KinwarnColorado tornado warnings
The National Weather Service issued 742 tornado warnings, 7,296 severe thunderstorm warnings and 1,332 flash flood warnings for Colorado from 2016 to 2025, about 74, 730 and 133 a year. That ranks 17th of 52 states and territories for tornado warnings. Washington County had the most of any county: 88 tornado warnings.
Colorado warnings and radar right now
Checking the National Weather Service for Colorado…
Colorado counties ranked by tornado warnings
Warnings that listed each county, 2016 to 2025, and tornadoes recorded in the county since 1950. A warning can list several counties, so the county numbers add up to more than the state total.
| County | Tornado warnings | Severe thunderstorm | Flash flood | Tornadoes since 1950 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington County | 88 | 435 | 19 | 237 |
| Yuma County | 77 | 581 | 44 | 115 |
| Kit Carson County | 64 | 583 | 76 | 133 |
| Weld County | 63 | 649 | 24 | 301 |
| Prowers County | 62 | 511 | 26 | 90 |
| Kiowa County | 56 | 513 | 19 | 95 |
| Bent County | 56 | 497 | 37 | 50 |
| Morgan County | 55 | 291 | 16 | 95 |
| Logan County | 51 | 348 | 11 | 104 |
| El Paso County | 45 | 751 | 141 | 97 |
| Las Animas County | 44 | 626 | 43 | 38 |
| Baca County | 43 | 481 | 16 | 88 |
| Cheyenne County | 41 | 428 | 42 | 98 |
| Adams County | 34 | 338 | 18 | 194 |
| Elbert County | 33 | 445 | 27 | 127 |
| Lincoln County | 32 | 519 | 20 | 118 |
| Arapahoe County | 26 | 296 | 20 | 103 |
| Crowley County | 25 | 316 | 15 | 17 |
| Pueblo County | 24 | 604 | 122 | 21 |
| Otero County | 19 | 374 | 32 | 32 |
| Phillips County | 14 | 172 | 7 | 52 |
| Douglas County | 12 | 153 | 13 | 65 |
| Sedgwick County | 11 | 152 | 2 | 42 |
| Teller County | 9 | 149 | 32 | 13 |
| Huerfano County | 4 | 205 | 132 | 8 |
| Jefferson County | 4 | 105 | 15 | 13 |
| Custer County | 4 | 91 | 96 | 9 |
| Park County | 4 | 35 | 9 | 10 |
| Denver County | 3 | 128 | 9 | 20 |
| Montezuma County | 3 | 38 | 12 | 3 |
| Dolores County | 3 | 29 | 9 | 0 |
| Fremont County | 2 | 167 | 118 | 9 |
| Broomfield County | 1 | 47 | 3 | 0 |
| Saguache County | 1 | 43 | 57 | 7 |
| San Miguel County | 1 | 27 | 33 | 0 |
| Larimer County | 0 | 122 | 116 | 33 |
| Mesa County | 0 | 83 | 51 | 10 |
| Boulder County | 0 | 81 | 19 | 11 |
| Garfield County | 0 | 56 | 81 | 0 |
| Rio Blanco County | 0 | 47 | 30 | 3 |
| Montrose County | 0 | 43 | 26 | 3 |
| Moffat County | 0 | 39 | 1 | 7 |
| Costilla County | 0 | 28 | 79 | 7 |
| La Plata County | 0 | 21 | 27 | 5 |
| Alamosa County | 0 | 18 | 2 | 16 |
| Delta County | 0 | 18 | 5 | 3 |
| Clear Creek County | 0 | 17 | 5 | 2 |
| Routt County | 0 | 17 | 2 | 3 |
| Jackson County | 0 | 13 | 5 | 3 |
| Gilpin County | 0 | 12 | 2 | 0 |
| Rio Grande County | 0 | 12 | 1 | 3 |
| Grand County | 0 | 11 | 42 | 1 |
| Ouray County | 0 | 10 | 4 | 0 |
| Conejos County | 0 | 8 | 1 | 5 |
| Eagle County | 0 | 8 | 51 | 2 |
| Chaffee County | 0 | 7 | 51 | 1 |
| Archuleta County | 0 | 5 | 5 | 1 |
| Gunnison County | 0 | 5 | 9 | 1 |
| San Juan County | 0 | 5 | 4 | 0 |
| Hinsdale County | 0 | 4 | 3 | 0 |
| Pitkin County | 0 | 4 | 24 | 1 |
| Mineral County | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 |
| Summit County | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Lake County | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Colorado warnings by year
Each warning counts once for the state, however many counties it covered. 2008 is the first full year the National Weather Service drew an outline around every warning.
Tornadoes since 1950
2,489 tornadoes have been recorded in Colorado since 1950, 1 of them rated 4 or 5 on the F or EF scale. They killed 5 people and injured 290. June had the most (895).
| Year | Tornado | Severe thunderstorm | Flash flood |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 to Oct 19 | 56 | 980 | 229 |
| 2025 | 69 | 1,007 | 119 |
| 2024 | 45 | 813 | 94 |
| 2023 | 179 | 1,187 | 175 |
| 2022 | 48 | 384 | 204 |
| 2021 | 81 | 556 | 285 |
| 2020 | 33 | 601 | 82 |
| 2019 | 92 | 653 | 99 |
| 2018 | 68 | 809 | 106 |
| 2017 | 41 | 492 | 89 |
| 2016 | 86 | 794 | 79 |
| 2015 | 127 | 596 | 107 |
| 2014 | 116 | 595 | 144 |
| 2013 | 83 | 494 | 176 |
| 2012 | 55 | 270 | 62 |
| 2011 | 72 | 475 | 89 |
| 2010 | 161 | 511 | 81 |
| 2009 | 113 | 616 | 46 |
| 2008 | 104 | 439 | 51 |
What stands out in Colorado
2023 was the busiest year for tornado warnings in Colorado since 2008, with 179 tornado warnings. The busiest year for flash flood warnings was 2021, with 285.
Since 2008, 18 flash flood warnings for Colorado were raised to a flash flood emergency for at least part of the warned area: the Weather Service’s rarest warning, used when a severe threat to life is happening or about to happen.
151 severe thunderstorm warnings for Colorado carried the “destructive” tag (winds of 80 mph or more, or hail 2.75 inches or larger) since the tag started in August 2021. Only those severe thunderstorm warnings set off Wireless Emergency Alerts on phones.
The strongest tornado recorded in Colorado since 1950 was rated F4 on May 18, 1977.
National Weather Service warnings from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet archive through October 19, 2026; tornado ratings from the Storm Prediction Center and NOAA Storm Events.
States next to Colorado
Tornado warnings for each neighboring state, 2016 to 2025.
Get alerts for a home anywhere in Colorado.
Kinwarn for iPhone watches the exact addresses of the people you love and alerts you when a National Weather Service warning covers them. Alerts for 2 places are free. With Kinwarn Pro, Kinwarn also calls family for the most dangerous warnings.
Coming soon to the App Store · iPhoneKinwarn adds to official alerts. Keep Wireless Emergency Alerts on.
Colorado tornado warnings: questions people ask
How many tornado warnings does Colorado get a year?
About 74 a year: the National Weather Service issued 742 tornado warnings for Colorado from 2016 to 2025, 17th of 52 states and territories.
Which Colorado county gets the most tornado warnings?
Washington County has the most: 88 tornado warnings listed it from 2016 to 2025, ahead of Yuma County with 77. A warning can list several counties, so county counts add up to more than the state total.
Which Colorado city gets the most tornado warnings?
Sterling has the most among cities and towns with 10,000 people or more: the outlines of 9 tornado warnings covered its center from 2016 to 2025.
When is tornado season in Colorado?
June and May: 60% of the 2,489 tornadoes recorded in Colorado since 1950 came in those two months.
About these numbers
Counts are National Weather Service warnings that listed a Colorado county, through October 19, 2026. How Kinwarn counts · Colorado data (CSV)
Cite: Kinwarn. “Colorado tornado warnings.” kinwarn.com/colorado. National Weather Service data through October 19, 2026.
Sources: IEM warning archive · NWS 2007 outlines · SPC tornado database · Census places · Census population estimates · NWS tornado alerts