Hail history in Greeley, CO

In a 1986 to 1993 study, the Colorado Climate Center found that Weld and El Paso counties led Colorado in reported severe hailstorms, with a relatively large number of reports north of Greeley along U.S. Highway 85.¹ Retired University of Northern Colorado meteorologist Glen Cobb told the Greeley Tribune that June brings Weld County the most storms with hail and tornadoes.²

Notable storms

1. June 17, 2025A rare overnight hailstorm hit the northern Interstate 25 corridor, with baseball-size hail in Milliken, 2-inch hail in Johnstown, golf ball-size hail in Eaton and 1.25-inch hail in Lucerne, and residents found shattered windshields, 9News reported. NOAA's storm records list hail up to 2.75 inches just south of Johnstown.^3,4
2. May 28, 2024A late-evening storm hit Greeley with hail up to 2 inches and flash flooding, with nearly 4 inches of rain in the northeast part of the city near downtown. The city declared a disaster, and by June 10 the damage counted in the declaration reached about $3.4 million, per NOAA's storm records.^5,6,7,8
3. July 29, 2018A fast-moving storm hit Greeley about 7:15 p.m. with hail 1 to 2 inches across, and police answered home and business alarms that they blamed on windows broken by hail, the Greeley Tribune reported.⁹
4. June 19, 2018Golf ball-size hail piled up several inches deep in Greeley, per NWS Pueblo. NOAA's storm records list 1.75-inch hail 3 miles west of Greeley.^10,11
5. May 22, 2008An EF-3 tornado with peak winds estimated at 165 mph touched down northeast of Platteville and tracked north-northwest across western Weld County, up to a mile wide at times, with EF-3 damage to businesses and homes in eastern Windsor. One person died and 78 were injured. Preliminary FEMA estimates put damaged homes at 850, and NOAA's storm records list $147 million in property damage.^12,13
6. June 4, 1983A hailstorm with baseball-size hail and an inch of rain caused nearly $30 million in damage, mostly broken windows and damaged roofs in Greeley, the Greeley Tribune reported.²

Warnings and alerts

Weld County sends emergency alerts through its CodeRED system to people who register, and users can also opt in to National Weather Service severe weather alerts.¹⁴