Data current as of 2026-10-16 · Sourced from NOAA Storm Events
Over the past five years, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has recorded 451 hail storms within 25 miles of Thornton, CO. Of those, 349 produced hail at least quarter-size — the threshold most insurance carriers consider potentially damaging to asphalt shingles. The largest reported hail in this window was egg-sized, which can fracture shingle mat and dent metal flashing on contact. 2023 was the most active year on record locally, with 167 documented hail events.
Check Hail History for a Specific Address in Thornton| Severity | Count | What it means for roofs |
|---|---|---|
| Destructive | 16 events | Egg-size, expect mat fractures and gutter damage |
| Severe | 82 events | Ping pong-size, granule loss and bruising common |
| Significant | 251 events | Quarter-size, the standard insurance damage threshold |
| Moderate | 102 events | Marble-size, possible cosmetic damage |
| Year | Reported Hail Events Within 25 mi |
|---|---|
| 2026 | 112 events |
| 2025 | 57 events |
| 2024 | 102 events |
| 2023 | 167 events |
| 2022 | 13 events |
2023 was the busiest hail year on record locally for Thornton, with 167 documented events inside the 25-mile radius. Storm activity in Thornton typically peaks in spring and early summer, when the jet stream pushes Gulf moisture into the area and supercell thunderstorms become more frequent.
| Date | Location | Severity | Size | NOAA Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-08-27 | 2 NE Lakewood, CO | Moderate | 0.75" | Report from mPING: Dime (0.75 in.). |
| 2026-08-27 | 2 NE Wheat Ridge, CO | Moderate | 0.75" | Report from mPING: Dime (0.75 in.). |
| 2026-08-27 | 3 NE Foxfield, CO | Significant | 1.00" | Time estimated from radar. |
| 2026-08-26 | 3 NW Parker, CO | Moderate | 0.75" | Report from mPING: Dime (0.75 in.). |
| 2026-08-22 | Brighton, CO | Significant | 1.25" | Time estimated from radar. |
| 2026-08-22 | 2 S Arapahoe Park, CO | Significant | 1.00" | Report from mPING: Quarter (1.00 in.). |
| 2026-08-22 | 1 SE Brighton, CO | Significant | 1.00" | Time estimated from radar. |
| 2026-08-22 | 1 W Fort Lupton, CO | Significant | 1.00" | Report from mPING: Quarter (1.00 in.). |
| 2026-08-15 | 2 SSW Foxfield, CO | Severe | 1.75" | Some hail of up to golf ball size. |
| 2026-08-14 | 3 N Englewood, CO | Moderate | 0.75" | Report from mPING: Dime (0.75 in.). |
| 2026-08-14 | Englewood, CO | Significant | 1.00" | — |
| 2026-08-13 | 2 W Arapahoe Park, CO | Severe | 1.75" | Report from mPING: Golf Ball (1.75 in.). |
| 2026-08-13 | 1 W Arapahoe Park, CO | Significant | 1.00" | Report from mPING: Quarter (1.00 in.). |
| 2026-08-13 | 2 W Arapahoe Park, CO | Significant | 1.00" | Also reported dents on metal roof vents, and a significant amount of leaves stripped from trees. |
| 2026-08-13 | 2 NNW Foxfield, CO | Severe | 1.50" | — |
| 2026-08-13 | Centennial, CO | Significant | 1.25" | Report from mPING: Half Dollar (1.25 in.). |
| 2026-08-13 | 1 WNW Foxfield, CO | Significant | 1.00" | 2 to 3 feet deep hail drifts. Hail accumulation up to 3 inches in yards with most leaves stripped from trees. Quarter size hail found approximately an hour after hail fell. Time estimated by radar. |
| 2026-08-13 | 3 W Arapahoe Park, CO | Moderate | 0.75" | Report from mPING: Dime (0.75 in.). |
| 2026-08-13 | 1 NE Centennial, CO | Moderate | 0.75" | Report from mPING: Dime (0.75 in.). |
| 2026-06-26 | Westminster, CO | Significant | 1.00" | Report from mPING: Quarter (1.00 in.). |
NOAA has recorded 78 high-wind events within 25 miles of Thornton, CO in the past five years. Of those, 76 reached severe-thunderstorm thresholds (58+ mph). The highest measured gust was 76 mph.
| Severity | Count |
|---|---|
| Severe | 27 events |
| Significant | 49 events |
| Moderate | 2 events |
| Date | Location | Gust (mph) | Severity | NOAA Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-08-30 | 3 N White Ranch Open Sp, CO | 60 | Significant | — |
| 2026-08-30 | 3 SW Rocky Flats, CO | 60 | Significant | — |
| 2026-08-29 | 3 NE Lone Tree, CO | 45 | Moderate | Corrects previous tstm wnd gst report from 3 NE Lone Tree. ASOS station KAPA 2 SSE Centennial. Wind sensor failure. Therefore, previous report of 58 mph was deemed erroneous. |
| 2026-08-27 | 2 NW Wheat Ridge, CO | 58 | Significant | Personal weather station. |
| 2026-08-22 | 5 S Watkins, CO | 67 | Severe | Weather station XL418. |
| 2026-08-22 | 4 S Watkins, CO | 58 | Significant | — |
| 2026-08-15 | 3 NE Lone Tree, CO | 64 | Severe | AWOS station KAPA 2 SSE Centennial. |
| 2026-07-28 | 5 SSE Watkins, CO | 66 | Severe | — |
| 2026-07-24 | 4 SSW Rocky Flats, CO | 61 | Significant | Mesonet station TT867 Arvada. |
| 2026-07-24 | 3 SW Rocky Flats, CO | 70 | Severe | Mesonet station CO109 Rocky Flats Hwy 93 and 72. |
| 2026-07-24 | 3 NNE White Ranch Open, CO | 61 | Significant | Mesonet station UP709 Clayws. |
| 2026-07-22 | 2 SE Denver Intl Airpor, CO | 62 | Significant | Corrects previous non-tstm wnd gst report from 2 SE Denver Intl Airport. ASOS station KDEN Denver Intl Airport. |
| 2026-07-10 | 2 SE Denver Intl Airpor, CO | 73 | Severe | — |
| 2026-07-06 | 1 N Buckley AFB, CO | 60 | Significant | AWOS station KBKF Buckley SFB. |
| 2026-06-26 | 2 SE Denver Intl Airpor, CO | 59 | Significant | ASOS station KDEN Denver Intl Airport. |
| 2026-06-08 | 2 SE Denver Intl Airpor, CO | 59 | Significant | ASOS station KDEN Denver Intl Airport. |
| 2026-06-08 | 1 NNE Lone Tree, CO | 66 | Severe | Mesonet station CO001 I-25 and C470. |
| 2026-06-08 | (DEN)DENVER INTL ARP, CO | 59 | Significant | Station KDEN Denver International Airport. |
| 2026-06-08 | HIGHLANDS RANCH, CO | 66 | Severe | Mesonet station located at I-25 and C470. |
| 2026-06-07 | 4 SE Commerce City, CO | 63 | Significant | Mesonet station CO211 Denver I-70/Central Park. |
The most recent quarter-size-or-larger hail storm recorded by NOAA within 25 miles of Thornton was on August 27, 2026. HailCheck refreshes from the NOAA Storm Events database daily, so newer events appear here as they are reported.
Thornton averages roughly 90 reported hail events per year within a 25-mile radius. Significant storms (quarter-size or larger) account for 349 of the 451 events recorded over the last five years.
The largest documented hail near Thornton in the last five years was egg-sized. Most Thornton-area hail falls in the marble-to-quarter range, with destructive storms (egg-size or larger) appearing roughly once every few years.
Most homeowners insurance policies in CO cover hail damage to roofs, siding, and gutters under the dwelling and other-structures coverage. Coverage typically requires the damage to be tied to a verifiable storm date — which is where the NOAA hail history above (and a HAAG-style test square validation) becomes important for the claim file.
Use the HailCheck address search to enter any street address in or near Thornton. HailCheck returns every NOAA hail event within a configurable radius, along with severity bands, dates, and storm narratives for Pro members.
If your property in or near Thornton took on hail during one of the storms above, the standard process for documenting damage is a 10×10 foot test square inspection. A HAAG-trained reviewer counts impact indicators — granule displacement, mat fractures, and bruising — within the marked square and produces a PASS or FAIL document for the claim file.
HailCheck offers a $99 photo-based HAAG-style test square validation. You submit photos from the field, our reviewer evaluates the impact indicators and cross-references the NOAA storm dates listed above, and a written PASS/FAIL determination is returned within one business day. We do not send anyone to the roof — the validation is built around the photos you submit.
Learn About $99 HAAG-Style ValidationThornton sits inside the central United States hail belt, where warm Gulf moisture collides with cold continental air to produce supercell thunderstorms capable of dropping the hail documented above. Properties in this zone typically see at least one significant hail event every two to four years.