Pitkin County

Every recorded tornado

1. Injuries and deaths are for the tornado’s whole path, which may extend beyond the county. Deaths recorded within Pitkin County: 0.
2. Weak tornadoes were under-recorded before Doppler radar coverage became national in the early 1990s, so earlier decades read low. Ratings use the Fujita scale before February 2007 and the Enhanced Fujita scale after.

Storm Prediction Center severe weather database, 1950 to 2025.

Smoke overhead

1. A smoke day is a date on which a smoke plume traced by NOAA Hazard Mapping System analysts from satellite imagery covered this place's point (the county's population centre or the city centre). Counts here are of medium or heavy smoke. Since 2018 analysts have often drawn light smoke as one area over most of the continent, so light-smoke counts are not comparable from year to year. The plumes show smoke anywhere in the air above, not air quality at the ground, and smoke hidden by cloud is missed.

NOAA Hazard Mapping System smoke analysis, 2011 to 2026, retrieved October 30, 2026.

Claims by ZIP code

This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).

OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims v3, refreshed August 4, 2026. NOAA Storm Events through 2026.

River crests

River gauges

1. Crests are the highest and the recent crests the National Weather Service lists for each river gauge in the county that has a flood stage, not every flood. Flood categories use each gauge's current flood stages; crests from before levees, dams or channel changes may not be comparable. Crests measured on an old datum are left out of the rankings.

NOAA National Water Prediction Service gauge records, retrieved October 30, 2026.

1. The Palmer Drought Severity Index is computed by NOAA each month from the county's average temperature and precipitation, relative to the county's own climate. Zero is normal; -3 or lower is severe drought and -4 or lower extreme drought. It describes the long-term balance of moisture, not water supply or crop losses.

NOAA NCEI nClimDiv county Palmer Drought Severity Index, 1895 to September 2026, issued October 6, 2026.

Every earthquake of magnitude 4 or more within 50 miles

1. Earthquakes of magnitude 2.5 or more in the USGS Comprehensive Catalog since 1900. Within 50 miles means the epicentre lies within 50 miles of the county boundary (or inside the county).
2. Small earthquakes were under-recorded before the modern seismic networks of the 1970s and are still missed in remote areas, so early decades read low. Magnitudes are as the catalogue reports them and mix scales (moment, local and body-wave).

USGS ANSS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog, 1900 to present, retrieved October 30, 2026.

Volcanoes within 100 miles

1. U.S. volcanoes within 100 miles, from the USGS Volcano Hazards Program. The threat category is the USGS 2018 National Volcanic Threat Assessment, which ranks volcanoes by how hazardous their past eruptions were and how many people and how much infrastructure lie near them. It is not a forecast of eruption.

USGS Volcano Hazards Program, retrieved October 30, 2026.

Mapped landslides

Mapped by CO GS (312), NASA (15), USGS Conterminous (3), Western CO (Regmi and others, 2010) (1).

1. Landslides mapped in the USGS compilation of landslide inventories across the United States (version 3.0, 2025), rated probable or better. The compilation joins inventories made by federal and state agencies for different purposes and areas, so the number mapped in a county reflects how closely it has been surveyed as much as how often its slopes fail. An area with few records may simply not have been mapped. Deaths are as recorded in the inventories; a slide listed in two inventories is counted once.

USGS Landslide Inventories across the United States, version 3.0, retrieved October 27, 2026.

More event types since 1996

Costliest events since 1996

1. Aug 1, 2018Wildfire, Gore And Elk Mountains/Central Mountain Valleys$3.5 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   The Lake Christine Fire began in early July from human causes, allegedly from tracer rounds fired at the Basalt Gun Range about a mile northwest of Basalt. Lack of rainfall and gusty winds allowed the fire to grow to a total of 12,588 acres before it was finally contained in the beginning of October. Periodic road closures were in effect as well as closed access in the White River National Forest. Numerous neighborhoods were evacuated. The fire destroyed three homes, a barn and an outbuilding. The three homes had a combined value of $2.65 million.

2. Sep 1, 2018Wildfire, Gore And Elk Mountains/Central Mountain Valleys$3.5 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   The Lake Christine fire began in early July from human causes, allegedly from tracer rounds fired at the Basalt Gun Range about mile northwest of Basalt. Lack of rainfall and gusty winds allowed the fire to grow to a total of 12,588 acres before it was finally contained in the beginning of October. Periodic road closures were in effect as well as closures in the White River National Forest. Numerous neighborhoods were evacuated. The fire destroyed three homes, a barn and an outbuilding. The three homes had a combined value of $2.65 million.

3. Oct 1, 2018Wildfire, Gore And Elk Mountains/Central Mountain Valleys$3.5 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   The Lake Christine Fire began in early July from human causes, allegedly from tracer rounds fired at the Basalt Gun Range about one mile northwest of Basalt. Lack of rainfall and gusty winds allowed the fire to grow to a total of 12,588 acres before it was finally contained in early October. Periodic road closures were in effect as well as closures in the White River National Forest. Numerous neighborhoods were evacuated. The fire destroyed three homes, a barn and an outbuilding. The three homes had a combined value of $2.65 million.

4. Jun 1, 2003Flood, Gore And Elk Mountains/Central Mountain Valleys$3.2 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Heavy rains combined with snow melt to cause Gore Creek to rise above flood stage. More than 400 homes were ordered evacuated in Vail and East Vail due to flooding along Gore Creek. A 4 to 5 foot berm was built and sandbagging operations were conducted along portions of Gore Creek to hold flood waters at bay. Interstate 70 in the Vail area was closed in both directions for several days due to a 20-by-20 foot sinkhole in the westbound lanes which formed after high water from Big Horn Creek washed out a culvert .

5. Jul 3, 2018Wildfire, Gore And Elk Mountains/Central Mountain Valleys$3.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   The Lake Christine Fire began from human causes, allegedly from tracer rounds fired at the Basalt Gun Range about one mile northwest of Basalt. Lack of rainfall and gusty winds allowed the fire to grow to a total of 12,588 acres before it was finally contained in the beginning of October. Periodic road closures were in effect as well as closures in the White River National Forest. Numerous neighborhoods were evacuated. The fire destroyed three homes, a barn and an outbuilding. The three homes had a combined value of $2.65 million.

6. Nov 25, 2004Debris Flow, Central Colorado River Basin$1.4 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   A massive rockslide punched van-size holes in the decking of Interstate 70 near the Hanging Lake exit ramp, about 8 miles east of Glenwood Springs. The highway was closed in both directions all day on Thanksgiving Day, sending holiday travelers on a 220 mile detour to get through the mountains. The slide zone covered a stretch of Interstate 70 about 100 feet in length and 10 feet deep. According to the Colorado Department of Transportation, two bridges received holes in their decking on eastbound I-70. About six boulders were embedded up to eight feet into the roadway. The rocks fell from about 1,300 feet above the highway, leaving gaping holes up to 25 feet wide and 10 feet long…

7. Mar 8, 2010Debris Flow, Central Colorado River Basin$1.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   A massive rockslide occurred in Glenwood Canyon about two miles east of Glenwood springs and struck a section of Interstate 70 with boulders the size of trucks. Some of the boulders punched through the westbound lanes producing holes in the road up to 20 feet in length and 10 feet wide. Additionally, large boulders the size of cars blocked the eastbound lanes.

8. Jul 29, 2021Debris Flow$500,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Several mudslides occurred along Colorado Highway 133 near Redstone as a result of heavy rains. Debris depth was 7 to 8 feet with one slide and 3 to 4 feet deep with another. As a result, motorists were stranded until cleanup operations were complete.

9. Apr 15, 2008Wildfire, Central Colorado River Basin$500,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   A fire of unknown origins started about 1.2 miles east of Carbondale along County Road 100. Wind gusts to 50 mph quickly spread the fire to over 1000 acres, and the fire jumped across the Roaring Fork River in the process. Four houses caught on fire, though efforts by firefighters prevented the houses from being destroyed. Many lawns and trees were charred. A man received burns to the back of his head and arms as he was fishing along the Roaring Fork River. County Road 100 was closed for an extensive period of time, while Highway 82 was closed for three hours. Hundreds of residents and a large number of livestock in the area were evacuated. There were 140 firefighters who fought…

10. Jul 22, 2021Debris Flow$300,000
    National Weather Service narrative

    Heavy rains resulted in a debris flow of mud, branches and rocks across Avalanche Creek Road. The road remained closed and impassable overnight before reopening the next morning.

1. Storm Events records before 1996 cover only tornadoes, thunderstorm wind and hail. Damage figures are as reported by the National Weather Service at the time, not adjusted for inflation.

NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026, issued October 26, 2026.

All-time high

91°FJul 6, 1989

All-time low

−25°FFeb 7, 1989

Warmest night

60°FJul 26, 2026

Coldest day

2°FJan 1, 2011

Wettest day

2.35 inJun 7, 1984

Snowiest day

21.8 inFeb 21, 1996

Hottest year

2000mean 43.9°F

Coldest year

1982mean 39.4°F

Wettest year

198432.85 in

Driest year

202515.82 in

Snowiest season

276.0 in1983-84

Station Aspen 1SW (USC00050372), 8,175 ft elevation, 5.0 miles from the population centre. Daily records from 1980 to September 29, 2026; 97.6% of days in the last 30 years are complete. Records at a single station can differ from a city’s official threaded record, which may combine several stations.

NOAA NCEI Global Historical Climatology Network Daily.

This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).

OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries, retrieved October 30, 2026. Statewide declarations are not listed.

Neighbouring counties

• Tornadoes NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather database, through 2025.
• Tropical cyclones NOAA National Hurricane Center HURDAT2 (Atlantic; Northeast and Central Pacific), through 2025.
• Wildfire USGS/USFS Monitoring Trends in Burn Severity, through 2026.
• Storm events NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, through 2026.
• Flood insurance OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims v3, refreshed August 4, 2026.
• Declarations OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2, retrieved October 30, 2026.
• Weather records NOAA NCEI Global Historical Climatology Network Daily, station USC00050372.
• River crests NOAA National Weather Service, National Water Prediction Service river gauges, retrieved October 30, 2026.
• Drought NOAA NCEI nClimDiv county Palmer Drought Severity Index, through September 2026.
• Smoke NOAA NESDIS Hazard Mapping System smoke analysis, retrieved October 30, 2026.
• Volcanoes USGS Volcano Hazards Program, U.S. volcanoes and 2018 threat assessment.
• Landslides USGS Landslide Inventories across the United States, version 3.0 (2025).
• Earthquakes USGS ANSS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog (ComCat), retrieved October 30, 2026.

Joins, thresholds and known limits are set out in the methodology. Found an error? Report it. Page built October 30, 2026.