Pitkin County, Colorado severe weather history spans 78 recorded events between 1975 and 2025. The dominant hazard is flash flood, accounting for 32.1% of all recorded events. It ranks #2,972 nationally and #42 in Colorado.
78
Recorded events
2
Direct deaths
3
Direct injuries
$1.2M
Property damage
The record
What the Pitkin County, Colorado severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Pitkin County, Colorado severe weather history averages 1.6 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2020s, with 31 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 2 events fall before 1990 and 76 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Pitkin County, Colorado record is lightning, responsible for 1 direct deaths. The costliest is debris flow, with $897K in reported property damage. In total, 8 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Pitkin County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | 25 | 0 | $232K | 0 | 1997–2022 |
| Debris Flow | 25 | 0 | $897K | 0 | 2016–2025 |
| Thunderstorm Wind | 8 | 0 | $0 | 100 | 1999–2025 |
| Heavy Rain | 6 | 0 | $5K | 0 | 2003–2017 |
| Hail | 5 | 0 | $0 | 1 | 1975–2006 |
| Lightning | 4 | 1 | $2K | 0 | 1997–2008 |
| Flood | 4 | 1 | $16K | 0 | 2011–2023 |
| Tornado | 1 | 0 | $25K | F2 | 1975–1975 |
Decade by decade
Pitkin 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1975-06-20 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 0.5 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Pitkin County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 29, 2023 | Flood | SNOWMASS | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| Jul 25, 1997 | Lightning | ASPEN | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| Jul 6, 2008 | Lightning | ASPEN | 0 | 2 | $0 |
| Jul 16, 2000 | Lightning | ASPEN | 0 | 1 | $0 |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
The Roaring Fork River ran high and fast as a result of accelerated snowmelt. Rescuers were unable to resuscitate a person they recovered from the river near the Lazy Glen subdivision after strong, runoff-fueled currents carried the victim downstream roughly 1 1/2 to 2 miles. It did not appear the person had been in a water vessel like a boat or raft. The incident had the makings of someone falling into the river from its banks, but that wasn���t a certainty. Age and gender of victim is unknown.
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.
Area creeks across Pitkin County responded to rapid snowmelt and ran at elevated levels through much of June. Areas adjacent to the Crystal river were impacted through the middle part of the month when flood advisories were in effect for near bankfull conditions. The river also briefly spiked above flood stage on June 6th near Redstone. Low land flooding was reported along the Crystal river with water and debris reaching the bottom of several bridges between Restone and Carbondale.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
16,985
Population (ACS)
$1.1M
Median home value
6
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 |
| Jun 19, 2002 | Fire | WILDFIRES | DR |
| Jul 27, 1984 | Flood | SEVERE STORMS, MUDSLIDES, LANDSLIDES & FLOODING | DR |
| Jan 29, 1977 | Drought | DROUGHT | EM |
Within the county
Most affected places
- Redstone 102
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Pitkin County, Colorado?
78 events are on record between 1975 and 2025, causing 2 direct deaths and $1.2M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Pitkin County?
Flash Flood, with 25 recorded events — 32.1% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Pitkin 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 Pitkin County?
6 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Pitkin County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Pitkin County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Pitkin County as relatively low risk, placing it in the 54 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Pitkin 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
- Phillips County 405
- Prowers County 688
- Park County 72
- Pueblo County 954
- Ouray County 52
- Rio Blanco County 172
Cite this page
“Pitkin County, Colorado.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/colorado/pitkin-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.