Thunderstorms are common weather occurrences across Colorado during the Spring and Summer, and to a lesser extent in the Fall and Winter.
Thunderstorms are most likely to occur in the late afternoon and early evening hours.
Thunderstorms produce some of the most powerful weather on earth, including tornadoes, large hail, and destructive straight-line winds. However, the most dangerous aspect of thunderstorms is usually lightning. Since the late 1980s, lightning has killed or injured more people in Colorado than any other weather hazard, with an average of 3 fatalities and 18 injuries each year. The toll could be even worse since studies indicate that many lightning accidents are not reported. Lightning also causes most forest and rangeland fires in Colorado.