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Wind in La Plata County, Colorado
32 damaging wind events in the NCEI Storm Events record, 1950 to 2026. Event types counted: Thunderstorm Wind, High Wind, Strong Wind.
NCEI notes that Storm Data is compiled from a variety of sources including the National Weather Service, other federal, state and local agencies, the media and the public; that property and crop damage figures are estimates; and that some events are recorded by NWS forecast zone rather than by county. FEMA notes that NFIP claim records are redacted and aggregated to protect the privacy of policyholders. Storm records through 30 Jun 2026.
La Plata County, Colorado, has 32 wind events in the NCEI record since 1950, with at least one in 15 different years.
August is the busiest month, with 8 of the recorded events. The last 20 years account for 19 events against 8 in the 20 years before, a change that reflects reporting practice as much as weather.
The county holds 0.4% of the 8,940 wind events recorded in Colorado; its 1.9 per 100 square miles compares with 8.6 statewide.
25 wind reports with a measured or estimated speed reached the 58 mph severe threshold, and 6 reached hurricane force (74 mph).
Compared with Colorado
| Measure | La Plata County | Colorado | US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wind events since 1950 | 32 | 8,940 | 701,953 |
| Per 100 square miles | 1.9 | 8.6 | 19.9 |
| Per 10,000 residents | 5.7 | 15.4 | 21.1 |
| Deaths recorded | 0 | 27 | 2,166 |
| Busiest month | August | June | June |
By year
Seasonality
0Feb
0Mar
0Apr
3May
2Jun
5Jul
7Aug
8Sep
7Oct
0Nov
0Dec
0
Magnitude distribution
NWS wind thresholds
- under 58 mph
- below severe threshold
- 58–73 mph
- severe
- 74–95 mph
- hurricane-force
- 96 mph and over
- extreme
Wind speed converted from the knots NCEI records; estimated and measured gusts are combined. Events without a speed are not binned.
Recorded events
All 32 events, most recent first. Magnitude is hail size, tornado rating or wind speed as recorded.
| Date | Event type | Magnitude | Property damage | Crop damage | Deaths | Injuries | Geography |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17 Sep 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | 63 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 16 Sep 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | 60 mph | $50K | $5K | — | — | County |
| 23 Aug 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | 63 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 10 Aug 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | 59 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 11 Jul 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | 60 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 30 Jun 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | 64 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 20 May 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | 66 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 19 Sep 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | 58 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 14 Jun 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | 76 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 1 Aug 2020 | Thunderstorm Wind | 62 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 12 Sep 2016 | Thunderstorm Wind | 60 mph | $2K | — | — | — | County |
| 12 Jul 2014 | Thunderstorm Wind | 86 mph | $10K | — | — | — | County |
| 22 Sep 2013 | Thunderstorm Wind | 62 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 22 Sep 2013 | Thunderstorm Wind | 70 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 10 Aug 2013 | Thunderstorm Wind | 60 mph | $40K | — | — | — | County |
| 10 Aug 2013 | Thunderstorm Wind | 60 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 10 Aug 2013 | Thunderstorm Wind | 63 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 10 Aug 2013 | Thunderstorm Wind | 67 mph | $10K | — | — | — | County |
| 3 Jul 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | 77 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 11 Jul 2003 | Thunderstorm Wind | 56 mph | $10K | — | — | — | County |
| 7 Sep 2002 | Thunderstorm Wind | 67 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 13 Jul 2002 | Thunderstorm Wind | 69 mph | $30K | — | — | — | County |
| 10 Aug 1999 | Thunderstorm Wind | 63 mph | $500 | — | — | — | County |
| 29 Apr 1999 | Thunderstorm Wind | 100 mph | $1.0M | — | — | — | County |
| 2 Apr 1999 | Thunderstorm Wind | 92 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 20 Jun 1996 | Thunderstorm Wind | 58 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 23 Jul 1988 | Thunderstorm Wind | 0 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 25 May 1980 | Thunderstorm Wind | 75 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 10 Jul 1978 | Thunderstorm Wind | 58 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 1 Apr 1978 | Thunderstorm Wind | 64 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 24 Jun 1969 | Thunderstorm Wind | 58 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 7 Jun 1969 | Thunderstorm Wind | 58 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
Questions and answers
How many wind events has La Plata County had?
32 events in the NCEI Storm Events record between 1950 and 2026. Reporting of damaging wind became far more complete after 1996, so early decades undercount.
When was the last recorded wind event in La Plata County?
17 Sep 2024 (Thunderstorm Wind, 63 mph). Records reach NCEI about 120 days after the month ends.
What was the most damaging wind event recorded in La Plata County?
The thunderstorm wind of 29 Apr 1999, with property damage estimated by NCEI at $1.0M.
How does La Plata County compare with Colorado for wind?
1.9 events per 100 square miles against 8.6 statewide; the county holds 32 of the state's 8,940 recorded events.
Provenance
NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, yearly details files through 30 Jun 2026, public domain. County-recorded events plus zone-recorded events whose forecast zone is named for the county (marked "Forecast zone"). Population and area from the US Census Bureau (2021). Built 1 Oct 2026. See the methodology, the Wind hub and the county page.