How Are Tornados in Colorado Generally Detected? Over 15 later, a very smart boy from Colorado came up with a way to detect tornados, much earlier. How Does This Colorado Kid's Tornado Detector Work? This system can increase the warning time for a tornado from 13 minutes to 40 minutes. MORE COLORADO - 15+ Inventions With Surprising Connections to Colorado Colorado lays claim to numerous inventions we use and see every day.