Highlands Ranch, CO Tornado History — 172 Tornadoes Since 1950
How many tornadoes has Highlands Ranch, CO had?
Highlands Ranch has had 172 tornadoes on record within 25 miles since 1950, including 2 violent (EF3+) tornadoes.
When was the most recent tornado near Highlands Ranch?
The most recent tornado within 25 miles of Highlands Ranch was an EF1 on July 14, 2025.
When is tornado season in Highlands Ranch?
June is historically the peak month for tornadoes near Highlands Ranch, with 70 on record. Spring through early summer (April–June) generally sees the highest activity across most of the central and southern United States.
At a Glance
Recent Tornado Activity Near Highlands Ranch
The last 20 years of confirmed tornadoes within 25 miles — 33 total, averaging 1.6 per year over this window.
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
Have any tornadoes near Highlands Ranch been fatal?
No fatalities are on record within 25 miles of Highlands Ranch from any of the 172 tornadoes since 1950, though 65 injuries have been reported. NOAA Storm Prediction Center records.
Notable Tornadoes Near Highlands Ranch
About Tornadoes in Highlands Ranch
This overview was written April 23, 2026. The tornado counts and notable-event figures elsewhere on this page reflect the latest data and may differ from this summary.
Highlands Ranch, Colorado has experienced 172 documented tornadoes within a 25-mile radius since 1950, according to the NOAA Storm Prediction Center. The majority of these events have been relatively weak, with 88 rated EF0 and 68 rated EF1 on the Enhanced Fujita scale, which measures tornado intensity based on damage. Only 12 tornadoes reached EF2 strength or higher, including two EF3 events that remain the strongest on record for the area.
Tornado activity in the region increased notably during the 1980s, when 54 tornadoes were recorded—the highest count of any decade. By contrast, the 1950s saw only four documented events. More recent decades have shown lower totals, with 15 tornadoes in the 2010s and eight so far in the 2020s. June stands out as the peak month for tornado occurrence, accounting for 70 of the 172 total events, reflecting the typical late spring and early summer pattern when atmospheric conditions most favor severe thunderstorm development across the central United States.
The costliest tornado on record struck on June 15, 1988, an F3-rated storm that caused $27.5 million in property damage along a 2.5-mile path with a maximum width of 200 yards. The widest tornado occurred on May 18, 1975, also rated F3, which carved a 4.1-mile path up to 440 yards wide but caused no recorded property damage. The longest-tracked tornado was an EF1 event on June 22, 2023, which traveled 6.3 miles with a narrow 25-yard width. Remarkably, none of the tornadoes in this dataset resulted in fatalities.
The most recent tornado occurred on July 14, 2025, an EF1 event with a brief 0.3-mile path and 50-yard width that caused no damage or injuries. While the area has seen consistent tornado activity over the past seven decades, the predominance of weaker tornadoes and the absence of fatalities distinguish the local tornado climatology from regions that experience more intense events.