wisconsin and Michigan reported dozens of quarter to half-dollar-size hail reports as thunderstorms moved across the Upper Midwest during the afternoon and evening.

Widespread wind damage from Alabama to Utah

Damaging winds were reported in 14 states, with 83 total wind reports. The most significant damage occurred in Alabama, where thunderstorms produced widespread tree and power line damage across the Mobile area during the evening.

The NWS in Mobile documented multiple reports of large trees blocking roads and power lines down, including:

  • Airport Boulevard and Alverson Road — power lines down, widespread outages across west Mobile
  • Cottage Hill Road and Ashwood Dr — large tree blocking the road
  • Pleasant Valley Road — large limbs downed power lines

In Florida, a mesonet station at Indian River measured a 64 mph gust, while stations in Utah recorded gusts up to 66 mph near Wendover as thunderstorms moved across the Great Basin.

Context: active severe weather pattern continues

June 2026 has been an active month for severe weather. The three tornadoes on June 24 follow a stretch of multiple tornado days across the central United States:

  • June 23: Enhanced Risk across the High Plains with large hail and tornado threat
  • June 21: 3 tornadoes reported across five states
  • June 20: 3 tornadoes across Wyoming and Colorado
  • June 19: Tornado activity and 121 severe reports

Wednesday's tornadoes were more isolated compared to the larger outbreaks earlier in the week, but the widespread hail and wind reports underscore the ongoing severe weather pattern across the Plains and Midwest.

The SPC Day 1 outlook for June 25 highlighted a Slight Risk across parts of the southern and central Plains, with a focused tornado threat along a boundary expected to set up in the region for Thursday afternoon and evening. The SPC noted that "a strong tornado appears possible if a supercell mode can be maintained" along the boundary.

No injuries reported

As of this writing, no injuries or fatalities have been reported in connection with any of the tornadoes or severe weather on June 24. The barn damage near Huntley, Illinois, appears to be the most significant structural impact from the day's tornado activity.

The lack of serious injuries is a reminder of the importance of advance warning and preparedness. All three tornadoes occurred in rural areas with relatively low population density, reducing the risk of casualties.

Lessons from June 24

Wednesday's severe weather illustrates several recurring themes in severe weather safety:

Tornadoes don't always come with major outbreaks. While large-scale tornado events grab headlines, isolated tornadoes like those on June 24 are far more common. Residents in tornado-prone areas should maintain vigilance even on days without a higher-end SPC risk category.

Hail can cause significant damage. The baseball-size hail in Fort Morgan likely caused thousands of dollars in vehicle and property damage. Hail of that size can shatter windshields, dent vehicles, and damage roofs. When large hail is imminent, the safest place is indoors, away from windows.

Social media can aid damage surveys. The NWS in Chicago specifically cited social media video showing lofted debris near Huntley, which helped confirm the tornado. Sharing photos and videos with local NWS offices (via social media tags or email) can assist meteorologists in documenting and rating tornadoes, especially in rural areas where ground surveys may be delayed.

Looking ahead

The Storm Prediction Center continues to monitor severe weather potential across the central United States through the end of June. Thursday's outlook includes a Slight Risk across parts of the region, with a corridor of enhanced tornado potential along a surface boundary.

Residents in the Plains and Midwest should continue to monitor forecasts closely and have multiple ways to receive warnings, especially during the overnight hours when tornadoes are most deadly.

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.