Dolores County, Colorado
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 08033 · population 2,322 · 1,067 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 1,461 records for Dolores County, Colorado from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 1,064 days; the most frequent are winter storm records (820 records). 1,428 of them are forecast-zone records, which the National Weather Service files once per zone: a county covered by several zones receives each one, so a single storm can add several records on the same day. The deadliest single record is the February 25, 2023 avalanche, filed for the forecast zone Southwestern San Juan Mountains, which covers the county: 2 deaths and 2 injuries. FEMA has issued 9 declarations naming the county since 1970, 7 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Wildfires, Flooding, and Mudslides” on September 1, 2026.
The record, 1950 to 2026
Storm records filed for the county each year (2026 to June 30, 2026). Before 1996 NOAA recorded only tornadoes (from 1950), thunderstorm wind and hail (from 1955).
- recorded, no damage figure
- under $100,000
- $100,000 or more
- $1 million or more
- $10 million or more, or a death
- $100 million or more, or 10 deaths
- a year's colour: its recorded damage or deaths
- a year with a death
- 1955: wind and hail recorded from 1955
- 1996: all 48 event types from 1996
- Storm records
- 1,461on 1,064 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 1315 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $13Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- FEMA declarations
- 9latest 2026
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records through June 30, 2026 (file revision 20260918); damage converted to 2025 dollars with the BLS CPI-U. Search the record at NCEI. BLS consumer price index.
What hazards hit Dolores County most?
The most frequent records are winter storm records: 820 since 1996. The rank column places the county among Colorado's counties by days with a record per 1,000 square miles of land over each hazard's complete period.
| Hazard | Records | Days | First, last | Killed | Injured | Damage | Rank in state |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter storms | 820 | 691 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 3 | $14K | 9 of 63 |
| Drought | 317 | 174 | 2002-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 3 of 63 |
| Extreme cold | 105 | 72 | 1999-2025 | 0 | 0 | $467K | 2 of 63 |
| Wildfires | 74 | 53 | 2000-2025 | 0 | 0 | $12M | 3 of 63 |
| Landslides and avalanches | 52 | 50 | 1998-2025 | 12 | 10 | $160K | 8 of 63 |
| High wind and dust storms | 39 | 37 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 1 | $468K | 43 of 63 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 24 | 24 | 2000-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 8 of 63 |
| Floods | 8 | 8 | 2002-2023 | 0 | 0 | $28K | 45 of 63 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 7 | 5 | 1983-2025 | 0 | 0 | $57K | 49 of 63 |
| Heavy rain | 6 | 6 | 2004-2013 | 0 | 0 | – | 17 of 63 |
| Hail | 5 | 4 | 2000-2025 | 0 | 0 | $126K | 53 of 63 |
| Heat | 2 | 2 | 2021-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 7 of 63 |
| Lightning | 2 | 2 | 1997-2017 | 1 | 1 | $2K | 35 of 63 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (county and forecast-zone records attributed to the county; a zone record shows its own totals on each county it covers). Days: dates with at least one record of the hazard in the county. Ranks: days with a record per 1,000 square miles of land (Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer), since 1950 for tornadoes, 1955 for hail and thunderstorm wind, 1996 for the rest.
When was the last damaging storm in Dolores County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the February 20, 2025 avalanche (1 death).
The Colorado Avalanche Information Center (CAIC) rated the avalanche danger at this location on the day of the incident as Moderate (2/5), with persistent slab avalanches being the main concern. The likelihood of an avalanche was rated as Possible and the expected size was Small to Large (up to D2), large enough to injure, bury, or kill. The period from late November to early February was generally dry, leading to a weak, low cohesion snowpack onto which 3-4 feet of fresh snow fell from February 14th to the 19th. The incident party was made up of 2 experienced backcountry tourers. Rider 2 was very familiar with the terrain in the area, while this was Skier 1's first time in this area. They had toured together multiple times in other locations prior to this trip. …
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 1239173)
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-05-05 | Winter WeatherArchuleta County and 6 more · forecast zone Southwestern San Juan Mountains | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-01 | DroughtDolores County and 2 more · forecast zone Four Corners / Upper Dolores River Basin | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-01 | DroughtDolores County and 3 more · forecast zone Paradox Valley / Lower Dolores River Basin | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-01 | DroughtArchuleta County and 6 more · forecast zone Southwestern San Juan Mountains | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-01 | Winter StormArchuleta County and 6 more · forecast zone Southwestern San Juan Mountains | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-03-31 | Winter StormArchuleta County and 6 more · forecast zone Southwestern San Juan Mountains | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-03-31 | DroughtDolores County and 2 more · forecast zone Four Corners / Upper Dolores River Basin | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-03-31 | DroughtDolores County and 3 more · forecast zone Paradox Valley / Lower Dolores River Basin | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-03-24 | DroughtArchuleta County and 6 more · forecast zone Southwestern San Juan Mountains | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-03-05 | Winter WeatherArchuleta County and 6 more · forecast zone Southwestern San Juan Mountains | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-19 | Winter WeatherDolores County and 2 more · forecast zone Four Corners / Upper Dolores River Basin | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-19 | Winter StormArchuleta County and 6 more · forecast zone Southwestern San Juan Mountains | 0 | 0 | – |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database; every record of 2025-2026 is listed, earlier ones when they caused deaths, injuries or $250,000 of damage (2025 dollars), and every tornado.
The deadliest and costliest records
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-02-25 | AvalancheArchuleta County and 5 more · forecast zone Southwestern San Juan Mountains Two backcountry skiers unintentionally triggered an avalanche on a northwest-facing slope near Vallecito Reservoir. The avalanche was 12 to 30 inches deep and about 200 feet wide at the crown face. It ran about 300 vertical feet through a burn scar, stumps, small aspens, and thick willows. Both of the skiers were ... | 2 | 2 | – | |
| 2020-12-19 | AvalancheArchuleta County and 5 more · forecast zone Southwestern San Juan Mountains A soft slab avalanche was triggered on the north face of Battleship, southeast of Ophir, Colorado by a group of backcountry skiers after a week long period of light to moderate snowfall. The avalanche was small relative to the path and destructive enough to injure, bury or kill a person. The avalanche reached depths ... | 2 | 1 | – | |
| 2023-03-16 | AvalancheArchuleta County and 5 more · forecast zone Southwestern San Juan Mountains A father and two children were moving between a building and vehicle when they were caught in a roof avalanche. The force of the avalanche threw one child towards the building, where their airway was covered in debris but part of their head was visible (partially buried-critical). The other two were completely buried ... | 1 | 3 | – | |
| 2013-02-02 | AvalancheArchuleta County and 5 more · forecast zone Southwestern San Juan Mountains A party of three skiers triggered an avalanche in the Cement Creek drainage area of the northwest San Juan Mountains. The slide occurred on a steep northeast aspect known as Clothesline Path. The steepness of this slope, combined with new snowfall over a weakened slab of older snow, created dangerous avalanche ... | 1 | 2 | – | |
| 2017-08-13 | LightningRico, Dolores County Lightning struck two mountain bikers who had gotten below tree line to seek shelter. One mountain biker was killed. The other only had minor injuries and her clothes were shredded. They had been riding on a trail just above the 10,200 foot level on the East Fork Trail near the Lizard Head Wilderness Area. The mountain ... | 1 | 1 | – | |
| 2025-02-20 | AvalancheArchuleta County and 6 more · forecast zone Southwestern San Juan Mountains The Colorado Avalanche Information Center (CAIC) rated the avalanche danger at this location on the day of the incident as Moderate (2/5), with persistent slab avalanches being the main concern. The likelihood of an avalanche was rated as Possible and the expected size was Small to Large (up to D2), large enough to ... | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2022-03-17 | AvalancheArchuleta County and 5 more · forecast zone Southwestern San Juan Mountains At around 2:00 PM on March 17, 2022, a solo backcountry snowboarder was caught, buried, and killed in an avalanche south of Trout Lake, about five miles southwest of the town of Ophir. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2018-01-21 | AvalancheArchuleta County and 5 more · forecast zone Southwestern San Juan Mountains A backcountry skier was killed in an avalanche he triggered within an area locally know as Sam's Trees in the Chattanooga area between Red Mountain Pass and the town of Silverton. The avalanche location was close to Highway 550. | 1 | 0 | – |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-05-14 | WildfireArchuleta County and 6 more · forecast zone Southwestern San Juan Mountains | 0 | 0 | $2.8M | |
| 2023-11-01 | WildfireArchuleta County and 5 more · forecast zone Southwestern San Juan Mountains | 0 | 0 | $969K | |
| 2023-10-01 | WildfireArchuleta County and 5 more · forecast zone Southwestern San Juan Mountains | 0 | 0 | $969K | |
| 2023-09-01 | WildfireArchuleta County and 5 more · forecast zone Southwestern San Juan Mountains | 0 | 0 | $969K | |
| 2023-08-05 | WildfireArchuleta County and 5 more · forecast zone Southwestern San Juan Mountains | 0 | 0 | $969K | |
| 2024-06-11 | WildfireArchuleta County and 6 more · forecast zone Southwestern San Juan Mountains | 0 | 0 | $941K | |
| 2023-07-01 | WildfireArchuleta County and 5 more · forecast zone Southwestern San Juan Mountains | 0 | 0 | $581K | |
| 2023-06-28 | WildfireArchuleta County and 5 more · forecast zone Southwestern San Juan Mountains | 0 | 0 | $581K |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: deaths and injuries direct and indirect; damage is property plus crops as estimated by the National Weather Service, converted to 2025 dollars.
Is it getting more frequent?
Records per decade for Dolores County's most frequent hazards. Counts rose everywhere after 1996, when NOAA began recording every event type, so compare decades within a hazard's complete period only (the shaded cells come before it).
| Hazard | 1950s | 1960s | 1970s | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020-26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 91 | 268 | 313 | 148 |
| Drought | – | – | – | – | 0 | 134 | 106 | 77 |
| Extreme cold | – | – | – | – | 1 | 21 | 22 | 61 |
| Wildfires | – | – | – | – | 0 | 4 | 29 | 41 |
| Landslides and avalanches | – | – | – | – | 1 | 33 | 13 | 5 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 9 | 10 | 8 | 12 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
Records by month in Dolores County. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 229 · Feb 201 · Mar 163 · Apr 141 · May 87 · Jun 65 · Jul 58 · Aug 53 · Sep 64 · Oct 107 · Nov 120 · Dec 173 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Dolores County
FEMA's register lists 9 declarations that include Dolores County: 6 major disasters, 3 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for flood (3) and fire (2).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-09-01 | DR-4944 | Fire | Wildfires, Flooding, and Mudslides |
| 2020-03-28 | DR-4498 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020-03-13 | EM-3436 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2005-09-05 | EM-3224 | Coastal Storm | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 2002-06-19 | DR-1421 | Fire | Wildfires |
| 1984-07-27 | DR-719 | Flood | Severe Storms, Mudslides, Landslides & Flooding |
| 1977-01-29 | EM-3025 | Drought | Drought |
| 1973-07-06 | DR-396 | Flood | Flooding & Landslides |
| 1970-09-22 | DR-293 | Flood | Heavy Rains & Flooding |
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries (v2), declarations through October 2, 2026; one declaration is counted once however many areas it names. OpenFEMA dataset page.
FEMA's modeled risk for Dolores County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Dolores County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $4.4 million. These are FEMA's model estimates of future loss from 18 hazards, not a count of what happened; they can differ from the record above.
| Hazard | Risk rating | Expected annual loss | Modeled frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Landslide | Relatively High | $489K | once in about 3 years (modeled) |
| Avalanche | Relatively High | $1.8M | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | $540K | 58 a year (modeled) |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | $348K | once in about 546 years (modeled) |
| Drought | Relatively Low | $89K | 94 modeled event-days a year |
| Earthquake | Very Low | $84K | once in about 986 years (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Very Low | $9K | 32 a year (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Very Low | $1.0M | once in about 4 years (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Dolores County
Source: U.S. Census Bureau county adjacency file; NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records since 1950. The Census Bureau's adjacency file.
Next
- Winter storms in ColoradoThe state's winter storm records, by county, year and month
- The Colorado recordEvery hazard in the state, its deadliest events and its federal declarations
- FEMA's risk rating for each hazard in Dolores CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Dolores County's FEMA declarations (CSV)9 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis