Category Archives: Weather History

News and related items pertaining to national, Colorado, Denver and Thornton weather.

Thornton Weather, Weather History

June 7 to June 13 – This week in Denver weather history

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June 7 to June 13 - This week in Denver weather history
June 7 to June 13 - This week in Denver weather history

An extremely eventful week in weather history showing just how varied conditions can be.  We of course see typical spring weather like tornadoes and hail but also a touch of snow and this week also marks the anniversary of the start of the Hayman Fire.

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.
6-7   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 unconcious.  The wind forced the cancellation of 60 flights at Denver International Airport. Xcel reported outages in Boulder…Denver…Lakewood and Longmont.

7    

In 1904…a thunderstorm produced south winds to 40 mph with gusts to 50 mph…but only a trace of rain.
 
In 1942…heavy thunderstorm rainfall in south Denver caused flooding of shops…stalled motorists…and halted tramway service temporarily.  Lightning damaged houses…but there was no loss of life.  Precipitation totaled 0.53 inch in downtown Denver.
 
Continue reading June 7 to June 13 – This week in Denver weather history →

Thornton Weather, Weather History

May 31 to June 6 – This week in Denver weather history

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May 31 to June 6 - This week in Denver weather history
May 31 to June 6 - This week in Denver weather history

An extremely eventful week in Denver weather history.  Most notably for longtime Thornton and Northglenn residents is the 28 year anniversary of the infamous Thornton Tornado which struck on June 3, 1981.

26-31

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.

29-1 

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.

30-31

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 snow flakes 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.
31    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.

Continue reading May 31 to June 6 – This week in Denver weather history →

Weather History

May 24 – May 30 – This week in Denver weather history

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May 24 - May 30 - This week in Denver weather history
May 24 - May 30 - This week in Denver weather history

Severe weather in spades is evident on our look back at Denver weather history this week.  Notable is an F1 tornado in 1990 that moved through the Northglenn and Thornton area that damaged buildings, cars and trees.

From the National Weather Service:

20-27

In 2002…lightning sparked a wildfire near Deckers.  Extremely dry conditions and very strong winds the following day allowed the fire…known as the Schoonover…to consume 3850 acres before it could be contained.  Thirteen structures were destroyed…including 4 homes…resulting in 2.2 million dollars in damage.

23-24

In 2002…a pacific storm system brought much needed snow to the mountains and foothills with a mix of rain and snow on the plains.  The most snow fell from central Jefferson County northward.  Snow totals included:  13 inches in Coal Creek Canyon…11 inches near Evergreen and atop Gold Hill… 10 inches near Blackhawk and Conifer and atop Crow Hill… 9 inches near Rollinsville…and 8 inches near Genesee and Golden.  Rain was mixed with snow across the city. Precipitation totaled 0.61 inch at Denver International Airport.  Snowfall was less than an inch at the site of the former Stapleton International Airport.  The storm brought unseasonably cold air to metro Denver.  Three temperature records were set.  Low temperature of 31 degrees on the 23rd was a record minimum for the date…as was the low of 32 degrees on the 24th.  The high temperature of only 48 degrees equaled the record low maximum for the date.

24   

In 1953…a microburst caused a brief wind gust to 55 mph at Stapleton Airport.
 
In 1957…walnut size hail…1 1/2 inches in diameter…fell in east Denver.  Only 1/4 inch hail was measured at Stapleton Airport.
 
In 1958…rainfall totaled 1 to 2 inches across metro Denver. Rainfall was only 0.37 inches at Stapleton Airport.
 
In 1974…a tornado was observed briefly near Watkins.  No damage was reported.
 
In 1980…strong gusty winds of at least 60 mph damaged buildings in parts of Denver.  Several buildings were unroofed in Sheridan.  The flying debris damaged other structures.  Strong microburst winds gusted to 52 mph at Stapleton International Airport.
 
In 1991…a tornado touched down briefly in open country near Bennett.  No damage was reported.
 
In 1994…weather spotters reported 2 funnel clouds over Aurora and a short-lived waterspout on Cheery Creek Reservoir.
 
In 1997…hail to 1 inch in diameter fell in Broomfield with 3/4 inch hail measured in Boulder.
 
In 1998…a tornado struck a wooden hangar at the Aurora airpark.  The hangar collapsed…damaging a car and a single engine plane parked inside.  An adjacent steel hangar sustained only minor damage.  The tornado moved northeast…hopped I-70…and touched down again in an open field.  Earlier…a weak tornado touched down briefly in an open field 10 miles southeast of Buckley Field.
 
In 2003…severe thunderstorms produced large hail over northern and southern metro Denver.  Hail as large as 2 3/4 inches in diameter was measured 10 miles northwest of Hudson and to 2 inches in diameter 10 miles northeast of Fort Lupton.  One inch diameter hail fell in Fort Lupton.  Hail to 1 inch in diameter fell near Parker and to 3/4 inch near Franktown.
 
In 2004…severe thunderstorms moved across northwest and north metro Denver.  Hail as large as 1 inch in diameter fell in Broomfield and Thornton with 3/4 inch hail measured near Arvada and Hudson and in the city of Denver.
 
In 2005…severe thunderstorms produced hail as large as 1 inch in diameter in Arvada and the city of Denver.

Continue reading May 24 – May 30 – This week in Denver weather history →

Weather History

May 17 – May 23 – This week in Denver weather history

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May 17 - May 23 - This week in Denver weather history
May 17 - May 23 - This week in Denver weather history

As we move further into the severe weather season, we begin to see that transition in our look back at Denver weather history.  There are many more mentions of lightning, wildfires, tornadoes, hail and other season weather conditions.

14-18

In 1996…a period of unusually warm weather resulted in 4 record maximum temperatures in 5 days.  The record high temperatures were 87 degrees on the 14th…89 degrees on the 15th…and 93 degrees on both the 16th and 18th.  The temperature climbed to only 81 degrees on the 17th which was not a record.

16-17

In 1981…a heavy rain storm dumped 1 to 2 1/2 inches of rain across metro Denver.  Rainfall totaled 1.27 inches at Stapleton International Airport where north winds gusted to 38 mph on 17th.
 
In 1983…a very strong late spring storm dumped heavy snow over the Front Range.  Strong winds with the storm produced blizzard conditions at times.  Sustained winds were 20 to 40 mph with a peak gust to 55 mph at Stapleton International Airport.  The foothills received 1 to 2 feet of snow with 4 to 12 inches along the foothills.  Howling winds whipped the snow into drifts several feet deep…closing schools and highways.  Stapleton International Airport was forced to reduce flight operations…closing 2 of 4 runways and stranding hundreds of travelers.  Most of the damage and inconvenience caused by the storm was in power outages… Which occurred when wind and heavy wet snow caused hundreds of power poles to snap and topple.  About 20 square miles of Denver were blacked out.  Precipitation from the storm totaled 1 to 3 inches.  At Stapleton International Airport… Snowfall totaled 7.1 inches with a maximum snow depth on the ground of only 2 inches due to melting.  The high temperature of 40 degrees on the 17th was a record low maximum for the date.  Due to the heavy moisture content of the storm…widespread street flooding occurred on the 18th when much of the snow melted under the warm May sun and temperatures climbed to a high of 57 degrees.
 
In 1995…significant moisture and upslope flow caused flooding across metro Denver.  Moderate to heavy rains… Which began on the evening of the 16th…developed in the foothills and spread eastward over metro Denver throughout the night.  The heavy rains brought many creeks and small streams to bankfull or slightly over.  Locations along the foothills received between 3 and 4 inches of rainfall from the storm.  Boulder received 3.60 inches of rainfall for the 24-hour period…causing minor street flooding near small streams.  To the northwest of Boulder…a bridge which crossed Fourmile Creek was washed out.  Numerous rock and mudslides occurred in foothills canyons…closing portions of U.S. Highways 6 and 40 and State Highway 119 for a few hours at a time.  Rocks were piled 6 feet deep on a stretch of State Highway 119 along with Boulders as large as cars on U.S. Highway 6.  A parking lot near a creek in Golden caved in leaving a hole the size of an 18-wheeler.  Rushing water washed out a 50-foot stretch of a road in Westminster. Rainfall totaled 1.75 inches at Denver International Airport…but only 1.42 inches at the site of the former Stapleton International Airport.

Continue reading May 17 – May 23 – This week in Denver weather history →

Weather History

May 10 to May 16 – This week in Denver weather history

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May 10 to May 16 - This week in Denver weather history
May 10 to May 16 - This week in Denver weather history

As we move further into spring we begin to less winter-like weather and more spring weather.  In looking at Denver weather history we can see that transition with more mentions of severe rains, flooding, tornadoes and other spring and summer-like severe weather.

8-10 

In 1979…4.3 inches of snow fell at Stapleton International Airport where northwest winds gusted to 30 mph on the 8th. Most of the snowfall…2.3 inches…occurred on the 9th. High temperature of only 35 degrees on the 9th equaled the record low maximum for the date.

9-10 

In 1889…heavy rainfall totaled 2.15 inches in downtown Denver.  The cold rain was mixed with snow at times overnight.  Temperatures on the 10th ranged from a high of 38 degrees to a low of 32 degrees with north winds sustained to 22 mph.
 
In 2003…a late spring snowstorm hammered the mountains… Eastern foothills…and urban corridor.  The heaviest snowfall occurred north of interstate 70.  The heavy wet snow caused damage to trees throughout metro Denver and downed power lines.  About 40 thousand people along the urban corridor were without power.  Storm total snowfall amounts included:  11.5 inches in Louisville… 8 inches in Boulder and Broomfield; 7 inches in Thornton…Broomfield…at Denver International Airport… And at the site of the former Stapleton International Airport; and 6 inches 4 miles east of Denver.  Snowfall ranged from 4 to 9 inches across extreme southern weld County.  In the foothills…15 inches of snow fell near Jamestown…9 inches at Rollinsville and Rawah…with 8 inches at Chief Hosa and atop Lookout Mountain. The snow was accompanied by thunder on the afternoon of the 9th at Denver International Airport where west winds gusted to 25 mph on the 9th and north winds gusted to 22 mph on the 10th.

10

In 1875…a windstorm sand-blasted the city from 10:00 am until midnight.  Northwest winds sustained to 60 mph brought clouds of sand…which caused high damage to unfinished buildings.
 
In 1912…a vigorous cold front produced strong north winds and rain.  North winds were sustained to 48 mph with gusts as high as 60 mph.  Rainfall totaled 1.10 inch.
 
In 1935…no precipitation occurred…making this one of only two days without precipitation during the entire month.  The other day was the 21st.  Precipitation totaled 4.95 inches for the month.
 
In 1956…northwest winds gusted to 53 mph at Stapleton Airport where the visibility was briefly reduced to 1/2 mile in blowing dust.
 
In 1974…strong winds caused 30 thousand dollars in damage to a building under construction in Lakewood.  Microburst winds gusted to 46 mph at Stapleton International Airport.
 
In 1988…lightning struck a house in Boulder…setting it afire.  The house…valued at 170 thousand dollars…was a total loss.
 
In 1989…golf ball size hail fell over southeast Denver near the junction of I-25 and I-225.  Hail to 3/4 inch in diameter fell over southeast Aurora.  Only 3/8 inch hail fell at Stapleton International Airport.
 
In 1991…high winds up to 63 mph raked the eastern foothills. Winds estimated to 50 mph tore a roof from a home in Lafayette.  A tower at Jefferson County stadium in west metro Denver was blown over by the high winds.  No injuries were reported.  Southeast winds gusting to 48 mph at Stapleton International Airport produced some blowing dust.  The temperature climbed to a high of 86 degrees… Equaling the record maximum for the date.
 
In 2005…severe thunderstorms produced hail as large as 2 inches in diameter in and near Longmont.

Continue reading May 10 to May 16 – This week in Denver weather history →

Weather History

May 3 to May 9 – This week in Denver weather history

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May 3 to May 9 - This week in Denver weather history
May 3 to May 9 - This week in Denver weather history

A very eventful week in Denver weather history.  Four tornadoes are mentioned and many reminders that winter may not be over just quite yet. 

From the National Weather Service:

1-5

IN 1898…SNOWFALL TOTALED 15.5 INCHES IN DOWNTOWN DENVER. MOST OF THE SNOW…6.2 INCHES…FELL ON THE 3RD.  MOST OF THE SNOW MELTED AS IT FELL.  THE GREATEST SNOW DEPTH ON THE GROUND WAS ONLY 2.5 INCHES ON THE 3RD AT 8:00 PM. THIS WAS THE ONLY SNOWFALL DURING THE MONTH.  NORTHEAST WINDS WERE SUSTAINED TO 22 MPH ON THE 1ST.

2-3

IN 1979…HEAVY RAIN CHANGED TO SNOW ON THE 2ND.  SNOWFALL TOTALED 3.9 INCHES AT STAPLETON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT… WHERE NORTHWEST WINDS GUSTED TO 26 MPH.  THE GREATEST DEPTH OF SNOW ON THE GROUND WAS ONLY 1 INCH AT MIDDAY ON THE 2ND DUE TO MELTING.  TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE 2 DAYS WAS 1.65 INCHES

2-4

IN 1987…A SLOW MOVING STORM BROUGHT RAIN…WIND…AND SNOW TO METRO DENVER.  RAINFALL TOTALED 1.04 INCHES AT STAPLETON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT WHERE NORTH WINDS GUSTED TO 48 MPH ON THE 3RD.  THE FOOTHILLS RECEIVED 5 TO 10 INCHES OF SNOW

2-5

IN 2001…A VERY SLOW MOVING PACIFIC STORM SYSTEM BECAME PARKED NEAR THE FOUR CORNERS REGION…WHICH ALLOWED HEAVY SNOW TO DEVELOP ABOVE 6500 FEET IN THE FOOTHILLS WITH A MIX OF RAIN AND SNOW OVER LOWER ELEVATIONS OF METRO DENVER.  SNOWFALL TOTALS INCLUDED:  21 INCHES ATOP CROW HILL AND AT IDAHO SPRINGS; 19 INCHES NEAR BLACKHAWK; AND 18 INCHES IN COAL CREEK CANYON…GENESEE…AND 11 MILES SOUTHWEST OF MORRISON. SNOWFALL TOTALED 6.2 INCHES AT THE SITE OF THE FORMER STAPLETON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT.  PRECIPITATION (RAIN AND MELTED SNOW) TOTALED 2.09 INCHES AT DENVER INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT WHERE NORTH WINDS GUSTED TO 30 MPH ON THE 2ND.

Continue reading May 3 to May 9 – This week in Denver weather history →

Thornton Weather, Weather History

April 26 to May 2 – This week in Denver weather history

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April 26 to May 2 - This week in Denver weather history
April 26 to May 2 - This week in Denver weather history

This week in Denver weather history shows the extremely wide variety of conditions we can have this year.  From major snow storms to hail dropping thunderstorms, we can see it all.

From the National Weather Service:

24-26

IN 1924…POST-FRONTAL RAIN CHANGED TO SNOW…WHICH BECAME HEAVY AND TOTALED 10.2 INCHES OVER DOWNTOWN DENVER. THE GREATEST AMOUNT OF SNOW ON THE GROUND WAS 6.0 INCHES ON THE 25TH DUE TO MELTING. NORTH WINDS WERE SUSTAINED TO 38 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 42 MPH ON THE 24TH.

25-26

IN 1985…A SPRING STORM BROUGHT MUCH RAIN AND SNOW TO METRO DENVER. THE FOOTHILLS WERE BURIED WITH 15 INCHES OF SNOW AT CONIFER AND 12 INCHES AT EVERGREEN. AT LOWER ELEVATIONS… AN INCH OR MORE OF RAIN FELL IN DENVER AND BOULDER. THE HEAVY PRECIPITATION CAUSED BRIEF POWER OUTAGES IN THE DENVER AREA. PRECIPITATION TOTALED 1.06 INCHES AT STAPLETON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT…INCLUDING ONLY 0.7 INCH OF SNOWFALL.

25-27

IN 1877…SNOW ENDED AROUND 7:00 AM ON THE MORNING OF THE 27TH… AFTER FALLING CONTINUOUSLY FOR 48 HOURS AND TOTALING AN ESTIMATED 13 INCHES IN THE CITY. THE STORM…LIKELY ACCOMPANIED BY STRONG WINDS…CAUSED TRAINS TO BE DELAYED FOR 2 TO 3 DAYS. ONE OR TWO ROOFS OF SMALL BUILDINGS WERE CRUSHED BY THE WEIGHT OF THE SNOW…AND MANY TREE BRANCHES WERE BROKEN IN THE CITY. THERE WERE A NUMBER OF REPORTS OF LIVESTOCK LOSSES. ONE STOCKMAN LOST 17 HORSES AND SEVERAL CATTLE FROM THE SNOW AND COLD. PRECIPITATION TOTALED 1.30 INCHES FROM THE STORM.

26

IN 1965…WHILE ONLY 0.40 INCH OF RAIN FELL AT STAPLETON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT…SOME COMMUNITIES IN THE FOOTHILLS WEST OF DENVER REPORTED OVER 30 INCHES OF SNOW FROM THE STORM.

IN 1972…A SPRING SNOW STORM ACCOMPANIED BY THUNDER DUMPED 15.8 INCHES OF HEAVY WET SNOW ON METRO DENVER. STRONG NORTHWEST WINDS GUSTING TO 35 MPH PRODUCED BLOWING SNOW. THE STORM WAS QUITE INTENSE AND GREATLY HAMPERED TRAVEL. HIGH WINDS CAUSED DRIFTS 10 TO 15 FEET DEEP IN SOME AREAS… BLOCKING ROADS AND STRANDING HUNDREDS OF MOTORISTS. AN ESTIMATED 500 TO 600 PEOPLE WERE STRANDED IN THE CASTLE ROCK AREA. RESCUE SERVICE WAS PROVIDED BY HEAVY ARMY EQUIPMENT FROM FORT CARSON. POWER LINES WERE DOWNED…POWER POLES WERE TOPPLED…AND A NUMBER OF STEEL TOWERS CARRYING HIGH VOLTAGE POWER LINES WERE DOWNED. SOME AREAS NORTHEAST OF DENVER WERE WITHOUT POWER FOR A WEEK. A LARGE NUMBER OF CATTLE AND SHEEP WERE KILLED BY THE STORM. THE GREATEST SNOW DEPTH ON THE GROUND AT STAPLETON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT WAS 12 INCHES. WARM TEMPERATURES FOLLOWING THE STORM QUICKLY MELTED THE SNOW.

IN 1995…THE THIRD MAJOR SNOW STORM OF THE MONTH DUMPED HEAVY SNOW IN AND NEAR THE FRONT RANGE FOOTHILLS. SIX TO 12 INCHES OF HEAVY WET SNOW FELL IN THE WESTERN METRO SUBURBS WITH THE HEAVIEST AMOUNTS ABOVE 6 THOUSAND FEET. BOTH BOULDER AND GOLDEN MEASURED 10 INCHES OF SNOW. ONLY 2.4 INCHES OF SNOWFALL WERE MEASURED AT THE SITE OF THE FORMER STAPLETON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT. NORTH WINDS GUSTED 28 MPH AT DENVER INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT.

IN 1998…THE LAST IN A SERIES OF APRIL STORMS BLANKETED THE FOOTHILLS WITH HEAVY SNOW. SNOWFALL AMOUNTS INCLUDED: 17 INCHES NEAR BLACKHAWK…15 INCHES AT IDAHO SPRINGS…14 INCHES AT GEORGETOWN…11 INCHES NEAR CONIFER AND MORRISON. ONLY A TRACE OF SNOW FELL AT THE SITE OF THE FORMER STAPLETON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT. NORTH WINDS GUSTED TO 28 MPH AT DENVER INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT.

Continue reading April 26 to May 2 – This week in Denver weather history →

Thornton Weather, Weather History

April 19 to April 25 – This week in Denver weather history

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April 19 to April 25 - This week in Denver weather history
April 19 to April 25 - This week in Denver weather history

This week in Denver weather history is one to truly showcase the incredible variety of weather Colorado can receive.  Major snow storms, high winds, warm temperatures in the 80’s and even three reports of tornadoes – one near Thornton 21 years ago – have all been seen this time of year. 

17-19

IN 1920…SNOW FELL ACROSS THE CITY CONTINUOUSLY FOR 57 HOURS… FROM THE EARLY MORNING OF THE 17TH UNTIL 11:40 AM ON THE 19TH.  THE HEAVY WET SNOWFALL TOTALED 18.2 INCHES WITH THE GREATEST ACCUMULATION ON THE GROUND OF 12 INCHES.  WINDS DURING THE STORM WERE STRONG WITH SUSTAINED SPEEDS IN EXCESS OF 27 MPH FOR OVER 40 CONSECUTIVE HOURS…WHICH CREATED NEAR-BLIZZARD CONDITIONS.  THE HIGHEST RECORDED WIND SPEEDS WERE 44 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 50 MPH FROM THE NORTH ON THE 17TH AND 39 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 48 MPH FROM THE NORTHWEST ON THE 18TH.  THE STRONG WINDS PILED THE SNOW INTO HIGH DRIFTS WHICH STOPPED ALL DENVER TRAFFIC. RAILROADS WERE BLOCKED WITH ONLY ONE TRAIN ENTERING THE CITY ON THE 19TH.  ALL INTERURBAN TRAINS WERE BLOCKED…AS WERE THE 13 TROLLEY LINES.  THUS…MANY WORKERS WERE UNABLE TO GET HOME AT NIGHT AND FILLED ALL OF THE DOWNTOWN HOTELS TO CAPACITY.  NO GROCERY OR FUEL DELIVERIES WERE POSSIBLE… EXCEPT MILK AND COAL TO HOSPITALS AND TO FAMILIES WITH BABIES.  NO LIVES WERE LOST IN THE CITY…BUT SEVERAL PEOPLE PERISHED IN SURROUNDING DISTRICTS.  STOCK LOSSES WERE HEAVY ON THE PLAINS.  TEMPERATURES DURING THE STORM WERE IN THE 20’S.

18-19

IN 1884…A MAJOR STORM DUMPED 13.8 INCHES OF SNOWFALL ON DOWNTOWN DENVER.  MOST OF THE SNOW…10.0 INCHES…FELL ON THE 18TH.  LIGHT RAIN ON THE EARLY MORNING OF THE 18TH CHANGED TO HEAVY SNOW AT 8:00 AM AND BECAME LIGHT AFTER 2:00 PM BUT CONTINUED UNTIL 4:00 AM ON THE 19TH.  THE SNOW MELTED NEARLY AS FAST AS IT FELL.  THERE WERE ONLY 3 INCHES ON THE GROUND EARLY ON THE MORNING OF THE 19TH.
 
IN 1941…HEAVY SNOWFALL TOTALED 8.4 INCHES OVER DOWNTOWN DENVER.  NORTHEAST WINDS WERE SUSTAINED TO 17 MPH.
 
IN 1993…SPORADIC HIGH WINDS OCCURRED ACROSS METRO DENVER. SIGNIFICANT WIND GUSTS INCLUDED 97 MPH AT ROLLINSVILLE… 80 MPH IN SOUTHWEST BOULDER…AND 55 MPH AT STAPLETON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT.  THE STRONG WINDS SNAPPED A PINE TREE TOP…ABOUT 15 FEET LONG AND 8 INCHES IN DIAMETER…WHICH CRASHED THROUGH THE ROOF OF A CHURCH IN EVERGREEN…CAUSING ONE THOUSAND DOLLARS IN DAMAGE.  WIND GUSTS OF 50 TO 60 MPH CAUSED STRUCTURAL DAMAGE TO 3 HOMES UNDER CONSTRUCTION IN BROOMFIELD.  NORTHWEST WINDS GUSTED TO 55 MPH AT STAPLETON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT.
 
IN 1995…THE SECOND SPRING STORM OF THE MONTH DUMPED HEAVY SNOW IN THE FOOTHILLS.  THE UPSLOPE FLOW ALONG WITH AREAS OF THUNDER SNOW DROPPED 6 TO 12 INCHES OF SNOW IN THE FOOTHILLS WEST OF DENVER AND BOULDER.  SNOWFALL TOTALED 4.6 INCHES AT THE SITE OF THE FORMER STAPLETON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT…BUT MOST OF THE SNOW MELTED AS IT FELL.  EAST WINDS GUSTED TO 29 MPH AT DENVER INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT ON THE 18TH.

Continue reading April 19 to April 25 – This week in Denver weather history →

Weather History

April 5 to April 11 – This week in Denver weather history

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April 5 to April 11 - This week in Denver weather history.
April 5 to April 11 - This week in Denver weather history.

An incredibly busy week on the Denver weather history calendar as we see below.  Thunderstorms, blizzards, tornadoes, hurricane force winds and more have all been seen during this week in Denver weather history. 

From the National Weather Service:

2-5  

IN 1918…SNOWFALL TOTALED 12.4 INCHES OVER DOWNTOWN DENVER. MOST OF THE SNOW FELL ON THE 3RD AND 4TH.  TEMPERATURES WERE IN THE 20`S AND 30`S.  NORTHWEST WINDS WERE SUSTAINED TO 24 MPH ON THE 2ND.

3-5  

IN 1996…THE FOOTHILLS WEST OF DENVER RECEIVED 6 TO 8 INCHES OF NEW SNOW.  ONLY 0.8 INCH OF SNOW FELL AT THE SITE OF THE FORMER STAPLETON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT…ALONG WITH SOME FREEZING DRIZZLE ON THE 4TH AND 5TH.  NORTH-NORTHEAST WINDS GUSTED TO 30 MPH AT DENVER INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT ON THE 3RD.

3-6  

IN 1898…SNOWFALL TOTALED 8.7 INCHES IN DOWNTOWN DENVER OVER THE 4 DAYS.  NORTHEAST WINDS WERE SUSTAINED TO 48 MPH WITH GUSTS AS HIGH AS 60 MPH ON THE 3RD.

IN 1983…A PROLONGED HEAVY SNOW STORM BLANKETED THE AREA ALONG WITH VERY COLD TEMPERATURES.  THE GREATEST AMOUNTS OF SNOW FELL IN THE FOOTHILLS WHERE 24 TO 42 INCHES WERE MEASURED.  A FOOT OF SNOW FELL IN BOULDER.  SNOW FELL FOR 50 CONSECUTIVE HOURS AT STAPLETON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT ON THE 3RD THROUGH THE 5TH WITH A TOTAL SNOWFALL OF 8.8 INCHES AND A MAXIMUM ACCUMULATION ON THE GROUND OF 6 INCHES ON THE 5TH.  IN DENVER…THE MERCURY FAILED TO RISE ABOVE FREEZING FOR 3 CONSECUTIVE DAYS…ON THE 4TH…5TH… AND 6TH…FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER IN APRIL.  FIVE DAILY TEMPERATURE RECORDS WERE SET FROM THE 4TH THROUGH THE 6TH. RECORD LOW TEMPERATURES OF 12 DEGREES OCCURRED ON THE 5TH WITH 7 DEGREES ON THE 6TH.  RECORD LOW MAXIMUM TEMPERATURES OF 25 DEGREES OCCURRED ON THE 4TH…27 DEGREES ON THE 5TH…  AND 28 DEGREES ON THE 6TH.

4-5  

IN 1900…RAIN CHANGED TO HEAVY SNOW AND TOTALED 7.8 INCHES IN DOWNTOWN DENVER OVERNIGHT.  A THUNDERSTORM ON THE 4TH PRODUCED HAIL.  PRECIPITATION TOTALED 1.50 INCHES.

IN 1911…NORTH TO NORTHWEST WINDS WERE SUSTAINED TO 42 MPH ON THE 4TH AND TO 41 MPH ON THE 5TH.

IN 2002…A WHITISH-COLORED HAZE ENGULFED METRO DENVER ON BOTH DAYS.  THE HAZE WAS THE RESULT OF A HUGE WIND STORM THAT KICKED UP DUST AND SAND FROM THE GOBI DESERT IN MONGOLIA AND CHINA DURING THE LATTER HALF OF MARCH.  WESTERLY WINDS ALOFT TRANSPORTED THE DUST CLOUD ACROSS THE PACIFIC OCEAN AND OVER THE WESTERN UNITED STATES…DEPOSITING SOME OF IT ON COLORADO.

Continue reading April 5 to April 11 – This week in Denver weather history →

Weather History

March 29 to April 4 – This week in Denver weather history

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March 29 - April 4 - This week in Denver weather history.
March 29 - April 4 - This week in Denver weather history.

This week in Denver weather history is notable for the variety of conditions that can be experienced this time of year.  From hurricane force winds and heavy snow to more typical spring severe weather like tornadoes, all can be experienced this time of year. 

From the National Weather Service:

27-29

IN 1948…HIGH WINDS RAKED BOULDER.  A WIND GUST TO 75 MPH WAS RECORDED AT VALMONT.  SUSTAINED WINDS IN EXCESS OF 35 MPH WERE ESTIMATED IN BOULDER.  MINOR DAMAGE WAS REPORTED.

IN 1961…HEAVY SNOWFALL TOTALED 9.5 INCHES AT STAPLETON AIRPORT OVER THE 3 DAY PERIOD.  MOST OF THE SNOW…5.3 INCHES…FELL ON THE 28TH.  WINDS WERE GENERALLY LIGHT AND GUSTED TO ONLY 22 MPH FROM THE NORTH.
28-29 IN 1891…RAIN CHANGED TO SNOW AND TOTALED 9.7 INCHES IN THE CITY.  NORTHEAST WINDS WERE SUSTAINED TO 12 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 28 MPH ON THE 28TH.

IN 1910…A STRONG COLD FRONT BROUGHT MUCH WIND…RAIN…AND AND SNOW TO THE CITY.  RAIN ON THE 28TH CHANGED TO SNOW EARLY ON THE 29TH.  SNOWFALL TOTALED ONLY 2.8 INCHES…BUT NORTH WINDS WERE SUSTAINED TO 50 MPH ON THE 29TH. PRECIPITATION FROM THE STORM TOTALED 0.96 INCH.

IN 1994…MOIST UPSLOPE WINDS COMBINED WITH AN UPPER LEVEL SYSTEM TO DUMP 5 TO 7 INCHES OF SNOW ALONG THE EASTERN FOOTHILLS AND ACROSS METRO DENVER.  SNOWFALL TOTALED 6.3 INCHES AT STAPLETON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT WHERE NORTHEAST WINDS GUSTED TO 39 MPH.  THIRTEEN INCHES OF NEW SNOW WERE MEASURED AT THE ELDORA SKI AREA WEST OF BOULDER.

28-30

IN 1949…A MAJOR WINTER STORM DUMPED 11.3 INCHES OF SNOW OVER DOWNTOWN DENVER.  SNOWFALL TOTALED 10.4 INCHES AT STAPLETON AIRPORT.  NORTH TO NORTHEAST WINDS WERE SUSTAINED TO 17 MPH.

Continue reading March 29 to April 4 – This week in Denver weather history →