Thornton, CO Tornado History — 230 Tornadoes Since 1950
How many tornadoes has Thornton, CO had?
Thornton has had 230 tornadoes on record within 25 miles since 1950, including 3 strong to violent (EF3+) tornadoes.
When was the most recent tornado near Thornton?
The most recent tornado within 25 miles of Thornton was an Unrated on July 14, 2025.
When is tornado season in Thornton?
June is historically the peak month for tornadoes near Thornton, with 103 on record. April through June account for 146 of the 230 tornadoes on record near Thornton.
At a Glance
Recent Tornado Activity Near Thornton
The last 20 years of confirmed tornadoes within 25 miles — 39 total, averaging 1.9 per year over this window.
Preliminary tornado reports near Thornton 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Preliminary reports are revised, merged, and sometimes withdrawn — historically about 23% are consolidated downward once surveys complete.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 Thornton. Quoted text is the report narrative exactly as filed. Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center preliminary storm reports, updated daily.
What storm spotters reported near Thornton
3 local storm reports have been filed within 25 miles of Thornton and since confirmed into the NOAA archive, the earliest on June 13, 2025 and the most recent on July 14, 2025. They are already counted in the Thornton 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)
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
Have any tornadoes near Thornton been fatal?
No fatalities are on record within 25 miles of Thornton from any of the 230 tornadoes since 1950, though 66 injuries have been reported, according to NOAA Storm Prediction Center records.
Notable Tornadoes Near Thornton
What the record shows near Thornton
The 1980s were the busiest decade near Thornton, with 74 of the 230 confirmed tornadoes within 25 miles; the 2020s have produced 11 so far. The Thornton record runs from the 1950s to today.
Of the tornadoes rated near Thornton, 202 reached EF0 or EF1 and 19 reached EF2 or stronger. The most intense on record near Thornton is rated EF3, of which 3 are logged. A further 9 near Thornton are unrated — events NOAA logged before a damage survey assigned a scale.
Across the last 20 years Thornton has averaged 1.9 confirmed tornadoes a year within 25 miles, 39 in total. 2014 was the busiest of them with 8, and 7 of those years passed with none at all.