Wheat Ridge, CO Tornado History — 171 Tornadoes Since 1950
How many tornadoes has Wheat Ridge, CO had?
Wheat Ridge has had 171 tornadoes on record within 25 miles since 1950, including 2 violent (EF3+) tornadoes.
When was the most recent tornado near Wheat Ridge?
The most recent tornado within 25 miles of Wheat Ridge was an Unrated on June 13, 2025.
When is tornado season in Wheat Ridge?
June is historically the peak month for tornadoes near Wheat Ridge, with 81 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 Wheat Ridge
The last 20 years of confirmed tornadoes within 25 miles — 28 total, averaging 1.4 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 Wheat Ridge been fatal?
No fatalities are on record within 25 miles of Wheat Ridge from any of the 171 tornadoes since 1950, though 67 injuries have been reported. NOAA Storm Prediction Center records.
Notable Tornadoes Near Wheat Ridge
About Tornadoes in Wheat Ridge
This overview was written July 29, 2026. The tornado counts and notable-event figures elsewhere on this page reflect the latest data and may differ from this summary.
On June 3, 1981, an F2 tornado cut a 2.3-mile path through the west-Denver-metro corridor around Wheat Ridge, injuring 42 people; a second F2 touched down in the area that same day. Days like that follow a familiar Front Range script: storms build over the foothills along Jefferson County's western edge in late spring and early summer, then push east across the suburbs.
June has been the pressure point again and again. On June 15, 1988, an F3 tornado tracked 2.5 miles with a damage swath up to 200 yards wide, injuring seven people, while an F2 spun up nearby the same day. Years earlier, on May 18, 1975, an F3 traveled 4.1 miles and spread as wide as 440 yards. More recent seasons have kept the early-summer rhythm: EF1 tornadoes touched down on May 22, 2008, June 18, 2013, June 24, 2015, and June 22, 2023, and another tornado was observed near the city on June 13, 2025.
The season does not always close with summer, either. On October 16, 1980, an F2 tracked a mile and a half through the area, and October 4, 2004 brought a flurry of touchdowns around the metro's west side, among them an F1.