NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Grand Canyon, AZ
Every tropical system within 75 miles since 1851 and every tornado within 25 miles since 1950.
Data: NOAA NHC HURDAT2 and NOAA SPC tornado and hail reports, through 2025 · Updated
No tropical storm or hurricane has passed within 75 miles of Grand Canyon, Arizona since records began in 1851. Since 1950, 4 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 0 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 0
- Tornadoes
- 4
- EF3 or stronger
- 0
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
no recorded deaths
What the records show for Grand Canyon
The strongest of the 4 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F1 on July 24, 1958; its path came within 10 miles. The most recent tornado was on August 16, 2008. Of the 134 Arizona cities on this site, 66% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Grand Canyon. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 3 times since 1962, with stones up to 1.25 inches (half dollar size). Of the 134 Arizona cities, 75% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Grand Canyon.
Compare Grand Canyon's storm record with another city →
Tornadoes within 25 miles of Grand Canyon
By decade
- 2000s1
- 1990s2
- 1950s1
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 24, 1958 | F1 | 10 mi | 0.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 16, 2008 | EF0 | 15 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 23, 1997 | F0 | 20 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 23, 1997 | F0 | 10 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 4 of 4, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Grand Canyon
The Storm Prediction Center has 3 hail reports within 10 miles of Grand Canyon since 1962. Of these, 2 were 1 inch across or larger, and none reached 2 inches. The largest, 1.25 inches (half dollar size), fell on June 28, 1962. The most recent report is from August 30, 2008.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Grand Canyon
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Grand Canyon Np Airport, AZ, 8 miles northwest of Grand Canyon at 6,606 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 85°F and low of 49°F; December is the coolest, at 44°F and 14°F. August is the wettest at 2.1 inches of precipitation on average and June the driest at 0.4 inches; the year adds up to 13.4 inches over 34 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 17 days a year, almost all from June to August. Lows fall below freezing on about 225 nights a year. That 13.4 inches is more than at 54 of the 76 Arizona stations used on this site (71%). Williams, 35 miles south, has its own station (Williams, AZ): 21.7 inches a year, 8.3 more than here, and a July average high of 84°F against 85°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 44 | 16 | 1.2 | 3 |
| Feb | 47 | 17 | 1.2 | 3 |
| Mar | 55 | 22 | 1.2 | 3 |
| Apr | 61 | 25 | 0.7 | 2 |
| May | 71 | 32 | 0.6 | 2 |
| Jun | 83 | 38 | 0.4 | 1 |
| Jul | 85 | 49 | 1.7 | 5 |
| Aug | 83 | 49 | 2.1 | 5 |
| Sep | 77 | 40 | 1.4 | 3 |
| Oct | 66 | 30 | 1.3 | 3 |
| Nov | 54 | 21 | 0.8 | 2 |
| Dec | 44 | 14 | 0.8 | 2 |
| Year | 64 | 29 | 13.4 | 34 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Grand Canyon Np Airport, AZ (6,606 ft), from NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals. Normals describe the station; the farther a place is from it, and the bigger the difference in height, the more its weather can differ.
Flood insurance claims, disaster declarations and FEMA risk ratings
Coconino County, which includes Grand Canyon, has been named in 24 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1970, 10 of them major disasters (by incident: 11 fires, 5 floods, 4 severe storms, 2 biological emergencies). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Storms and Flooding, on September 13, 2021. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Coconino County a Relatively Moderate rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Very High for lightning; Relatively High for inland flooding; Relatively Low for hail and heat waves; Very Low for tornadoes and strong wind. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $130.9 million a year, the 4th highest of 15 Arizona counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $85.7 million (65%), is from inland flooding.
Claims: FEMA, OpenFEMA Dataset FIMA NFIP Redacted Claims – v3, summed over ZIP codes; payments in the dollars of each year, not adjusted for inflation. Declarations: Disaster Declarations Summaries – v2, by county. Retrieved October 25, 2026. This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).
Risk ratings: FEMA, National Risk Index county table, December 2025 (v1.20), retrieved October 26, 2026; ratings compare counties nationwide, are meant for planning and are no substitute for a local risk assessment. This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's National Risk Index dataset API or downloadable datasets but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).
What counts as a pass, the distances and the sources: how this storm history is built.
Cities near Grand Canyon
- Williams, AZ35 mi
- Flagstaff, AZ47 mi
- Ash Fork, AZ55 mi
- Tuba City, AZ57 mi
- Paulden, AZ69 mi
- Sedona, AZ72 mi
- Clarkdale, AZ76 mi
- Cottonwood, AZ79 mi
- Chino Valley, AZ79 mi
- Cornville, AZ80 mi
- Tonalea, AZ80 mi
- Rimrock, AZ85 mi
All Arizona cities →All hurricanes since 1851 →Compare Grand Canyon with another place →