Colorado Mountains High Elevation Tornadoes

Posted on July 31, 2012

A tornado that touched down in Colorado on July 28, 2012 was the second highest tornado recorded in U.S. history. The tornado touched down at an elevation of 11,900 feet on the northeast side of Mount Evans. The US National Weather Service has posted photographs of the tornado here.

The highest U.S. tornado touchdown ever recorded was in California's Sequoia National Park in 2004 at an elevation between 12,000 and 12,500 feet. TWC's Dr. Greg Forbes says tornadoes typically form at lower altitudes because that is generally where the most moisture is found to help fuel thunderstorms.

Here is a video about the Mountain Evans tornado and other high elevation tornadoes from Denver7.

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