Jun 9, 2025 - News
Where lightning strikes in Colorado
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The Eastern Plains is the most lightning-prone area in Colorado with hundreds of strikes per square mile, a new report shows.
Why it matters: Aside from the immediate danger to people, aircraft and infrastructure, lightning can spark wildfires — and the number of strikes is predicted to increase amid climate change, researchers have found.
By the numbers: Sedgwick, Phillips Yuma and Logan counties all experienced more than 100 lightning strikes per square mile in 2024, per Vaisala Xweather's report.
- For comparison, Denver saw just 20 strikes that year.
The latest: Despite being less lightning prone, Denver has been soaked by storms this season.
- The city is enduring one of its wettest early summers on record — with more than double its typical rain in the last five weeks, 9News meteorologist Chris Bianchi reports.
- Blame Gulf moisture, a shifting La Niña, and "as my colleague Cory Reppenhagen says: 'Rain begets more rain,'" Bianchi said.