A tornado touched down high in the Colorado Rockies on Sept. 13, carving a path through a remote mountain forest at an elevation of 11,300 feet. The rare twister, confirmed by the National Weather Service, is one of only three reported in Saguache County since 1995.

The tornado's strength was rated EFU (unknown on the Enhanced Fujita Scale) because of its remote location. Unlike most tornado surveys done in person by the NWS, this tornado was confirmed with the help of satellite photos that showed the path of downed trees. It tracked down the mountain for 0.84 of a mile and was 95 yards wide.

While tornadoes are rarer in the mountains, they can occur at high elevations. An EF1 tornado was confirmed in Divide, Colorado, at an elevation of 9,160 feet on June 17, 2025. Additional twisters w

See Full Page