Time for a break! We will be largely incommunicado for a few days as we take a break and disconnect from the online world to rest and recharge. In the meantime, be sure to visit the website regularly for the latest forecasts, radar, current conditions and more. Don’t worry, we will return. ? See you soon!
In our July weather preview we discussed how the month is not only Denver’s hottest but also its stormiest. Our look back at this week in Denver weather history helps to illustrate that fact. We start seeing 100+ degree days as well as many of the types of fast moving thunderstorm events expected this time of year.
From the National Weather Service:
29-2
In 1990…almost a year to date after the record breaking heat in early July 1989…the third longest heat wave in Denver history started. From June 29th through July 2nd the temperature reached 100 degrees or more on four consecutive days. The highest reading of 102 degrees occurred on the 29th…30th…and 1st. Combined with the 102 degree reading on June 27th this would have been the longest heat wave on record…but the temperature climbed to only 98 degrees on June 28th.
29-15
In 2000…the 29th marked the beginning of a near record hot streak for metro Denver. The high temperatures…as recorded at Denver International Airport…exceeded the 90 degree mark for 17 consecutive days from June 29th through July 15th. The record of 24 consecutive 90 degree or above days was set from July 13th through August 5th…2008.
1-18
In 1874…a streak of 18 consecutive days of 90 degrees tied for second with another streak that was later set in the summer of 1901. The record of 24 consecutive days was established in the summer of 2008.
1-31
In 2012…it was the hottest July on record in Denver since weather records began in 1872. The average temperature for the month was 78.9 degrees which was 4.7 degrees above normal. There were 27 days in which the high temperature equaled or exceeded 90 degrees…which established a new record. There were also 7 days in which the temperature equaled or exceeded 100 degrees which tied the record set in 2005.
2
In 1879…a severe hail storm produced considerable damage in the vicinity of Arvada. Some of the stones were unusually large…measuring 6.5 inches in circumference (2 inches in diameter) with an average weight of 1 ounce. The stones were uniformly large with one side concave. The greatest damage was to early wheat…cabbage…and vines. A tree just to the south of the weather station in downtown Denver was struck by lightning. Residents in the house 15 feet away were affected by the strike.
In 1885…thunderstorm winds were sustained to 50 mph in the city.
In 1892…an apparent cold front produced sustained northeast winds to 40 mph with gusts to 45 mph.
In 1955…a apparent microburst wind gust to 69 mph was recorded at Stapleton Airport where the brief strong wind reduced the visibility to zero in blowing dust.
In 1965…hail…up to 2 inches in diameter…struck southwest Adams and northeast Denver counties…damaging cars…windows… And foliage. Hail accumulated up to a foot deep. Wind gusts to 48 mph and hail to 1 inch in diameter fell at Stapleton International Airport where the large hail broke three storm windows and shredded shrubs at the U.S. Weather Bureau Upper Air building.
In 1968…a pilot reported a tornado 10 miles southeast of Parker.
In 1971…one inch diameter hail stones were reported in Adams County about 30 miles east of Denver.
In 1987…a large tornado touched down 10 miles northeast of Stapleton International Airport. The tornado was vertical and thick and kicked up a large dust and debris cloud. Later…it developed a sinuous rope-like shape as it slowly dissipated. The tornado was visible for 15 minutes. The twister occurred in open country and did only minor damage to a metal shed…porch…and mailbox. A man was killed by lightning in southwest Aurora. He was in his backyard and had a shovel in his hand at the time of the strike. A group of soccer players were hit by lightning on a field in Boulder. A 10-year-old boy was critically injured and hospitalized; fortunately he recovered. Six other people were knocked to the ground by the strike. Two of these were slightly injured. Golf ball size hail fell just east of Littleton and at Highlands Ranch. Hail as large as 3/4 inch in diameter was reported in Aurora and Parker and near Hudson and Franktown.
In 1988…a 45-year-old man was injured by lightning at Cheery Creek Reservoir. Administration of CPR probably saved his life.
In 1990…the temperature reached a high of 100 degrees at Stapleton International Airport.
In 1993…thunderstorm winds blew a roof off a barn near Parker…causing an estimated 15 hundred dollars damage.
In 1994…thunderstorm winds downed power lines in Boulder… Causing power outages. Winds gusted to 66 mph in Boulder… 64 mph in Arvada…and 60 mph in Golden.
In 1998…a small tornado touched down briefly near Barr Lake… But caused no damage.
In 2002…hail as large as 1 3/4 inches in diameter fell in the city of Denver and in Arapahoe County near Littleton. The low temperature of 69 degrees equaled the record high minimum for the date.
In 2006…lightning struck a teenager in Castle Rock as he was mowing his lawn and listening to an iPod. The teen suffered burns to his hands and feet…and had blood running from his ears when he was found. The victim’s eardrums were ruptured…which damaged his hearing. Lightning also struck a house in Castle Rock causing extensive damage to the roof and side of the home. Heavy rains caused flash flooding at Castlewood Canyon State Park near Franktown. The floodwaters destroyed four footbridges along the high trail. A culvert and several roads were washed out in the area. In addition… Two driveways crossing Cherry Creek were washed out near Prairie Canyon Ranch. Heavy rainfall also caused minor flooding on murphy and sand creeks…just east of Buckley AFB. Gun Club Road was closed between Alameda and Mississippi avenues…north of the Murphy Creek Golf Course…where 3 feet of standing water reportedly covered the road. A severe thunderstorm produced large hail to 7/8 inch in diameter in south Aurora near Cherry Creek.
In 2016…a weak landspout touched down briefly in and open field near Bennett.
In 2018…a severe thunderstorm produced a wind gust to 64 mph at Denver International Airport.
In 2021…a severe thunderstorm produced large hail from Brighton to Barr Lake. Hail as large as 1 3/4 inches in diameter was reported.
3
In 1874…the temperature climbed to a high of 101 degrees in downtown Denver.
In 1881…the all time highest recorded daily minimum temperature of 77 degrees occurred in the city. This was also the highest daily minimum temperature ever recorded in July.
In 1885…a severe thunderstorm produced hail the size of hazel nuts…which fell with great force. A telegraph pole in west Denver was struck by lightning and shattered to pieces.
In 1955…a brief microburst wind gust to 61 mph was recorded at Stapleton Airport.
In 1960…a major hail storm caused 1.5 million dollars in damage across metro Denver. The heaviest damage occurred in south Denver…Englewood…Littleton…and Golden from wind- driven hail as large as golf balls and heavy rain which caused flooding. Winds were estimated at 60 to 70 mph. Rainfall was estimated at 2 to 3 inches. Hail accumulated 3 to 4 inches deep in some sections. Hail carried by flood waters drifted 3 to 4 feet deep. An Englewood policeman was injured when hail broke the windshield of his car. One inch of rain in 10 minutes…and heavy hail damage were reported in Parker. At some places the hail from the storm was still on the ground the next morning.
In 1967…large hail stones from 1 3/4 to 2 1/2 inches in diameter damaged cars and buildings in southwest Denver and Littleton where hail drifted to depths of 3 to 4 feet. The hail caused a great deal of damage…and streets were flooded by heavy rain over many sections of west metro Denver. At centennial race track near Littleton…a few hail stones were as large as tennis balls. Large hail broke the windshield on a Littleton police car. Golf ball to tennis ball size hail fell in the vicinity of Arapahoe road and south Broadway. One inch diameter hail fell at the intersection of orchard and south university. Golf ball size hail fell in Broomfield. Hail in Westminster was measured from 1 to 1 1/4 inches in diameter. Tornadoes were sighted by the public near Cheery Creek Reservoir… north of Commerce City…and in Arvada…but caused no reportable damage.
In 1993…high winds developed behind a strong cold front along portions of the Front Range. While the strongest winds were reported north of metro Denver…the winds blew out a half inch thick pane of glass from a vacant 9-story building. The glass landed on a parked car below. West winds gusting to 52 mph kicked up some blowing dust at Stapleton International Airport.
In 1996…lightning sparked a small fire near buffalo creek in southern Jefferson County. Only one acre burned before the fire was contained.
In 2002…heavy thunderstorm rain washed out a frontage road 6 miles north of Larkspur. The nearby mountain ranch subdivision was also flooded. Heavy rainfall in the Hayman fire burn area washed out a secondary road when debris from the runoff blocked a culvert. Hail as large as 3/4 inch fell near Keenesburg…in Castle Rock…and 7 miles to the south of Castle Rock.
In 2005…severe thunderstorms produced high winds. Wind gusts to 75 mph were measured near Longmont and to 60 mph just west of Boulder. No damage was reported.
In 2007…severe thunderstorms produced large hail in the foothills and suburbs west of Denver. Large hail from 1 to 2 inches in diameter was reported in the vicinity of Idaho Springs…Rollins and Edgewater.
In 2009…severe thunderstorms produced large hail and north and east of Denver. Hail up to one inch in diameter was observed near Erie and firestone. Hail up to 1 3/4 inches was observed 5 to 6 miles west-southwest of Byers. The golfball size hail caused extensive damage to a wheat field. In Aurora…six children received minor injuries when lightning struck a nearby tree. The injuries occurred when they were knocked down by the blast. None of the children suffered burns or appeared to have been directly hit by lightning.
In 2014…a severe thunderstorm produced large… up to 1 ½ inches in diameter…about 14 miles northwest of Golden.
4
In 1874…the temperature reached a high of 102 degrees in downtown Denver. Large forest fires in the mountains from the west-northwest to the south filled the atmosphere over the city with dense smoke.
In 1885…a thunderstorm produced sustained winds to 44 mph with gusts to 60 mph. A circus tent was tattered by the strong winds.
In 1900…a thunderstorm produced northwest winds sustained to 42 mph with gusts to 51 mph…but only 0.05 inch of rain.
In 1903…the all time lowest temperature ever recorded in July…42 degrees…occurred. The temperature also occurred on July 31…1873.
In 1910…thunderstorm winds were sustained to 42 mph from the southwest.
In 1922…thunderstorm winds were sustained to 37 mph with gusts to 48 mph.
In 1956…a thunderstorm wind gust to 54 mph was recorded at Stapleton Airport.
In 1964…several men were knocked down by a bolt of lightning while playing golf in south metro Denver. They got up and ran for cover when one of them was struck by a second bolt. He suffered burns and shock.
In 1987…a weak tornado was observed for 6 minutes…7 miles northeast of Watkins. Hail 3/4 to 1 1/4 inches in diameter fell in southeast Aurora.
In 1988…lightning struck a group of people at the Jefferson County fairgrounds. A 42-year-old woman was seriously injured and was hospitalized for 3 days. Four other people sustained minor injuries.
In 1993…strong northwest winds uprooted several trees across metro Denver. Wind gusts to 64 mph were reported at Erie north of Denver. A west wind gust to 43 mph was recorded at Stapleton International Airport.
In 1995…lightning struck and injured two people standing in a field in Arvada.
In 1998…heavy thunderstorm rain…up to 2.75 inches…and marble size hail combined to flood local roads and fields near Roggen.
In 2002…heavy thunderstorm rain in the Hayman fire burn area caused flash flooding. In Jefferson County…Gulch Road was washed out. In Douglas County…high water washed out some forest access roads as well…generally to the east of a line extending from signal butte to Deckers.
In 2010…intense thunderstorms produced torrential rainfall… In excess of 5 inches in one hour…and caused flash flooding in the vicinity of Elizabeth. Numerous County roads were washed out. The combination of heavy rain and hail made it necessary to run snow plows through town. Extensive basement flooding was also reported. Severe thunderstorms produced large hail from Aurora south to Elizabeth and Larkspur. The hail size ranged from 1 to 2 inches in diameter. A wet microburst produced 1.84 inches of rainfall at Denver International Airport. A peak wind gust to 48 mph was also observed from the northeast.
In 2017…a microburst produced a wind gust to 61 mph…about 13 miles east-northeast of Denver International Airport.
In 2019…severe thunderstorms brought a wave of large hail across portions of Arapahoe…Broomfield…Denver…Douglas…Jefferson… and Weld counties. The hail ranged in size from 1 to 2 inches in diameter. The city of Lone Tree evacuated Sweetwater Park… where Fourth of July celebrations were underway…and Brighton delayed its Fourth of July concert. The Denver Outlaws game was postponed due to lightning. In Denver County…there was widespread damage from the hail…including damage to roof coverings and vehicles. Continue reading July 2 to July 8: This week in Denver weather history
The month of June typically sees springtime severe weather reach its height of activity in northeastern Colorado.
This affords the opportunity to capture extraordinary images of amazing weather phenomena from monstrous supercell thunderstorms to heavy rain, hail and even tornadoes.
Showcasing images captured by ThorntonWeather.com readers as well as some of our own, our monthly slideshow covers the entire gamut of weather and nature related imagery.
Sunsets, sunrises, wildlife and of course every type of weather condition are vividly depicted. June brings some very dynamic weather and the photos are a great way to see the stunning variety.
To learn more about how to send your photo to us for inclusion in the slideshow, see below the slideshow.
| [flickr_set id=”72177720308927606″] |
What is missing in the slideshow above? Your photo!
Our monthly photo slideshow is going to feature images that we have taken but more importantly images that you have captured. The photos can be of anything even remotely weather-related.
Landscapes, current conditions, wildlife, pets, kids. Whimsical, newsy, artsy. Taken at the zoo, some other area attraction, a local park, a national park or your backyard. You name it, we want to see and share it!
Images can be taken in Thornton, Denver or anywhere across the extraordinary Centennial State. We’ll even take some from out of state if we can tie it to Colorado somehow.
We’ll keep the criteria very open to interpretation with just about any image eligible to be shown in our slideshows.
What do you win for having your image in our slideshow? We are just a ‘mom and pop’ outfit and make no money from our site so we really don’t have the means to provide prizes. However you will have our undying gratitude and the satisfaction that your images are shared on the most popular website in Thornton.
To share you images with us and get them included in the slideshow just email them to us or share them with ThorntonWeather.com on any of the various social media outlets. Links are provided below.
So come on, get those camera’s rolling!
Our look back at this week in Denver weather history certainly has plenty of the usual suspects related to severe weather. Most notable however are the many occurrences of lightning strikes and the effects they can have from sparking fires to causing significant injury and death.
From the National Weather Service:
22-26
In 2012…the maximum temperature exceeded 100 degrees for five consecutive days. Two of the high temperatures on the 25th and 26th peaked at 105 degrees…which set the all time record for the month of June and tied the all time maximum temperature for Denver.
25
In 1873…forest fires produced a great deal of smoke in the mountains to the southwest of the city.
In 1958…an unusually cold day for summer set two temperature records for the date. Under cloudy skies with occasional drizzle…a record low maximum temperature of 55 degrees was established along with a record minimum temperature of 42 degrees.
In 1959…a waitress…working at a kitchen sink… Was injured by a bolt of lightning…which struck the rear of a tavern in Denver. She was hospitalized.
In 1971…a tornado touched down briefly at a high school football field in Brighton…but caused no damage.
In 1981…3/4 inch hail pelted Wheat Ridge and hail to 1 1/4 inches fell in Louisville. A brief funnel cloud was sighted by national weather service personnel 4 miles east of Stapleton International Airport.
In 1982…a bolt of lightning struck a cabin in the foothills west of Denver. The resulting fire totally destroyed the cabin.
In 1987…golf ball size hail fell near Bennett.
In 1988…a tornado touched down 1 mile south of Watkins and was on the ground for 4 minutes. Another tornado was spotted just southeast of Barr Lake and was on the ground for 5 minutes. No damage was reported from either tornado. Lightning struck two rock climbers near Eldorado Springs. A 25-year-old man was killed…and a 21-year-old man suffered extensive injuries. Thunderstorm winds knocked over two elm trees near downtown Denver. One fell on a house destroying most of it. A nearby building was unroofed…and two cars were damaged. A truck that had been severely damaged by one of the Denver tornadoes 10 days before was hit again. Thunderstorm wind gusts to 51 mph were recorded at Stapleton International Airport.
In 1991…the temperature reached a high of 100 degrees… Setting a new record for the date.
In 1997…one inch diameter hail fell in Arvada and 1 1/2 inch hail in Boulder. Hail as large as 3/4 inches fell in Denver…Louisville…Westminster… And near Broomfield.
In 1999…thunderstorm winds gusted to 58 mph near Fort Lupton toppling an oil rig. A 37-year-old man was killed when he fell 55 feet from the derrick of the rig.
In 2001…four golfers and one construction worker received minor injuries from a nearby lightning strike on the Broadlands Golf Course in Broomfield.
In 2002…hail to 1 inch in diameter was measured in greenwood village.
In 2005…hail to 3/4 inch in diameter fell near Bennett and Roggen. A thunderstorm wind gust to 61 mph was recorded near Golden.
In 2009…lightning struck the Darlington Prismatic Electric Fountain in City Park`s lake. The damage was estimated to be approximately $25000.
In 2010…wind gusts associated with a dry microburst downed several trees in the vicinity of 14th and federal…and near Bayaud St. and Clarkson St. in Denver. At Denver International Airport…a peak wind gust to 45 mph was observed from the southwest.
In 2015…severe thunderstorms developed late in the afternoon and continued in the late evening hours. The storms moved over parts of Adams…Arapahoe…Douglas and Weld Counties. The largest hail occurred near Aurora and Keenseburg…with hail up to tennis ball size or 2 1/2 inches in diameter. Elsewhere…the hail ranged in size from 7/8 inch to 1 1/4 inches in diameter. At Denver International Airport…just a trace of rainfall was observed. A peak wind gust of 31 mph was also observed from the east.
25-26
In 1969…high winds raked Boulder causing one fatality and some injuries. One man was injured by a falling tree limb. At the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder… Sustained winds of 55 to 60 mph with wind gusts to 123 mph were recorded. In downtown Boulder…winds averaged 30 to 40 mph with gusts to 70 mph. Widespread minor damage occurred… Especially in the Table Mesa area of south Boulder. Much tree damage occurred in the older areas of Boulder where several trees were uprooted. A mobile home was overturned by the winds. At Stapleton Airport…west winds gusted to 43 mph on the 25th and 37 mph on the 26th.
In 1975…strong winds damaged utility lines…buildings… Vehicles…trees… And power lines in Boulder and other communities to the north of Boulder. Microburst winds gusted to 45 mph at Stapleton International Airport on the 25th.
In 1983…heavy rain fell in the foothills west of Denver with 1.50 inches in 30 minutes at Intercanyon. Heavy rain continued over metro Denver on the 26th with two-day storm totals at many locations ranging from 1.00 to 2.50 inches. Rainfall totaled 1.37 inches at Stapleton International Airport on the 26th.
In 1985…one to two inches of rain fell over metro Denver. At Stapleton International Airport…rainfall totaled 0.93 inches…thunderstorm winds gusted to 44 mph… And 7/10 inch hail was measured. The air mass was unusually cold for the season…and snow fell in the foothills above 8 thousand feet. The high temperature of only 63 degrees on the 26th equaled the record low maximum reading for the date.
26
In 1873…there was a great deal of smoke from a large forest fire in the mountains to the southwest of the city and a smaller fire directly to the west.
In 1874…fires at timberline to the west were visible from the city. New and extensive fires were continually started from south to northwest along the ridge line. Carelessness of tourists was the apparent cause of the fires. Large and valuable tracts of timber had already been destroyed.
In 1890…the only thunderstorm of the month produced a trace of rain. A trace of rain also fell on 7 other days. This was the only precipitation recorded during the month… Making it the driest June on record.
In 1893…northwest winds were sustained to 45 mph with gusts to 48 mph.
In 1971…a microburst wind gust to 58 mph was recorded at Stapleton International Airport. Dust devils were sighted.
In 1980…strong gusty thunderstorm winds damaged several mobile homes in Thornton. Thunderstorm winds gusted to 37 mph at Stapleton International Airport.
In 1986…hail piled up 1 1/2 inches deep in Golden Gate Canyon and covered roadways an inch deep in Evergreen.
In 1988…a tornado touched down 2 miles north of Watkins. It was on the ground for 15 minutes and did no reported damage.
In 1989…two inch diameter hail fell at Kassler…1 inch hail at Louviers…and 1 1/2 inch hail at tiny town.
In 1991…high winds…not associated with thunderstorms… Damaged a home in the Green Mountain area. The strong winds picked up a heavy metal and glass table on the deck of a house and threw it into the house. The table was destroyed and the house received considerable damage.
In 1992…3/4 inch diameter hail fell in south Aurora and near Buckley Air National Guard base. Golf ball size hail was reported in Parker.
In 1994…the all-time highest recorded temperature in June and the second highest temperature ever recorded in Denver… 104 degrees occurred. This was the hottest day in Denver since August 8…1878…when the temperature reached 105 degrees.
In 2005…strong thunderstorm winds gusting to 58 mph damaged a garage and some nearby trees near Fort Lupton. Winds also gusted to 58 mph near Watkins. Thunderstorm winds gusted to 60 mph near Roggen. Hail to 3/4 inch in diameter was measured in southwest Aurora.
In 2009…severe thunderstorms moving through Denver and the surrounding metro area produced intense thunderstorm winds. At Denver International Airport…a wind gust blew a luggage car into a southwest airlines airplane causing some damage. Peak wind gusts included: 68 mph at Denver International Airport…4 miles west of rocky mountain metropolitan airport and 12.5 miles north of Lowry AFB; 64 mph near Arvada and Parker; and 60 mph in Aurora/cherry.
In 2014…a severe thunderstorm produced a peak wind gust to 58 mph…9 miles northeast of Denver International Airport. Offically…a peak wind gust to 54 mph was measured from the northeast with just a trace of rainfall.
In 2020…severe thunderstorms produced very strong wind gusts over parts of northern Jefferson and western Adams counties. A peak wind gust to 67 mph was observed at Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport near Broomfield…with a gust to 61 mph in Thornton. Continue reading June 25 to July 1: This week in Denver weather history
Following yesterday’s thunderstorms, we cool down today. Moisture remains abundant though and another round of storms is expected.
Partly sunny skies start us off and will be with us through the morning. Conditions will initially be calm with highs topping out in the mid-70s.
Thunderstorms will again develop after noon. Best chances come from about 3:00pm to 9:00pm. Some of these storms will again have the potential to turn severe with large hail, damaging wind and brief, heavy rain. How strong the storms get will depend on how much daytime heating we receive to get things brewing.
Tonight, storms will begin to taper off after 9:00pm but some activity may potentially be seen throughout the night just like last night. Lows will be in the mid-50s.
While Thornton only received a bit of rain, DIA got dumped on setting a record for the date.
As measured at Denver International Airport, the Mile High City recorded 1.85 inches of rain for the date. This tops the old daily rainfall record for June 21 of 0.85 inches set in 1947.
Here in Thornton, we recorded a mere 0.14 inches.
Heavy rain, flooding, lightning, tornadoes and hail are not at all uncommon this time of year and we see plenty of those types of events in our look back at this week in Denver weather history. Probably one of the most notable events occurred in 2001 when a thunderstorms with large hail ripped through Denver International Airport causing $10 million in property damage and damaged dozens of airplanes.
From the National Weather Service:
1-30
In 2012…it was the hottest June in Denver since weather records began back in 1872. The average temperature for the month was 75.0 degrees which was 7.6 degrees above normal. There were a total of seventeen 90 degree days in the month of June. The highlight of record setting month was a stretch of five consecutive 100 degree days from the 22nd to the 26th. This was only the third time in Denver weather history in which this happened. Two of the high temperatures during the stretch peaked at 105 degrees…which set the all time record for the month of June and tied the all time maximum temperature for Denver.
17-18
In 1964…high winds at speeds of 50 to 60 mph with gusts as high as 75 mph caused damage to homes…power lines…and trees in Boulder. Non-convective west winds gusting to 46 mph caused some blowing dust at Stapleton International Airport on the 17th.
18
In 1875…a windstorm produced sustained winds to 45 mph during the morning hours. Numerous forest fires along the base of the mountains were visible from the city.
In 1886…northwest winds sustained to 40 mph were the strongest of the month that year.
In 1987…severe thunderstorms produced lightning…large hail… A tornado…heavy rain…and strong winds across metro Denver. Rainfall totaled 2.50 inches in an hour in Wheat Ridge… Causing minor flooding. I-25 was flooded in north-central Denver…snarling traffic. Hail 7/8 inch in diameter fell in Louisville with 1 1/2 inch hail near Golden and 1 to 1 3/4 inch hail in and near Castle Rock. A tornado touched down briefly in Castle Rock. No damage was reported. Lightning started a small fire that burned half a cabin near Evergreen.
In 1994…a funnel cloud was sighted over Aurora; hail to 1 3/4 inch diameter fell near Brighton; and hail over an inch in diameter fell over Aurora…southeast Denver… Louisville…and Boulder. Lightning struck a home in Henderson 9 miles north of Denver and knocked a hole in the roof…which caused the ceiling to collapse. Hail to 1 1/4 inch diameter was measured at Stapleton International Airport.
In 2002…the Hayman wildfire in the foothills to the southwest of Denver intensified…and the winds aloft carried the smoke plume directly over metro Denver…again creating a dense haze of smoke which blocked the sun. Surface visibilities were again reduced to as low as 1 1/4 miles at Denver International Airport.
In 2004…severe thunderstorms produced hail to 3/4 inch in diameter near Morrison…in Littleton…near Conifer…near Castle Rock…and in Aurora near Cherry Creek.
In 2013…a landspout tornado touched down at DIA. The tornado sent 10 thousand travelers on the concourse…on planes and in the terminal scrambling to get into tornado shelters. The tornado formed just to the south of Runway 35R and then moved slowly northwest between Runway 35R and 35L…and moved to within one third of a mile of Concourses A and B before dissipating. The tornado moved extremely close if not over the ASOS (Automated Surface Observation System) and another low level wind shear sensor at DIA. The ASOS weather observing system reported a 97 mph wind gust…while the wind shear sensor reported a wind gust to 109 mph at the same time indicative of an EF1 tornado. There was only minor damage noted to the equipment. Nine flights were diverted elsewhere during a tornado warning. Severe thunderstorms also produced large hail up to quarter size in Adams and Weld Counties.
In 2014…a severe thunderstorm produced large hail up to quarter size near Buckley Air Force Base. At Denver International Airport…a peak wind gust to 55 mph was observed from the southwest…along with 0.37 inches of water.
In 2015…a severe thunderstorm produced hail…from 1 to 1 3/4 inches in diameter…near Lafayette…Louisville and Superior.
19
In 1874…during the afternoon… Large columns of smoke from extensive fires in the mountain forests moved over the city from the west and southwest.
In 1875…while no precipitation was measured in the city… Rainfall over the Palmer Divide caused Cherry Creek to rise to the highest level in 10 years.
In 1977…hail up to 2 inch diameter damaged two patrol cars in Castle Rock.
In 1983 golf ball size hail fell just north of Bennett.
In 1990…lightning from a thunderstorm struck the roof of a house in south Boulder. Residents of the house were able to extinguish the ensuing fire with a garden hose…but not before several shingles had burned.
In 1992…thunderstorms produced hail up to 2 inches in diameter in central Douglas County near Castle Rock. Hail was 3 inches deep on I-25 south of Castle Rock. A funnel cloud was sighted near Parker.
In 1997…a 66-year-old man was knocked unconscious by a bolt of lightning while he was golfing at the eagle country club in Broomfield.
In 2000…dry microburst winds gusting to near 70 mph were reported across southeast Boulder and northern Jefferson counties. Peak wind gusts included: 68 mph at the national wind technology center…67 mph at Jefferson County airport… And 65 mph in Broomfield.
In 2001…severe thunderstorms produced large hail in the foothills southwest of Denver. Hail as large as 1 3/4 inch in diameter fell near conifer and Bailey.
In 2002…lightning damaged the Evergreen fire protection district radio repeater. One microwave transmitter…the main fire channel transmitter…and two solar panel controllers were destroyed. Lightning struck a garage and caused a small fire. Two vehicles parked in the garage were damaged. Hail to 3/4 inch in diameter fell near Castle Rock.
In 2004…severe thunderstorms produced hail to 3/4 inch in diameter near Castle Rock…Larkspur… And Golden.
In 2018…very large hail pummeled portions of the Front Range Urban Corridor and extended across the northeast plains of Colorado. Reports of collapsed roofs due to hail were reported…with major hail portions of the Denver metro area. The Rocky Mountain Insurance Information Association estimated the property damage from the storm totaled 276.4 million dollars…making it the 8th costliest hailstorm to strike the state to date. In Denver and the surrounding metro area…hail sizes included: 3 inch diameter in Englewood; 2 3/4 inch in Greenwood Village; 2 inch at Aurora Cherry Creek…4 miles south of Glendale and near Smoky Hill; 1 3/4 inch just east of Denver International Airport and near South Glenn; 1 1/2 inch near Niwot; and 1 inch diameter hail in Southwest Denver and 5 miles northeast of Parker.
19-21
In 1875…smoke from several large forest fires in the mountains was visible from the city on each of these days.
20
In 1888…northwest winds were sustained to 44 mph.
In 1956…a microburst caused a brief wind gust to 58 mph at Stapleton Airport.
In 1964…hail up to 1 inch in diameter was reported 1 mile north of Stapleton International Airport. A 3 minute hail storm at both Stapleton International Airport and lowry field piled small hail to one half inch deep.
In 1967…a strong thunderstorm dumped 1.95 inches of rain in less than an hour at Stapleton International Airport and produced a wind gust to 54 mph. The storm caused some flooding in east Denver and Aurora. There was widespread flooding to streets…basements… And store buildings and automobiles. Hail stones to 3/4 inch in diameter were measured at Buckley Field in Aurora. A tornado touched down just south of Littleton…damaging a barn and killing several head of cattle.
In 1985…a wind gust to 61 mph was reported at Golden Gate Canyon in the foothills west of Denver.
In 1986…a man was killed by lightning at Highlands Ranch south of Denver.
In 1987…several tornadoes were sighted across metro Denver. A tornado touched down briefly 5 miles west of Parker. A tornado was sighted just north of Chatfield Reservoir. A tornado just northwest of Watkins was on the ground for 15 minutes. A tornado near Barr Lake was taped by a television news crew. It had a double vortex and was on the ground for about 10 minutes. In addition to the 4 tornadoes…severe thunderstorms dumped large hail across metro Denver. One inch hail was reported in southeast Aurora; 3/4 inch hail fell at the Denver Technology Center…Buckley Field… And Franktown.
In 1992…several short-lived tornadoes occurred in the vicinity of Barr Lake. No injuries or damages were reported. A water spout was sighted over the southern end of Barr Lake. Funnel clouds were also sighted on the grounds of the rocky mountain arsenal by national weather service observers at Stapleton International Airport.
In 1994…hail up to dime size covered I-25 south of Denver and near Sedalia. Heavy rain caused local flooding on the interstate Highway.
In 1996…strong thunderstorm winds downed several large tree limbs in Boulder on the University of Colorado campus. A stop light in the city was also blown down.
In 1999…lightning sparked an oil tank fire near Brighton.
In 2001…large hail driven by strong thunderstorm winds raked Denver International and Front Range airports. Wind gusting to 54 mph along with hail as large 2 inches in diameter punched at least 14 thousand holes and cracks in the flat roofs of several buildings at Denver International Airport. In addition…93 planes and hundreds of cars were damaged. About 100 flights had to be cancelled…stranding 1500 travelers. The airport was completely shut down for about 20 minutes. The storm also damaged a ground avoidance radar used to track planes on the ground to prevent collisions. Damage was estimated at 10 million dollars…not counting the damage to the 93 airliners. The storm moved south and struck Watkins with hail as large as 2 1/2 inches in diameter and winds gusting to 60 mph. A least 30 private planes at Front Range airport were destroyed. The radome protecting the National Weather Service Doppler radar…which was tracking the storm…also sustained damage. The large hail…damaging winds… And heavy rain pummeled a mobile home park near Watkins. In the park…52 mobile homes… 14 recreational vehicles…3 homes… And a commercial building were damaged. Siding was riddled with holes and windows were broken. Vehicles sustained extensive damage and car windows were shattered. A handful of people were treated for minor cuts and bruises. The strong winds also flipped a tractor trailer along I-70 near Watkins. The storm caused power outages…which affected about 1200 residents. Excluding the damage at Denver International Airport…damage estimates totaled 49 million dollars…making the storm the costliest in the last 3 years and the 10th costliest since 1984. A small tornado touched down just east of Brighton… But did no damage. Hail as large as 2 inches in diameter fell near Fort Lupton with 3/4 inch hail measured in Bennett. Precipitation from the storm totaled only 0.23 inch at Denver International Airport.
In 2002…heavy rain fell near the Hayman wildfire burn area. Flash flooding washed out a 40-foot section of the access road to Cheeseman Reservoir. Some debris was washed against a gate…blocking the road. Hail to 1 1/2 inches in diameter fell near central city with 3/4 inch hail near Blackhawk.
In 2003…hail as large as 1 inch in diameter fell near Bennett and Strasburg with 3/4 inch hail measured in Denver…Golden… At Centennial Airport…and near Parker. Hail as large as 7/8 inch was reported in Arvada.
In 2004…a severe thunderstorm produced hail to 3/4 inch in diameter in and near Brighton.
In 2005…severe thunderstorms produced large hail near the palmer divide. Hail to 1 inch in diameter was measured near larkspur with 7/8 inch hail near Sedalia and 3/4 inch hail in Greenland. An apparent thunderstorm outflow produced a wind gust to 59 mph at Denver International Airport during the evening hours. Continue reading June 18 to June 24: This week in Denver weather history
The first half of June is when Colorado’s severe weather season really kicks into high gear and our look back at this week in Denver weather history reflects that. Numerous flooding, hail, and tornadic events punctuate just how dangerous and damaging our weather can be this time of year.
From the National Weather Service:
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In 2012…it was the hottest June in Denver since weather records began back in 1872. The average temperature for the month was 75.0 degrees which was 7.6 degrees above normal. There were a total of seventeen 90 degree days in the month of June. The highlight of record setting month was a stretch of five consecutive 100 degree days from the 22nd to the 26th. This was only the third time in Denver weather history in which this happened. Two of the high temperatures during the stretch peaked at 105 degrees…which set the all time record for the month of June and tied the all time maximum temperature for Denver.
10-11
In 1882…heavy thunderstorm rains on the morning of the 10th caused a rapid rise in dry creek…which enters the South Platte River at fairview in present day south Denver. This…combined with additional heavy rainfall on the 11th caused the South Platte River to overflow. Five people drowned and several houses were destroyed. Total losses in the city and suburbs was estimated at 75 thousand dollars. Total rainfall in central Denver was 2.21 inches over the 2 days.
In 2013…the high temperature of 99 degrees on the 10th broke the previous record maximum temperature of 97 for the date. Also…the minimum temperature of 68 and high temperature of 100 degrees on the 11th established a new record for highest minimum and maximum temperature for the date.
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In 1947…a trace of snow fell over downtown Denver. Low temperature of 34 degrees was a record minimum for the date.
In 1962…hail caused extensive crop damage near Hudson northeast of Denver.
In 1970…stratiform rainfall totaled 3.16 inches at Stapleton International Airport. This was the greatest amount of precipitation ever recorded on a calendar day in June. In addition…it was the greatest amount of precipitation ever measured during any 24-hour period in June. The high temperature climbed to only 51 degrees…which was a record low maximum for the date.
In 1973…large hail from 3/4 to 1 1/2 inches in diameter fell west of Boulder.
In 1977…golf ball size hail was reported just south of Arapahoe County airport…now centennial airport. Lightning struck a home in Lakewood.
In 1988…a 30-year-old man was seriously injured by lightning while mowing his lawn in Denver.
In 1992…lightning started two house fires in the southern Denver suburbs where 3/4 inch hail fell and a funnel cloud was sighted.
In 1999…severe thunderstorms formed over the palmer divide and moved across Douglas…Elbert…and Adams counties. Hail as large as 1 inch in diameter was reported in and near Castle Rock…Sedalia…Franktown…and Aurora. Hail as large as golf balls accumulated several inches deep and caused a large section of a corrugated metal roof of a greenhouse complex to collapse near Franktown. About a third of the roof covering the 30 thousand square foot building collapsed. Thirty-five workers were trapped in the debris…but only 3 were treated for minor injuries. Hail 1 to 2 feet deep blocked the roadways and slowed the arrival of emergency vehicles. Damage to the building was estimated to be around 3 million dollars.
In 2006…a man was struck and killed by lightning as he was returning to his car after leaving the Mile High Flea Market near Henderson. Two others were knocked down…but not injured by the lightning strike. Severe thunderstorms produced large hail across the northern portion of metro Denver. Hail to 1 1/4 inches in diameter was measured in Arvada…with 1 inch diameter hail reported near Fort Lupton. Hail to 7/8 inch in diameter was recorded near Brighton…and hail…3/4 inch in diameter…fell near Keenesburg.
In 2009…large hail pummeled portions of Adams…Arapahoe… Elbert and Douglas counties. Hail up to 1 1/2 inches in diameter was measured near Parker.
In 2010…severe thunderstorms producing very large hail pummeled portions of Front Range foothills and urban corridor. The large hail ranged in size from 1 to 2 1/2 inches…caused extensive damage to home and vehicles. The hardest hit areas included: Brighton… Castle Rock…Greenland…Idledale…mountain view and Thornton. The combination of heavy rain and hail destroyed 50 thousand acres of cropland in southeast Weld County. Flash flooding forced the closure of State Highway 52…east of prospect valley. Several County roads were either flooded or completely washed out. At Denver International Airport…0.69 inches of rainfall was observed.
In 2015…thunderstorms produced flash flooding in Denver and parts of the metropolitan area. In downtown Denver… parked cars had standing water rising midway up the wheels. Denver fire crews had to rescue motorists from flooded intersections and roads. In Glendale…two lanes of northbound Colorado Blvd. at Exposition Ave. were closed due to flooding. In Aurora…water was reportedly flowing over the roads at East 6th Ave. and South Pacadilly Road. Additional flooding was reported on South Gun Club Road… between East Alameda Ave. and East Exposition Avenue… forcing the closure of the road. Flooding occurred along Plum Creek and its tributaries. Four trails in Castle Rock were closed due to flooding. Plum Creek remained above flood stage for approximately 2 1/2 hours…with moderate flooding along and east of the creek. Near Cherry Creek Dam…2.02 inches of rain fell. At Denver International Airport 0.56 inches of rainfall was recorded. A peak wind gust to 34 mph was also observed from the north.
11-14
In 1999…damage from several hailstorms in and near metro Denver totaled 35 million dollars. About 17.5 million dollars was from automobile claims with another 17.5 million in homeowner claims. The areas hardest hit by the storms included Castle Rock…Commerce City…Evergreen… And Golden.
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In 1901…south winds were sustained to 45 mph with an extreme velocity to 47 mph.
In 1917…northwest winds were sustained to 40 mph with gusts to 45 mph.
In 1927…flooding on Little Dry Creek in Englewood resulted in two deaths.
In 1947…a trace of snow fell over downtown Denver during the early morning. This was the latest last snow of the season (trace or more). This also marked the end of the longest snow season…264 days…from the first snow…a trace…on September 22…1946. High temperature of 43 degrees was a record low maximum for the date. Minimum temperature of 33 degrees was a record low for the date.
In 1971…a funnel cloud sighted over Arvada possibly touched down at the base of the foothills. The public reported 3/4 inch to 1 inch diameter hail over the city of Denver.
In 1974…strong thunderstorm winds caused damage to power lines in metro Denver. Northwest winds gusted to 45 mph at Stapleton International Airport.
In 1975…a thunderstorm wind gust to 56 mph was recorded at Stapleton International Airport.
In 1982…three small tornadoes were sighted near Bennett. One of the twisters caused minor crop and road damage along its path. A brief tornado was sighted by national weather service observers at Stapleton International Airport.
In 1983…3/4 inch hail fell in Boulder. Golf ball to 3/4 inch size hail fell in Arvada…denting cars and house roofs. Over a thousand hail damage insurance claims were filed from the area. Golf ball size hail also fell in Northglenn and Bennett…1 to 2 inch hail in Thornton…2 1/2 inch hail in northeast of Denver. A tornado was sighted 10 miles northeast of Stapleton International Airport; it was only on the ground for 1 to 2 minutes.
In 1984…large hail pelted many parts of southern metro Denver. Fifteen aircraft were damaged by golf ball size hail at Centennial airport. Golf ball size hail was reported in south Denver…and 3/4 inch hail was measured in southeast Aurora.
In 1987…a small weak tornado touched down for about 3 minutes near the intersection of I-70 and Colorado Blvd in northeast Denver. No damage was recorded. A microburst wind gust to 53 mph was recorded at Stapleton International Airport.
In 1991…in the city of Denver…lightning struck a tree under which seven people were picnicking. One person was critically injured. The others received only minor injuries.
In 1992…golf ball size hail fell in Evergreen.
In 1994…microburst winds gusting to 53 mph kicked up some blowing dust at Stapleton International Airport.
In 1996…lightning struck a house in Parker…which sparked a fire. The bolt was strong enough to blow nails out of the drywall in one room. About 85 percent of the house was damaged. No dollar estimate of the damage was available. Lightning also struck a power line in Boulder…which left 250 customers without electricity for a short time.
In 1997…a tornado touched down near Parker…damaging some construction equipment. Hail to 2 inches in diameter was measured in Henderson. One inch diameter hail fell in the city of Denver with 3/4 inch hail measured in Lakewood.
In 1999…hail as large as 1 1/2 inches in diameter struck Hudson. A funnel cloud was sighted by ramp personnel to the east of Denver International Airport.
In 2003…lightning blew a hole in the roof of a house in Highlands Ranch. The bolt knocked several holes in the bedroom ceiling and damaged the home’s electrical system.
In 2004…lightning struck a home in Louisville…but caused only minor damage.
In 2006…a strong microburst wind gust…estimated at 69 mph… Ripped the roof off a horse barn near the intersection of Havana Street and Smith Road in Denver. A 13 year old girl was injured…when she was thrown from a horse inside the barn at the time the roof was being torn off. A thunderstorm produced a microburst wind gust to 54 mph and a trace of rainfall at Denver International Airport. A severe thunderstorm produced hail to 0.75 inch near Watkins.
12-17
In 2000…two large wildfires developed in the Front Range foothills as careless campers and very dry conditions proved to be a dangerous combination. Strong winds gusting in excess of 60 mph on the 13th fanned the flames… Spreading both wildfires out of control. Winds gusted to 78 mph atop Niwot Ridge near the Continental Divide west of Boulder. The Hi Meadows wildfire…about 35 miles southwest of Denver…consumed nearly 11 thousand acres and 80 structures…mostly high priced homes. The Bobcat wildfire…located about 12 miles southwest of Fort Collins… Consumed nearly 11 thousand acres and 22 structures. Late on the 16th…a strong cold front moved south over the great plains into northeastern Colorado. Low level upslope conditions developed in the wake of the front…producing 2 to 4 inches of snowfall overnight at elevations above 8 thousand feet. Firefighters were able to contain both fires shortly thereafter.
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In 1956…a microburst caused a brief wind gust to 59 mph at Stapleton Airport.
In 1957…an unconfirmed tornado appeared to touch the ground in the vicinity of Franktown. No damage was reported from the twister.
In 1968…a violent gust of wind…possibly associated with a thunderstorm…caused 75 hundred dollars damage in Boulder.
In 1973…hail…1/2 to 3/4 inch in diameter…fell over Lakewood. Flash flooding occurred in west Denver from the same storm.
In 1974…a thunderstorm wind gust to 64 mph was recorded at Stapleton International Airport.
In 1977…hail the size of table tennis balls…1 1/2 inches in diameter…was reported in Boulder.
In 1981…large hail to golf ball size fell in Denver… Northglenn…and Brighton. Hail as large as baseballs was reported in federal heights.
In 1984…one of the worst hailstorms ever experienced in metro Denver struck the northwestern suburbs of Arvada…Wheat Ridge…and Lakewood…but large hail also fell in Golden… Southeast Denver…and Aurora. Homes and other buildings sustained around 200 million dollars in damage. Thousands of cars were battered by giant hailstones…and total damage to vehicles was estimated at 150 million dollars. In some areas…golf ball size hail fell continuously for 30 to 40 minutes. Some places were pelted with a few stones as large as grapefruits! Roofs on thousands of structures were severely damaged. Uncounted car windshields were broken; two-thirds of Arvada’s police cars were rendered inoperable. Torrential rains…with as much as 4.75 inches in Lakewood clogged drains and caused widespread damage from flooding. In some places hail was washed into drifts several feet deep. About 20 people were injured by the giant hailstones. One couple was hospitalized. A woman drowned when she was trapped under a trailer by high water. Only pea size hail fell at Stapleton International Airport.
In 1988…2 inch hail fell in Parker. Soft hail 1 inch in diameter fell at the mouth of turkey creek canyon 5 miles southeast of Morrison. Hail between 1 inch and 1 3/4 inches fell at both Bennett and Strasburg. A tornado touched down briefly at Strasburg. A brief funnel cloud was sighted by national weather service observers 15 miles southwest of Stapleton International Airport.
In 1991…a Boulder man was injured when struck by lightning while in a tent. He received only minor burns.
In 1997…lightning struck a home in Denver. The extent of the damage was unknown. A home in Littleton was also struck. The house caught fire…but the extent of the damage was not known.
In 1998…a strong mountain wave produced a brief period of high winds along the Front Range. A small building atop squaw pass west of Denver was blown down. Tree limbs were downed across metro Denver. Peak wind gusts included: 80 mph on Squaw Pass…69 mph at Jefferson County Airport near Broomfield…and 60 mph in Westminster and at the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder. West-northwest winds gusted to 51 mph at Denver International Airport.
In 2001…high winds developed briefly in Boulder County. A peak wind gust to 76 mph was recorded at the National Center for Atmospheric Research atop the mesa in Boulder. A wind gust to 72 mph was recorded at southern hills middle school in Boulder. Lightning started a small fire…which damaged the roof of a house in Greenwood Village.
In 2009…severe thunderstorms produced hail up to one inch in diameter near Arvada and byers…as well as 7 miles north-northwest of Front Range airport near Watkins. Continue reading June 11 to June 17: This week in Denver weather history
The first part of June typically brings some of Denver’s most eventful weather of the year and we clearly see that in our look back at this week in Denver weather history. From many damaging hail and wind events to heavy rains that resulted in flooding and even the Southlands Mall tornado of 2009 it has been an eventful week in history.
From the National Weather Service:
1-4
In 1977…unusually warm weather for this early in June resulted in 3 maximum temperature records being equaled at the time: 88 degrees on the 1st…90 degrees on the 2nd… And 93 degrees on the 4th. Maximum of 91 degrees on the 3rd was not a record.
1-30
In 2012…it was the hottest June in Denver since weather records began back in 1872. The average temperature for the month was 75.0 degrees which was 7.6 degrees above normal. There were a total of seventeen 90 degree days in the month of June. The highlight of record setting month was a stretch of five consecutive 100 degree days from the 22nd to the 26th. This was only the third time in Denver weather history in which this happened. Two of the high temperatures during the stretch peaked at 105 degrees…which set the all time record for the month of June and tied the all time maximum temperature for Denver.
2-4
In 1989…heavy rain drenched metro Denver with the greatest amounts recorded on the 3rd. Total rainfall ranged from 1 1/2 to 3 inches. Roads were washed out in Boulder County… And flooded basements caused water damage to houses in the Gunbarrel section of Boulder. In suburban Denver…heavy rain caused minor flooding along Lena Gulch in Jefferson County where two mobile home parks were evacuated. Rainfall totaled 1.66 inches at Stapleton International Airport.
2-7
In 1921…heavy rainfall for nearly a week…on top of streams already swollen by mountain snowmelt…produced widespread flooding over the South Platte River basin…including the tributaries through the canyons to the west and southwest of Denver. Heavy rainfall over the 6-day period totaled 3.36 inches in Boulder…4.98 inches in Morrison…4.27 inches in Castle Rock…and 2.94 inches in the city of Denver. Rainfall amounts in the foothills were estimated between 3 and 6 inches. The narrow-gage tracks of the Colorado and southern railroad were destroyed in the Platte Canyon. From the mouth of the canyon through the city to near Brighton… The river spread from 1/2 to nearly 1 1/2 miles wide… Flooding farm and pasture land and destroying or damaging many bridges. In the city…many businesses along with as many as 500 homes were inundated…forcing their evacuation. Bridges were swept away. The high waters flooded the rail yards and stock yards in lower downtown…closing three adjacent packing houses. The heavy rains also caused flooding on Boulder creek in Boulder on the 6th.
3-4
In 1904…a thunderstorm during the early morning of the 3rd turned into widespread general rain…which continued into the early afternoon of the 4th. Rainfall totaled 2.04 inches.
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In 1878…a “waterspout” or cloudburst of rain was sighted up the South Platte canyon at around noon. The resulting high waters on the South Platte River slightly damaged a railroad bridge in the city.
In 1937…a trace of snow fell in downtown Denver where rainfall totaled 0.25 inch. Minimum temperature of 34 degrees was a record low for the date. Northeast winds were sustained to 22 mph.
In 1951…the start of the second shortest snow-free period on record…109 days…occurred with the last snow of the season…a trace…on the 3rd. The first snow of the next season occurred on September 21st when 4.2 inches of snow fell at Stapleton Airport.
In 1954…a microburst produced brief sustained winds of 40 mph with gusts as high as 64 mph at Stapleton Airport.
In 1956…the failure of the Georgetown dam caused downstream flooding on clear creek at Idaho Springs and Golden.
In 1976…funnel clouds were sighted near Brighton…Erie…and Dacono…all north of Denver. A tornado touched down briefly 1 1/2 miles east of Lafayette. Another tornado touched down briefly at Hyland Hills Golf Course in Westminster. No damage was reported.
In 1983…severe thunderstorms during the afternoon produced 3/4 inch hail in south Denver…golf ball size hail 5 miles west of Parker…1 1/4 inch hail in Littleton…1 1/2 inch hail in south Aurora.
In 2001…hail as large as 1 inch in diameter fell 17 miles north of Bennett in Adams County.
In 2005…snow was mixed with rain for nearly an hour at Denver International Airport during mid to late morning. The temperature at the time was 45 degrees. Precipitation totaled 0.36 inch for the day. Northwest winds gusted to 37 mph.
In 2008…a severe thunderstorm produced large hail…up to 1 3/4 inches in diameter in Arvada…a northwest suburb of Denver. Several vehicles were damaged. In addition…a severe thunderstorms produced hail to 1 inch in diameter… 10 miles northeast of manila…east of Denver International Airport.
In 2015…severe thunderstorms broke out across Boulder… Denver…Elbert…Jefferson and southern Larimer Counties. Two large and long lived tornadoes developed near Berthoud and near Simla. The tornado that occurred along the Boulder and Larimer county line. It first touched about 3 miles south of Berthoud…and then tracked to the west/northwest and lifted about 6 miles southwest of Berthoud. The majority of the damage was EF1…with some areas of EF2… and a few small areas of EF3. At least 25 homes between Longmont and Berthoud were damaged; three of them destroyed. No injuries were reported as the winds tore apart homes and rolled vehicles. The EF3 rating is defined as maximum winds estimated at 135 to 140 mph. The path length was 6 miles long with a width of one quarter mile at times. Large hail from quarter to tennis tennis ball size was observed. The largest hail occurred in northeast Boulder County. The hail damaged cars and homes; breaking windows and windshields. In addition… numerous roads were closed along the Larimer and Boulder county line due to flash flooding. Just west of Berthoud… 3.47 inches of rain had fallen. At Denver International Airport…only 0.01 inches of rainfall was recorded… with a peak wind gust to 35 mph from the northeast.
In 2020…severe thunderstorms produced intense wind gusts across parts of Adams and Denver counties. A peak wind gust of 64 mph was observed near Bennett…with a gust to 58 mph observed at Denver International Airport.
4-5
In 1965…lightning and an 18-hour rain storm damaged streets and roads and telephone and power lines across metro Denver. Precipitation totaled 2.77 inches at Stapleton International Airport where the visibility was reduced to 3 miles at times from pre-frontal thunderstorms and heavy upslope rains.
In 1998…a late season snow storm struck the Front Range foothills. Up to 5 inches of snow fell in Coal Creek Canyon. Light snow also fell over western sections of metro Denver and briefly at Denver International Airport. Snow covered the grass at the Denver federal center in Lakewood before melting around mid-morning on the 5th. No snow fell at the site of the former Stapleton International Airport. Several temperature records were set. High temperatures of 47 degrees on the 4th and 49 degrees on the 5th were record low maximums for their respective dates. Minimum temperature of 34 degrees on both the 5th and 6th were record lows for those dates.
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In 1864…high water on the west fork of clear creek caused a small dam near empire to fail…which destroyed several downstream bridges.
In 1885…a windstorm during the afternoon and early evening produced south to southwest winds at sustained speeds up to 42 mph.
In 1937…a trace of snow fell in downtown Denver. This was the latest snowfall of record at the time. Light rain and snow were mixed around mid-day. Precipitation totaled only 0.01 inch. North winds were sustained to 20 mph.
In 1941…hail of unknown size fell on the city.
In 1961…lightning struck and injured an airman outside a base classroom at Lowry Air Force Base. Funnel clouds were sighted near Frederick and firestone north of Denver. The one near Frederick briefly touched down in an open field but caused no damage. Heavy rain and hail hit the Fort Lupton area causing damage to crops. Heavy rain in Frederick added to the flood damage of the 3rd. A pilot reported a funnel cloud that touched down briefly and then dissipated south of Castle Rock.
In 1965…a lightning-caused fire destroyed a mountain home near Rollinsville.
In 1988…a tornado touched down 5 miles east of Lafayette near I-25 and stayed on the ground for 15 minutes. The twister hit a campground…demolishing one trailer and damaging six others…along with 4 cars. The rope-like funnel also blew down fences…signs…and electrical boxes. The twister moved a 1500-pound hay wagon 150 feet. Total damage to the campground was estimated at 50 thousand dollars. Another tornado touched down between Broomfield and Lafayette…staying on the ground for about 20 minutes. The twister hit a subdivision…unroofing one abandoned house and causing minor damage to a dozen others. A four- car garage and three barns were destroyed. At one location a chain link fence…a satellite dish…and a shed were destroyed…while the deck and garage of the house were damaged. A grain storage tank was moved 200 feet. There were reports of boards being blown through walls; one came through a kitchen.
In 1992…lightning struck a 15-year-old boy…causing minor injuries…in Adams County 6 miles north-northeast of Stapleton International Airport. Thunderstorm winds gusted to 63 mph at Jefferson County Airport near Broomfield…to 58 mph at the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission’s facility at Rocky Flats…to 58 mph in Thornton…and to 48 mph at Stapleton International Airport where 1/8 inch diameter hail fell.
In 1996…strong microburst winds up to 60 mph damaged several trees in Boulder…snapping large branches 1 to 2 inches in diameter.
In 1997…a woman was struck by lightning as she was walking to her car in Nederland. The lightning bolt apparently struck a nearby power line and arced into her left hand. She received minor injuries.
In 2014…severe thunderstorms broke out across parts of Arapahoe…Douglas…Elbert and Jefferson Counties… impacting areas generally southwest and south of Denver. The storms produced large hail…from quarter to golfball size.
In 2015…severe thunderstorms produced hail up to 1 1/2 inches in diameter in Castle Rock and hail up to 1 inches in diameter…southwest of Byers. At Denver International Airport…0.99 inches of rainfall was recorded. A peak wind gust to 35 mph from the southwest as also observed.
In 2017…an intense thunderstorm produced damaging downburst winds which snapped a power pole near the interchange of Interstate 70 and US 36. A weak short-lived landspout also touched down south of I-70 near Bennett and tossed around some lawn furniture.
5-6
In 1977…lightning caused several power outages and moderate damage to a railroad building.
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In 1954…thunderstorm winds at speeds of 50 mph with gusts as high as 59 mph briefly reduced the visibility to 1 mile in blowing dust at Stapleton Airport.
In 1967…the public reported golf ball to 1 3/4 inch diameter hail in the city…3 miles west-southwest of Stapleton International Airport. The amount of damage was unknown. Thunderstorm winds gusted to 46 mph at Stapleton International Airport.
In 1981…hail to 3/4 inch in diameter was reported in east Denver.
In 1990…golf ball size hail was reported near Strasburg on I-70 east of Denver.
In 1991…a tornado was spotted by national weather service personnel and weather spotters…14 to 17 miles northeast of Stapleton International Airport. A funnel cloud was sighted over south Aurora just east of Buckley Field…and a tornado was spotted just east of Watkins. No damage was reported. Thunderstorms moved through Aurora and dropped hail up to 1 inch in diameter. The storms also produced heavy rain… Up to 1 inch in 30 minutes…causing flooding of streets. Water was reported hood deep…stranding motorists. Water covered fire hydrants at some intersections.
In 1995…a waterspout sighted over Standley Lake in northern Jefferson County…quickly dissipated once it reached shore. A brief tornado…which was momentarily visible by a dust debris cloud on the ground…damaged the roof of a house in Westminster. A funnel cloud was sighted just south of Lafayette. Hail from 3/4 to 1 1/4 inches in diameter fell over north Boulder. Thunderstorm outflow produced north wind gusts to 44 mph at Denver International Airport.
In 1997…a tornado touched down near baseline reservoir just east of Boulder. The tornado struck a home…tearing off part of the roof. A storage building nearby was nearly leveled and 5 trees were uprooted. The twister then moved onto baseline reservoir…forming a huge waterspout. Several recreational vehicles and a boat dock were also damaged. A nearly stationary line of thunderstorms dumped 4.60 inches of rain on portions of Thornton. Extensive flooding of streets and underpasses and other low lying areas was reported. Several businesses were flooded and basements in the area were damaged. Rainfall totaled 1.02 inches at Denver International Airport and 1.24 inches at the site of the former Stapleton International Airport. Large hail…up to 1 3/4 inches in diameter…fell over the city of Denver with 3/4 inch hail measured in Littleton and near Henderson.
In 1999…high winds developed for a brief time in and near the foothills of Boulder. The Gamow Tower on the University of Colorado campus recorded a wind gust to 87 mph. Winds peaked to 71 mph atop Niwot Ridge near the continental divide west of Boulder.
In 2003…a small tornado touched down near Strasburg…but did no damage.
In 2012…severe thunderstorms broke late in the evening…striking areas hardest from Denver southward. Locations impacted by the storms included but were not limited to: Aurora…Castle Rock…Centennial…Highlands Ranch…Lone Tree…Parker and Surrey Ridge. The storms produced a barrage of
large hail…damaging straight line winds…flash flooding and several short lived tornadoes. The hail ranged in size from 1 to 2 inches in diameter…and caused extensive damage to homes and automobiles. The hail inundated the roadways with several inches of hail in Douglas County. Consequently…snow plows had to be called out to clear the roadways. The combination of torrential hail and heavy rain produced flash flooding in parts of Elbert…Douglas and Arapahoe Counties…as thunderstorms brought up to 3.35 inches of rain to some areas within 90 minutes. In Aurora…Picadilly Road was closed from flooding north of 6th Avenue. A water rescue took place on South Gun Club Road in Arapahoe County…where floodwaters were rushing to depth of 3 feet. Flash flooding forced the closure of several streets and roads from Parker south to The Pinery…where the floodwaters inundated the roadway with up to 2 feet in several locations. At Centennial Airport…a historic B-17 Flying Fortress suffered extensive damage as hailstones as large as ping pong balls struck the aircraft. Although the airframe itself did not require repair…the fabric-covered ailerons and elevators were extensively damaged. The hail came straight down and punched holes in the fabric-covered control surfaces. The aircraft landed just hours before the storm hit to participate in a weekend tour stop. Lightning also struck two homes…one in Lakewood and the other in Parker. Straight line winds downed trees and power lines in Aurora. As a result…scattered electrical outages affected around five thousand residents. At Denver International Airport…0.61 inches rainfall was recorded along with a peak wind gust of 41 mph.
In 2016…powerful thunderstorms fired up along the Urban Corridor and produced damaging hail…strong outflow winds… heavy rain and lightning. Golf-ball size hail in Highlands Ranch caused extensive damage including broken windows on homes and windshields on vehicles. Heavy rainfall…also produced street flooding. In and around Highlands Ranch… anywhere from 2.3 to 2.8 inches of rainfall was observed… with 1.0 to 1.5 inches around metro Denver. At Denver International Airport…0.38 inches of rainfall was recorded.
In 2020…a combination of an upper level trough moving northwest across the state…coupled with a strong surface pressure gradient…led to numerous reports of high wind gusts across the Denver the surrounding region. Most of the wind damage occurred with the passage of a rare derecho; a large fast-moving complex of thunderstorms with powerful straight-line winds. In addition…strong wind gusts from 59 to 71 mph not associated with the derecho… occurred prior to and following the passage of this system. By midday the derecho…moved over the mountains…and then rapidly northeast across the I-25 corridor by mid afternoon. Wind gusts from 60 to 80 mph were common with a few gusts exceeding 90 mph. The highest gust observed was 110 mph…at the Winter Park Ski area…around 12000 feet. Xcel Energy reported more than 208000 customers lost power because of the storm statewide. Widespread tree damage was reported. The intense wind toppled a billboard that crashed onto Denver bakery. Two delivery trucks parked nearby were heavily damaged. Two injuries occurred in Denver…one seriously. A man and his nine-year-old daughter were injured by a fallen tree. They were standing in front of a family member’s house when the incident occurred. The tree impaled the father through his back and he required several surgeries. His daughter sustained cuts and bruises that required stitches. Southwest winds gusted to 78 mph at Denver International Airport…with a peak gust to 76 mph at Centennial Airport.
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In 2004…a brief hot spell produced 3 temperature records. High temperatures of 95 degrees on the 6th and 98 degrees on the 7th were record maximum temperatures for the dates. Low temperature of 68 degrees on the 7th was a record high minimum for the date.
In 2007…an unusually strong storm system brought very strong winds to the Front Range foothills and urban corridor. Peak gusts included: 92 mph at Boulder…85 mph…2 miles southwest of Boulder…83 mph…10 miles south of Boulder and 55 mph at Denver International Airport. High winds forced the closure of Mt. Evans road and Trail Ridge Road. Several trees were uprooted across the urban corridor. In Aurora… The driver of a car was injured when some building material blew off the Fitzsimmons Complex. The debris landed on the car and knocked the driver unconscious. The wind forced the cancellation of 60 flights at Denver International Airport. Xcel reported outages in Boulder…Denver…Lakewood and Longmont. Continue reading June 4 to June 10: This week in Denver weather history
There are many notable events on our look back at the weather history books for this week but one in particular stands out. It was 36 years ago this week, on June 3, that the infamous Thornton tornado struck. This twister still stands as the most damaging tornado to have ever struck the Denver metro area.
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In 1995…a cool period with light morning showers and moderate to heavy afternoon showers and thunderstorms pushed rivers already swollen from mountain snow melt over their banks causing minor flooding. Streams and rivers such as the South Platte and Boulder creek flooded meadowlands…bike paths…roads near streams…and other low lying areas. No significant property damage was reported and crop damage was unknown. Rainfall totaled 1.79 inches at the site of the former Stapleton International Airport and only 1.51 inches at Denver International Airport.
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In 1884…a thunderstorm apparently produced large hail. The hail stones were noted as unusually large…but the diameter of the stones was not measured. The hail fell for only 5 minutes. Precipitation from the storm was only 0.05 inch.
In 1898…heavy thunderstorm rainfall totaled 1.74 inches in downtown Denver. Hail of unknown size accompanied the storm.
In 1981…a woman in Aurora was struck and killed by lightning. Another bolt injured a boy on a bicycle at about the same time a short distance away. About half an inch of rain in 20 minutes caused street flooding in the area. A tornado touched down for about 2 minutes some 3 miles north of Stapleton International Airport.
In 1982…severe thunderstorms produced golf ball size hail in southeast Denver…Aurora…and Strasburg. The large hailstones undoubtedly damaged some cars in the area. At Stapleton International Airport…only 1/2 inch diameter hail was measured.
In 1991…golf ball size hail fell in Brighton. No damage was reported. Later…hail ranging in size from 3/4 inch to 1 1/2 inches in diameter fell over southwestern sections of metro Denver. In some areas…hail piled up a few inches in depth.
In 1994…thunderstorm wind gusts to 65 mph damaged 16 small airplanes and a hangar at centennial airport.
In 2001…severe thunderstorms produced large hail across metro Denver. Hail as large as 1 inch in diameter fell in Lakewood…Wheat Ridge…northwest Denver…near Watkins… Bennett…and Keenesburg. Hail 3/4 inch or larger fell in Brighton. Thunderstorm winds gusted to 58 mph at Denver International Airport. A small tornado (f0) touched down near Bennett…but did no damage.
In 2019…a severe thunderstorm broke out over metro Denver during the overnight hours. Some damage was reported to cars and vegetation. The hail ranged in size 7/8 inch to 1 1/4 inch in diameter. Broadcast media reported damage to 16 different greenhouses around Denver; seven experienced significant damage. In addition…two separate storms passed across Denver International Airport. The hail accumulated on the runways but no damage to aircraft was reported.
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In 1934…the low temperature dipped to only 66 degrees…the all-time record highest minimum temperature for the month of May.
In 1958…a microburst caused a brief wind gust to 56 mph at Stapleton Airport.
In 1964…heavy rain caused flooding in the Harvey Gulch area of southeast Denver. The high water damaged homes… Businesses…streets…and bridges. At Stapleton International Airport…1.33 inches of rain were measured with 1.76 inches total rainfall on the 29th and 30th. The heavy rain during the last week of the month was the first significant precipitation since April 3rd.
In 1967…3/4 to 1 inch diameter hail stones fell in the city of Denver…but caused no reported damage. Hail as large as 3/4 inch was measured at Stapleton International Airport.
In 1975…the heaviest last snowfall of the season occurred when 5.6 inches of snow were measured at Stapleton International Airport. Rain all day on the 28th changed to snow on the 29th and accumulated to a depth of 4 inches on the ground. Northwest winds gusted to 31 mph. Precipitation (rain and melted snow) on the 28th and 29th totaled 1.48 inches.
In 1982…one man was killed and two others injured by a lightning strike as they stood under a tree in the city of Denver’s Washington Park.
In 1987…7/8 inch diameter hail fell near Castle Rock.
In 1990…thunderstorms over metro Denver produced several small funnel clouds and two small tornadoes. The first tornado (f0) touched down in northwest Denver and caused roof damage to a house and snapped off the tops of several trees. A second tornado (f1) touched down in Northglenn and moved into Thornton damaging a group of self storage garages…several vehicles…a wooden fence…several trees… And the roof of an auto parts store. No injuries were reported. The storms also caused minor street flooding across northern and western sections of metro Denver. Rainfall totals ranged from 1 to 3 inches. Lightning started a small fire at a home in northwest Denver. The fire was confined to the front rooms and was quickly extinguished. Snow plows were used to clear 2 to 4 inches of pea to marble size hail from a stretch of U.S. Highway 285 in Turkey Creek Canyon. Lightning felled a tree in northeast Denver…while strong winds snapped off several large tree limbs in the same area. Thunderstorm rainfall totaled 0.82 inch at Stapleton International Airport where southwest winds gusted to 30 mph.
In 1991…lightning struck a 13 year old boy in a field in Fort Lupton. The boy was in critical condition in an area hospital for 2 days before recovering.
In 1995…lightning struck a soccer goal post and injured 6 adults viewing a soccer game in Arvada. Although no one received a direct hit from the lightning…all escaped with only minor injuries…except one woman who was hospitalized.
In 1996…large hail…3/4 to 1 1/2 inches in diameter… Struck Lakewood and west Denver. Lightning sparked a small fire when it struck an oil storage tank 5 miles west of Brighton.
In 2001…lightning sparked a fire in an apartment complex in Aurora…forcing the evacuation of 24 units. Most of the fire damage was confined to the attic. Damage was estimated at 100 thousand dollars.
In 2004…a man and his son were struck by lightning while practicing on the driving range at the Meadows Golf Club in southwest metro Denver. The father was killed by the bolt…and his 16 year old son seriously injured. Three other people standing nearby received only minor injuries.
In 2010…hail up to 7/8 inch in diameter was reported in Broomfield.
In 2017…an isolated thunderstorm produced hail up to 7/8 inch in diameter near Centennial.
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In 1894…heavy rain combined with snowmelt runoff caused widespread flooding over the South Platte River basin. Rainfall was heaviest in the foothills where 5 to 8 inches were measured over the 4 days. Heavy rainfall west of Boulder flooded mining towns and damaged mining properties. In the canyons above Boulder…railroads and roads were washed out along with many bridges. The floodwaters spread into central Boulder and covered a wide area from University Hill north to near Mapleton Hill to a maximum depth of 8 feet. Many houses were swept away…and every bridge in Boulder was destroyed. A few people…trapped in their homes by the floodwaters… Had to be rescued. However…the gradual rise of the flood waters resulted in only one death. Boulder creek spread to a width of nearly one mile in the pasture land to the east of Boulder. Extensive flooding on left hand creek north of Boulder washed away railroad and wagon bridges. The heavy cloudbursts caused flooding on bear creek…which washed away bridges…railroad tracks…and structures and destroyed the canyon roadway. Morrison sustained the heaviest flood damage on bear creek. In Denver…rainfall totaled only 1.50 inches on the 30th and 31st…but the heavy rainfall on upstream tributaries of the South Platte River caused the river to rise as much as 10 feet above the low water mark in the city…which caused some flooding of pasture land downstream to a depth of 6 feet near Brighton.
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In 1875…a windstorm lasting almost all day produced sustained winds to 42 mph.
In 1935…southeast winds sustained to 29 mph with gusts to 34 mph produced a moderate duststorm during the afternoon.
In 1938…heavy thunderstorm rain and hail pummeled downtown Denver during the evening hours. Rainfall accumulated to 1.63 inches. Hail accumulated to a depth of 18 inches.
In 1948…a localized thunderstorm caused flooding on sand creek in Aurora and northeast Denver. Rainfall was only 0.49 inch in downtown Denver where light hail also fell.
In 1963…a golfer died of injuries received when struck by lightning on a golf course southwest of Denver. A warehouse in Denver was damaged and its contents destroyed by a lightning-caused fire.
In 1967…up to 4.00 inches of rain in Lakewood and wheat ridge caused flooding of roads and basements. Water was several feet deep in some yards. Many streets were temporarily closed. Hail as large as 1 inch in diameter fell in Wheat Ridge. Hail piled up to 2 feet deep in some low lying areas of east and southeast Denver. Snowplows were employed to remove the hail. Stapleton International Airport…where west winds gusted to 39 mph…received 1.51 inches of rain and hail…which forced the closure of the runways for an hour. Hail stones to 3/4 inch in diameter were measured at Buckley Field. A funnel cloud was sighted near south Wadsworth Blvd and Bear Creek. A tornado touched down briefly in the vicinity of 60th and 62nd avenues near north Washington Street. The storm uprooted trees and damaged one building. Doors were ripped from a business house…widely scattering irrigation pipe. In addition…a total of 3 funnel clouds were sighted in that area.
In 1970…hail up to 1 inch in diameter fell at Stapleton International Airport.
In 1976…a single thunderstorm crossed south metro Denver producing a funnel cloud 2 miles south of Arapahoe road and Broadway. The storm moved over Buckley Field producing a funnel cloud and 1/2 inch diameter hail. As the storm moved northeast of the city…a large tornado touched down near east 59th Ave and tower road and was on the ground for 20 minutes. It demolished a 60-foot-long cinderblock cow shed…tore a wall from a machinery shed…tore shingles off the roof of a farmhouse nearby…and felled 12 trees on one farm. A boy in a feed shed 20 feet from a destroyed building was not injured.
In 1977…3/4 to 1 inch diameter hail fell at or near Stapleton International Airport. One inch to baseball size hail fell in south Denver…damaging some homes and extensively damaging some airplanes at Arapahoe County airport…now centennial airport. Hail covered highways to a depth of 6 to 8 inches in south Denver.
In 1978…two funnel clouds were sighted 5 miles south of Stapleton International Airport. Hail up to 1 1/4 inches in diameter was reported in wheat ridge and northwest Denver. Only 1/2 inch diameter hail fell at Stapleton International Airport.
In 1989…golf ball size hail fell at the junction of I-25 and I-225. One inch diameter hail fell in Littleton.
In 1990…a line of severe thunderstorms crossed metro Denver… Producing wind gusts to 60 mph and scattered areas of pea to marble size hail. Small trees and branches were blown down by the strong thunderstorm winds…which also caused minor power outages across southern and eastern sections of metro Denver. The strong winds uprooted a 25- to 30-foot tree in the acres green subdivision of northern Douglas County. The tree blocked a busy street for several hours. A pilot reported hail as large as 1 1/2 inches in diameter covering the ground near the north end of a runway at Stapleton International Airport. Heavy rain caused a rock and mud slide that partially closed the Boulder canyon highway 10 miles west of Boulder. Thunderstorm winds gusted to 41 mph at Stapleton International Airport.
In 2001…lightning ignited a fire which destroyed a luxury home on bear mountain near Evergreen. Estimated damage was set at 1 million dollars.
In 2003…flash flooding occurred in the Hayman Fire burn area after as much as 1 inch of rain fell in 30 minutes. The heavy rainfall washed out many access roads and closed State Highway 67 between Deckers and west creek. A 3-foot wall of water ran down Fourmile Creek from the YMCA camp at Shady Brook…damaging one building in the camp and flooding roads. Hail as large as 3/4 inch in diameter fell near Roggen in weld County.
In 2005…lightning struck as least 20 homes in Westminster. Only minor damage was reported. Severe thunderstorms produced hail as large as 1.25 inches in and near Fort Lupton and hail to 3/4 inch near Indian Hills in Jefferson County.
In 2014…heavy rainfall…nearly 1.2 inches in 30 minutes… produced localized street flooding in Boulder. The heavy rain coupled with the already swollen creeks from the spring runoff along Boulder Creek resulted in the flooding. Street flooding was reported at 6th St and Canyon Blvd and at Baseline Road. Some cars were stranded in the high water in low lying areas and one person reported being trapped in his vehicle.
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In 1935…heavy thunderstorm rains overnight caused flash flooding east of the city on both Kiowa and Bijou Creeks… Resulting in a total of 9 deaths. Most of the damage was on Kiowa Creek where there were more structures. The water rose rapidly during the storm…ripping houses and stores from their foundations and sweeping them downstream. Precipitation in Denver totaled only 0.01 inch. Hail fell in the city for a short time. The hail was very small and caused no damage.
In 1983…a late storm of rain and snow hit the Front Range. Over an inch of rain fell at some spots…and above 7 thousand feet…1 to 5 inches of snow whitened the ground. Some snowflakes even fell in the western suburbs of metro Denver on the night of the 30th.
In 2002…unseasonably warm weather at the end of the month resulted in 3 temperature records. High temperature of 91 degrees on the 30th equaled the record maximum for the date. Low temperature of 61 degrees on the 31st was a record high minimum for the date. High temperature of 93 degrees on the 31st was a record maximum for the date.
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In 1917…rainfall totaled 0.55 inch and was mixed briefly with snow around midday. Only a trace of snow fell. Cold temperatures during the day resulted in a high of 44 degrees and a low of 35 degrees. The month closed as the coldest May on record with a mean temperature of only 48.7 degrees…about 8 degrees below normal. The cold temperatures during the month had a marked effect on shade trees and shrubs in the city. Elms were just starting to leaf. Leaves on cottonwoods and maples were only half formed. Lilacs were just blooming…and snowball clusters would not bloom for days.
In 1959…the public reported a tornado briefly touching the ground 10 miles south of Stapleton Airport. No damage was reported.
In 1984…a thunderstorm microburst produced a wind gust to 67 mph…7 miles east of Boulder.
In 1991…hail to golf ball size pummeled southern and southeastern sections of metro Denver and continued on east to Watkins. Several houses and cars were damaged. Later… Thunderstorms dumped heavy rain across the city of Denver… Causing street flooding in an area just south of downtown and just northwest of downtown. Water was up to 10 inches deep over northwest Denver. A brief tornado touched down in Castle Rock where 3/4 inch diameter hail also fell.
In 1993…thunderstorms dropped dime size hail in Commerce City.
In 1994…lightning struck an apartment in Louisville and damaged electronic equipment…including a computer.
In 2006…a severe thunderstorm produced 1 inch diameter hail near Boulder.
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In 1875…a windstorm during the late afternoon and early evening produced sustained winds to 50 mph.
In 1898…south winds were sustained to 41 mph with gusts to 46 mph.
In 1917…a trace of unmelted snow fell in downtown Denver. Precipitation for the day totaled 0.08 inch…half of which was estimated to be from melted snow.
In 1919…snowfall of 0.4 inch was measured in downtown Denver. This was the greatest calendar day and 24-hour snowfall ever recorded during the month of June. Precipitation (rain and melted snow) totaled 0.15 inch. Two temperature records were set. The low temperature of 32 degrees was a record minimum for the date. The high temperature of only 40 degrees was a record low maximum for the date and the month. North winds were sustained to 36 mph with gusts to 40 mph.
In 1951…a trace of snow fell at Stapleton Airport.
In 1961…hail as large as 1 1/2 inches in diameter fell in west Denver with hail to 1 1/4 inches reported in derby.
In 1965…a man struck by lightning in southeast Denver died shortly after being admitted to a hospital. Lightning damaged power lines in east and southeast Denver.
In 1980…strong thunderstorm winds blew in the windows of a mobile home in Northglenn.
In 1990…a thunderstorm produced wind gusts to 63 mph in Boulder. A small tornado touched down in a farmer’s field between the towns of Louisville and Lafayette. Another tornado was spotted in an open field 3 miles west of Brighton. A funnel cloud was sighted near Hudson. A microburst wind gust to 55 mph was recorded at Stapleton International Airport. No damage was reported from any of these events.
In 1991…severe thunderstorms producing large hail…damaging winds…funnel clouds…and heavy rain were widespread across metro Denver. Funnel clouds were reported in Lakewood… Boulder…Arvada…and just east of the rocky mountain arsenal. Hail up to golf ball size fell in Lakewood…just west of Sedalia…in Littleton…Arvada…Englewood…and the city of Denver. A mobile home park in Jefferson County reported hail to 3 feet deep. Up to 1.00 inch of rain fell in 45 minutes near Boulder…causing Boulder creek to flow out of its banks. Rock and mud slides forced the closure of many roads in Boulder County. Later in the afternoon thunderstorms produced rainfall amounts of 2 to 3 inches over a couple of hours. Clear creek in Golden spilled over onto U.S. Highway 6. Heavy rains washed away part of a bridge near Erie. Water was up to 18 inches deep in Westminster. Wind gusts to 58 mph were reported at Stapleton International Airport where 1/4 inch hail fell… And heavy thunderstorm rainfall totaled 0.82 inches…briefly reducing the visibility to 1 1/4 miles. Estimates of total damage from these storms would exceed 7 million dollars.
In 1994…hail up to 1 inch in diameter fell over south Denver and Littleton.
In 1997…two short lived-tornadoes formed near Bennett…but did no reported damage.
In 2002…strong winds from the outflow of dissipating showers developed to the east of Denver. Near Strasburg…a spotter recorded a wind gust to 58 mph.
In 2019…severe thunderstorms produced large hail from 1 to 1 3/4 inch hail east of Centennial and over southeast Aurora. Continue reading May 28 to June 3: This week in Denver weather history
