Laramie County, Wyoming severe weather history spans 1,592 recorded events between 1953 and 2025. The dominant hazard is hail, accounting for 69.3% of all recorded events. It ranks #30 nationally and #1 in Wyoming.
1,592
Recorded events
1
Direct deaths
46
Direct injuries
$68.3M
Property damage
The record
What the Laramie County, Wyoming severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Laramie County, Wyoming severe weather history averages 22.1 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2010s, with 624 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 206 events fall before 1990 and 1,386 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Laramie County, Wyoming record is tornado, responsible for 1 direct deaths. The costliest is hail, with $42.6M in reported property damage. In total, 8 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Laramie County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hail | 1,104 | 0 | $42.6M | 5 | 1955–2025 |
| Thunderstorm Wind | 233 | 0 | $146K | 87 | 1955–2025 |
| Tornado | 128 | 1 | $25.4M | F3 | 1953–2025 |
| Flash Flood | 86 | 0 | $109K | 0 | 2000–2025 |
| Funnel Cloud | 19 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 1996–2025 |
| Heavy Rain | 15 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2010–2014 |
| Flood | 6 | 0 | $51K | 0 | 1996–1998 |
| Lightning | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 1996–1996 |
Decade by decade
Laramie County, Wyoming severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
132 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 130 touched down inside it and 2 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1979-07-16 | EF3 | 1 | 40 | 8.8 mi | Touched down here |
| 1960-04-23 | EF3 | 0 | 1 | 17.2 mi | Touched down here |
| 2018-05-27 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 1.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 2017-06-12 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 15.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 2010-05-18 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 1.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 2008-05-22 | EF2 | 0 | 1 | 25.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 1990-05-24 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 5.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1976-05-29 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 1976-05-29 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 0.2 mi | Touched down here |
| 2025-06-12 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 2.2 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Laramie County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 16, 1979 | Tornado | 1 | 40 | $25.0M | |
| Aug 3, 1987 | Hail | 0 | 3 | $0 | |
| Jun 12, 1994 | Thunderstorm Wind | Cheyenne | 0 | 1 | $0 |
| Jun 19, 1977 | Tornado | 0 | 1 | $30 | |
| Apr 23, 1960 | Tornado | 0 | 1 | $25K |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
A National Weather Service storm survey determined a tornado that struck Burns Wyoming the evening of May 18 was rated an EF-2. One house lost its roof. Additionally, the storm that spawned the tornado produced hail the size of golfballs which accumulated to over 3 feet in depth.
Strong microburst winds produced some damage to mainly the western side of Cheyenne, including a report of a trailer blown into a power pole. Some|damage to signage occurred along with damage to a dugout building at a local ballpark. Some hail up to 3/4 inch in diameter was also reported.
A slow moving severe thunderstorm produced hail from 1 to 1.75 inches in diameter along a track from south of Cheyenne to Hillsdale, Wyoming, about 16 miles east of Cheyenne. Some windows and skylights were broken in Hillsdale, WY.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
101,060
Population (ACS)
$349K
Median home value
5
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 1, 2024 | Fire | HAPPY JACK FIRE | FM |
| Apr 11, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR |
| Mar 13, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 | EM |
| Aug 7, 1985 | Flood | SEVERE STORMS, HAIL & FLOODING | DR |
| Jul 19, 1979 | Tornado | SEVERE STORMS & TORNADOES | DR |
Within the county
Most affected places
- Cheyenne 489
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Laramie County, Wyoming?
1,592 events are on record between 1953 and 2025, causing 1 direct deaths and $68.3M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Laramie County?
Hail, with 1,104 recorded events — 69.3% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Laramie County?
132 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 130 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Laramie County?
5 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Laramie County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Laramie County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Laramie County as relatively low risk, placing it in the 77 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Laramie County, Wyoming severe weather history data come from?
Every figure is drawn from United States federal public-domain records: NOAA/NCEI Storm Events for the event archive, NOAA SPC SVRGIS for mapped tornado paths, FEMA for disaster declarations and risk ratings, and the U.S. Census for population context. Dates are shown in UTC and recent entries may still be revised by NOAA.
Nearby
Neighbouring counties
- Johnson County 290
- Lincoln County 105
- Hot Springs County 129
- Natrona County 400
- Goshen County 680
- Niobrara County 303
Cite this page
“Laramie County, Wyoming.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/wyoming/laramie-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.