When Denver’s weather turns severe it can turn deadly and damaging.  As we look back at this week in Denver weather history we see a time when extreme cold claimed a life and many occasions where wind wreaked havoc and caused damage.

15-23

In 1962…a protracted cold spell kept metro Denver in the deep freeze for more than a week.  From the 15th thru the 23rd…low temperatures were zero or below for 9 consecutive days…but a daily record low was set only on the 22nd when the temperature dipped to 14 degrees below zero.  A record low maximum for the date was also set on the 22nd when the temperature climbed to only 11 degrees.  The coldest high temperature was 3 degrees above zero on the 21st…which did not break the record.  The protracted cold was broken for only a few hours on the afternoon of the 20th when Chinook winds warmed the temperature to a high of 38 degrees before another surge of cold arctic air plunged temperatures back into the deep freeze that evening.  The severe cold caused much damage to water systems.  A woman was frozen to death at Morrison.  There were other deaths attributable to the weather…including traffic deaths and heart attacks from overexertion.

18-24

In 2005…a week of mid-winter unseasonably warm weather pushed high temperatures into the 60’s or more on all but one day.  During the period…the highest temperature of 70 degrees on the 20th was a new record maximum for the date.  Low temperatures remained above freezing on 4 of the days.

22-23

In 1982…wind gusts up to 101 mph were clocked at Wondervu. Wind gusts of 60 to 80 mph were common along the Front Range foothills from Boulder north.

22-26

In 1948…the longest period of snowfall on record (92 hours and 3 minutes) occurred in downtown Denver where a total of 13.6 inches of snow fell.  At Stapleton Airport…19.0 inches of snow fell…making it the heaviest snow in January and the 5th heaviest snow of record at that time.  North winds were sustained to a velocity of 23 mph on the 25th…but generally the winds were light throughout the storm.  The snow disrupted traffic…but street clearing was begun soon after it became apparent that the snow would be heavy.  Over the 5 days…temperatures ranged from a high of 48 degrees on the 22nd to a low of 1 degree on the 26th.  Most readings were in the teens and 20’s during the storm.

23

In 1872…a brisk northerly wind set in about noon…blew almost a gale about 6:00 pm…and continued brisk until night.  A light snow commenced during the late afternoon and continued all night.

In 1886…northwest winds were sustained to 40 mph in the city around sunrise.  A cold wave accompanied the strong winds.

In 1897…a vigorous cold front produced northeast winds sustained to 45 mph with gusts to 50 mph.  Temperatures plunged from a high of 59 degrees to a low of 11 degrees in the evening.  The very cold temperatures persisted through the 28th.

In 1934…the date marked the last day of the longest period of consecutive days without measurable precipitation in the city.  The 52 day period began on December 3…1933.

In 1988…one of the strongest windstorms in several years pounded the Front Range foothills from Colorado Springs north to the Wyoming border.  The highest wind gust at lower elevations was 105 mph recorded at Table Mesa in Boulder.  Other sections of Boulder recorded wind gusts of 80 to 90 mph.  In Boulder…the high winds broke windows and damaged power lines and transformers.  Power outages were widespread and traffic lights were downed.  The winds blew down a partially constructed viaduct in east Boulder.  Nine unanchored concrete girders…each weighing 45 tons…were blown off their supports.  Cars were blown off I-70 near Morrison…and a tractor trailer and a mobile home were knocked over.  In Lakewood…an electric company crewman was burned while replacing a power line.  Wind gusts to 92 mph were clocked at Jefferson County Airport in Broomfield before the site anemometer was blown down by the wind. The strong winds spread over all the metro area with a northwest wind gust to 52 mph recorded at Stapleton International Airport.

In 1992…high winds buffeted the eastern foothills.  A wind gust to 63 mph was recorded at Rocky Flats northwest of Denver.  West winds gusted to 40 mph at Stapleton International Airport.

In 2002…low level upslope flow combined with an upper level jet stream created bands of heavy snow over portions of the Front Range foothills and metro Denver.  The areas hardest hit were the foothills of Jefferson and Douglas counties and the I-25 corridor from the southern suburbs of Denver to around Castle Rock.  Snow totals included: 9 inches at Intercanyon…Roxborough state park…and near Sedalia; 8.5 inches atop Crow Hill and near tiny town; 8 inches at Ken Caryl and near Castle Rock; 7 inches in Lakewood; 6.5 inches at Littleton; and 6 inches in Castle Rock.  Only 3.6 inches of snow were measured at the site of the former Stapleton International Airport.

23-24

In 1921…heavy snowfall in downtown Denver totaled 8.0 inches overnight.  Northwest winds were sustained to 22 mph with gusts to 25 mph on the 24th.

24

In 1887…west winds sustained to 44 mph warmed the temperature to a high of 56 degrees in the city.

In 1890…northwest winds sustained to 48 mph with gusts to 60 mph warmed the temperature to a high of 63 degrees.

In 1900…west winds were sustained to 44 mph with an extreme velocity of 46 mph.  The Chinook winds warmed the temperature to a high of 57 degrees.

In 1934…a trace of snowfall resulted in precipitation of 0.01 inch in downtown Denver.  This was the only measurable amount of precipitation for the month…making the month one of the driest January’s on record.

In 1956…west-northwest winds gusted to 51 mph at Stapleton Airport.  Strong and gusty winds persisted throughout the day.

In 1972…a west wind gust to 92 mph was recorded in Boulder at the National Bureau of Standards…while in downtown Boulder a wind gust to only 66 mph was measured.  In Denver…a car was demolished when the wind blew a traffic light pole onto it…and a wooden wall at a construction site was blown over damaging two cars.  Northwest winds gusted to 55 mph at Stapleton International Airport.

In 1982…strong winds were again reported along the eastern foothills.  While the most damage occurred in the Fort Collins area…Boulder did not entirely escape.  Nine planes were damaged at the Boulder airport along with 4 mobile homes and many cars in the Boulder area.  A school in central city was damaged.  A water tank in Parker collapsed.  The strongest wind gust recorded was 140 mph at Wondervu.  Wind gusts reached 92 mph in Boulder. Northwest wind gusts to 61 mph were recorded at Stapleton International Airport.

In 1992…for the third day…high winds raked the eastern foothills.  Winds gusted to 105 mph at the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder.  Several tractor trailers were overturned along State Highway 93…between Boulder and Golden.  Traffic lights and signs were knocked down in Boulder.  Other wind reports included:  86 mph at Rocky Flats…100 mph on Fritz Peak near Rollinsville…and 93 mph in north Boulder.  West winds gusted to 37 mph at Stapleton International Airport.

Continue reading January 23 to January 29: This week in Denver weather history →

Our look back at this week in Denver weather history carries with it one overriding condition – wind.  In January it is not uncommon for us to experience Chinook winds which are a blessing and a curse.  These winds bring warm temperatures which are welcome in our coldest month of the year.  However they also can run at extraordinary speeds and at their worst cause a great deal of damage.

13-16

In 1888…a cold air mass settled over the city and caused temperatures to plunge well below zero on four consecutive days…but only one temperature record was set.  Minimum temperatures dipped to 4 degrees below zero on the 13th… 19 degrees below zero on the 14th…20 degrees below zero on the 15th…and 11 degrees below zero on the 16th.  The maximum temperature of only 4 degrees below zero on the 14th was a record low maximum for the date.  North winds were sustained to 30 mph on the 13th.

14-21

In 1930…a protracted cold spell occurred when low temperatures plunged below zero on 8 consecutive days.  The coldest low temperatures of 20 degrees below zero on the 17th and 19 degrees below zero on the 16th were record minimums for the dates.  High temperatures during the period ranged from 18 on the 18th to zero on the 20th.  Two degrees on the 15th was a record low maximum temperature for the date.

15-16

In 1967…a major windstorm struck Boulder.  The storm was described at the time as the worst single windstorm in the history of Boulder in terms of damage.  Winds reached 125 mph at the National Center for Atmospheric Research and at Boulder airport.  Winds gusted to 84 mph downtown.  Damage totaled a half million dollars in Boulder where some minor injuries were reported.  At the Boulder municipal airport… 14 light airplanes were severely damaged.  The second floor of a warehouse was blown down…damaging two nearby moving vans.  A mobile home was blown over south of Boulder… Injuring one woman.  The roof of a department store was blown in.  There was widespread damage to houses…autos… And power lines from wind and flying debris.  Strong winds also occurred in Denver and Golden…but damage was only minor.  At Stapleton International Airport…west winds gusted to 43 mph on the 15th and to 45 mph on the 16th.

In 1981…heavy snow of 6 to 10 inches accumulated across metro Denver.  Snowfall totaled only 1.8 inches at Stapleton International Airport where east winds gusted to 21 mph on the 15th.

In 1991…a Pacific storm system moved across metro Denver. Snowfall totaled 3 to 7 inches with 3 inches in Aurora… Denver…and Castle Rock…4 inches in Arvada…and 7 inches at South Platte station just southwest of Denver. Snowfall totaled only 2.9 inches at Stapleton International Airport where north winds gusted to 21 mph on the 16th.

In 2001…heavy snow fell across the Front Range foothills and urban corridor.  The combination of careless driving and snowpacked highways resulted in 3 multi-vehicle accidents involving 30 vehicles…along I-25 in Douglas County.  Eleven people were injured and one was killed. Snow amounts included:  11 inches in Evergreen; 10 inches at Eldorado Springs and Genesee; 8 inches at Broomfield… Ken Caryl Ranch…and Thornton; and 5 to 7 inches in Arvada…Bailey…Crow Hill…Gross Reservoir…Lakewood… Louisville…Westminster…and near Loveland.  Snowfall totaled 2.7 inches at the site of the former Stapleton International Airport.

15-23

In 1962…a protracted cold spell kept metro Denver in the deep freeze for more than a week.  From the 15th thru the 23rd…low temperatures were zero or below for 9 consecutive days…but a daily record low was set only on the 22nd when the temperature dipped to 14 degrees below zero.  A record low maximum for the date was also set on the 22nd when the temperature climbed to only 11 degrees.  The coldest high temperature was 3 degrees above zero on the 21st…which did not break the record.  The protracted cold was broken for only a few hours on the afternoon of the 20th when Chinook winds warmed the temperature to a high of 38 degrees before another surge of cold arctic air plunged temperatures back into the deep freeze that evening.  The severe cold caused much damage to water systems.  A woman was frozen to death at Morrison.  There were other deaths attributable to the weather…including traffic deaths and heart attacks from overexertion.

16

In 1911…a trace of rain fell…a rare event in January.

In 1935…rainfall was 0.01 inch during the afternoon…a rare event in January.

In 1989…wind gusts to 80 mph were reported in southwest Boulder.  Winds reached 100 mph at Rollinsville in the foothills southwest of Boulder.  In Golden…the wind blew a 25-foot trailer through a fence and flipped it over. West winds gusted to 37 mph at Stapleton International Airport where the Chinook winds warmed the temperature to a high of 49 degrees.

16-17

In 1886…a brief cold spell resulted in two temperature records.  High temperatures of zero degrees on the 16th and 2 degrees below zero on the 17th were both record low maximums for the dates.  Low temperatures of 8 degrees below zero on the 16th and 16 degrees below zero on the 17th were not records.

In 1930…temperatures plunging well below zero resulted in two records.  Low temperatures of 19 degrees below zero on the 16th and 20 degrees below zero on the 17th were record low temperatures for the dates.  High temperatures were 4 degrees on the 16th and 15 degrees on the 17th.  Light snowfall totaled 4.0 inches.  North winds were sustained to 18 mph on the 16th.

In 1964…high winds struck the eastern foothills.  Gale velocity winds were recorded in Boulder with gusts to 83 mph measured at Rocky Flats.  Several airplanes were damaged at the Jefferson County Airport in Broomfield. Roofs…walls…and parts of buildings were blown away at various locations.  Power poles and trees were blown over.

16-18

In 1943…light snowfall totaled 3.2 inches over the 3 days. This was the only measurable snow of the month.  North winds were sustained to 20 mph on the 16th.

In 2011…very strong winds associated with an upper level jetstream over Colorado produced blizzard conditions in the mountains above timberline. Peak wind gusts included: 99 mph atop Loveland Pass…94 mph…2 miles southwest of Mary Jane…80 mph atop Berthoud Pass and 79 mph atop Niwot Ridge. Storm totals in the ski areas west of Denver ranged from 8 to 14 inches.

17

In 1872…light snow fell during the morning and continued into the afternoon until 3:30 pm.  The sky commenced to clear a little before 2:00 pm…but snow fell thickly for at least half an hour even though the sky was perfectly clear overhead.  Melted snow totaled 0.33 inches.

In 1888…northwest winds were sustained to 46 mph in the city.

In 1905…intermittent rain…unusual in January…occurred during the day.  The rain changed to snow during the late evening…but ended before midnight.  Snowfall was 2.0 inches. Precipitation totaled 0.62 inch.  The temperature ranged from a high of 44 degrees to a low of 32 degrees.

In 1950…wind gusts to 62 mph caused some blowing dust at Stapleton Airport.

In 1982…one of the worst wind storms in many years hit the Front Range foothills.  The strongest winds occurred in Boulder where at 2:30 am a wind gust to 147 mph was recorded at the National Center for Atmospheric Research…on the mesa in southwest Boulder.  At this location 20 wind gusts over 120 mph were clocked between 1:00 am and 9:00 am.  An estimated 40 percent of all buildings in Boulder received at least minor wind damage.  About 50 homes were damaged enough to be uninhabitable.  At least 15 homes in the Table Mesa area of Boulder lost roofs.  Twenty small airplanes were destroyed at the Boulder airport.  Utility poles were snapped in two…and about one-seventh of the buildings in the area were without power.  Insured damage totaled 20 million dollars making the wind storm the most costly on record in Colorado at the time.

In 1989…high winds were recorded along the eastern foothills with gusts to 90 mph recorded at Rollinsville.  North of Denver on I-25…the wind injured two men when their tractor trailer was blown off the road and rolled.  West winds gusted to 48 mph at Stapleton International Airport.

In 1990…an intense but localized snow storm caught many people by surprise when it dumped 3 to 6 inches of snow during a 3-hour period across portions of Boulder County. The storm swath approximately 20 to 30 miles wide stretched northeast from Boulder to just east of Longmont.  Only light snow fell over the remainder of metro Denver with 0.2 inch of snowfall measured at Stapleton International Airport where northeast winds gusted to 30 mph.

In 1998…strong winds in the foothills spread over the plains mainly north of metro Denver.  Winds gusted to 75 mph at Golden Gate Canyon.  West winds gusted to 34 mph at Denver International Airport.

Continue reading January 16 to January 22: This week in Denver weather history →

Winds along the Front Range this time of year can be a blessing and a curse all at once.  Chinook’s can warm temperatures well above what they normally would but they can also cause a great deal of damage when they are at their hardest.  We see these contrasts in our look back at this week in Denver weather history.

From the National Weather Service

7-10

In 1962…a major winter storm dumped 13.5 inches of snow on metro Denver.  A foot of the snow fell on the 8th when northeast winds gusted to 30 mph.  The storm was followed by an intense blast of very cold arctic air.  Minimum temperature readings of 24 degrees below zero occurred on both the 9th and 10th.  The temperature never reached above zero on the 9th when a maximum reading of 1 degree below zero was recorded.  Temperatures were below zero for 37 consecutive hours.

8-9

In 1891…heavy dry snowfall totaled 9.7 inches over downtown Denver.  Most of the snow…6.5 inches…occurred on the 8th when north winds were sustained to 12 mph with gusts to 20 mph.

In 1939…heavy snowfall totaled 6.7 inches in downtown Denver. The snowfall was the heaviest overnight…particularly during the early morning hours.  The moist snow adhered to the north side of the instrument shelter and other objects to a depth of 2 inches.  Snow accumulated on fences and trees to several inches.  This was the greatest snowfall of the month that year.  The greatest depth on the ground was 6.5 inches.  North to northwest winds were sustained to 24 mph on the 8th and to 27 mph on the 9th.

8-10

In 1983…winds of 70 to 90 mph howled through Boulder. A wind gust to 100 mph was recorded on Fritz Peak near Rollinsville.  A tree blown down by the wind damaged a house in eastern Boulder County.  The strong winds developed behind a cold front late on the 8th and continued through the 10th.  At Stapleton International Airport…west to northwest winds gusted to 49 mph on the 8th…to 45 mph on the 9th…and to 48 mph on the 10th.

9

In 1875…the all time lowest recorded official temperature in Denver…29 degrees below zero…occurred between 3:00 am and 4:00 am under clear skies with calm winds.  The temperature climbed to zero at noon and to a high of 8 degrees at 3:00 pm.

In 1916…Chinook winds from the southwest sustained to 42 mph with gusts as high as 48 mph warmed the temperature to a high of 57 degrees.

In 1917…Chinook winds…southwesterly in direction…sustained at 43 mph with gusts to 48 mph warmed the temperature to a high of 55 degrees.  The low temperature was only 43 degrees.

In 1950…strong west winds to 50 mph produced blowing dust… Which briefly reduced visibility to 3/4 mile at Stapleton Airport.

In 1957…west-northwest winds gusted to 51 mph at Stapleton Airport.

In 1988…a wind gust to 61 mph was recorded at Echo Lake. West winds gusted to only 16 mph at Stapleton International Airport.

In 1989…strong Chinook winds howled along the eastern foothills.  A peak gust to 115 mph was recorded at the Boulder airport where a light plane was severely damaged when the wind flipped it over.  Gusts reached 103 mph at Table Mesa in south Boulder.  Homes in the city suffered damage to roofs…gutters…and siding.  Fences were blown down…and windows in both homes and cars were broken.  A radio station was off the air for 2 1/2 hours when the winds blew the top 80 feet off its 180-foot transmission tower.  A school roof was partially torn off…and a few traffic signals were downed.  Winds 60 to 80 mph were reported at Jefferson County Airport in Broomfield. West winds gusted to 47 mph at Stapleton International Airport.

In 1990…high winds buffeted the Front Range foothills for a second straight day.  Wind gusts to 92 mph were recorded at Rollinsville.  Wind gusts of 65 to 90 mph were noted in the Denver-Boulder area.  No significant damage occurred. Northwest winds gusted to 38 mph at Stapleton International Airport where the maximum temperature reached 63 degrees.

In 2017…high winds developed in and near the Front Range Foothills. Peak wind gusts included: 90 mph near Pleasant View; 88 mph near Louisville; 87 mph near Gold Hill; 79 mph at the NCAR Mesa Laboratory; 76 mph at Glen Haven; 60 mph in Littleton and 58 mph in Arvada. Scattered outages affected approximately 2400 customers in Boulder and Jefferson Counties. In Berthoud…strong winds destroyed a barn. At Denver International Airport…a peak wind gust of 56 mph from the northwest was recorded.

9-10

In 1962…the low temperature plunged to 24 degrees below zero on both days.

In 1972…a west wind gust to 60 mph was recorded at Stapleton International Airport…while in Boulder a wind gust to 86 mph was recorded at the National Bureau of Standards. The roof of a house was blown off…and trees were blown down in Boulder.  The high winds contributed to the damage from a building fire in Boulder.

In 2000…heavy snow and strong winds in the mountains spilled into the Front Range foothills.  Ward…northwest of Boulder…received 9 inches of new snow.  Wind gusts to 91 mph were measured in Golden Gate Canyon…with gusts to 77 mph at Loveland Ski Area and to 73 mph along State Highway 93 north of Golden.  West winds gusted to 44 mph at Denver International Airport on the 9th.

In 2011…a winter storm brought moderate to heavy snowfall to areas in and near the Front Range Foothills and Palmer Divide. Storm totals included: 13 inches…3 miles south of Golden; 11.5 inches near Eldorado Springs…10.5 inches… 2 miles southwest of Boulder; 10 inches…3 miles southwest of Roxbourough State Park; 9 inches at Genessee…8.5 inches in Arvada…4 miles south-southeast of Bennett and Greenwood Village…8 inches…8 miles south of Elizabeth; 7 inches at Commerce City and 6.5 inches near Louisville and at Denver International Airport. Gusty winds produced snow drifts up to 2 feet deep over the Palmer Divide.

10

In 1893…strong west winds in Boulder and the adjacent foothills caused only minor damage.  In Denver…northwest winds were sustained to 48 mph with gusts as high as 60 mph.  The Chinook winds warmed the temperature to a high of 64 degrees and a low of only 40 degrees…which was a record high minimum for the date.

In 1911…southwest Chinook winds sustained to 44 mph warmed the temperature to a high of 60 degrees.

In 1932…the first thunderstorm ever officially recorded in Denver during January occurred in the early morning. The assistant observer heard two prolonged peals of thunder between 4:20 am and 4:25 am.  Another off-duty observer was awakened by the thunder.  Other people reported both thunder and lightning.  Light snow was falling at the time.  Pellets of graupel or hail were reported from some parts of the city.  Snowfall totaled only 1.8 inches.  Northwest winds gusted to 30 mph.

In 1962…as the temperature dipped to a frigid 24 degrees below zero…setting a new record minimum for the date… The pressure adjusted to sea level reached the highest ever recorded in Denver…31.24 inches (1057.8 mb).  The altimeter setting reached 30.70 inches…and the actual station pressure recorded was 25.260 inches.

In 1988…strong winds occurred throughout the day in and near the foothills.  Peak gusts to 85 mph were recorded at Rollinsville…84 mph at Echo Lake…and 64 mph in Boulder.

In 1990…a third consecutive day of 50 to 85 mph wind gusts occurred in and along the eastern foothills.  A 5 mile portion of the Denver-Boulder turnpike was closed after clouds of blowing dust and gravel caused several multicar accidents near Broomfield.  One 59-year-old woman was killed and two others injured.  A wind gust to 81 mph was recorded at the nearby Jefferson County Airport.  In Boulder…wind gusts to 85 mph were blamed for ripping off a portion of a roof on a house…as well as blowing out the large picture window.  West winds gusted to 41 mph at Stapleton International Airport.  The warm Chinook winds set a record high temperature of 71 degrees in Denver for the date.

In 1996…strong northwest winds developed behind a pacific cold front that moved rapidly across northeast Colorado. A peak wind gust to 64 mph was recorded at the Rocky Flats Environmental Test Facility in Jefferson County.  North- northeast winds gusted to 38 mph at Denver International Airport.

Continue reading January 9 to January 15: This week in Denver weather history →

Certainly cold and snow are to be expected in Denver in January and our look back at this week in Denver weather history has plenty notable events with those conditions.  However, as we pointed out in our January weather preview, oftentimes it is the wind that is the real story.  Powerful Chinook winds appear during the month and we see the damaging – and sometimes deadly – results when we look back in time.

31-6

In 1973…the 31st marked the start of a protracted cold spell that extended into January of 1974 when temperatures dipped below zero on 7 consecutive days.  Record daily minimum readings occurred on the 3rd and 5th when the temperature plunged to 17 degrees below zero on both days. A record low daily maximum temperature of only 4 degrees occurred on the 5th.

31-7

In 1941…a protracted cold spell through January 7…1942… Produced below zero low temperatures on 7 of the 8 days. A low temperature of 2 degrees on the 3rd prevented a string of 8 days below zero.  The coldest days during the period were the 1st with a high of 2 degrees and a low of 9 degrees below zero…the 4th with a high of 2 degrees and a low of 11 degrees below zero…and the 5th with a high of 26 degrees and a low of 12 degrees below zero.

1-2

In 1896…warm Chinook winds on the 1st became cold Bora winds on the 2nd.  Southwest winds sustained to 60 mph with gusts as high as 66 mph warmed the temperature to a high of 55 degrees on the 1st.  Northwest winds sustained to 54 mph with gusts to 60 mph resulted in snowfall of 0.3 inch and a high temperature of only 31 degrees on the 2nd.

1-5

In 1940…the first days of the month were characterized by a mixture of drizzle…light snow…and fog.  Fog occurred on each day.  On the 4th and 5th considerable glazing resulted from freezing drizzle.  All objects were coated with a glaze on the windward side.  This resulted in very slippery streets…which caused several minor traffic accidents.  The glaze was not heavy enough to damage wires and cables.

2

In 1972…strong northwest Chinook winds in advance of a cold front gusted to 51 mph at Stapleton International Airport and caused temperatures to warm to a high of 55 degrees.

In 1986…high winds occurred along the Front Range foothills. The strongest recorded gust was 82 mph in the Table Mesa area of Boulder.  Other places in Boulder reported gusts from 68 to 80 mph.  West winds gusted to 43 mph at Stapleton International Airport.

In 1989…high winds between 60 and 70 mph were recorded in Boulder and along the eastern foothills.  No damage was reported.  West winds gusted to 49 mph at Stapleton International Airport.

2-3

In 1971…a major storm dumped a total of 8.4 inches of snow at Stapleton International Airport where north winds gusted to 23 mph.

In 1972…a strong cold front late on the 2nd produced north wind gusts to 35 mph at Stapleton International Airport. Snow…heavy at times on the 3rd…totaled 6.4 inches as temperatures hovered only in the single digits.

In 2000…heavy snow fell over the higher terrain of the palmer divide to the south of metro Denver.  Snowfall totaled 7 inches 5 miles southwest of Sedalia.  Only 1.5 inches of snowfall were measured at the site of the former Stapleton International Airport.

2-4

In 1949…the worst blizzard in many years struck metro Denver and all of northern Colorado.  The storm produced blizzard conditions with wind gusts of 40 to 50 mph all day on the 3rd when temperatures were only in the single digits.  This resulted in extremely cold wind chill temperatures of 40 to 55 degrees below zero.  Stapleton Airport received 13.3 inches of snow from the storm… While downtown Denver received 11.8 inches.  The snow fell for 51 consecutive hours downtown.  Numerous lives were lost…and livestock losses were high across the northeastern plains of Colorado where extensive airlift operations were needed to bring supplies and food to isolated communities.

2-5

In 1959…very cold temperatures…to near zero and below…caused power and gas lines…water pipes…and automatic sprinkler systems to break.  In Boulder… Merchandise and furnishings were water damaged when pipes burst in a department store…flooding three floors.  The temperature was below zero for 38 consecutive hours at Stapleton Airport on the 2nd…3rd…and 4th and plunged to a low of 13 degrees below zero on the 4th.

Continue reading January 2 to January 8: This week in Denver weather history →