Lightning Protection in Colorado Springs, CO

Why Colorado Springs gets so much lightning

Colorado Springs sits beside one of Colorado's lightning maximums. A 2019 study by NWS Pueblo and the University of Colorado Colorado Springs, using 21 years of Vaisala lightning data, found that the area where the Palmer Divide meets Pikes Peak gets some of the most cloud-to-ground lightning in the state. Several areas of the Palmer Divide average more than 6.5 flashes per km² a year, the top of Colorado's range.

The study explains why. Daytime upslope winds push moist air from the plains up the slopes of Pikes Peak and the Palmer Divide, and the storms that form there keep going as they move east onto the plains. Storms along the Front Range usually develop in the late morning or early afternoon. In July and August, monsoon moisture adds to them, and the study found the greatest July and August lightning activity over the Palmer Divide and Pikes Peak.

El Paso County's lightning record

NWS Pueblo lists El Paso County with the most lightning casualties of any Colorado county since 1980. Its county records show 10 deaths and 84 injuries. Statewide, Colorado ranked 3rd in the nation for lightning deaths from 2006 to 2024.

For buildings, the same storms bring direct strikes on roofs and chimneys, surges through power and data lines, and the risk of fire in attics. For the statewide picture, see lightning protection in Colorado.

Homes in Colorado Springs

For most homes, lightning protection is a choice based on exposure, not a code requirement. Homes on ridges and hillsides along the foothills, on high open ground, or at the edge of open space are the most exposed.

A residential system includes:

• Air terminals (lightning rods) on ridges, chimneys and dormers.
• Conductors connecting them, with at least two paths down to ground.
• Grounding electrodes at the base of each down conductor.
• Bonding to the electrical ground, gas and water piping, and metal on the roof.
• Surge protection for incoming power, data and communication lines.

Rocky, shallow soil makes grounding harder, and NFPA 780 has provisions for grounding on bedrock and in shallow topsoil. On those lots a system may use a ground ring or several shorter electrodes instead of one long rod. See our residential lightning protection services and grounding a house for lightning.

Commercial and industrial buildings

Offices, warehouses, metal buildings, retail centers, healthcare and public buildings each get a system designed for the roof and the equipment on it. Plants, storage tanks and oil and gas sites rely most on grounding and bonding. We work on new construction and existing buildings, including inspection, grounding and system testing. See commercial building lightning protection and oil & gas facility lightning protection.

Inspections

NFPA 780 and LPI-175 recommend a visual inspection every year and a full inspection with testing every 3 to 5 years (1 to 3 years for critical facilities). Also have it inspected after a lightning strike or any roof or building work: re-roofing, solar and new rooftop equipment can disconnect parts of a system. Spring is the best time, before the July and August peak. See our lightning protection inspection service, what is tested during an inspection and the Denver page for the metro to the north.