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Denver, CO Tornado History — 223 Tornadoes Since 1950

Colorado · 25-mile radius · NOAA Storm Prediction Center

How many tornadoes has Denver, CO had?

Denver has had 223 tornadoes on record within 25 miles since 1950, including 3 strong to violent (EF3+) tornadoes.

When was the most recent tornado near Denver?

The most recent tornado within 25 miles of Denver was an Unrated on June 13, 2025.

When is tornado season in Denver?

June is historically the peak month for tornadoes near Denver, with 98 on record. April through June account for 139 of the 223 tornadoes on record near Denver.

At a Glance

Tornadoes Since 1950
223
Within search radius
Violent (EF3+)
3
1.3% of total
Peak Month
June
98 on record
Per Year Avg
2.9
Across 76 years

Recent Tornado Activity Near Denver

The last 20 years of confirmed tornadoes within 25 miles — 38 total, averaging 1.9 per year over this window.

2026 0+1 prelim
2025 3
2024 0
2023 4
2022 4
2021 0
2020 0
2019 4
2018 0
2017 0
2016 0
2015 3
2014 7
2013 2
2012 2
2011 0
2010 1
2009 5
2008 3
2007 0

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

Preliminary tornado reports near Denver 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Preliminary reports are revised, merged, and sometimes withdrawn — historically about 23% are consolidated downward once surveys complete.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 Denver. Quoted text is the report narrative exactly as filed. Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center preliminary storm reports, updated daily.

What storm spotters reported near Denver

3 local storm reports have been filed within 25 miles of Denver and since confirmed into the NOAA archive, the earliest on May 18, 2025 and the most recent on July 7, 2025. They are already counted in the Denver totals above; quoted below is the narrative each reporting office filed at the time.

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)
June 13, 2025
2 SSW Lochbuie, Adams County, CO
Landspout tornado confirmed by Denver International Airport observer as well as trained spotter and public sources. Location is approximate. (BOU)
May 18, 2025
5 SE Arapahoe Park, Arapahoe County, CO
Tornado on ground from 1:08PM until 1:17PM (time estimated). (BOU)

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

Tornadoes by Decade

1950s 3
1960s 21
1970s 24
1980s 70
1990s 52
2000s 23
2010s 19
2020s 11

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 118
EF1 79
EF2 15
EF3 3
Unrated 8

Tornadoes by Month

Jan 0
Feb 0
Mar 1
Apr 8
May 33
Jun 98
Jul 51
Aug 17
Sep 9
Oct 6
Nov 0
Dec 0

Have any tornadoes near Denver been fatal?

No fatalities are on record within 25 miles of Denver from any of the 223 tornadoes since 1950, though 71 injuries have been reported, according to NOAA Storm Prediction Center records.

Notable Tornadoes Near Denver

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
EF1 on June 22, 2023 — 6.3 mile track.
Most Recent
Unrated on June 13, 2025.

What the record shows near Denver

The 1980s were the busiest decade near Denver, with 70 of the 223 confirmed tornadoes within 25 miles; the 2020s have produced 11 so far. The Denver record runs from the 1950s to today.

Of the tornadoes rated near Denver, 197 reached EF0 or EF1 and 18 reached EF2 or stronger. The most intense on record near Denver is rated EF3, of which 3 are logged. A further 8 near Denver are unrated — events NOAA logged before a damage survey assigned a scale.

Across the last 20 years Denver has averaged 1.9 confirmed tornadoes a year within 25 miles, 38 in total. 2014 was the busiest of them with 7, and 9 of those years passed with none at all.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many tornadoes has Denver, CO had?
Since 1950, 223 tornadoes have been recorded within 25 miles of Denver. Data source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center.
When is tornado season in Denver?
June is historically the peak month for tornadoes near Denver, with 98 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 Denver?
The most recent tornado within 25 miles of Denver was an Unrated on June 13, 2025.
How do I get tornado warnings for Denver?
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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