The National Weather Service office in Riverton has confirmed that a severe wind event in the Teton Canyon area of western Teton County, Wyoming earlier this month was an EF-1 tornado — only the third documented tornado in the county’s history and the latest-season tornado.

The tornado touched down Oct. 15 around 1:35 p.m. MDT and remained on the ground for about two minutes, according to the National Weather Service. The path was roughly one mile long and up to 125 yards wide, with estimated peak winds between 87 and 104 mph. Hundreds of trees were uprooted or snapped in a section of the Caribou–Targhee National Forest near Alta, Wyoming. The storm damage began around 7,900 feet in elevation and ended near 6,900 feet.

Caribou–Targhee National Forest crews cleared fallen trees to reopen roads and trails in the area, helping motorists and hikers who were briefly trapped in Teton Canyon. Drone imagery collected by the Teton County Wyoming Sheriff’s Office and satellite comparisons from before and after the storm helped confirm the tornado’s track and intensity. The NWS used the Enhanced Fujita Scale’s “softwood tree” damage indicator to classify the event as an EF-1 tornado.

The confirmation was made possible through coordination among the National Weather Service, Teton County Wyoming Emergency Management, the Teton County Wyoming Sheriff’s Office, and Caribou–Targhee National Forest.

Third Tornado on Record in Teton County
This is only the third recorded tornado in Teton County since weather records began:
• July 21, 1987 – Teton–Yellowstone Tornado (F4): Among the highest-elevation tornadoes ever recorded in the United States, this F4 storm remains the strongest in Wyoming history. It tracked across the Teton Wilderness and Yellowstone National Park, damaging thousands of acres of forest with estimated peak winds between 207 and 260 mph.

• June 12, 2022 – Gros Ventre Range Tornado (EF-2): A high-elevation tornado near Crystal Creek Campground northeast of Jackson with peak winds near 130 mph. It traveled about two miles through remote mountain terrain. Following the June 12 storm, the Bridger–Teton National Forest temporarily closed Crystal Creek Campground due to downed trees and hazard conditions.

• Oct. 15, 2025 – Teton Canyon Tornado (EF-1): The most recent event occurred in the Caribou–Targhee National Forest near Alta, producing winds up to 104 mph. This is the latest tornado for the season ever reported in Wyoming going back to 1950 when records started. Prior to this, the 10/7/1969 Goshen County tornado was the latest tornado of the season. The full event page is available at https://mesonet.agron.iastate.edu/wx/afos/p.php?pil=LSRRIW&e=202510281931.