Lightning TrackerThornton storms: live alerts, hail & tornado history
Live watches and warnings for Thornton, CO, the 48-hour thunderstorm outlook, and every hail, damaging-wind and tornado report within 25 miles since 2016.
Live alerts for Thornton, CO
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Storm outlook, next 48 hours
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Severe weather in Thornton by the numbers
Thornton sits in one of the most active severe-weather areas in the country: since 2016, spotters and emergency managers have filed 976 severe-weather reports within 25 miles of the city — 797 hail reports, 161 damaging-wind reports and 18 tornado reports. On average that is 15.8 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 25 hail reports, 11 wind reports and 1 tornado report around Thornton; the largest hail was 1.75″ (golf ball) on Jun 1, 2026.
Latest storm reports near Thornton
| Date | Report | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Aug 30, 2026 | Damaging wind | 17 mi W · Jefferson Co. |
| Aug 29, 2026 | Damaging wind | 22 mi S · Douglas Co. |
| Aug 26, 2026 | Damaging wind | 10 mi SW · Jefferson Co. |
| Aug 26, 2026 | Hail 1.00″ | 21 mi SE · Arapahoe Co. |
| Aug 22, 2026 | Hail 1.25″ | 12 mi NE · Adams Co. |
| Aug 15, 2026 | Damaging wind | 22 mi S · Douglas Co. |
| Aug 15, 2026 | Hail 1.75″ | 23 mi SE · Arapahoe Co. |
| Aug 14, 2026 | Tornado | 5 mi SE · Adams Co. |
| Aug 14, 2026 | Hail 1.00″ | 15 mi S · Arapahoe Co. |
| Aug 13, 2026 | Hail 1.25″ | 20 mi S · Arapahoe 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 Thornton
All hail, wind and tornado reports within 25 miles, 2016–2026, by month.
Hail in Thornton
Thornton averages 10.8 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 15 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 Thornton
There have been 18 tornado reports within 25 miles of Thornton since 2016; the strongest was rated EF2 (Jun 7, 2021, 19 miles from the city centre). A tornado warning means a tornado is occurring or imminent — take shelter immediately.
Storm alerts for Thornton 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 Thornton
Questions about storms in Thornton
Does Thornton get a lot of severe storms?
Thornton averages 15.8 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 Thornton?
Most severe-weather reports around Thornton come in May, June, July.
What is the biggest hail recorded near Thornton?
3.00 inches (tea cup size) on Jun 19, 2018, 15 miles from the city centre.
Have tornadoes hit near Thornton?
Yes — 18 tornado reports within 25 miles since 2016, the strongest rated EF2 on Jun 7, 2021.
How do I get storm alerts for Thornton?
The live panel on this page shows every active National Weather Service watch and warning for Thornton, 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 Thornton, 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.