Park County

Population 18,214 (2025) 2,803 sq mi

Large wildfires have burned 288,862 acres of Park County since 1984, 13th most of 56 counties in Montana; the largest was the Storm Creek Fire in 1988.

Hazard fingerprint for Park County Tornado: 1th percentile. Tropical: 0th percentile. Wildfire: 84th percentile. Flood: 7th percentile. Hail & wind: 13th percentile. Heat: 0th percentile. Cold: 0th percentile. Winter: 95th percentile. TORTROPFIREFLOODSEVEREHEATCOLDWINTER

Hazard fingerprint Each spoke is this county’s percentile among U.S. counties where that hazard occurs. How it is computed

2026
  • Tornado damage paths since 19502
  • Wildfire burn scars since 198424
  • Major flood years since 19782

At a glance

The record for Park County in eight numbers. Each links to its section below.

Acres burned since 1984

288,862

13th of 56 in Montana

24 large fires; the largest was Storm Creek, 1988

Details

Flood insurance claims

141

6th of 56 in Montana

$3.3 million paid since 1978

Details

Tornadoes since 1950

2

41st of 56 in Montana

Fewer than the typical Montana county, which has had 6

Details

Strongest tornado

EF2

July 2, 2010, 2.1 mile path

Largest earthquake within 50 mi

7.2magnitude

August 17, 1959, 16.3 miles away

Details

Federal disaster declarations

14

Most recent: Severe Winter Storm and Straight-Line Winds, 2026

Details

Record high

105°F

Reached 2 times, most recently July 12, 2026

Details

Record low

−41°F

December 24, 1983

Details

Tornadoes

About one every 38 years since 1950, none rated F3/EF3 or stronger.

Strongest

July 2, 2010

EF2, 2.1 mile path

150 yards wide.

Most recent

Tuesday, August 9, 2011

EF0, 0.1 mile path

15 years ago.

Tornadoes by decade Doppler radar era² 1950s: 0 1960s: 0 1970s: 0 1980s: 0 1990s: 0 2000s: 0 2010s: 2 2 2020s: 0 1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
Recorded tornadoes per decade. The 2020s are incomplete.
Tornadoes by month J: 0 F: 0 M: 0 A: 0 M: 0 J: 0 J: 1 1 A: 1 S: 0 O: 0 N: 0 D: 0 JFMAMJJASOND
By month of occurrence, all years.

Every recorded tornado

Tornadoes in Park County since 1950
Aug 9, 2011EF00.11000
Jul 2, 2010EF22.115000
  1. Injuries and deaths are for the tornado’s whole path, which may extend beyond the county. Deaths recorded within Park 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.

Hurricanes and tropical storms

No tropical storm or hurricane has tracked within 100 miles since records began in 1851.

Wildfire and smoke

288,862 acres burned in 24 large fires since 1984, equal to 16% of the land.

Largest

June 19, 1988

Storm Creek Fire, 115,951 acres

82,101 acres inside Park County.

Most recent

July 17, 2021

American Fork Fire

20,717 acres in total.

Acres burned since 1984, cumulative 1988: 148,6071994: 1,9071996: 3,8081999: 1,1072001: 28,6322003: 5,2102006: 42,8242007: 24,5202012: 8,8362013: 12,0602016: 1,3342021: 10,019 288,862 acres 198519901995200020052010201520202025
Running total of acres burned inside the county (line) and each year’s acres (bars).

Every large fire

Large wildfires since 1984
American Fork202110,01820,717
Buffalo20161,33413,698
Miner Paradise Complex201312,05912,207
Pine Creek20127,7077,704
Paradise Valley20121,1291,130
Wh Complex (Hicks Park)20073671,815
Wh Complex (Wicked Creek)200722,19522,175
Owl20071,9572,173
Passage Falls20066,8376,831
Jungle200622,61123,828
Big Creek200613,37413,413
Rough Draw Complex (Brundage)20032,7622,761
Rough Draw Complex (Slippery Rock)20031,1061,105
Rough Draw Complex (Rough Draw)20031,3411,339
Fridley200127,57427,549
Monument20011,0572,855
Six Mile19991,1061,105
Coyote Pnf19963,8073,814
Deckard19941,9061,905
Hellroaring198860,55377,539
North Fork19881,287563,089
Clovermist1988234303,221
Fan19884,42920,407
Storm Creek198882,101115,951
  1. Large fires mapped by the Monitoring Trends in Burn Severity program since 1984: 1,000 acres or more in the West, 500 or more in the East. Prescribed burns are excluded. Acres here are the part of each perimeter inside this place.

Monitoring Trends in Burn Severity (USGS and U.S. Forest Service), 1984 to 2026.

Smoke overhead

Smokiest year

2021: 61 days

Heavy smoke on 41 days in 2021, the most of any year.

Last 10 years

25.7 days a year

Medium or heavy smoke, 2016 to 2025.

2025

15 days

Medium or heavy smoke. 27 so far in 2026.

Days with medium or heavy smoke overhead, by year 2011: 5 2012: 22 2013: 12 2014: 7 2015: 13 2016: 6 2017: 28 2018: 25 2019: 3 2020: 27 2021: 61 61 2022: 26 2023: 20 2024: 46 2025: 15 201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025
Days each year on which a satellite-traced plume of medium or heavy smoke covered the county’s population centre, 2011 to 2025.
  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.

Floods and flood insurance

141 federal flood insurance claims since 1978, with $3.3 million paid.

Federal flood insurance claims by year 1996: 17 1997: 64 64 2011: 13 2022: 34 1996
Claims per year since 1978. Years with fewer than five claims are not shown.

Most claims in one year

1997: 64 claims

$586,000 paid.

2nd most

2022: 34 claims

$2.5 million paid.

3rd most

1996: 17 claims

$76,000 paid.

Claims by ZIP code

Flood insurance claims by ZIP code
59047121$2.8 million
590275$143,000

Flood events since 1996

  • Flood6
  • Flash Flood1

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

Most severe crest

June 13, 2022

Yellowstone River at Corwin Springs, 14.72 ft

3.72 feet above the 11.0 ft flood stage; major flooding by today’s categories.

Most recent moderate or major crest

June 13, 2022

Yellowstone River at Corwin Springs, 14.72 ft

Major flooding.

Highest river crests above flood stage
Jun 13, 2022Yellowstone River at Corwin Springs14.72+3.72Major
Jun 13, 2022Yellowstone River near Livingston11.63+1.63Major
Jun 6, 1997Yellowstone River near Livingston10.72+0.72Moderate
Jun 20, 1979Shields River near Livingston6.80+1.30Minor
Jun 17, 1992Shields River near Livingston6.70+1.20Minor
May 25, 2011Shields River near Livingston6.36+0.86Minor
May 11, 2018Shields River near Livingston6.32+0.82Minor
Feb 7, 1996Shields River near Livingston6.24+0.74Minor
Apr 12, 2023Shields River near Livingston6.14+0.64Minor
May 23, 1981Shields River near Livingston6.10+0.60Minor
Jun 12, 1997Shields River near Livingston6.08+0.58Minor
May 21, 1991Shields River near Livingston5.80+0.30Minor
Jun 1, 2020Yellowstone River near Livingston10.20+0.20Minor
May 27, 2018Yellowstone River near Livingston10.18+0.18Minor
Jun 30, 2011Yellowstone River near Livingston10.15+0.15Minor
Jun 10, 1996Yellowstone River near Livingston9.97−0.03Below flood stage
Jun 10, 1996Yellowstone River at Corwin Springs10.92−0.08Below flood stage
Jun 6, 1997Yellowstone River at Corwin Springs10.91−0.09Below flood stage
May 15, 1993Shields River near Livingston5.40−0.10Below flood stage
Jun 6, 1995Shields River near Livingston5.33−0.17Below flood stage
Jun 17, 1974Yellowstone River at Corwin Springs10.71−0.29Below flood stage
May 29, 2014Yellowstone River near Livingston9.70−0.30Below flood stage
May 29, 2014Shields River near Livingston5.19−0.31Below flood stage
Jun 15, 1982Shields River near Livingston5.17−0.33Below flood stage
Jun 5, 2010Shields River near Livingston5.15−0.35Below flood stage

River gauges

River gauges and their highest listed crests
Shields River near Livingston5.56.80 ftJun 20, 19790
Yellowstone River at Corwin Springs11.014.72 ftJun 13, 20221
Yellowstone River near Livingston10.011.63 ftJun 13, 20221
  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.

Drought

In severe drought or worse for 169 of 1,581 months since 1895 (11%); the longest spell lasted 47 months.

169

Months in severe drought or worse since 1895

84

Months in extreme drought

11%

Share of all months, severe or worse

5

Drought reports to the Weather Service since 1996

Lowest reading

March 1905

−7.35, extreme drought

Longest severe spell

47 months

January 1934 to November 1937.

Latest month

September 2026

−1.92, mild drought

Last severe month: September 2025.

Months in severe drought or worse, by year 1895: 0 1896: 0 1897: 0 1898: 0 1899: 0 1900: 5 1901: 4 1902: 0 1903: 0 1904: 2 1905: 4 1906: 0 1907: 0 1908: 0 1909: 0 1910: 3 1911: 0 1912: 0 1913: 0 1914: 0 1915: 1 1916: 0 1917: 0 1918: 0 1919: 4 1920: 0 1921: 1 1922: 0 1923: 0 1924: 0 1925: 0 1926: 0 1927: 0 1928: 0 1929: 0 1930: 0 1931: 4 1932: 6 1933: 1 1934: 12 12 1935: 12 1936: 12 1937: 11 1938: 0 1939: 2 1940: 7 1941: 3 1942: 0 1943: 0 1944: 0 1945: 0 1946: 0 1947: 0 1948: 0 1949: 0 1950: 0 1951: 0 1952: 0 1953: 2 1954: 5 1955: 9 1956: 0 1957: 0 1958: 0 1959: 0 1960: 0 1961: 8 1962: 0 1963: 0 1964: 0 1965: 0 1966: 0 1967: 0 1968: 0 1969: 0 1970: 0 1971: 0 1972: 0 1973: 0 1974: 0 1975: 0 1976: 0 1977: 0 1978: 0 1979: 0 1980: 0 1981: 0 1982: 0 1983: 0 1984: 0 1985: 0 1986: 0 1987: 0 1988: 6 1989: 0 1990: 0 1991: 0 1992: 0 1993: 0 1994: 0 1995: 0 1996: 0 1997: 0 1998: 0 1999: 0 2000: 2 2001: 12 2002: 4 2003: 2 2004: 4 2005: 0 2006: 0 2007: 0 2008: 0 2009: 0 2010: 0 2011: 0 2012: 5 2013: 6 2014: 0 2015: 0 2016: 1 2017: 0 2018: 0 2019: 0 2020: 0 2021: 5 2022: 3 2023: 0 2024: 0 2025: 1 18951905191519251935194519551965197519851995200520152025
Months each year with a Palmer index of −3 or lower, 1895 to 2025. Twelve means the whole year.
  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.

Earthquakes, volcanoes and landslides

104 earthquakes of magnitude 4 or more within 50 miles since 1900; the largest was magnitude 7.2 in 1959.

10

Magnitude 2.5+ inside the county since 1973

519

Magnitude 3+ within 50 miles since 1973

104

Magnitude 4+ within 50 miles since 1900

26

Magnitude 5+ within 50 miles since 1900

Largest within 50 miles

August 17, 1959

Magnitude 7.2

The 1959 Hebgen Lake, Montana Earthquake; 16.3 miles away, 7.5 miles deep.

Most recent, magnitude 3 or more

July 16, 2026

Magnitude 3.3

39 km SSE of Mammoth, Wyoming; 36.5 miles away.

Earthquakes of magnitude 3 or more within 50 miles, by year 1973: 8 1974: 11 1975: 24 1976: 26 1977: 25 1978: 9 1979: 9 1980: 9 1981: 2 1982: 6 1983: 6 1984: 14 1985: 33 33 1986: 3 1987: 27 1988: 1 1989: 11 1990: 4 1991: 3 1992: 5 1993: 8 1994: 5 1995: 9 1996: 3 1997: 14 1998: 2 1999: 11 2000: 12 2001: 4 2002: 2 2003: 5 2004: 5 2005: 3 2006: 9 2007: 2 2008: 15 2009: 13 2010: 24 2011: 3 2012: 6 2013: 14 2014: 22 2015: 5 2016: 5 2017: 18 2018: 6 2019: 20 2020: 4 2021: 8 2022: 6 2023: 7 2024: 4 2025: 8 19731978198319881993199820032008201320182023
Per year, 1973 to 2025.

Every earthquake of magnitude 4 or more within 50 miles

Earthquakes of magnitude 4 or more within 50 miles
May 11, 20224.224.28.736 km S of Silver Gate, Montana
Aug 15, 20194.232.11.54 km NW of Manhattan, Montana
Aug 5, 20194.131.33.13 km NW of Manhattan, Montana
Jul 13, 20194.028.83.911 km NNE of Manhattan, Montana
Jun 15, 20174.415.25.812 km E of Hebgen Lake Estates, Montana
Jun 13, 20164.339.96.245 km W of Hebgen Lake Estates, Montana
Mar 30, 20144.823.73.522 km S of Mammoth, Wyoming
Mar 25, 20084.224.02.435 km S of Silver Gate, Montana
Jun 17, 20064.145.37.16 km S of Pony, Montana
Feb 4, 20064.445.88.744 km NE of Spencer, Idaho
Nov 23, 20004.224.35.324 km S of Mammoth, Wyoming
Nov 10, 20004.031.31.314 km NE of Townsend, Montana
Apr 8, 20004.131.62.98 km ENE of Townsend, Montana
Nov 6, 19974.019.13.04 km WSW of Springhill, Montana
Aug 30, 19974.124.82.425 km WNW of Hebgen Lake Estates, Montana
Aug 7, 19894.029.70.25 km NE of Manhattan, Montana
Jul 21, 19874.034.12.418 km SSE of Harrison, Montana
Nov 9, 19854.221.63.15 km NE of West Yellowstone, Montana
Nov 9, 19854.117.03.13 km E of Hebgen Lake Estates, Montana
Nov 9, 19854.323.36.85 km E of West Yellowstone, Montana
Oct 19, 19854.022.53.19 km E of West Yellowstone, Montana
Oct 19, 19854.124.03.17 km E of West Yellowstone, Montana
May 7, 19844.145.93.142 km NE of Spencer, Idaho
Dec 31, 19834.033.53.18 km SSW of Toston, Montana
Aug 13, 19834.143.93.147 km NE of Spencer, Idaho
Feb 6, 19834.735.73.137 km ESE of West Yellowstone, Montana
Nov 4, 19824.238.63.142 km W of Hebgen Lake Estates, Montana
Oct 26, 19824.638.73.144 km W of Hebgen Lake Estates, Montana
Oct 21, 19824.443.03.148 km NW of Island Park, Idaho
May 22, 19814.212.04.316 km ENE of Hebgen Lake Estates, Montana
May 10, 19804.220.33.17 km W of Hebgen Lake Estates, Montana
Mar 10, 19804.035.83.115 km SSE of Harrison, Montana
Feb 22, 19804.515.10.622 km NE of West Yellowstone, Montana
May 7, 19794.624.13.115 km W of Hebgen Lake Estates, Montana
Jan 5, 19794.122.83.121 km WNW of Hebgen Lake Estates, Montana
Oct 19, 19774.740.96.249 km W of Hebgen Lake Estates, Montana
Aug 26, 19774.545.46.215 km NW of Three Forks, Montana
Mar 11, 19775.224.63.126 km WNW of Hebgen Lake Estates, Montana
Mar 10, 19774.633.83.16 km SSW of Toston, Montana
Mar 4, 19774.016.63.1Idaho-Montana border region
Mar 4, 19774.018.13.11 km W of Hebgen Lake Estates, Montana
Mar 4, 19774.015.33.111 km E of Hebgen Lake Estates, Montana
Mar 4, 19774.012.73.19 km NE of Hebgen Lake Estates, Montana
Mar 4, 19774.113.73.19 km ENE of Hebgen Lake Estates, Montana
Dec 19, 19764.415.33.117 km SSW of Mammoth, Wyoming
Dec 19, 19764.919.93.124 km SSW of Mammoth, Wyoming
Dec 9, 19764.520.13.124 km SSW of Mammoth, Wyoming
Dec 9, 19764.920.43.723 km SSW of Mammoth, Wyoming
Dec 8, 19765.520.73.125 km SSW of Mammoth, Wyoming
Oct 19, 19765.322.23.120 km S of Mammoth, Wyoming
Oct 19, 19765.321.62.524 km ENE of West Yellowstone, Montana
Jul 5, 19754.528.73.129 km SSE of Mammoth, Wyoming
Jul 2, 19754.531.13.131 km SE of Mammoth, Wyoming
Jul 2, 19754.230.33.130 km SSE of Mammoth, Wyoming
Jul 2, 19754.620.53.121 km SSW of Mammoth, Wyoming
Jun 30, 19754.824.33.114 km SE of Mammoth, Wyoming
Jun 30, 19754.931.03.132 km SSE of Mammoth, Wyoming
Jun 30, 19754.732.43.132 km SSE of Mammoth, Wyoming
Jun 30, 19754.219.93.16 km SSE of Mammoth, Wyoming
Jun 30, 19755.122.83.123 km S of Mammoth, Wyoming
Jun 30, 19755.927.94.326 km SSE of Mammoth, Wyoming
Jun 30, 19754.628.43.123 km SSE of Mammoth, Wyoming
Feb 7, 19754.031.53.19 km SSE of Ponderosa Pines, Montana
Jan 29, 19754.221.33.125 km SSW of Big Sky, Montana
Oct 28, 19744.028.73.116 km WSW of West Yellowstone, Montana
Oct 22, 19744.621.43.124 km ENE of West Yellowstone, Montana
Oct 18, 19744.423.93.127 km S of Mammoth, Wyoming
Aug 30, 19744.528.51.227 km E of West Yellowstone, Montana
Aug 30, 19744.523.80.624 km E of West Yellowstone, Montana
Jul 16, 19744.430.06.23 km SW of Manhattan, Montana
Jul 1, 19744.830.33.110 km S of West Yellowstone, Montana
Jun 8, 19744.914.03.111 km ENE of Hebgen Lake Estates, Montana
Apr 21, 19734.435.66.252 km SSW of Silver Gate, Montana
Apr 11, 19734.248.66.257 km ESE of West Yellowstone, Montana
Mar 31, 19735.143.36.251 km ESE of West Yellowstone, Montana
Mar 28, 19734.049.16.257 km ESE of West Yellowstone, Montana
Mar 27, 19735.049.15.062 km ESE of West Yellowstone, Montana
Feb 28, 19734.313.63.17 km NE of Hebgen Lake Estates, Montana
Nov 1, 19724.234.43.15 km WSW of Toston, Montana
Mar 7, 19664.835.08.12 km SE of Townsend, Montana
Oct 8, 19654.922.83.18 km SW of Hebgen Lake Estates, Montana
Oct 21, 19645.226.96.232 km WNW of Hebgen Lake Estates, Montana
Sep 23, 19634.77.320.520 km NE of Hebgen Lake Estates, Montana
Feb 15, 19634.512.220.5Western Montana
Sep 13, 19594.419.73.16 km NNW of West Yellowstone, Montana
Aug 20, 19595.037.23.139 km W of Hebgen Lake Estates, Montana
Aug 19, 19594.731.73.132 km W of Hebgen Lake Estates, Montana
Aug 19, 19595.017.43.115 km NE of West Yellowstone, Montana
Aug 19, 19595.029.43.131 km W of Hebgen Lake Estates, Montana
Aug 18, 19596.032.69.347 km WNW of West Yellowstone, Montana
Aug 18, 19596.315.86.222 km SW of Mammoth, Wyoming
Aug 18, 19595.717.19.313 km SSW of Mammoth, Wyoming
Aug 18, 19596.013.96.216 km N of West Yellowstone, Montana
Aug 18, 19596.517.96.214 km N of Madison Junction, Wyoming
Aug 17, 19597.216.37.5The 1959 Hebgen Lake, Montana Earthquake
Nov 23, 19476.125.19.330 km SSW of Big Sky, Montana
Oct 18, 19356.149.69.3The 1935 Helena, Montana Earthquakes (Mainshock)
Feb 15, 19294.725.5—Northeast of Three Forks, Montana
Dec 12, 19265.420.9—Clarkston Valley, Montana (Aftershock)
Jul 10, 19255.535.6—Clarkston Valley, Montana (Aftershock)
Jun 27, 19255.535.6—Clarkston Valley, Montana (Aftershock)
Jun 27, 19255.535.6—Clarkston Valley, Montana (Aftershock)
Jun 27, 19256.435.6—Clarkston Valley, Montana (Aftershock)
Jun 27, 19256.635.6—The 1925 Clarkston Valley, Montana Earthquake
  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

Volcanoes within 100 miles
Yellowstone34.5High9,203
  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

12

Landslides mapped, probable or better

1

With a recorded date

4

Source inventories

Mapped by USGS Post-Fire Debris Flows (5), USGS Conterminous (4), WY WSGS (2), NASA (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.

Severe weather and other events

766 events in the National Weather Service record, 715 of them since 1996.

31

Hail reports, 1 inch or larger

0

Hail, 2 inches or larger

176

Damaging gusts, 58 mph+

328

Winter weather events since 1996

0

Heat events since 1996

0

Cold events since 1996

Largest hail

July 18, 1997

1.75 inches

Strongest measured or estimated gust

July 6, 1983

100 mph

More event types since 1996

Other Storm Events types since 1996
Lightning103Jul 26, 2011
Debris flows100Jul 17, 2013
Avalanches533Apr 1, 2025

Costliest events since 1996

  1. May 24, 2011Flood$130,000
    National Weather Service narrative

    County officials reported significant flooding across Park County, especially along the foothill locations and on the Shields River in the northern part of the county. The Shields River and its tributaries experienced significant flooding with adjacent low lying areas under water. Some of the creeks that were impacted by high water included Mission, Billman, and Fleshman Creeks. County officials also reported that several roads were closed, damaged and eventually washed out by high water. During the height of the event, the Department of Transportation closed the eastbound lanes of Interstate 90 at Springdale due to water over the road from Peterson Creek.|Damage estimates were…

  2. Jul 2, 2010Tornado$33,000
    National Weather Service narrative

    At approximately 345pm to about 352pm, a supercell thunderstorm produced a tornado with surrounding microburst damage occurred about 15 miles northeast of Wilsall over the foothills of the Crazy Mountains in Park County. Thousands of trees were damaged, including large trees that were uprooted or snapped off at the base. Trees as large as three to four feet in diameter were uprooted and/or snapped. EF-2 scale damage with estimated wind speeds up to 120 mph was determined with this tornado.

  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.

Weather records

From Livingston Airport, 9.9 miles from the county’s population centre, with records from 1948.

All-time high
105°F2 times, most recently Jul 12, 2026
All-time low
−41°FDec 24, 1983
Warmest night
73°FAug 10, 2000
Coldest day
−26°FFeb 3, 1989
Wettest day
2.90 inJun 16, 1992
Snowiest day
16.4 inDec 4, 1998
Hottest year
1999mean 49.5°F
Coldest year
1975mean 41.8°F
Wettest year
197522.87 in
Driest year
19549.01 in
Average monthly high and low temperature and precipitation, last 30 years, Livingston Airport 32°F 38° 19° 0.4 Jan 39° 18° 0.5 Feb 48° 25° 0.8 Mar 55° 30° 1.6 Apr 65° 38° 2.7 May 75° 45° 2.2 Jun 88° 51° 1.1 Jul 86° 49° 1.1 Aug 75° 42° 1.2 Sep 59° 34° 1.4 Oct 46° 26° 0.6 Nov 38° 20° 0.5 Dec Precipitation, inches
Average daily high and low by month, and average monthly precipitation, over the last 30 years.
Days reaching 95°F per year 1976: 0 1977: 0 1978: 1 1979: 2 1980: 5 1981: 3 1982: 0 1983: 7 1984: 2 1985: 15 1986: 1 1987: 0 1988: 10 1989: 6 1990: 6 1991: 2 1992: 0 1993: 0 1994: 0 1995: 5 1996: 15 1997: 1 1998: 16 1999: 13 2000: 22 2001: 7 2002: 5 2003: 18 2004: 2 2005: 10 2006: 14 2007: 17 2008: 11 2009: 1 2010: 6 2011: 9 2012: 24 24 2013: 14 2014: 5 2015: 7 2016: 11 2017: 16 2018: 6 2019: 1 2020: 8 2021: 19 2022: 21 2023: 5 2024: 15 2025: 4 19761986199620062016
Days reaching 95°F each complete year, last 50 years. Thirty-year average: 10.8.

Station Livingston Airport (USW00024150), 4,645 ft elevation, 9.9 miles from the population centre. Daily records from 1948 to October 26, 2026; 99.9% 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.

Federal disaster declarations

14 since 1953. The most recent: Severe Winter Storm and Straight-Line Winds, April 7, 2026.

Federal disaster declarations
Apr 7, 2026Straight-Line WindsSevere Winter Storm and Straight-Line WindsMajor disasterDR-4902-MT
Aug 12, 2023FloodFloodingMajor disasterDR-4726-MT
Jun 16, 2022FloodSevere Storm and FloodingMajor disasterDR-4655-MT
Mar 31, 2020BiologicalCovid-19 PandemicMajor disasterDR-4508-MT
Mar 13, 2020BiologicalCovid-19EmergencyEM-3476-MT
May 24, 2019FloodFloodingMajor disasterDR-4437-MT
Oct 31, 2018FloodFloodingMajor disasterDR-4405-MT
Apr 17, 2014FloodIce Jams and FloodingMajor disasterDR-4172-MT
Jun 17, 2011Severe StormSevere Storms and FloodingMajor disasterDR-1996-MT
Sep 13, 2005HurricaneHurricane Katrina EvacuationEmergencyEM-3253-MT
Aug 30, 2000FireWildfiresMajor disasterDR-1340-MT
Aug 16, 2000FireMt - South Central Zone 4 Fire ComplexFire managementFM-2321-MT
Jul 25, 1997Severe StormSevere Storms,Ice Jams, Snow Melt, FloodingMajor disasterDR-1183-MT
Feb 23, 1996Severe StormSevere Storms, Flooding, and Ice JamsMajor disasterDR-1105-MT

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.

How this compares

Where Park County stands among 56 counties in Montana and 3,143 in the United States.

Ranks
Tornadoes since 1950241 / 562,866 / 3,143
Tornadoes rated F3/EF3 or stronger0——
Tropical cyclones within 50 mi0——
Hurricane-strength passes within 50 mi0——
Wildfire acres since 1984288,86313 / 56151 / 3,143
Flood insurance claims1416 / 561,111 / 3,143
Flood insurance paid$3.3 million1 / 56937 / 3,143
Disaster declarations149 / 562,433 / 3,143
Flood events since 1996754 / 562,999 / 3,143
Hail and wind events since 199636029 / 56890 / 3,143
Winter storm events since 199632811 / 56147 / 3,143
Reported damage since 1996$163,00049 / 563,090 / 3,143
River crests at major flood stage214 / 561,260 / 3,143
High tide flooding days a year, last 10 years0.0——
Months in severe drought since 189516923 / 56565 / 3,143
Medium or heavy smoke days a year, last 10 years25.754 / 56582 / 3,143
Earthquakes M4+ within 50 mi since 19001044 / 56108 / 3,143
Earthquakes M2.5+ in the county since 19731015 / 56347 / 3,143

Neighbouring counties

Neighbouring counties
Carbon County3094,04859
Gallatin County40133,91776
Meagher County3061,8456
Park County WY1001,189,73219
Stillwater County10126,39360
Sweet Grass County20208,83510

Sources and vintage

Every number on this page comes from these public records.

  • 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 USW00024150.
  • 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.