Lightning TrackerHighlands Ranch storms: live alerts, hail & tornado history
Live watches and warnings for Highlands Ranch, CO, the 48-hour thunderstorm outlook, and every hail, damaging-wind and tornado report within 25 miles since 2016.
Live alerts for Highlands Ranch, CO
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Storm outlook, next 48 hours
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Severe weather in Highlands Ranch by the numbers
Highlands Ranch gets regular severe thunderstorms: since 2016, spotters and emergency managers have filed 789 severe-weather reports within 25 miles of the city — 644 hail reports, 134 damaging-wind reports and 11 tornado reports. On average that is 14.0 days a year with at least one report.
Storm season here peaks in May, June, July, when 84% of all reports were filed.
In the last 12 months there were 35 hail reports, 9 wind reports and 1 tornado report around Highlands Ranch; the largest hail was 1.75″ (golf ball) on Jun 1, 2026.
Latest storm reports near Highlands Ranch
| Date | Report | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Aug 29, 2026 | Damaging wind | 6 mi E · Douglas Co. |
| Aug 26, 2026 | Hail 1.25″ | 5 mi SE · Douglas Co. |
| Aug 26, 2026 | Damaging wind | 18 mi NW · Jefferson Co. |
| Aug 22, 2026 | Hail 1.00″ | 15 mi E · Arapahoe Co. |
| Aug 22, 2026 | Damaging wind | 23 mi E · Arapahoe Co. |
| Aug 15, 2026 | Damaging wind | 6 mi E · Douglas Co. |
| Aug 15, 2026 | Hail 1.75″ | 9 mi E · Arapahoe Co. |
| Aug 14, 2026 | Hail 1.00″ | 7 mi N · Arapahoe Co. |
| Aug 14, 2026 | Tornado | 20 mi N · Adams Co. |
| Aug 14, 2026 | Damaging wind | 23 mi SE · Elbert Co. |
One line per day and type — the closest report that day. Distance and direction from the city centre. The latest SPC reports are preliminary until NOAA finalises them.
Storm reports by year
Storm season in Highlands Ranch
All hail, wind and tornado reports within 25 miles, 2016–2026, by month.
Hail in Highlands Ranch
Highlands Ranch averages 10.5 days a year with hail reported nearby. The biggest stone on record since 2016 was 3.00 inches — about the size of a tea cup — reported 7 miles from the city centre on Jun 19, 2018. Hail of 1 inch (quarter size) or larger is what makes a thunderstorm severe; see the hail size chart.
Tornadoes near Highlands Ranch
There have been 11 tornado reports within 25 miles of Highlands Ranch since 2016; the strongest was rated EF2 (May 18, 2025, 18 miles from the city centre). A tornado warning means a tornado is occurring or imminent — take shelter immediately.
Storm alerts for Highlands Ranch on your iPhone
Lightning Tracker shows storm risk around you, live severe-weather alerts and how close the storm is — free on the App Store.
Storm trackers near Highlands Ranch
Questions about storms in Highlands Ranch
Does Highlands Ranch get a lot of severe storms?
Highlands Ranch averages 14.0 days a year with at least one hail, damaging-wind or tornado report within 25 miles, based on NOAA Storm Prediction Center reports 2016–2025.
When is storm season in Highlands Ranch?
Most severe-weather reports around Highlands Ranch come in May, June, July.
What is the biggest hail recorded near Highlands Ranch?
3.00 inches (tea cup size) on Jun 19, 2018, 7 miles from the city centre.
Have tornadoes hit near Highlands Ranch?
Yes — 11 tornado reports within 25 miles since 2016, the strongest rated EF2 on May 18, 2025.
How do I get storm alerts for Highlands Ranch?
The live panel on this page shows every active National Weather Service watch and warning for Highlands Ranch, CO. For alerts on your phone, Lightning Tracker for iPhone shows storm risk and warnings for your location.
How this page works: storm reports are NOAA Storm Prediction Center local storm reports (final database 2016–2025, preliminary daily reports after that) within 25 miles of Highlands Ranch, CO. They are reports of hail, damaging wind and tornadoes — not lightning strike counts, which no free public dataset provides at city level. Live alerts come from the National Weather Service API, the outlook from Open-Meteo forecast models. Updated Oct 27, 2026.