The August 5, 2020 Colorado Springs hailstorm put 2-inch (hen egg) hail on the south side of the city, Fort Carson and Security in the late afternoon. NOAA logged 19 hail reports in El Paso County between about 3:50 and 7:30 p.m., most of them before 4:45 p.m. Golf ball hail also fell at Barr Camp on Pikes Peak, where it broke skylights, and a woman at Seven Falls was hurt when hail struck her wrist.
What happened on August 5, 2020
The National Weather Service in Pueblo summarized the day simply: storms first developed over the mountains and high valleys, then shifted to the I-25 corridor in the afternoon, “specifically the Pikes Peak region, where multiple storms produced large hail.” Heavy rain and local flooding came with them.
The reports trace the storms from west to south. Starting just before 4 p.m., trained spotters and the public reported 1 to 1.75 inch hail in Colorado Springs, including ping pong ball hail at 10th Street and Colorado Avenue on the west side. Between about 4 and 4:30 p.m. the stones grew to 1.75 and 2 inches near Fort Carson, where a National Weather Service employee measured 2-inch hail, and on the south side of the city. By 4:30 to 4:45 p.m. the storm reached Security, Widefield and Fountain, with 2-inch hail in Security and 1.5-inch hail in Fountain. The Barr Camp report on Pikes Peak lasted about 30 minutes.
Where the hail fell
| Area | Largest hail on record | Size name |
|---|---|---|
| South Colorado Springs | 2.00 in. | Hen egg |
| Fort Carson area | 2.00 in. | Hen egg |
| Security | 2.00 in. | Hen egg |
| Barr Camp, Pikes Peak (10,200 ft) | 1.75 in. | Golf ball |
| Seven Falls area | 1.75 in. | Golf ball |
| Fountain | 1.50 in. | Ping pong ball |
| West side (10th and Colorado Ave.) | 1.50 in. | Ping pong ball |
| Widefield | 1.25 in. | Half dollar |
Homes in the Broadmoor, Cheyenne Canyon and Skyway areas sit between the Seven Falls report and the south side reports, and Security-Widefield homes were hit for the third time in a little over two years, after the two 2018 storms.
What 2-inch hail does to a roof
Hen egg hail is right at the size used to test Class 4 shingles, so it separates roofs by product. A standard architectural shingle hit by 2-inch hail usually shows fractures in the mat, not just granule loss, and the damage tends to be spread across every slope that faced the storm. A Class 4 shingle installed after the 2018 storms may have come through with only cosmetic marks. Wood shakes split, older 3-tab shingles crease and tear, and painted metal trim, fascia wraps and gutters dent. Pikes Peak foothill homes with skylights should check them closely, since the storm broke skylights at Barr Camp.
How to check a roof for this storm
- Check whether your roof was replaced after the 2018 storms and, if so, what shingle went on. A Class 4 rating changes what you will find.
- Look for dents on the gutters and downspouts on every side of the house, not just the front.
- Inspect skylights for cracks and look for water stains on the ceilings below them.
- Book an inspection and keep the dated photos with your house records, even if the roof does not need work now.
Claim timing for a Colorado storm
Colorado sets no single deadline to report roof damage; your policy does, often as prompt notice. A Colorado homeowner's policy cannot give you less time to sue than the statute of limitations (C.R.S. 10-4-110.8(12)), and the Division of Insurance advises calling your insurer or agent soon after a hailstorm. Replacement cost policies usually hold back depreciation until the work is done: see finishing repairs to recover depreciation and how long you have to file a hail claim.
This storm is now 6 years old, and hail marks weather. An inspection shows whether marks look fresh or aged, which an adjuster weighs when tying damage to a date. General information, not legal advice; the claim is always yours, and our part is the inspection, dated photos and written scope.
Colorado Springs, CO inspection and hail help
If you live in Colorado Springs and El Paso County, start with our Colorado Springs hail damage repair page, book a free Colorado Springs roof inspection, or read Colorado hail season guide. Integrity Roofing and Painting is veteran-owned and family-run since 1990, an Owens Corning Platinum Preferred contractor with 650+ Google reviews, and we respond the same business day. Call (719) 488-2800.
Other recorded storms in Colorado Springs and El Paso County
- August 5, 2023 Hailstorm: hail to 4 in.
- August 6, 2018 Hailstorm: hail to 4 in.
- June 13, 2018 Hailstorm: hail to 3 in.
- July 28, 2016 Colorado Springs hailstorm (full write-up)
- June 6, 2012 hailstorm, Colorado Springs and south Denver (full write-up)
- July 4, 2010 Hailstorm: hail to 2 in.
- Full storm archive: Colorado Springs, Denver and Austin
Sources: NOAA SPC storm reports, August 5, 2020; NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, event 919406 (Fort Carson, 2.00 in.); NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, event 919422 (Barr Camp, Pikes Peak, 1.75 in.); NWS hail size reference; C.R.S. 10-4-110.8 (unofficial reproduction); Colorado Division of Insurance, hail consumer advisory (May 22, 2024).
