Gunnison County, Colorado severe weather history spans 65 recorded events between 1982 and 2024. The dominant hazard is debris flow, accounting for 20.0% of all recorded events. It ranks #3,007 nationally and #46 in Colorado.
65
Recorded events
3
Direct deaths
11
Direct injuries
$756K
Property damage
The record
What the Gunnison County, Colorado severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Gunnison County, Colorado severe weather history averages 1.5 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2000s, with 20 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 8 events fall before 1990 and 57 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Gunnison County, Colorado record is flood, responsible for 2 direct deaths. The costliest is flood, with $562K in reported property damage. In total, 10 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Gunnison County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Debris Flow | 13 | 0 | $51K | 0 | 2013–2024 |
| Flood | 12 | 2 | $562K | 0 | 2000–2023 |
| Thunderstorm Wind | 11 | 1 | $50 | 65 | 1983–2006 |
| Flash Flood | 7 | 0 | $62K | 0 | 1997–2015 |
| Heavy Rain | 6 | 0 | $40K | 0 | 2004–2015 |
| Lightning | 6 | 0 | $42K | 0 | 1996–2020 |
| Wildfire | 5 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2002–2002 |
| Funnel Cloud | 2 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2013–2015 |
| Hail | 2 | 0 | $0 | 0.88 | 1982–2000 |
| Tornado | 1 | 0 | $0 | EFU | 2021–2021 |
Decade by decade
Gunnison County, Colorado severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
1 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 1 touched down inside it and 0 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-05-29 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 0.7 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Gunnison County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 21, 2019 | Flood | IOLA | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| Jun 21, 2019 | Flood | (GUC)GUNNISON CO ARP | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| Oct 16, 1996 | Thunderstorm Wind | SAPINERO | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| Jul 17, 2006 | Lightning | MARBLE | 0 | 7 | $0 |
| Jul 17, 2020 | Lightning | (GUC)GUNNISON CO ARP | 0 | 3 | $0 |
| Sep 8, 2005 | Lightning | ALMONT | 0 | 1 | $1K |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Snowmelt produced a significant washout on National Forest System Road (NFSR) #711-Dry Fork of the Minnesota Creek road located at mile post 5.5 in the Paonia Ranger District. The road was not passable and remained closed.
Kebler Pass sustained major damage due to excessive runoff, knocking out a significant portion of the road about halfway through the pass. Due to the road not being passable by vehicle, the pass will remain closed until repairs can be made and the road is rebuilt. There is no estimated time on when Kebler Pass will reopen.
Snowmelt runoff caused some streams and creeks to exceed bankfull resulting in minor flooding. A seasonal stream came out of its banks and flooded the basement of a home south of Crested Butte and threatened a couple other homes. Heavy equipment was used to build some dikes and divert the water. Several homes were surrounded by water near the confluence of the Slate River and East River, which is about 7 miles southeast of Crested Butte and 10 miles north of Almont. The dirt roads leading to those residences were under 3 to 6 inches of water. Additionally, the East River overflowed at a few other locations which flooded pasture land.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
17,241
Population (ACS)
$622K
Median home value
9
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 28, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR |
| Mar 13, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 | EM |
| Sep 5, 2005 | Coastal Storm | HURRICANE KATRINA EVACUATION | EM |
| Apr 9, 2003 | Snowstorm | SNOW | EM |
| Jun 23, 2002 | Fire | CO-WILEY RIDGE FIRE-06/23/02 | FM |
| Jun 19, 2002 | Fire | WILDFIRES | DR |
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Gunnison County, Colorado?
65 events are on record between 1982 and 2024, causing 3 direct deaths and $756K in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Gunnison County?
Debris Flow, with 13 recorded events — 20.0% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Gunnison County?
1 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 1 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Gunnison County?
9 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Gunnison County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Gunnison County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Gunnison County as relatively low risk, placing it in the 45 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Gunnison County, Colorado severe weather history data come from?
Every figure is drawn from United States federal public-domain records: NOAA/NCEI Storm Events for the event archive, NOAA SPC SVRGIS for mapped tornado paths, FEMA for disaster declarations and risk ratings, and the U.S. Census for population context. Dates are shown in UTC and recent entries may still be revised by NOAA.
Nearby
Neighbouring counties
- Grand County 44
- Hinsdale County 16
- Gilpin County 19
- Huerfano County 193
- Garfield County 229
- Jackson County 11
Cite this page
“Gunnison County, Colorado.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/colorado/gunnison-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.