Brighton, CO Tornado History — 268 Tornadoes Since 1950
How many tornadoes has Brighton, CO had?
Brighton has had 268 tornadoes on record within 25 miles since 1950, including 5 strong to violent (EF3+) tornadoes.
When was the most recent tornado near Brighton?
The most recent tornado within 25 miles of Brighton was an Unrated on July 14, 2025.
When is tornado season in Brighton?
June is historically the peak month for tornadoes near Brighton, with 109 on record. April through June account for 166 of the 268 tornadoes on record near Brighton.
At a Glance
Recent Tornado Activity Near Brighton
The last 20 years of confirmed tornadoes within 25 miles — 52 total, averaging 2.6 per year over this window.
Preliminary tornado reports near Brighton since December 29, 2025
This is a preliminary report, not confirmed tornadoes. It has not yet been through an NWS damage survey, and is not counted in the confirmed totals above.
Preliminary reports are revised, merged, and sometimes withdrawn — historically about 23% are consolidated downward once surveys complete. Ratings are omitted until a survey assigns one.
Confirmed records above are complete through December 29, 2025. NOAA publishes the confirmed archive annually, so tornadoes after that date appear here first and move into the totals above once finalized.
[Landspout] Reports including a photo of a landspout approximately a mile to the north of Dicks Sporting Goods Park. Lasted approximately 7 minutes. Location estimated (BOU)
Within 25 miles of Brighton. Quoted text is the report narrative exactly as filed. Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center preliminary storm reports, updated daily.
What storm spotters reported near Brighton
4 local storm reports have been filed within 25 miles of Brighton and since confirmed into the NOAA archive, the earliest on May 18, 2025 and the most recent on July 14, 2025. They are already counted in the Brighton totals above; quoted below is the narrative each reporting office filed at the time.
Location estimated. (BOU)
[Landspout] Photos of a brief landspout from 309 to 313 PM MDT. There was some visible evidence of a funnel at the cloud base despite the absence of a well defined upd (BOU)
Landspout tornado confirmed by Denver International Airport observer as well as trained spotter and public sources. Location is approximate. (BOU)
Tornado on ground. (BOU)
Source: National Weather Service and trained-spotter local storm reports, relayed by the NOAA Storm Prediction Center.
Tornadoes by Decade
Tornadoes by Enhanced Fujita Rating
F0–F5 ratings (pre-2007) are grouped with their EF equivalents. The Enhanced Fujita scale replaced the original Fujita scale in February 2007.
Tornadoes by Month
Casualties on Record Near Brighton
1 fatality has been recorded within 25 miles of Brighton since 1950, across 1 event. 143 injuries have been reported across all events. 2008 was the deadliest year on record near Brighton.
The deadliest single event was an EF3 on May 22, 2008, which caused 1 fatality along a 38.7-mile track.
Notable Tornadoes Near Brighton
What the record shows near Brighton
The 1980s were the busiest decade near Brighton, with 80 of the 268 confirmed tornadoes within 25 miles; the 2020s have produced 16 so far. The Brighton record runs from the 1950s to today.
Of the tornadoes rated near Brighton, 231 reached EF0 or EF1 and 23 reached EF2 or stronger. The most intense on record near Brighton is rated EF3, of which 5 are logged. A further 14 near Brighton are unrated — events NOAA logged before a damage survey assigned a scale.
Across the last 20 years Brighton has averaged 2.6 confirmed tornadoes a year within 25 miles, 52 in total. 2014 was the busiest of them with 10, and 5 of those years passed with none at all.