The early to middle part of spring can bring an extraordinary variety of weather to Colorado as is seen in our look back at this week in Denver weather history. High wind events, massive snowstorms and even tornadoes appear on the weather calendar.

From the National Weather Service:

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In 1949…a major winter storm dumped 11.3 inches of snow over downtown Denver. Snowfall totaled 10.4 inches at Stapleton Airport. North to northeast winds were sustained to 17 mph.

In 1985…a slow moving snow storm moved across the state. Denver received only 4.0 inches of snowfall with amounts in the foothills totaling 1 to 2 feet. Still…this was enough snow in Denver to cause flight delays of up to 6 hours at Stapleton International Airport on the night of the 29th. East winds gusted to 28 mph on the 28th.

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In 1938…overnight heavy snowfall was 6.3 inches over downtown Denver.

In 1982…strong winds buffeted metro Denver…breaking windows and damaging roofs. Wind gusts to 90 mph were recorded in Boulder and 51 mph at Stapleton Airport. The strong winds flattened a condominium under construction in Lakewood.

In 1991…1 to 6 inches of snow fell across metro Denver with the heaviest snow confined to the foothills. Six inches of snow was recorded at South Platte in the foothills southwest of Denver and 3 inches at Castle Rock. Snowfall totaled only 0.7 inch at Stapleton International Airport where northeast winds gusted to 33 mph on the 29th.

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In 1970…snowfall totaled 6.0 inches at Stapleton International Airport. Heavy snow accumulation in Boulder on the 29th caused the collapse of a carport at an apartment building…damaging 11 automobiles. Northeast winds gusted to 24 mph at Stapleton International Airport.

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In 1895…rain changed to sleet…then snow…and totaled 8.0 inches in downtown Denver. Strong post-frontal northeast winds were sustained to 48 mph with gusts to 61 mph. Temperatures hovered around 30 degrees all day.

In 1968…microburst winds associated with virga and brief light rain gusted to 46 mph at Stapleton International Airport.

In 1983…winds gusted to 82 mph at the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder with peak gusts of 70 to 80 mph in the foothills. Minor damage occurred at a construction site and to some homes in Boulder. West winds gusted to 39 mph at Stapleton International Airport.

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In 1896…heavy snowfall totaled 7.5 inches in downtown Denver. Northwest winds gusted to 26 mph.

In 1897…rain changed to snow during the early morning of the 30th and totaled 6.2 inches before ending during the late morning of the 31st. Northwest winds were sustained to 35 mph with gusts to 46 mph.

In 1929…heavy snowfall of 7.0 inches was recorded over downtown Denver. Northwest winds were sustained to 23 mph on the 30th.

In 1953…heavy snowfall totaled 8.6 inches at Stapleton Airport where northeast winds gusted to 23 mph.

In 1955…a vigorous cold front produced north winds at 40 mph with gusts as high as 54 mph at Stapleton Airport. Rain and snow showers and blowing dust accompanied the front. Snowfall totaled only 0.1 inch at Stapleton Airport on the 31st.

In 1988…snow began falling on the afternoon of the 30th and continued through the 31st…burying metro Denver. Twelve to 18 inches of snow fell in the foothills to the west of Denver and Boulder with 6 to 12 inches across the rest of metro Denver. The storm disrupted aircraft operations at Stapleton International Airport where snowfall totaled 7.1 inches and north winds gusting to 32 mph reduced the visibility to less than 1/4 mile at times…causing air traffic delays of 2 to 3 hours.

In 2000…heavy snow once again developed over the foothills and the higher terrain to the south of metro Denver. Snowfall totals from the storm included: 16 inches atop Squaw Mountain…15 inches near Rollinsville…13 inches near Evergreen…12 inches near Morrison…11 inches in Coal Creek Canyon…10 inches near Blackhawk and in Eldorado Springs…9 inches at Ken Caryl Ranch and larkspur… And 8 inches near Elizabeth. Snowfall totaled only 4.1 inches at the site of the former Stapleton International Airport. North winds gusted to 32 mph at Denver International Airport on the 30th.

In 2005…a strong spring storm intensified over the eastern plains of Colorado and produced near-blizzard conditions to the east and southeast of Denver overnight. North to northwest winds from 20 to 35 mph with gusts to 50 mph produced extensive blowing snow and caused near zero visibilities at times and snow drifts from 2 to 4 feet in depth. Snowfall amounts included: 12 inches near Bennett…8 inches around Castle Rock… 7 inches near Sedalia…and 6 inches near Parker. Only 0.3 inch of snow was reported at Denver Stapleton. At Denver International Airport…north winds gusted to 37 mph on the 30th and 36 mph on the 31st.

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In 1873…high winds damaged buildings in the city. Northwest winds with sustained velocities to near 40 mph blew from 9:00 am until sunset.

In 1937…north to northeast winds sustained to 25 mph with gusts to 32 mph produced a light dust storm in the city during the afternoon.

In 1971…wind gusts to 92 mph were recorded in the south hills area of Boulder. At the National Bureau of Standards in Boulder sustained winds of 46 mph with gusts to 83 mph were measured. Damage was minor. Northwest winds gusted to 41 mph at Stapleton International Airport.

In 1983…high winds with gusts to 70 mph in Boulder caused minor damage.

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In 1876…heavy snow began during the night and lasted all day on the 31st and through the morning of the 1st. The average depth of snow fall was 10 to 12 inches…but strong winds whipped the snow into drifts of 8 to 10 feet deep on the streets of the city. Precipitation from the storm was 1.03 inches on the 31st and 0.37 inch on the 1st.

In 1891…heavy moist snowfall totaled 18.0 inches in the city. Northeast winds were sustained to 20 mph with gusts to 24 mph on the 31st.

In 1936…northeast winds sustained to 21 mph produced a light dust storm in the city.

In 1975…a major storm dumped 9.3 inches of snowfall at Stapleton International Airport where northwest winds gusted to 41 mph. Rain changed to snow on the afternoon of the 31st…reducing the visibility to as low as 1/8 mile. Snow continued all day on the 1st and accumulated to a depth of 8 inches on the ground. The minimum temperature of 10 degrees on the 1st set a new record low for the date.

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In 1980…the second major blizzard in 5 days buried much of eastern Colorado under 6 to 12 inches of snow. Some drifts were up to 22 feet high. Hundreds of travelers were stranded. Over 3000 families were without power. Livestock losses were high. Metro Denver escaped the main brunt of this storm. At Stapleton International Airport…only 6.3 inches of snow fell over the 3-day period and north winds gusted to only 22 mph on the 1st.

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In 1979…total snowfall of 6.6 inches was measured at Stapleton International Airport where north winds gusted to 31 mph on the 31st. The greatest accumulation of snow on the ground was 3 inches on the 1st.

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In 1905…much rain and some snow occurred over the 5 days behind an apparent cold front. Precipitation totaled 2.00 inches. There was a thunderstorm on the 3rd. Snowfall totaled 3.0 inches on the 4th. North winds were sustained to 34 mph on the 1st and 2nd and to 30 mph on the 3rd. High temperatures during the period ranged from the upper 30’s to the lower 40’s. Low temperatures were in the upper 20’s and lower 30’s.

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In 1987…a vigorous cold front produced 2.3 inches of snowfall at Stapleton International Airport where northeast winds gusted to 39 mph. The temperature dropped from a maximum of 59 degrees at mid-morning to a low of 25 degrees at midnight.

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In 1963…strong winds buffeted metro Denver…while wind- whipped fires consumed grassland on the plains. A child was injured by a wind-blown falling tree in Castle Rock. Southwest winds gusted to 52 mph at Stapleton Airport… Causing some blowing dust. The worst fire storm burned over 25 thousand acres of grazing land in southern weld County near Roggen northeast of Denver.

In 1984…a snowstorm with near-blizzard conditions over eastern Colorado closed many roads…including I-70 and I-76 east of Denver and I-25 between Denver and Colorado springs. At Stapleton International Airport…snowfall totaled only 2.5 inches…but north winds gusted to 45 mph on the 2nd.

In 1999…moist upslope conditions allowed heavy snow to develop in the Front Range foothills where snowfall totals included: 10 inches at Aspen Park and Evergreen; 9 inches at turkey creek; 8 inches at Idaho Springs and Genesee; 7 inches at Aspen Springs…Crow Hill…Intercanyon…and Lake George. In metro Denver snowfall totals included: 10 inches south of Sedalia; 8 inches in Littleton; 7 inches at Morrison; 6 inches at Highlands Ranch; and 4 to 5 inches in Northglenn…Parker and near Louisville. Snowfall totaled 4.7 inches at the site of the former Stapleton International Airport.

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In 1945…snow fell across metro Denver for a total of 51 consecutive hours. While the storm was not accompanied by excessive snow…the long duration made the event a heavy snow producer. Snowfall totaled 10.7 inches in downtown Denver with 9.5 inches recorded at Stapleton Airport. North winds were sustained to 21 mph on the 1st; otherwise winds were not strong. The air mass was very cold for April. The high temperatures of 26 on the 2nd and 17 on the 3rd were record low maximums for the dates. The latter was also a record low maximum for the month. Warm weather following the storm quickly melted the snow.

In 1973…heavy snow fell at Stapleton International Airport where 8.7 inches were measured. Snow began late on the 1st and continued through early morning on the 3rd. Thunder accompanied the snow during the late morning and afternoon of the 2nd. North winds gusted to 33 mph on the 2nd and 37 mph on the 3rd. Snow only accumulated to a depth of 5 inches on the ground due to melting.

In 1977 a foot of snow fell in Boulder and Broomfield. The Denver-Boulder turnpike was closed for an hour after numerous minor traffic accidents. At Stapleton International Airport…snowfall totaled 4.7 inches and southeast winds gusted to 32 mph on the 2nd. The greatest depth of snow on the ground was only 3 inches due to melting.

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In 1894…northwest winds were sustained to 42 mph with gusts to 48 mph. The warm Chinook winds warmed the temperature to a high of 70 degrees.

In 1925…north winds were sustained to 40 mph with gusts to 42 mph.

In 1957…a heavy snow storm dumped 17.3 inches of snow at Stapleton Airport. Strong gusty north winds to 31 mph reduced visibilities to 1/8 mile at times and created blizzard conditions. The 24-hour snowfall had been exceeded only twice in previous records…and the 24 hour precipitation of 2.05 inches was the third heaviest of previous record during April.

In 1959…a cold front produced strong gusty winds across metro Denver. North winds gusting to 50 and 60 mph caused some minor damage to power lines and signs and caused dust storms on the plains east of Denver. A wind gust to 49 mph was recorded at Stapleton Airport.

In 1966…northwest winds gusting to 52 mph produced blowing dust…which briefly reduced the visibility to 1 mile at Stapleton International Airport.

In 1975…the all-time lowest recorded temperature in April… 2 degrees below zero…occurred. This is also the latest below zero reading for the season.

In 1982…a strong windstorm struck all of metro Denver… Causing minor damage. Wind gusts to 127 mph were recorded at Rocky Flats south of Boulder…116 mph at Wondervu…100 mph at Jefferson County Airport in Broomfield…and 56 mph at Stapleton International Airport. The strong winds whipped up blowing dust…briefly reducing the visibility to 3/4 mile.

In 1986…heavy thunderstorms produced wind gusts to about 70 mph in Boulder. A severe thunderstorm wind gust to 62 mph was recorded at Stapleton International Airport. The strong winds kicked up thick clouds of blowing dust severely restricting surface visibility.

In 1997…a pacific storm left heavy snow in the foothills with lesser amounts across the city. Snowfall totaled 12 inches near Blackhawk…11 inches at Golden Gate Canyon…10 inches at Conifer and Crowhill…9 inches at Evergreen…5 inches at Sedalia…and 4 inches at Castle Rock and Morrison. Only 2.1 inches of snow fell at the site of the former Stapleton International Airport. Northwest winds gusted to 21 mph at Denver International Airport.

In 1998…a major spring storm brought heavy snow to metro Denver and the foothills. Snowfall totals ranged from 12 to 22 inches in the foothills with 4 to 12 inches across metro Denver. Snowfall totals included: 22.5 inches near Conifer; 13 inches in Coal Creek Canyon; 12 inches near Blackhawk…Eldora…and Genesee; 10 inches near Evergreen and Nederland; 9 inches in Lakewood; 8 inches in Broomfield and northwest Denver; and 7.0 inches at the site of the former Stapleton International Airport. Northeast winds gusted to 31 mph at Denver International Airport.

In 2002…snowfall was only a trace at the site of the former Stapleton International Airport. This was the only snowfall of the month…ranking the month…along with previous months… The 2nd least snowiest on record.

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In 1955…strong west to southwest winds raked metro Denver on both days. Sustained winds as high as 37 mph with gusts to 60 mph were recorded at Stapleton Airport where the visibility was reduced to 1/4 mile in blowing dust.

In 1974…a heavy snowfall of 6.7 inches was accompanied by northeast wind gusts to 33 mph which produced some blowing snow across metro Denver. Over eastern Colorado many highways and schools were closed due to near-blizzard conditions from the storm.

In 1986…the worst snow storm of the season blasted metro Denver. Heavy snow and high winds combined to close roads… Schools…and airports. Portions of all interstate highways out of Denver were closed at times. The snow came after an exceptionally mild late winter and early spring; trees and bushes had already bloomed and leafed out. The snow and wind snapped many of these…causing power outages. Total snowfall amounts in metro Denver ranged from 1 to 2 feet with 2 to 3 feet in the foothills. Snowfall totaled 12.6 inches at Stapleton International Airport where north winds gusting to 39 mph reduced the visibility to 1/8 mile in snow and blowing snow. Most of the snow fell on the 3rd when temperatures hovered around 30 degrees for most of the day. The heavy snow halted traffic and closed businesses. A 59- year-old man was found dead from exposure in northwest Denver. The roof of a toy store in Northglenn collapsed. A 100 thousand square foot section of a greenhouse roof collapsed in Golden…destroying over a million dollars’ worth of plants.

In 2000…a combination of strong instability and moist upslope winds allowed for a heavy…wet spring snowstorm to develop in and near the Front Range foothills. The heaviest snow occurred in southern Jefferson County. Storm totals included: 14 inches near Conifer…12 inches near Evergreen and on Floyd Hill; 11 inches near Blackhawk…Morrison…and tiny town; 10 inches at Aspen Springs and Eldora ski area; 9 inches at Chief Hosa; and 8 inches at both Golden Gate Canyon and Rollinsville. Only 2.1 inches of snow fell at the site of the former Stapleton International Airport. North winds gusted to 36 mph at Denver International Airport on the 2nd.

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In 1934…snowfall totaled 8.2 inches in downtown Denver from the afternoon of the 2nd through the early morning of the 4th. Most of the snow…6.8 inches…fell on the 3rd. Rain changed to snow behind a strong cold front on the afternoon of the 2nd. The cold front first appeared as a long-cigar shaped squall cloud to the north of the city. Strong north winds at sustained speeds of 33 mph with gusts to 43 mph produced much blowing dust and an abrupt fall in temperature…from a high of 68 on the 2nd to a low of 22 on the 3rd.

In 1964…a major storm dumped 10.9 inches of heavy wet snow on Stapleton International Airport where northeast winds gusted to 35 mph. Most of the snow…10.0 inches…fell on the 3rd.

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In 1918…snowfall totaled 12.4 inches over downtown Denver. Most of the snow fell on the 3rd and 4th. Temperatures were in the 20’s and 30’s. Northwest winds were sustained to 24 mph on the 2nd.

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In 1872…skies were cloudy and threatening until 11:30 am when it commenced to rain and continued to rain until 3:00 pm…when it turned into heavy snow with a very brisk north wind. Snow continued all night. Telegraph wires were downed between Denver and Cheyenne…and the night report could not be sent. Precipitation (rain and melted snow) measured 0.82 inch.

In 1887…north winds were sustained to 43 mph.

In 1894…northwest winds were sustained to 41 mph with gusts to 50 mph. The warm Chinook winds on the 2nd became a bora as the temperature warmed to a high of only 52 degrees.

In 1900…southeast winds were sustained to 52 mph with gusts as high as 61 mph.

In 1945…the temperature warmed to only 17 degrees…the all-time record low maximum for the month.

In 1968…a snow storm of unusual severity for so late in the season caused ground blizzard conditions with near zero visibility in snow at times and severe drifting of snow over portions of northeastern Colorado and metro Denver. Highways were blocked to the north of Denver and to Colorado Springs. Rain at the start of the storm contributed to power and communications outages. In metro Denver…snowfall totaled 7.0 inches at Stapleton International Airport where north winds gusted to 45 mph.

In 1978…a tornado was sighted by a National Weather Service observer 3 miles north of Stapleton International Airport near the Rocky Mountain Arsenal. Security police on the Arsenal called it a large dust devil…but four commercial airline pilots confirmed the phenomenon as a tornado or funnel cloud.

In 1981…a snowstorm hit northeastern Colorado…dumping 6 to 12 inches of snow in the foothills and 4 to 8 inches on the plains north of Denver. Snowfall totaled only 2.0 inches at Stapleton International Airport where north winds gusted to 24 mph.

In 1985…strong winds of 60 to 70 mph occurred in the foothills. The driver of a car in Nederland was slightly injured when the wind toppled a utility pole onto his vehicle. Northwest winds gusted to 53 mph at Stapleton International Airport where the visibility was briefly reduced to 2 miles in blowing dust.

In 1989…a northwest wind gust to 51 mph was recorded at Stapleton International Airport.

In 2011…high winds developing along the Front Range during the early morning hours. Peak wind gusts included: 92 mph… 7 miles northwest of Berthoud; 75 mph…2 miles west of Castle Rock; and 65 mph…2 miles west of Elbert. West winds gusted to 49 mph at Denver International Airport.

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In 1996…the foothills west of Denver received 6 to 8 inches of new snow. Only 0.8 inch of snow fell at the site of the former Stapleton International Airport…along with some freezing drizzle on the 4th and 5th. North-northeast winds gusted to 30 mph at Denver International Airport on the 3rd.

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In 1898…snowfall totaled 8.7 inches in downtown Denver over the 4 days. Northeast winds were sustained to 48 mph with gusts as high as 60 mph on the 3rd.

In 1983…a prolonged heavy snow storm blanketed the area along with very cold temperatures. The greatest amounts of snow fell in the foothills where 24 to 42 inches were measured. A foot of snow fell in Boulder. Snow fell for 50 consecutive hours at Stapleton International Airport on the 3rd through the 5th with a total snowfall of 8.8 inches and a maximum accumulation on the ground of 6 inches on the 5th. In Denver…the mercury failed to rise above freezing for 3 consecutive days…on the 4th…5th…and 6th…for the first time ever in April. Five daily temperature records were set from the 4th through the 6th. Record low temperatures of 12 degrees occurred on the 5th with 7 degrees on the 6th. Record low maximum temperatures of 25 degrees occurred on the 4th…27 degrees on the 5th… And 28 degrees on the 6th.

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In 1888…southwest winds were sustained to 40 mph.

In 1915…Chinook winds from the northwest were sustained to 40 mph with gusts to 43 mph. The winds warmed the temperature from a low of 44 degrees to a high of 67 degrees.

In 1935…light dust enveloped the city during the day on southwest winds sustained to 23 mph with gusts to 27 mph.

In 1985…north winds gusted to 53 mph at Stapleton International Airport where the visibility was briefly reduced to less than a mile by blowing dust and a snow shower.

In 1987…microburst winds gusted to 51 mph at Stapleton International Airport.

In 1997…heavy snow developed over western portions of metro Denver and along the Palmer Divide. As a strong surface low pressure system intensified over the plains…moist upslope flow developed across metro Denver producing strong north winds at 20 to 40 mph and some blowing snow. Snowfall totaled 12 inches at Conifer with 4 to 7 inches at Crowhill…Evergreen…and Morrison. Thunderstorm rain changed to snow across the city with 2.0 inches of snowfall measured at the site of the former Stapleton International Airport where precipitation (rain and melted snow) totaled 0.70 inch. North-northwest winds gusted to 43 mph at Denver International Airport.

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In 1900…rain changed to heavy snow and totaled 7.8 inches in downtown Denver overnight. A thunderstorm on the 4th produced hail. Precipitation totaled 1.50 inches.

In 1911…north to northwest winds were sustained to 42 mph on the 4th and to 41 mph on the 5th.

In 2002…a whitish-colored haze engulfed metro Denver on both days. The haze was the result of a huge wind storm that kicked up dust and sand from the Gobi Desert in Mongolia and China during the latter half of March. Westerly winds aloft transported the dust cloud across the Pacific Ocean and over the western united states…depositing some of it on Colorado.

In 2009…a blizzard developed over the northeast plains of Colorado. Most of the urban corridor was spared from the blizzard…with the exception of eastern Adams and eastern Arapahoe counties. The combination of strong wind and heavy snow snapped 14 power lines along State Highway 36… Near Strasburg. In Arapahoe County…7 poles were snapped in Bennett. Interstate 70 was closed in both directions east of Denver. At Denver International Airport…a peak wind gust of 63 mph was observed from the north…breaking the previous record of 62 mph established in 1986. Officially…only 0.3 inches of snowfall was measured at Denver International Airport.

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In 1909…post-frontal rain changed to heavy snow on the afternoon of the 4th and continued through mid-morning of the 7th. Total snowfall was 18.7 inches…but most of the snow…14.0 inches…fell from 6:00 pm on the 4th to 6:00 pm on the 5th. North to northeast winds were sustained to 32 mph on the 4th and to 30 mph on the 7th. Total precipitation from the storm was 1.78 inches.

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In 1873…a heavy rain and hail shower in the afternoon changed to snow…and accumulated to 6 inches on the streets at 9:00 pm. Precipitation (rain and melted snow) totaled 0.56 inch.

In 1925…southeast winds were sustained to 46 mph with gusts to 50 mph. This was the strongest wind of the month that year.

In 1950…a well-developed dust devil was observed 4 to 5 miles south-southwest of Stapleton Airport for about 8 minutes.

In 1977…the earliest date of the last freeze of the season occurred when the temperature dipped to a low of 31 degrees.

In 1988…a wind gust to 74 mph was recorded at Rollinsville. West winds gusted to 35 mph at Stapleton International Airport.

In 1990…a heavy…wet snow fell in many areas in and along the Colorado Front Range. Snowfall amounts of 4 to 7 inches were common around the Boulder area with lesser amounts elsewhere. Only 2.0 inches of snow fell at Stapleton International Airport where north winds gusted to 28 mph. Icy roads contributed to numerous fender-benders and a 20-vehicle pileup near the junction of I-70 and I-25 in the city.

In 2000…high winds developed in the Front Range foothills… From about I-70 northward. Peak wind gusts included: 83 mph at the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder…75 mph near Louisville…and 70 mph at the national wind technology center…south of Boulder. West winds gusted to 41 mph at Denver International Airport.

In 2005…a surface low pressure center deepened over eastern Colorado and produced damaging high winds across metro Denver. The strong wind gusts ranging from 50 to 70 mph damaged roofs and fences. Cross-winds blew several empty semi-trailers on their sides along I-70 and I-76 east of Denver. Peak north wind gusts included: 60 mph near Bennett and Keenesburg…59 mph near Brighton…and 53 mph at Denver International Airport. Over the palmer divide south of Denver…the high winds combined with heavy snow to produce blizzard conditions. Snowfall accumulations ranged from 3 to 8 inches over eastern Douglas and western Elbert counties. Snowfall totals included: 8 inches at Sedalia…4 inches near Castle Rock…and 3.5 inches near Franktown.

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In 1939…3.0 inches of snow fell in downtown Denver. North winds were sustained to 34 mph on the 5th and to 26 mph on the 6th. The strong winds caused considerable drifting of snow. Several highways leading into the city were closed during the height of the storm due to poor visibility. Streets and highways became coated with ice in places. The temperature dipped to 11 degrees early on the 6th. This was the coldest reading of the month that year. Most vegetation was not far enough advanced to be injured by the cold temperatures…although a few buds froze on early shrubbery.

In 1949…strong winds in Boulder caused limited minor damage. West-northwest winds were sustained to 24 mph with some higher gusts at Stapleton Airport.

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In 1916…rain changed to snow behind a cold front on the 5th and totaled 4.5 inches in the city. A thunderstorm produced snow on the 6th. North winds were sustained to 35 mph with gusts to 38 mph on the 7th.