|
All posts by Thornton Weather
Images the day after a dangerous Oklahoma tornado show the destruction it left in its wake
|
July 2017 weather recap: Thornton sees average temps but little precipitation
The month of July might have seemed quite hot but in fact mercury readings were right near normal. What likely caused the misconception is the fact that we saw far less than normal rain.
High pressure did dominate for much of the month and while monsoonal flow did bring rain to eastern Colorado, it largely missed our area. The Palmer Divide and southeastern Colorado were beneficiaries for much of the month but for us it wasn’t until the last week that we saw relief.
Thornton’s average temperature for the month came in at 74.1 degrees. This is almost exactly matches Denver’s long-term July average of 74.2 degrees. Out at DIA where the Mile High City’s official temperatures are taken, it shows a far warmer month with an average of 76.4 degrees.
Temperatures here ranged from a maximum of 99.2 degrees on the 19th down to a low of 50.1 degrees on the morning of the 1st. Out at the airport, their highest reading was actually 100 degrees seen on the 6th and again on the 19th. The low out there was 51 degrees on the 1st.
On average Denver receives 2.16 inches of precipitation during July. Both Thornton and Denver fell far short of that mark. We managed to record 0.61 inches in our bucket during the month, more than half of which fell on the second to last day of the month. At DIA, Denver recorded 0.47 inches.
Click here to view Thornton’s July 2017 climate report.
From the National Weather Service:
CLIMATE REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER/BOULDER CO
656 AM MDT TUE AUG 1 2017
...................................
...THE DENVER CO CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR THE MONTH OF JULY 2017...
CLIMATE NORMAL PERIOD 1981 TO 2010
CLIMATE RECORD PERIOD 1872 TO 2017
WEATHER OBSERVED NORMAL DEPART LAST YEAR`S
VALUE DATE(S) VALUE FROM VALUE DATE(S)
NORMAL
................................................................
TEMPERATURE (F)
RECORD
HIGH 105 07/20/2005
LOW 42 07/04/1903
07/31/1873
HIGHEST 100 07/19 99 -5 102 07/10
07/06
LOWEST 51 07/01 51 9 51 07/12
AVG. MAXIMUM 91.5 89.4 2.1 92.0
AVG. MINIMUM 61.3 58.9 2.4 60.5
MEAN 76.4 74.2 2.2 76.2
DAYS MAX >= 90 20 16.0 4.0 22
DAYS MAX <= 32 0 0.0 0.0 0
DAYS MIN <= 32 0 0.0 0.0 0
DAYS MIN <= 0 0 0.0 0.0 0
PRECIPITATION (INCHES)
RECORD
MAXIMUM 6.41 1965
MINIMUM 0.01 1901
TOTALS 0.47 2.16 -1.69 1.07
DAILY AVG. 0.02 0.07 -0.05 0.03
DAYS >= .01 6 8.3 -2.3 6
DAYS >= .10 3 4.3 -1.3 4
DAYS >= .50 0 1.4 -1.4 1
DAYS >= 1.00 0 0.7 -0.7 0
GREATEST
24 HR. TOTAL 0.15 07/21 TO 07/21 07/01 TO 07/01
06/30 TO 07/01
07/01 TO 07/01
SNOWFALL (INCHES)
RECORDS TOTAL 0.0
TOTALS 0.0 2017 0.0
DEGREE_DAYS
HEATING TOTAL 0 6 -6 0
SINCE 7/1 0 6 -6 0
COOLING TOTAL 360 289 71 356
SINCE 1/1 533 444 89 544
FREEZE DATES
RECORD
EARLIEST 09/08/1962
LATEST 06/08/2007
EARLIEST 10/07
LATEST 05/05
..................................................
WIND (MPH)
AVERAGE WIND SPEED 9.6
RESULTANT WIND SPEED/DIRECTION 3/204
HIGHEST WIND SPEED/DIRECTION 45/120 DATE 07/15
HIGHEST GUST SPEED/DIRECTION 53/120 DATE 07/15
SKY COVER
POSSIBLE SUNSHINE (PERCENT) MM
AVERAGE SKY COVER 0.50
NUMBER OF DAYS FAIR 6
NUMBER OF DAYS PC 21
NUMBER OF DAYS CLOUDY 4
AVERAGE RH (PERCENT) 45
WEATHER CONDITIONS. NUMBER OF DAYS WITH
THUNDERSTORM 9 MIXED PRECIP 0
HEAVY RAIN 0 RAIN 3
LIGHT RAIN 9 FREEZING RAIN 0
LT FREEZING RAIN 0 HAIL 0
HEAVY SNOW 0 SNOW 0
LIGHT SNOW 0 SLEET 0
FOG 3 FOG W/VIS <= 1/4 MILE 1
HAZE 3
- INDICATES NEGATIVE NUMBERS.
R INDICATES RECORD WAS SET OR TIED.
MM INDICATES DATA IS MISSING.
T INDICATES TRACE AMOUNT.
Thornton’s August weather preview: Forecasts indicate cooler, wetter weather
As summer vacations wind down and families prepare to send their kids back to school in August, Colorado weather also starts to settle down. The chances for severe weather decrease markedly during August and by the end of the month daytime temperatures are dropping quite a bit as well.
Find out more about what lies ahead with Thornton’s August weather here.
July 30 to August 5: This week in Denver weather history
How does 42 degrees sound right about now? That mark is one of the highlights of this week in Denver weather history. It was the low temperature recorded twice in our past and the coldest July temperature on record. Many more notable events have also occurred.
From the National Weather Service:
13-5
In 2008…a streak of 24 consecutive days of 90 degrees shattered the previous record of 18 consecutive days established in 1901 and 1874. Ironically…no new single day record high temperatures were set in the month of July. In August however…a record of 104 degrees was set on the 1st…and another record of 103 degrees was set on the 2nd. In addition…a record low min of 70 degrees was set on August 2nd.
18-2
In 1987…a streak of 16 consecutive days of 90 degrees ranked 4th on the list of hot streaks. The record of 24 consecutive days was established in the summer of 2008.
27-31
In 1956…96 percent of the total precipitation for the month of July occurred over the last five days of the month. Heavy thunderstorms produced 4.00 inches of rainfall at Stapleton Airport. This amount of precipitation in 5 days or less had been exceeded only 3 times in previous record. The last time had been in December of 1913 as snow. Considerable property damage occurred across metro Denver from flooding.
28-30
In 1889…dense smoke from forest fires in the mountains obscured the sun over the city for three days.
In 1971…a vigorous cold front late on the 28th produced northeast wind gusts to 39 mph and record breaking cold temperatures on the 29th and 30th. The temperature dipped to 47 degrees on the 29th and 43 degrees on the 30th… Setting record minimums for the dates. Upslope cloudiness along with rain and fog early on the 29th helped set a record low maximum temperature of 58 degrees for the date.
29-30
In 1997…heavy rain caused flooding and flash flooding in central portions of Adams and Arapahoe counties. Two homes were extensively damaged when water flooded the basements and adjacent pasture area in Strasburg. Water 4 to 5 feet deep had pooled in the lower lying areas of the town. A portion of Quincy Road was closed in Arapahoe County when 4 feet of water covered the roadway. Rainfall totaled 3.06 inches at Denver International Airport…establishing a new record for 24-hour rainfall in July. The previous record was 2.42 inches set in 1965 on the 24th and 25th.
30
In 1879…lightning struck a brick kiln in north Denver. Three men were knocked senseless…but all recovered. Rainfall in the city was only 0.09 inch.
In 1881…a thunderstorm dumped heavy rain and hail on the city…causing street flooding and much damage. A heavy torrent of rain fell with 1.10 inches measured in just 20 minutes. Storm total rainfall was 1.60 inches. The rain turned streets into running streams. Wood street crossings were torn up and washed away. The storm caused great damage by flooding many cellars where goods were stored. The brick yards suffered severe damage when the heavy rainfall destroyed many unfired bricks.
In 1913…northeast winds were sustained to 41 mph with gusts to 48 mph.
In 1939…a thunderstorm produced 0.08 inch of rainfall. This was the only measurable precipitation of the month…making the month the second driest July on record.
In 1961…heavy rain and lightning disrupted power lines and caused flooding in Denver. Thunderstorm rains totaled 1.60 inches at 11th and Lincoln in central Denver.
In 1972…the temperature climbed to a high of 100 degrees at Stapleton International Airport.
In 1983…hail 3/4 to 1 inch in diameter fell in central and southeast Denver and in Littleton. Rainfall of 1.50 inches occurred in just 30 minutes in Littleton. There was some street flooding in both cities with wind gusts up to 55 mph.
In 1984…central Aurora was hit by a downpour that produced 1.80 inches of rain and sent water 2 to 3 feet deep into some streets. Before the rain stopped later in the evening… The storm had dropped as much as 2.80 inches of moisture on the city. Thunderstorm rainfall totaled only 0.82 inch at Stapleton International Airport.
In 1985…a tornado was spotted in open country 10 miles southwest of Bennett. No damage was reported. One inch hail was reported in south Lakewood.
In 1997…one man was killed and his girlfriend critically injured when they were struck by lightning on the Kennedy Golf Course in southeast Denver. Both were struck in the head when they took refuge under a tree during a downpour. Lightning struck a home in unincorporated Arapahoe County east of Buckley Field. The fire started in the electrical panel boxes…causing extensive damage to the home. Heavy rain and hail triggered a flash flood in Boulder…which sent water through a window of the financial aid office on the University of Colorado campus. In addition…ceiling tiles…carpets…and dressing rooms were damaged at the Coors Events Center when a pipe draining rainwater broke during the downpour. In all…10 buildings on the campus received water damage estimated at 100 thousand dollars. Hail as large as 1.25 inches in diameter accompanied the heavy rain in Boulder. Thunderstorm rainfall totaled 2.71 inches at Denver International Airport where west winds gusted to 41 mph. This was the greatest calendar day official precipitation ever recorded in July.
In 1998…heavy rain…up to 3 inches in an hour…caused flash flooding problems from Castle Rock to Parker. I-25 north of Castle Rock was closed as high waters covered sections of the highway. Some cars were left floating in the flood waters.
In 2001…a severe thunderstorm produced a wind gust to 70 mph at a wind sensor on the northeast corner of Denver International Airport.
In 2004…a severe thunderstorm produced wind gusts to 71 mph in Evergreen.
In 2005…the temperature climbed to a high of 101 degrees at Denver International Airport. This was a new record maximum temperature for the date.
In addition…this was the 7th day of the month with a high temperature of 100 degrees or more…which set a new Denver record for the most 100 degree days in a month…for a season…and in a year.
31
In 1873…the all-time lowest recorded temperature in July… 42 degrees…occurred. The same temperature also occurred on July 4…1903.
In 1874…during the late afternoon rain and hail fell for 5 minutes followed by brief heavy rain. Pieces of solid ice of irregular shape fell upon the roof of the station. The hail stones measured 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Precipitation (rain and melted hail) was only 0.16 inch.
In 1889…the high temperature climbed to 100 degrees in downtown Denver.
In 1919…heavy thunderstorm rainfall totaled 2.59 inches in downtown Denver during the evening. Rainfall was 1.90 inches in an hour…a new record at that time.
In 1961…over an inch of rain in a short period of time caused flooding of streets and basements in Denver. Rainfall totaled 1.30 inches at 11th and Lincoln in central Denver.
In 1964…the temperature reached 91 degrees in Denver…making this the 27th day of the month that the temperature reached 90 degrees or more. This is the all time record for 90 degree days in a month in Denver.
In 1972…one inch diameter hail fell in Hudson northeast of Denver.
In 1976…during the evening hours extremely heavy thunderstorm rains produced flash flooding in Big Thompson Canyon which killed 144 people between Estes Park and Loveland. No significant weather occurred in metro Denver at the time.
In 1987…1 inch diameter hail fell in Lakewood and 3/4 inch hail fell near Louisville. Southeast Boulder County was drenched with 1.25 inches of rain in just 20 minutes.
In 1993…thunderstorm winds damaged a chimney of a home near Parker.
In 1996…a weak tornado (f0) was sighted 12 miles east of Denver International Airport. No damage was reported.
In 1998…heavy monsoonal thunderstorm rain triggered a mud slide in Blackhawk. The mudslide blocked Main St. and caused an estimated half million dollars in damage to a casino. Heavy thunderstorm rain…up to 3 inches in an hour…caused a flash flood along Buffalo Creek. Portions of County Road 126 just south of the town of Buffalo Creek were washed out. The flood waters nearly washed away the bridge as mud and debris slammed into the structure. Hail to 1 3/4 inches in diameter fell near Idaho Springs.
In 2004…severe thunderstorm winds toppled a 65-foot blue spruce tree in Parker. The tree landed on a home damaging the roof and gutters. The downed tree poked dozens of holes into the shingles.
In 2013…severe thunderstorm winds… with gusts estimated to 80 mph…downed power poles which caused scattered outages in and around Byers…Bennett and Strasburg. Some property damage was also observed. Near Byers…aluminum siding and roofing was peeled off sheds. Large hail…up to one inch in diameter… was reported north of Bennett. At Denver International Airport…a peak wind gust to 40 mph was observed from the northeast.
1 Continue reading July 30 to August 5: This week in Denver weather history
Safety Tips For Watching The Solar Eclipse
|
July 23 to July 29: This week in Denver weather history
As we near the end of July the weather in Denver tends to be a bit more stable. That doesn’t mean the severe weather threat disappears as can be seen at our look back at this week in Denver weather history. Particularly notable are lightning injuries and deaths, flash flood events and even tornadoes.
From the National Weather Service:
7-25
In 1934…a streak of 15 consecutive days of 90 degrees ranked 5th on the list of hot streaks. The record of 24 consecutive days was established in the summer of 2008.
13-5
In 2008…a streak of 24 consecutive days of 90 degrees shattered the previous record of 18 consecutive days established in 1901 and 1874. Ironically…no new single day record high temperatures were set in the month of July. In August however…a record of 104 degrees was set on the 1st…and another record of 103 degrees was set on the 2nd. In addition…a record low min of 70 degrees was set on August 2nd.
18-2
In 1987…a streak of 16 consecutive days of 90 degrees ranked 4th on the list of hot streaks. The record of 24 consecutive days was established in the summer of 2008.
19-23
In 2005…the high temperature climbed above 100 degrees on each of the 5 days with readings of 101 on the 19th…105 on the 20th…104 on the 21st…and 102 on both the 22nd and 23rd. A new record maximum temperature for the month of July of 105 degrees was set on the 20th…which also equaled the all time record maximum for Denver of 105 degrees first set on August 8th in 1878. Daily maximum temperature records were set on each day…and the 5 day period equaled the record for the most consecutive days of 100 degrees or more first set from July 4th through 8th in 1989. The intense heat resulted in a high use of electricity for cooling purposes. The demand for electric power exceeded the supply and rolling black-outs… Each lasting about an hour…were scheduled across metro Denver during the afternoons and early evenings.
20-23
In 1961…unusually cool weather for July resulted in several temperature records. Record minimum temperatures were set or equaled on each day with readings of 51…51…49… And 49 degrees. High temperature of only 64 degrees on the 21st was a record low maximum for the date.
20-25
In 1965…heavy showers and thunderstorms doused metro Denver with significant rain each day. Rainfall for the six days totaled 5.16 inches at Stapleton International Airport. Massive rainfall occurred on the 20th…21st…and 25th… Flooding streets and basements and causing streams to overflow. The heaviest rainfall…2.05 inches…at Stapleton International Airport occurred on the 25th.
22-23
In 1991…heavy rains over the palmer divide and along the Front Range caused the South Platte River to flood from near Henderson to Fort Lupton. The river was out of its banks at several locations with water covering the roads through the night. Only minor damage was reported.
24
In 1896…heavy cloudbursts in the foothills west of Denver caused flash flooding on Bear Creek…Clear Creek…Golden Gate Gulch…and Mount Vernon Creek…resulting in a total of 27 deaths. The downpour dislodged large Boulders…one of which crushed a house. The heavy rain also caused a dam on cub creek to wash out…adding even more water to the flood. A wall of water as high as 10 feet flooded Evergreen and passed down bear creek…washing away many structures along the way. The flood crest produced 3 feet of water in downtown Morrison during the early evening. Flash flooding on Mount Vernon Creek added to the flooding in Morrison. In Golden…the flooding washed out bridges on clear creek and on Cresman and Tucker gulches and forced the closure of the power plant. In Denver…a thunderstorm produced hail of unknown size during the afternoon and rainfall of 1.23 inches overnight.
In 1958…a thunderstorm wind gust to 52 mph was recorded at Stapleton Airport.
In 1965…heavy rain caused flooding on clear creek and tucker gulch in Golden and west Denver. Damage in Golden was estimated at 80 thousand dollars. Heavy rain south of Denver washed out temporary earthen bridges constructed following the June floods in Castle Rock…Littleton… Englewood…and Denver. Bear creek in south Denver reached flood stage. A cloudburst on cub creek in Evergreen washed out bridges and roads. Heavy rain fell over all the Denver and Aurora areas…causing some flooding of roads…streets… And bridges. A man drowned in a flooded irrigation canal near Hudson. Heavy rain caused flooding of streets and roads in Blackhawk and central city. Hail caused minor damage in Idaho Springs.
In 1967…seven bridges were washed out along a normally dry creek bed south of State Highway 7 west of Brighton. One car was washed into the creek when a bridge gave way.
In 1970…hail stones to 1 1/4 inches in diameter fell in the foothills of Jefferson County southwest of Denver.
In 1971…golf ball size hail was reported in foothill areas of Jefferson County west of Denver. A funnel cloud was sighted in Aurora. Wind gusts estimated at 60 mph…hail… And heavy rain up to an inch in 15 minutes caused local flooding and some other damage in several areas of metro Denver. Hailstones to 3/4 inch in diameter fell 7 miles southeast of Denver.
In 1973…a thunderstorm wind gust to 52 mph was recorded at Stapleton International Airport where one inch diameter hail was measured.
In 1981…strong winds downed a power line in northeast Denver. Wind gusts to 50 mph were recorded at Chatfield Reservoir.
In 1987…3/4 inch diameter hail fell 5 miles northeast of Commerce City.
In 1996…hail…up to 1 3/4 inches in diameter…fell at Chatfield Reservoir. Hail to 3/4 inch in diameter was measured near Bennett.
In 2000…lightning struck near two golfers at ute creek golf course near Longmont…knocking them to the ground. The men received only minor injuries.
In 2001…lightning from a thunderstorm knocked out electrical power to about 1500 residents in the city of Denver.
In 2004…a chilly day with fog and thunderstorms resulted in two temperature records. The low temperature of 49 degrees was a record minimum for the date. The high temperature of only 58 degrees was a record low maximum for the date.
24-25
In 2003…maximum temperature of 100 degrees on the 24th was a record high for the date. Low temperature of 73 degrees on the 25th was a record high minimum for the date.
25
In 1875…brief heavy rain and hail lasted only 5 minutes… But the 1/4 inch diameter hail covered the ground to a depth of 1/2 inch and made the streets look like there had been snowfall. There was much crop damage…especially to corn…and some sheep were killed. Precipitation totaled 0.51 inch in the city.
In 1896…a heavy thunderstorm produced sustained northwest winds to 45 mph with gusts to 50 mph and 1.02 inches of rain.
In 1965…a cloudburst dumped 1.99 inches of rain in 30 minutes at Stapleton International Airport. The storm was accompanied by strong winds gusting to 70 mph. The heavy rain flooded numerous streets in east Denver and Aurora. One inch diameter hail accompanied a cloudburst…9 miles southwest of Denver. A funnel cloud was sighted 25 miles northwest of Denver. In Aurora…there were unofficial reports of 2.30 inches of rain in 40 minutes and 3.30 inches of rain in 30 to 40 minutes. Rainfall totaled 2.05 inches at Stapleton International Airport. Rainfall of 2.42 inches for 24 hours on the 24th and 25th was the second greatest on record for July.
In 1977…a tornado touched down briefly in Aurora southeast of Cheery Creek Reservoir. No damage was reported. A funnel cloud was sighted for 4 minutes by national weather service personnel 10 miles north of Stapleton International Airport near Henderson.
In 1991…heavy rain…up to half an inch in 10 minutes…caused flooding in Westminster…Northglenn…and north Denver where a section of railroad track was washed away. At Stapleton International Airport…heavy thunderstorm rain totaled 1.85 inches and briefly reduced the visibility to 1/4 mile. Hail to 1/8 inch in diameter was also measured. A tornado touched down briefly near Fort Lupton. No damage was reported.
In 1998…heavy monsoonal thunderstorm rains caused flooding and flash flooding in eastern and southern sections of metro Denver…including Englewood and Aurora…when about 2 to 3 inches of rain inundated the area. Both I-25 and I-70 were closed for 2 to 3 hours as several low lying areas became impassable due to the high waters. The water was estimated to be 15 feet deep in one flooded underpass along I-25. As a result…the freeway was closed from south of 6th Avenue to University Blvd. Standing water forced the closure of I-70 at gun club road east of Denver. In Englewood…U.S. Highway 285 was closed…when high water made it impassable. Several cars were reportedly floating down the roadway near Sheridan Blvd. In Aurora…the intersection at Yale Ave. And chambers rd. Was flooded by high water up to 4 feet deep when a spillway on the high line canal was breached. Lightning also knocked out 11 transformers across metro Denver…causing several small fires and scattered power outages. Flood and flash flooding also occurred north of Strasburg when as much as 2.51 inches of rain fell in an hour. The deluge resulted in considerable flooding of local streets and County roads. Torrential rainfall of 2 to 3 inches in less than an hour triggered a flash flood in Virginia Canyon. County road 279 between Idaho Springs and Central City was closed for two days to clear debris from mudslides. Several cars in Idaho Springs were washed off the road…and numerous basements were flooded in town. Thunderstorm rainfall totaled 2.69 inches at Denver International Airport.
In 2001…lightning struck two homes in Lafayette…damaging the roof and attic of one and shorting out the electrical system in another. Hail to 1 3/4 inch in diameter was measured 7 miles north of Castle Rock with 3/4 inch hail 7 miles north of Sedalia.
In 2005…heavy thunderstorm rain in the vicinity of the overland wildfire burn scar triggered a mudslide in Jamestown. Rocks the size of bowling balls…along with silt and mud slid down the mountain into the town. No one was injured. One parked car was buried by the debris.
In 2006…heavy thunderstorm rainfall caused flash flooding 1 mile north of the town of Westcreek in southwestern Douglas County. Several maintenance roads were washed out by the floodwaters.
26
In 1891…a thunderstorm produced sustained northeast winds to 44 mph with gusts to 60 mph and 0.16 inch of rain.
In 1894…a thunderstorm produced sustained southwest winds to 36 mph with gusts to 58 mph…but only 0.04 inch of rain.
In 1910…the high temperature reached 100 degrees in downtown Denver.
In 1959…a Denver man was stunned while standing by a car that was struck by lightning. He was treated for burns and shock at a local hospital. Thunderstorm winds gusted to 55 mph at Stapleton Airport.
In 1983…two heavy thunderstorms hit the northern and western suburbs. The first drenched Northglenn with an inch of rain in 30 minutes. The second storm dumped an inch or more of rain in Idaho Springs and Evergreen. The heaviest rainfall… 2.90 inches in an hour…caused minor street flooding in Golden.
In 1984…heavy early morning thunderstorms drenched the foothills southwest of Denver. Rainfall to 1 1/2 inches in just 30 minutes occurred between Evergreen and Conifer. In nearby Turkey Creek Canyon…1.80 inches of rain was recorded in 35 minutes.
In 1985…a long rope-like white tornado touched down 5 miles east of Erie and stayed on the ground…mainly over an open field…for 18 minutes. However…the twister damaged a few cars on I-25 and injured 3 people from broken glass. The storm flipped over a van…blew out car windows…and ripped a highway sign. It also blew an outbuilding off its foundation. A tornado also touched down briefly 8 miles north of Bennett. No damage was reported from this storm.
In 1988…a 9-year-old girl was slightly injured by lightning in Parker.
In 2003…a severe thunderstorm in and south of Franktown produced hail as large as 1.75 inches in diameter.
26-27 Continue reading July 23 to July 29: This week in Denver weather history
‘An insane amount of heat’ as fire near Yosemite National Park moves with frightening speed
|
July 16 to July 22: This week in Denver weather history
Our weekly look back at Denver weather history always has interesting items but this week one stands out in particular. Denver has never officially recorded snow during the month of July. However, before official records began in 1882, the U.S. Army Signal Service weather observer reported snow on July 17, 1872!
From the National Weather Service:
7-25
In 1934…a streak of 15 consecutive days of 90 degrees ranked 5th on the list of hot streaks. The record of 24 consecutive days was established in the summer of 2008.
13-5
In 2008…a streak of 24 consecutive days of 90 degrees shattered the previous record of 18 consecutive days established in 1901 and 1874. Ironically…no new single day record high temperatures were set in the month of July. In August however…a record of 104 degrees was set on the 1st…and another record of 103 degrees was set on the 2nd. In addition…a record low min of 70 degrees was set on August 2nd.
15-16
In 2006…a brief mid July hot spell resulted in two 100 plus degree high temperatures and two daily maximum temperature records. The high temperature climbed to 101 degrees on the 15th and 103 degrees on the 16th at Denver International Airport.
16
In 1911…thunderstorm winds were sustained to 44 mph from the northwest.
In 1959…a thunderstorm produced 3/8 inch diameter hail and a wind gust to 60 mph at Stapleton Airport.
In 1972…two tornadoes were sighted by the public to the southeast of Aurora. No damage was reported.
In 1978…a thunderstorm wind gust to 52 mph was recorded at Stapleton International Airport.
In 1980…a severe thunderstorm ripped through metro Denver… Producing torrential rain…large hail…and strong winds. In Aurora…winds gusted to 65 mph with hail up to 1 1/2 inches in diameter and half an inch of rain in just 10 minutes. Stapleton International Airport was closed for an hour. Large hail also fell in southeast Denver…Lakewood…Parker… And Castle Rock. Up to 1 1/2 inches of rain fell in just 40 minutes. Heavy rains in wheat ridge flooded a shopping center…breaking windows and doors…while causing 100 thousand dollars in damage. Some roofs and windows were damaged throughout metro Denver. At Stapleton International Airport where west winds gusted to 49 mph…1/4 inch hail and 0.77 inch of rain fell.
In 1983…severe thunderstorms dumped large hail over much of metro Denver. Hail to 3/4 inch in diameter fell in Littleton and Northglenn…with 3/4 to 1 inch hail in Arvada…1 to 1 1/2 inch hail in extreme northwest Denver…1 3/4 inch hail in Lakewood…1 1/2 inch hail in south Arvada and just northeast of Aurora…and 1 5/8 inch hail on Green Mountain.
In 1994…spotters reported a brief tornado touchdown in an open field just north of Fort Lupton. No damage or injuries were reported.
In 2000…very moist and unstable weather conditions…along with low level upslope flow during the late afternoon and evening…combined to produce heavy thunderstorm rainfall… Which caused urban and small stream flooding across metro Denver. Rainfall amounts generally ranged from 1 to 3 inches with the heaviest rainfall occurring during the evening hours. Two miles east of white ranch in northern Jefferson County… An automated rain gage measured 3.86 inches of rain. Since the rain fell in a relatively open area…no flood damage was reported. However…in greenwood village near the intersection of Peoria and Belleview…the streets were closed for several hours with as much as 2 feet of standing water covering the roadways. Two campers near Mt. Evans were injured by lightning and stranded overnight by the inclement weather. Both received minor injuries.
In 2003…the high temperature of 101 degrees was a record maximum temperature for the date.
In 2004…locally heavy rainfall of unknown amount caused parts of the Virginia Canyon Road near Idaho Springs to wash out. The road had to be closed temporarily.
In 2005…the temperature climbed to a high of 102 degrees at Denver International Airport. This was a new record maximum temperature for the date at the time.
16-18
In 1997…an extended hot spell resulted in 3 temperature records being set. The maximum temperature reached 98 degrees on each of the days…setting records on the 16th and 18th. The low temperature of 71 degrees on the 17th was a record high minimum for the date. The high temperature reached 100 degrees on the 17th at the site of the former Stapleton International Airport.
17
In 1872…the U.S. Army Signal Service weather observer recorded snowfall during the early morning hours in the hand written daily weather journal: “rain commenced at 1:30 a.m. changing about 3 a.m. to snow & in about half an hour to rain again; it continued until 6 a.m.” this is the only recorded occurrence of snowfall in Denver in July…but this report is not included in the “official” station snowfall records…which did not begin in Denver until January 1…1882. The low temperature on this morning was 45 degrees…which is sufficiently cold for the occurrence of light stratiform snowfall.
In 1918…a thunderstorm produced hail to an inch in depth on the ground. The stones varied in size from a small cherry stone to nearly 1/2 inch in diameter. Not much permanent damage was done to crops. Precipitation totaled 0.40 inch…and northeast winds were sustained to 25 mph with gusts to 28 mph.
In 1971…the temperature reached a high of 101 degrees at Stapleton International Airport.
In 1983…3/4 inch diameter hail fell at Lafayette…while golf ball size hail pelted Brighton and Northglenn where funnel clouds were also sighted.
In 1986…1 1/2 inches of rain fell in an hour and 15 minutes in southeastern Aurora. Thunderstorm rainfall totaled 0.89 inches at Stapleton International Airport.
In 1987…a small tornado was sighted near Watkins…in the vicinity of Front Range airport.
In 1997…lightning ignited an oil well tank holding 10 thousand gallons of oil…16 miles northwest of Bennett. About 200 acres of grassland burned before the fire could be extinguished. A dry microburst produced a wind gust to 52 mph at Denver International Airport.
In 2000…an estimated 2 inches of rain fell in less than an hour…causing two secondary roads in buck and miller gulches in the hi meadows fire burn area to wash out. Water also covered Jefferson County road 68 which connects to Bailey. Homeowners in pine valley estates attempted to divert some of the runoff by piling stacks of hay on the hillside above their homes. Torrential rainfall…up to 3.50 inches an hour…caused flash flooding along Whiskey Gulch near Elizabeth. Several roads were washed out and basements flooded during the storm. Along County Road 13… About 6 miles north-northwest of Elizabeth…rushing water washed away a 15-foot section of the road. The floodwaters forced debris and mud into four huge culverts…sending water over the road. At Denver International Airport…an United Airlines ground crew worker was struck by lightning as she was loading a Boeing 747 jumbo jet. The woman was injured when lightning either hit the jet or the loading equipment that she was working near. The 25-year-old woman received only minor injuries.
In 2006…outflow from severe thunderstorms to the southeast of metro Denver produced southeast sustained winds to 35 mph with gusts as high as 52 mph at Denver International Airport during the late evening.
In 2011…a deluge of heavy rain occurred in and around Nederland when the storm dumped nearly 2 inches of rain in 30 minutes. The heavy rainfall washed out hillsides and dirt roads. In Nederland…a culvert became blocked with debris and forced the water to spread into a nearby bookstore. The rainfall also damaged several residential roads in the Sunnyside Subdivision and Navajo Road became impassable. Several homes suffered flood damage as the runoff from a nearby Beaver Creek jumped its banks and flooded garages…living rooms and bedrooms of nearby houses.
18
In 1874…the temperature climbed to 90 degrees or more for the 18th consecutive day…setting a record. The record was equaled from July 6th through the 23rd in 1901.
In 1902…a thunderstorm produced northwest winds sustained to 45 mph with gusts to 48 mph along with rain and hail. Total precipitation was 0.53 inch.
In 1911…a shower produced north winds sustained to 44 mph.
In 1958…1 1/2 inch diameter hail fell 9 miles west-southwest of Stapleton Airport.
In 1981…a thunderstorm bombed Evergreen with about 2 inches of rain in 45 minutes. A heavy hailstorm left 5 to 7 inches of hail on the ground in some places and stopped the Colorado Open golf tournament at Hiwan.
In 1985…over 2 inches of rain doused the southwest suburbs of Denver. Street flooding occurred in the Montbello area of northeast Denver.
In 1992…nickel size hail fell across central Douglas County near Castle Rock and Sedalia. One inch diameter hail fell in Castle Rock.
In 1993…thunderstorm winds gusted to 60 mph at Strasburg east of Denver.
In 2004…heavy thunderstorm rainfall caused flooding over parts of the Virginia Canyon Road near Idaho Springs. Several sections of the roadway were washed out. The road was closed temporarily for repairs.
18-19
In 2003…heavy rain producing thunderstorms caused flash flooding across southern metro Denver. Automated rain gages measured 2 to 3 inches of rain in less than an hour. The heavy rainfall caused many intersections and underpasses to flood…stranding motorists. Sections of I-25 and I-225 were closed due to the high water.
18-2
In 1987…a streak of 16 consecutive days of 90 degrees ranked 4th on the list of hot streaks. The record of 24 consecutive days was established in the summer of 2008.
19
In 1875…recent heavy rains produced high waters on many creeks and rivers in the area…which threatened the destruction of property at some locations. Cherry Creek in the city was running the highest in 10 years. Heavy rain in the mining regions over the last 2 days resulted in water running “everywhere” and the suspension of some work.
In 1881…a thunderstorm passing across the city produced lightning with no rain. A woman was seriously injured when struck by lightning several blocks from the weather office in downtown Denver.
In 1934…the temperature reached a high of 100 degrees in downtown Denver.
In 1965…hail…rain…and lightning hit west metro Denver. Hail stones as large as 1 1/2 inches in diameter accumulated to a depth of 2 inches in Evergreen where 2.95 inches of rain in 2 hours caused some flooding in the business section of the town. Lightning caused some power outages.
In 1973…two funnel clouds were observed 5 miles southeast of Littleton. The same funnel clouds were observed for 20 minutes…5 miles west and 5 miles west-southwest of Arapahoe County airport…now centennial airport.
In 1975…lightning injured a man in Denver and caused power outages in Aurora…Lakewood…Westminster…and west Denver.
In 1984…strong thunderstorm winds gusting to 45 mph shattered 7 large plate glass windows at Stapleton International Airport.
In 1985…a tornado touched down in the surrey ridge area of northern Douglas County…just west of I-25. Ten homes were damaged; one under construction was nearly destroyed. Two vehicles were thrown off I-25 injuring three people. A pick-up truck was thrown 50 feet by the twister. In addition…a cluster of severe thunderstorms pounded all of metro Denver with torrential rain…hail…and wind. The heaviest rain fell in Aurora where one location reported 2.37 inches in just 40 minutes. One location in northeast Aurora received a total of 4.30 inches from the storm. There was extensive street and basement flooding…and a number of roads were damaged or washed out. An Aurora boy suffered minor injuries when he was washed into a drainage ditch. Golf ball size hail in Aurora piled up to 5 inches deep. An inch of rain fell in 20 minutes at Stapleton International Airport…closing it to air traffic for an hour. Up to 1 1/2 inches of rain fell in just 15 minutes over central Denver with the high water closing I-25. The water was so deep on the freeway…that one vehicle was completely submerged and people were diving into the water from the freeway overpass. Three homes in Littleton were damaged by lightning. Wind blew out several windows from a high rise apartment building in southeast Denver. Rainfall totaled 1.51 inches at Stapleton International Airport.
In 1997…torrential rain and damaging hail pummeled eastern sections of metro Denver. Hail up to 1.25 inches in diameter fell at the national weather service office on the site of the former Stapleton International Airport. The hail continued for about 15 minutes and accumulated to a depth of 2 to 3 inches…causing extensive damage to cars in the area. Heavy rainfall totaled 3.83 inches in about an hour from the nearly stationary thunderstorm. Numerous cars stalled along I-70…and several homes were flooded in east Denver. The roof of a building collapsed under the weight of the water. The next day several “fatalities” were discovered near the national weather service office; two prairie dogs were found dead along with three rabbits that either drowned or were killed by the large hail.
In 1999…lightning struck two residences in Littleton…but caused only minor damage. Lightning triggered a fire at a residence in cherry hills village. A small portion of the roof and ceiling were damaged before the fire could be extinguished.
In 2000…hail as large as 1.25 inches in diameter fell near roggen northeast of Denver.
In 2004…heavy rainfall caused flooding on the Virginia Canyon Road near Idaho Springs…which had to be closed for repairs.
In 2006…the temperature climbed to a high of 100 degrees. The high temperature was not a record maximum for the date.
In 2007…a severe thunderstorm produced large hail…up to 1 inch in diameter…about 6 miles north of Northglenn.
19-23
In 2005…the high temperature climbed above 100 degrees on each of the 5 days with readings of 101 on the 19th…105 on the 20th…104 on the 21st…and 102 on both the 22nd and 23rd. A new record maximum temperature for the month of July of 105 degrees was set on the 20th…which also equaled the all time record maximum for Denver of 105 degrees first set on August 8th in 1878. Daily maximum temperature records were set on each day…and the 5 day period equaled the record for the most consecutive days of 100 degrees or more first set from July 4th through 8th in 1989. The intense heat resulted in a high use of electricity for cooling purposes. The demand for electric power exceeded the supply and rolling black-outs… Each lasting about an hour…were scheduled across metro Denver during the afternoons and early evenings.
20 Continue reading July 16 to July 22: This week in Denver weather history
8 Dead, More Missing in Arizona Flash Flood
|