NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Idaho Springs, CO
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 Idaho Springs, Colorado since records began in 1851. Since 1950, 13 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 0 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 0
- Tornadoes
- 13
- 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 Idaho Springs
The highest rating among the 13 tornadoes within 25 miles is F1, reached 6 times; the most recent, on June 6, 1997, came within 24 miles. Of the 13, one had a path within 5 miles of the city centre, and 2 have come since 2000. June has had the most tornadoes, 6. The most recent tornado was on July 28, 2012. Of the 157 Colorado cities on this site, 65% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Idaho Springs. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 18 times since 1973, with stones up to 2 inches (hen egg size). Of the 157 Colorado cities, 68% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Idaho Springs.
Compare Idaho Springs's storm record with another city →
Tornadoes within 25 miles of Idaho Springs
By decade
- 2010s1
- 2000s1
- 1990s5
- 1980s3
- 1960s2
- 1950s1
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 6, 1997 | F1 | 24 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 16, 1996 | F1 | 16 mi | 1.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 9, 1987 | F1 | 25 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 9, 1982 | F1 | 24 mi | 0.3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 9, 1982 | F1 | 24 mi | 0.3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 17, 1953 | F1 | 24 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 28, 2012 | EF0 | 12 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 18, 2007 | EF0 | 5 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 6, 1995 | F0 | 21 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 11, 1990 | F0 | 24 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 1, 1990 | F0 | 24 mi | 0.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 3, 1967 | F0 | 22 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 13, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Idaho Springs
The Storm Prediction Center has 18 hail reports within 10 miles of Idaho Springs since 1973, made on 11 separate days. Of these, 10 were 1 inch across or larger, and one reached 2 inches. The largest, 2 inches (hen egg size), fell on July 3, 2007. The most recent report is from August 23, 2025. July has the most reports, 6.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Idaho Springs
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Georgetown, CO, 8 miles west of Idaho Springs at 8,520 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 77°F and low of 49°F; December is the coolest, at 36°F and 15°F. July is the wettest at 2.5 inches of precipitation on average and January the driest at 0.8 inches; the year adds up to 18.3 inches over 56 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs of 90°F are rare: fewer than one day a year on average. Lows fall below freezing on about 210 nights a year. Snowfall averages 105.9 inches a year, most of it in April. That 18.3 inches is more than at 69 of the 91 Colorado stations used on this site (76%). Black Hawk, 6 miles northeast, has its own station (Coal Creek Canyon, CO): 25.8 inches a year, 7.5 more than here, and a July average high of 73°F against 77°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 36 | 16 | 0.8 | 3 | 12.5 |
| Feb | 38 | 15 | 0.9 | 3 | 12.6 |
| Mar | 45 | 21 | 1.4 | 5 | 18.5 |
| Apr | 50 | 26 | 2.3 | 6 | 20.9 |
| May | 60 | 35 | 2.1 | 6 | 6.6 |
| Jun | 72 | 42 | 1.5 | 4 | 0.2 |
| Jul | 77 | 49 | 2.5 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 75 | 47 | 2.2 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 68 | 39 | 1.5 | 5 | 1.6 |
| Oct | 57 | 30 | 1.3 | 4 | 7.5 |
| Nov | 44 | 22 | 0.9 | 3 | 11.1 |
| Dec | 36 | 15 | 0.9 | 3 | 14.4 |
| Year | 55 | 30 | 18.3 | 56 | 105.9 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Georgetown, CO (8,520 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
Clear Creek County, which includes Idaho Springs, has been named in 9 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1969, 5 of them major disasters (by incident: 4 floods, 2 biological emergencies, 1 coastal storm, 1 fire). The latest major disaster declaration was Covid-19 Pandemic, on March 28, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Clear Creek County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for hail and lightning; Relatively Low for inland flooding; Very Low for tornadoes and strong wind. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $20.7 million a year, the 19th highest of 64 Colorado counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $6.8 million (33%), 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 Idaho Springs
- Black Hawk, CO6 mi
- Evergreen, CO12 mi
- Nederland, CO16 mi
- Golden, CO17 mi
- Bailey, CO20 mi
- Conifer, CO20 mi
- Fraser, CO21 mi
- Morrison, CO22 mi
- Pine, CO22 mi
- Dillon, CO24 mi
- Arvada, CO25 mi
- Wheat Ridge, CO25 mi
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