Rare high-elevation tornado confirmed on Sawtooth Mountain, Colorado
A rare high-elevation tornado occurred on the northern slopes of Sawtooth Mountain, Colorado, between 13:07 and 13:12 MDT (19:07–19:12 UTC) on September 13, 2025. The National Weather Service (NWS) office in Pueblo confirmed the event using satellite imagery and radar data on September 30. The tornado tracked 1.35 km (0.84 miles) with a maximum width of 87 m (285 feet) at an elevation of 3.4 km (11 300 feet) and was rated EF-U.
Rare high-elevation tornado confirmed on Sawtooth Mountain, Colorado on September 13, 2025. Credit: Copernicus EU/Sentinel-2, NWS
A rare high-elevation tornado occurred on the northern slopes of the Sawtooth Mountain on September 13. The tornado was confirmed using satellite imagery and radar data by the National Weather Service (NWS) office in Pueblo, Colorado, on September 30.
According to the NWS, the tornado occurred between 13:07 and 13:12 MDT (19:07 and 19:12 UTC) on September 13.
It had a path length of 1.35 km (0.84 miles) and a maximum width of around 87 m (285 feet). The tornado was rated EF-U, meaning its intensity is unknown.
It was only the third confirmed tornado in Saguache County since 1995.
“For comparison, Kiowa County across the plains has had 69 confirmed tornadoes since 1995,” said the NWS.
Another special feature of the tornado was that it developed at an altitude of around 3.4 km (11 300 feet), making it the fourth-highest high-elevation tornado on record in Colorado.
According to the NWS, this was also the first tornado in the region to be confirmed through a social media tip combined with satellite imagery of the terrain.
While tornadoes can occur on mountains, the NWS said higher terrain typically lacks sufficient moisture and wind shear to produce them.
In 2023, a tornado touched down on Pikes Peak, destroying hundreds of trees. That event was only documented because a hiker photographed it at an altitude of around 2.9 km (9 500 feet).
While most tornadoes form on the plains, where conditions are more favorable, isolated high-altitude tornadoes can develop when moisture and wind shear align.
The highest-elevation tornado recorded in the United States occurred in California’s Sequoia National Park in 2004 at roughly 3.7 km (12 150 feet). Colorado’s highest was in 2012, when a tornado formed near Mount Evans at about 3.6 km (11 900 feet).
Due to the remote location of the occurrence, the NWS will not conduct a ground survey, and the tornado will retain the EF-U rating.
References:
1 Public Information Statement – NWS – September 30, 2025
Rishav Kothari is Editor-in-Chief of The Watchers, where he runs the newsroom and covers earthquakes, volcanoes, severe weather and space weather.
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