50
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
5
Direct injuries
$628K
Property damage
Tornado in Platte County, Wyoming: 50 recorded events between 1955 and 2023. The strongest on record measured F3. That places the county #372 nationally and #4 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Tornado in Platte County, Wyoming: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for tornado in Platte County is the 2010s, when 13 of the county's 50 recorded events were logged. Comparing decades is useful for spotting active periods, but the earliest years are thin because systematic reporting for this hazard began later.
Within the Platte County archive, tornado makes up 8.9% of all recorded severe weather across 8 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #372 for this hazard and #4 within Wyoming, putting it in the 86.9 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Jun is the peak month for tornado in Platte County with 26 recorded events, while Jan is the quietest. Seasonality here is a property of the archive as much as the climate: reports cluster where population and spotter networks are densest.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
| Date | Scale | Path length | Max width | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1955-06-27 | EF3 | 2.0 mi | 100 yd | Touched down here |
| 2012-06-07 | EF2 | 20.6 mi | 200 yd | Touched down here |
| 1955-06-26 | EF2 | 2.3 mi | 20 yd | Touched down here |
| 1994-07-14 | EF1 | 1.0 mi | 50 yd | Touched down here |
| 1991-06-02 | EF1 | 1.0 mi | 90 yd | Touched down here |
| 1987-06-18 | EF1 | 0.8 mi | 13 yd | Touched down here |
| 1986-09-18 | EF1 | 2.0 mi | 50 yd | Touched down here |
| 1977-06-20 | EF1 | 0.1 mi | 10 yd | Touched down here |
| 1977-06-20 | EF1 | 0.1 mi | 10 yd | Touched down here |
| 1976-08-04 | EF1 | 0.1 mi | 10 yd | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest on record
| Date | Location | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 27, 1955 | F3 | 0 | 3 | $3K | |
| Jun 7, 2012 | WHEATLAND | EF2 | 0 | 1 | $0 |
| Jun 19, 1987 | F1 | 0 | 1 | $25K |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 23, 2023 | CHUGWATER | EFU | $0 |
| Jun 22, 2023 | CHUGWATER | EFU | $0 |
| Sep 10, 2019 | CHUGWATER | EFU | $0 |
| Sep 10, 2019 | SUNRISE | EFU | $0 |
| Jul 4, 2019 | BRINTON | EFU | $0 |
| Jul 4, 2019 | DIAMOND | EFU | $0 |
| Jul 28, 2018 | GLENDO | EFU | $0 |
| May 27, 2018 | GLENDO | EFU | $0 |
| May 22, 2014 | DWYER JUNCTION | EF0 | $0 |
| Jun 22, 2013 | WHEATLAND | EF0 | $0 |
Other hazards here
More from Platte County
- Hail 384
- Thunderstorm Wind 87
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
A severe thunderstorm developed over central Platte County of southeastern Wyoming on the evening of the 14th and struck the area near Wheatland. This storm produced a small tornado southwest of Wheatland which moved northeast at struck the southern part of the city. Two garages were leveled, one of which was torn from its foundation and thrown into a heap on the opposite side of the road. A covered porch was also torn from a house and thrown across the street. Several large trees were twisted off at their bases and tossed about. Large hail, damaging winds and heavy rain also accompanied the storm. Hail up to the size of golf balls, which was left standing four to six inches deep after the storm, demolished a car dealership causing $15,000 damage. This storm also produced damaging winds north of Wheatland which sheared off acres of 6 foot corn stalks at the ground and snapped four power poles at their bases. No one was injured in the storm.
Platte County official observed the tornado over the open plains east of the town of Chugwater and as it lifted east of the shared county line with Goshen. No discernible damage was reported with the rope-shaped tornado to rate any higher than unknown. Given the limited access and no visible damage, path length and width should be considered as an estimated value.
A tornado moved across open country south of Chugwater and dissipated. The sheriffs office said that the tornado only churned up some grass and dirt. A pilot who was flying 25 miles northwest of Cheyenne also observed the tornado on the ground.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many tornado events are on record in Platte County, Wyoming?
50 tornado events are recorded in Platte County between 1955 and 2023, causing 0 direct deaths.
What is the strongest tornado recorded in Platte County?
The strongest tornado on record in Platte County measured F3.
Where does the tornado data for Platte County come from?
All events come from the NOAA/NCEI Storm Events Database, the federal public-domain archive of severe weather reports. Dates are UTC, damage is as reported and not inflation-adjusted, and the most recent entries may still be revised.
Cite this page
“Tornado in Platte County, Wyoming.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/wyoming/platte-county/tornado/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.