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Centennial, CO Tornado History — 227 Tornadoes Since 1950

Colorado · 25-mile radius · NOAA Storm Prediction Center

How many tornadoes has Centennial, CO had?

Centennial has had 227 tornadoes on record within 25 miles since 1950, including 3 strong to violent (EF3+) tornadoes.

When was the most recent tornado near Centennial?

The most recent tornado within 25 miles of Centennial was an EF1 on July 14, 2025.

When is tornado season in Centennial?

June is historically the peak month for tornadoes near Centennial, with 95 on record. April through June account for 137 of the 227 tornadoes on record near Centennial.

At a Glance

Tornadoes Since 1950
227
Within search radius
Violent (EF3+)
3
1.3% of total
Peak Month
June
95 on record
Per Year Avg
3.0
Across 76 years

Recent Tornado Activity Near Centennial

The last 20 years of confirmed tornadoes within 25 miles — 46 total, averaging 2.3 per year over this window.

2026 0+1 prelim
2025 4
2024 0
2023 4
2022 4
2021 0
2020 0
2019 3
2018 1
2017 0
2016 0
2015 3
2014 6
2013 1
2012 6
2011 1
2010 1
2009 6
2008 5
2007 1

Striped bars mark preliminary reports not yet confirmed by NWS survey — excluded from the confirmed counts.

Preliminary tornado reports near Centennial 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Preliminary reports are revised, merged, and sometimes withdrawn — historically about 23% are consolidated downward once surveys complete.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.

Preliminary August 14, 2026
2 ENE Commerce City, Adams County, CO
[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 Centennial. Quoted text is the report narrative exactly as filed. Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center preliminary storm reports, updated daily.

What storm spotters reported near Centennial

5 local storm reports have been filed within 25 miles of Centennial and since confirmed into the NOAA archive, the earliest on April 24, 2025 and the most recent on July 14, 2025. They are already counted in the Centennial totals above; quoted below is the narrative each reporting office filed at the time.

July 14, 2025
Franktown, Douglas County, CO
Lasted about 90 seconds. Damage to a commercial building. (BOU)
July 7, 2025
4 S Watkins, Arapahoe County, CO
[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)
May 18, 2025
2 ENE Manila Village, Adams County, CO
Tornado on ground. (BOU)
May 18, 2025
5 SE Arapahoe Park, Arapahoe County, CO
Tornado on ground from 1:08PM until 1:17PM (time estimated). (BOU)
April 24, 2025
1 E Ponderosa Park, Elbert County, CO
(BOU)

Source: National Weather Service and trained-spotter local storm reports, relayed by the NOAA Storm Prediction Center.

Tornadoes by Decade

1950s 4
1960s 26
1970s 23
1980s 75
1990s 40
2000s 25
2010s 22
2020s 12

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.

EF0 113
EF1 90
EF2 14
EF3 3
Unrated 7

Tornadoes by Month

Jan 0
Feb 0
Mar 1
Apr 6
May 36
Jun 95
Jul 54
Aug 25
Sep 9
Oct 1
Nov 0
Dec 0

Have any tornadoes near Centennial been fatal?

No fatalities are on record within 25 miles of Centennial from any of the 227 tornadoes since 1950, though 65 injuries have been reported, according to NOAA Storm Prediction Center records.

Notable Tornadoes Near Centennial

Costliest Tornado
F3 on June 15, 1988 — est. ~$27.5M (NOAA damage class, pre-1996 estimate).
Widest Tornado
F3 on May 18, 1975 — 440 yards wide.
Longest Path
F2 on June 4, 1983 — 8.0 mile track.
Most Recent
EF1 on July 14, 2025.

What the record shows near Centennial

The 1980s were the busiest decade near Centennial, with 75 of the 227 confirmed tornadoes within 25 miles; the 2020s have produced 12 so far. The Centennial record runs from the 1950s to today.

Of the tornadoes rated near Centennial, 203 reached EF0 or EF1 and 17 reached EF2 or stronger. The most intense on record near Centennial is rated EF3, of which 3 are logged. A further 7 near Centennial are unrated — events NOAA logged before a damage survey assigned a scale.

Across the last 20 years Centennial has averaged 2.3 confirmed tornadoes a year within 25 miles, 46 in total. 2009 was the busiest of them with 6, and 6 of those years passed with none at all.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many tornadoes has Centennial, CO had?
Since 1950, 227 tornadoes have been recorded within 25 miles of Centennial. Data source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center.
When is tornado season in Centennial?
June is historically the peak month for tornadoes near Centennial, with 95 tornadoes on record. Tornadoes can occur any time of year, but spring months (April–June) generally see the highest activity across most of the central and southern United States.
When was the most recent tornado near Centennial?
The most recent tornado within 25 miles of Centennial was an EF1 on July 14, 2025.
How do I get tornado warnings for Centennial?
Vortex delivers real-time tornado warnings, severe thunderstorm alerts, and SPC outlook updates for any US location via push notification and phone call. Alerts are sourced directly from the National Weather Service and updated within seconds of issuance.

Official Resources

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