Garfield County, Colorado
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 08045 · population 61,566 · 2,947 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 4,769 records for Garfield County, Colorado from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 1,877 days; the most frequent are winter storm records (2,880 records). 4,540 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 15, 2020 avalanche, filed for the forecast zone Flattop Mountains, which covers the county: 2 deaths and 1 injury. FEMA has issued 12 declarations naming the county since 1977, 10 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Grizzly Creek Fire” on August 19, 2020.
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
- 4,769on 1,877 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 47595 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $310Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- FEMA declarations
- 12latest 2020
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 Garfield County most?
The most frequent records are winter storm records: 2,880 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 | 2,880 | 1,196 | 1996-2026 | 5 | 529 | $3K | 20 of 63 |
| Drought | 884 | 145 | 2002-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 14 of 63 |
| Extreme cold | 238 | 146 | 1996-2025 | 0 | 0 | $70M | 5 of 63 |
| High wind and dust storms | 198 | 124 | 1996-2026 | 1 | 22 | $1.1M | 36 of 63 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 144 | 123 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 5 | $282K | 1 of 63 |
| Landslides and avalanches | 123 | 115 | 1998-2026 | 35 | 37 | $171M | 13 of 63 |
| Wildfires | 110 | 89 | 1998-2025 | 0 | 1 | $59M | 10 of 63 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 64 | 49 | 1974-2025 | 1 | 0 | $26K | 31 of 63 |
| Floods | 63 | 47 | 1997-2023 | 2 | 0 | $8.9M | 26 of 63 |
| Heavy rain | 35 | 30 | 1998-2025 | 0 | 1 | $39K | 8 of 63 |
| Hail | 20 | 16 | 1984-2023 | 0 | 0 | $16K | 47 of 63 |
| Heat | 6 | 6 | 2021-2023 | 1 | 0 | – | 6 of 63 |
| Lightning | 4 | 4 | 1998-2004 | 2 | 0 | $189K | 38 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 Garfield County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the March 7, 2026 avalanche (1 death).
All information paraphrased from the Colorado Avalanche Information Center report on the incidence. The fatal avalanche was triggered by a solo backcountry skier in an area known locally as Boss Basin, in the area of Vail Pass, CO. Boss Basin is comprised of a series of northeast-facing slopes that are low-angled at the top, descending into steeper slopes below, ending at a flat bench. Conditions in the Vail Pass area on the accident day were rated by the Colorado Avalanche Information Center at Moderate (3/5) near and above treeline, with a Considerable (2/5) rating below treeline. The main concern was listed as Persistent Slab Avalanches, favoring slopes northwest through north to northeast facing at all elevation bands. …
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 1322091)
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-05-13 | High WindGarfield County and Mesa County · forecast zone Debeque To Silt Corridor | 61 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-05 | Winter WeatherEagle County and 2 more · forecast zone Gore And Elk Mountains/Central Mountain Valleys | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-01 | DroughtEagle County and 4 more · forecast zone Flattop Mountains | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-01 | DroughtEagle County and 2 more · forecast zone Gore And Elk Mountains/Central Mountain Valleys | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-01 | DroughtDelta County and 2 more · forecast zone Grand And Battlement Mesas | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-01 | DroughtEagle County and 2 more · forecast zone Central Colorado River Basin | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-01 | DroughtGarfield County and Mesa County · forecast zone Debeque To Silt Corridor | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-01 | DroughtGarfield County and Mesa County · forecast zone Grand Valley | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-01 | DroughtGarfield County and 2 more · forecast zone Roan And Tavaputs Plateaus | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-01 | DroughtGarfield County and 2 more · forecast zone Lower Yampa River Basin | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-01 | Winter WeatherEagle County and 4 more · forecast zone Flattop Mountains | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-01 | Winter WeatherEagle County and 2 more · forecast zone Gore And Elk Mountains/Central Mountain Valleys | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-02-15 | AvalancheGarfield County and 3 more · forecast zone Flattop Mountains A hard slab avalanche was unintentionally triggered by 3 motorized snow-bikers following a week of heavy, wind blown snow in the South Fork of Dickson Creek, east of Red and White Mountain. The avalanche was 3 to 4 feet in depth, 600 feet wide and debris ran for about 300 vertical feet. The avalanche was described a ... | 2 | 1 | – | |
| 2007-03-13 | AvalancheEagle County and 2 more · forecast zone Gore And Elk Mountains/Central Mountain Valleys Three people were on a backcountry ski vacation near Aspen. They chose to ascend Mount Shimer about 7 miles southeast of Aspen. They were ascending a tree covered, north facing slope near the 12,088 foot level. At approximately 1:50 pm, the lead skier remotely triggered a large avalanche in the bowl to the east. Just ... | 2 | 0 | $1K | |
| 2003-07-31 | LightningRifle, Garfield County The two victims had been riding horses in a remote area of Battlement Mesa when the storm arrived. They sought shelter under a tree which was struck by lightning. The surviving horses which were not under the tree did not get struck by lightning. | 2 | 0 | – | |
| 2000-03-17 | AvalancheEagle County and 2 more · forecast zone Gore And Elk Mountains/Central Mountain Valleys Two skiers were caught and killed in an avalanche near Highland Peak. This was a hard-slab avalanche which fractured at about 4 feet below the surface of the snow pack. The avalanche traveled about 1100 feet in the vertical and was about 500 feet wide. Four other skiers in the group outran the avalanche. | 2 | 0 | – | |
| 2008-03-29 | Winter StormEagle County and 2 more · forecast zone Gore And Elk Mountains/Central Mountain Valleys One to two feet of snow fell across the area while frequent wind gusts of 20 to 40 mph produced blowing and drifting snow. An accident involving 60 to 75 vehicles occurred in the westbound lanes of Interstate 70 at Mile Marker 189, about 1 mile west of the Vail Pass summit. The eastbound lanes were subsequently closed ... | 1 | 22 | – | |
| 2003-01-13 | Debris FlowEagle County and Garfield County · forecast zone Central Colorado River Basin A large rock slide crashed into seven vehicles and covered the west bound lanes of Interstate 70 near the South Canyon exit, about five miles west of Glenwood Springs. A passenger in one vehicle was killed when a three-foot-diameter boulder caved in the passenger side of the vehicle. At least six other people were ... | 1 | 6 | $120K | |
| 2021-03-22 | AvalancheEagle County and 2 more · forecast zone Gore And Elk Mountains/Central Mountain Valleys A pair of backcountry skiers unintentionally triggered a soft slab avalanche near Lime Creek south of Edwards, Colorado. The avalanche ran about 1000 feet and was 3 feet deep and 25 feet wide. Both skiers were caught with one fatality. Please visit the Colorado Avalanche Information Center's website for additional ... | 1 | 2 | – | |
| 2021-02-04 | AvalancheEagle County and 2 more · forecast zone Gore And Elk Mountains/Central Mountain Valleys A pair of backcountry skiers triggered an avalanche near the top of a large open bowl locally known as Marvin's West or Big Marvin (southeast of Vail, CO). But skiers were caught in the avalanche with one unable to escape the path resulting in a fatality. Please visit the Colorado Avalanche Information Centers website ... | 1 | 2 | – |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-07-29 | Debris FlowShoshone, Garfield County | 0 | 0 | $136M | |
| 2020-04-14 | Frost/FreezeGarfield County and Mesa County · forecast zone Grand Valley | 0 | 0 | $34M | |
| 2021-07-31 | Debris FlowShoshone, Garfield County | 0 | 0 | $27M | |
| 1999-04-16 | Cold/Wind ChillGarfield County and Mesa County · forecast zone Grand Valley/Grand Junction And Vicinity | 0 | 0 | $16M | |
| 2003-04-04 | Frost/FreezeGarfield County and Mesa County · forecast zone Grand Valley | 0 | 0 | $13M | |
| 1996-04-19 | Frost/FreezeGarfield County and Mesa County · forecast zone Grand Valley | 0 | 0 | $7.0M | |
| 2002-07-01 | WildfireGlenwood Spgs, Garfield County | 0 | 0 | $5.7M | |
| 2003-06-01 | FloodEagle County and 2 more · forecast zone Gore And Elk Mountains/Central Mountain Valleys | 0 | 0 | $5.2M |
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 Garfield 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 | – | – | – | – | 222 | 994 | 1,158 | 506 |
| Drought | – | – | – | – | 0 | 441 | 247 | 196 |
| Extreme cold | – | – | – | – | 3 | 60 | 53 | 122 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 16 | 54 | 32 | 96 z |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | – | – | – | – | 1 | 32 | 71 | 40 |
| Landslides and avalanches | – | – | – | – | 3 | 45 | 44 | 31 |
High wind and dust storms in the 2020-26: 96 records against 32 in the decade before, 96 of them forecast-zone records. Cells marked z rose mostly through zone records. The local National Weather Service office files these once per forecast zone, so a change in how it draws its zones or splits a storm into records moves this count as much as the weather does; read it beside the Garfield County days with a record above.
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 Garfield County. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 677 · Feb 609 · Mar 539 · Apr 499 · May 254 · Jun 168 · Jul 188 · Aug 164 · Sep 214 · Oct 393 · Nov 446 · Dec 618 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Garfield County
FEMA's register lists 12 declarations that include Garfield County: 3 major disasters, 3 emergencies and 6 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for fire (7) and biological (2).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-08-19 | FM-5334 | Fire | Grizzly Creek Fire |
| 2020-08-19 | FM-5335 | Fire | Pine Gulch Fire |
| 2020-03-28 | DR-4498 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020-03-13 | EM-3436 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2007-06-19 | FM-2698 | Fire | Newcastle Fire |
| 2006-09-01 | FM-2672 | Fire | Red Apple Fire |
| 2005-09-05 | EM-3224 | Coastal Storm | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 2002-07-31 | FM-2457 | Fire | Co - Panorama Fire - 07/31/02 |
| 2002-06-19 | DR-1421 | Fire | Wildfires |
| 2002-06-08 | FM-2419 | Fire | Coal Seam Fire |
| 1984-07-27 | DR-719 | Flood | Severe Storms, Mudslides, Landslides & Flooding |
| 1977-01-29 | EM-3025 | Drought | Drought |
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.
How many floods has Garfield County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 63 flood or flash flood records for Garfield County from 1997 to 2023, on 47 days, with 2 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Garfield County ranks 1907th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $94,000 on 30 claims filed in Garfield County; the most in one year was 7 in 1981. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1979: 1 · 1980: 1 · 1981: 7 · 1982: 1 · 1984: 2 · 1992: 1 · 1993: 5 · 1995: 1 · 2002: 4 · 2003: 1 · 2014: 1 · 2019: 2 · 2023: 2 · 2024: 1; the other years: 0.
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims, as of September 8, 2026; claims by year of loss, payments in the dollars of the year paid. OpenFEMA dataset page.
FEMA's modeled risk for Garfield County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Garfield County Relatively Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $29.6 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 | $1.8M | 3.9 a year (modeled) |
| Avalanche | Relatively High | $2.0M | 1.3 a year (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively High | $986K | 56 a year (modeled) |
| Wildfire | Relatively Moderate | $1.9M | once in about 490 years (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | $21M | 1.7 a year (modeled) |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | $626K | once in about 914 years (modeled) |
| Drought | Relatively Low | $105K | 67 modeled event-days a year |
| Volcanic Activity | Very Low | $18 | once in about 10,000 years (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Garfield 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 Garfield CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Garfield County's FEMA declarations (CSV)12 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis