Category Archives: Weather History

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

November 30 to December 6 – This week in Denver weather history

28-30
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Major snowstorms and hurricane force winds highlight our look back at Denver weather for this week, November 30th to December 6th. 

From the National Weather Service

28-30

IN 1991…A WINTER STORM DUMPED HEAVY SNOW IN THE FOOTHILLS AND NEAR THE PALMER DIVIDE WITH 10 INCHES RECORDED AT CONIFER AND GOLDEN GATE CANYON…12 INCHES IN MORRISON… 6 INCHES AT CASTLE ROCK AND PARKER.  ONLY 3.4 INCHES OF SNOW FELL AT STAPLETON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT WHERE NORTH WINDS GUSTING TO 35 MPH ON THE 29TH…PRODUCED SOME BLOWING SNOW.  SOME LIGHT FREEZING DRIZZLE ALSO FELL ON THE 28TH AND 29TH.

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IN 1899…WEST WINDS WERE SUSTAINED TO 45 MPH WITH GUSTS AS HIGH AS 48 MPH.

IN 1903…WEST WINDS SUSTAINED TO 44 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 54 MPH WARMED THE TEMPERATURE TO A HIGH OF 57 DEGREES.

IN 1981…STRONG WINDS BLASTED THE FOOTHILLS.  IN WONDERVU… WINDS WERE CLOCKED TO 81 MPH WITH MANY OTHER LOCATIONS IN THE FOOTHILLS REPORTING OVER 60 MPH.  NORTHWEST WINDS GUSTED TO 28 MPH AT STAPLETON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT.

Continue reading November 30 to December 6 – This week in Denver weather history

November 23 to 29 – This week in Denver weather history

November 23 to 29 - This week in Denver weather history.
November 23 to 29 - This week in Denver weather history.

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER CO
645 PM MST SAT NOV 22 2008

…THIS WEEK IN METRO DENVER WEATHER HISTORY…

21-23

IN 1918…POST-FRONTAL SNOWFALL TOTALED 5.9 INCHES IN DOWNTOWN
DENVER. MOST OF THE SNOW…5.3 INCHES…FELL ON THE 22ND.
NORTH WINDS WERE SUSTAINED TO 20 MPH ON THE 21ST.
IN 1931…A MAJOR STORM DUMPED A TOTAL OF 13.2 INCHES OF
SNOWFALL OVER DOWNTOWN DENVER. MOST OF THE SNOW…11.4
INCHES…FELL ON THE 21ST. A VERY COLD AIR MASS SETTLED
OVER THE CITY AFTER THE HEAVY SNOW ON THE 21ST. AFTER A
LOW TEMPERATURE OF ZERO…THE TEMPERATURE CLIMBED TO A HIGH
OF ONLY 5 DEGREES ON THE 22ND…A RECORD LOW MAXIMUM FOR THE
DATE.

21-25

IN 1952…SNOWFALL OF 6.2 INCHES WAS MEASURED AT STAPLETON
AIRPORT WHERE NORTHEAST WINDS GUSTED TO 17 MPH ON THE
21ST.

Continue reading November 23 to 29 – This week in Denver weather history

November 16th – 22nd – This week in Denver weather history

This week in Denver weather history - November 16th to the 22nd.
This week in Denver weather history - November 16th to the 22nd.

Looking back into the Denver weather history books for this week, November 16th to the 22nd, we see a lot of the normal things we would expect to – lots of wind and snow.

 PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER CO
645 PM MST SAT NOV 15 2008
 
..THIS WEEK IN METRO DENVER WEATHER HISTORY…

14-18 IN 1964…THE FIRST MEASURABLE SNOWFALL OF THE SEASON
        TOTALED 6.0 INCHES AT STAPLETON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
        WHERE NORTHEAST WINDS GUSTED TO 32 MPH ON THE 14TH.
        MOST OF THE SNOW…4.2 INCHES…FELL ON THE 14TH.  THIS
        WAS THE ONLY MEASURABLE SNOW OF THE MONTH.
15-16 IN 1894…WINDS BEHIND AN APPARENT STRONG COLD FRONT WERE
        SUSTAINED TO 60 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 75 MPH ON THE 15TH.
        SNOWFALL TOTALED 2.6 INCHES IN THE CITY.  TEMPERATURES
        PLUNGED FROM A HIGH OF 72 DEGREES ON THE 15TH TO A LOW
        OF ONLY 5 DEGREES ON THE 16TH.  THE HIGH TEMPERATURE
        ON THE 16TH WAS 24 DEGREES…WHICH OCCURRED SHORTLY
        AFTER MIDNIGHT.
      IN 1996…AROUND A FOOT OF NEW SNOW FELL IN THE FOOTHILLS
        WEST OF DENVER WITH 3 TO 6 INCHES AT LOWER ELEVATIONS
        ACROSS METRO DENVER.  SOME OF THE SNOWFALL TOTALS
        INCLUDED:  15 INCHES AT GEORGETOWN…12 INCHES AT IDAHO
        SPRINGS…10 INCHES AT CHIEF HOSA…AND 9 INCHES IN COAL
        CREEK CANYON.  SNOWFALL TOTALED 2.9 INCHES AT THE SITE
        OF THE FORMER STAPLETON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT.  NORTHEAST
        WINDS GUSTED TO 23 MPH AT DENVER INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT ON
        THE 16TH.
Continue reading November 16th – 22nd – This week in Denver weather history

November 9th – 15th – This week in Denver weather history

November 9th - 15th - This week in Denver weather history.
November 9th - 15th - This week in Denver weather history.

Plenty of snow and wind dominate a look back at the Denver weather calendar for this week in weather history – November 9th to the 15th. 

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER CO
645 PM MST SAT NOV 08 2008

…THIS WEEK IN METRO DENVER WEATHER HISTORY…

8-9   IN 1897…WEST WINDS WERE SUSTAINED TO 45 MPH WITH GUSTS
        AS HIGH AS 50 MPH IN THE CITY.
      IN 1919…POST-FRONTAL HEAVY SNOWFALL TOTALED 8.4 INCHES OVER
        DOWNTOWN DENVER.  MOST OF THE SNOW…6.6 INCHES…FELL ON THE
        9TH.  NORTH WINDS WERE SUSTAINED TO 26 MPH WITH GUSTS TO
        30 MPH ON THE 8TH.
      IN 1950…A MAJOR WINTER STORM DUMPED 10.4 INCHES OF SNOW AT
        STAPLETON AIRPORT WITH THE MOST SNOW…7.8 INCHES…FALLING
        ON THE 8TH.  EAST WINDS GUSTED TO 31 MPH AT STAPLETON
        AIRPORT ON THE 8TH.  SNOWFALL TOTALED 8.2 INCHES IN
        DOWNTOWN DENVER.
      IN 1958…STRONG WINDS CAUSED SOME DAMAGE IN BOULDER.  WEST-
        NORTHWEST WINDS GUSTED TO 40 MPH AT STAPLETON AIRPORT ON
        THE 8TH.
      IN 1975…HEAVY SNOWFALL HIT METRO DENVER.  SNOWFALL AT
        STAPLETON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT TOTALED 8.0 INCHES AND
        EAST WINDS GUSTED TO 21 MPH.  POWER OUTAGES CAUSED BY THE
        STORM AFFECTED OVER 10 THOUSAND PEOPLE IN METRO DENVER.  IN
        THE FOOTHILLS WEST OF DENVER…10 TO 15 INCHES OF SNOW FELL.
        THE STORM PRODUCED THE GREATEST 24-HOUR PRECIPITATION…1.29
        INCHES…EVER RECORDED DURING THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER IN THE
        CITY.
Continue reading November 9th – 15th – This week in Denver weather history

This week in Denver weather history – October 26 to November 1

This week in Denver weather history - October 26 to November 1.
This week in Denver weather history - October 26 to November 1.

Lots of interesting stuff in this look back at Denver weather history for the week of October 26th to November 1st.  Lots of snow including some major storms and the seemingly ever present wind are on this look into history. 

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER CO
645 PM MDT SAT OCT 25 2008

…THIS WEEK IN METRO DENVER WEATHER HISTORY…

25-26 IN 1996…4 TO 6 INCHES OF SNOW FELL IN THE FOOTHILLS WEST OF
        DENVER.  ONLY 1.5 INCHES OF SNOWFALL WERE MEASURED AT THE
        SITE OF THE FORMER STAPLETON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT ON THE
        26TH.  THIS WAS THE ONLY MEASURABLE SNOW OF THE MONTH AT
        THE SITE.  THE SNOWFALL PRODUCED ICY AND SNOWPACKED
        HIGHWAYS…WHICH RESULTED IN A 50-TO 60-CAR PILEUP ON I-25
        SOUTH OF METRO DENVER.  WEST WINDS GUSTED TO 33 MPH AT
        DENVER INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT.
      IN 2006…A WINTER STORM BROUGHT HEAVY SNOWFALL TO METRO
        DENVER AND THE EASTERN FOOTHILLS.  TOTAL SNOWFALL RANGED
        FROM 12 TO 22 INCHES OVER THE HIGHER TERRAIN AND 6 TO 12
        INCHES ACROSS METRO DENVER.  NORTHERLY WINDS AT SUSTAINED
        SPEEDS OF 20 TO 30 MPH WITH GUSTS AS HIGH AS 47 MPH AT
        DENVER INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT WHIPPED THE SNOW INTO DRIFTS
        3 TO 4 FEET DEEP.  MANY TREE LIMBS SNAPPED UNDER THE WEIGHT
        OF THE HEAVY…WET SNOW WHICH ALSO DOWNED POWER LINES…
        LEAVING THOUSANDS OF RESIDENTS WITHOUT POWER.  STORM TOTAL
        SNOWFALL INCLUDED:  25 INCHES NEAR ASPEN SPRINGS…CONIFER…
        AND EVERGREEN; 23.5 INCHES NEAR ROLLINSVILLE; 23 INCHES IN
        IDAHO SPRINGS; 22.5 INCHES NEAR BLACKHAWK; 21.5 INCHES NEAR
        BAILEY; 19 INCHES NEAR BERGEN PARK; 18 INCHES NEAR ASPEN
        SPRINGS…GENESEE…AND JAMESTOWN; 17 INCHES SOUTHWEST OF
        BOULDER; 16 INCHES IN EVERGREEN; AND 15 INCHES NEAR
        GEORGETOWN AND PERRY PARK.  SNOWFALL TOTALED 5.3 INCHES
        IN THE DENVER STAPLETON AREA.  AT DENVER INTERNATIONAL
        AIPORT…RAIN…INCLUDING A THUNDERSTORM…CHANGED TO SNOW
        ON THE EVENING OF THE 25TH AFTER A HIGH TEMPERATURE OF
        70 DEGREES.
Continue reading This week in Denver weather history – October 26 to November 1

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

October 19th to October 25th - This week in Denver weather history.
October 19th to October 25th - This week in Denver weather history.

Snow and wind seem to dominate a look back at Denver weather history for this week.  Perhaps most notably, the October blizzard of 1997 occurred this week in history, one of the deadliest storms in Colorado history. 

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER CO
645 PM MDT SAT OCT 18 2008

…THIS WEEK IN METRO DENVER WEATHER HISTORY…

17-19 IN 1908…A MOIST…HEAVY…WET SNOWFALL TOTALED 13.0 INCHES IN
        DOWNTOWN DENVER OVER THE 3 DAYS.  RAIN FROM EARLY MORNING
        ON THE 17TH CHANGED TO SNOW BY LATE AFTERNOON AND CONTINUED
        THROUGH THE LATE MORNING OF THE 19TH.  DUE TO TEMPERATURES
        IN THE 30`S AND MELTING…THE MOST SNOW ON THE GROUND WAS
        ONLY 5.0 INCHES AT 6:00 PM ON THE 18TH.  NORTHWEST TO
        NORTHEAST WINDS WERE SUSTAINED BETWEEN 12 AND 20 MPH DURING
        THE STORM.  PRECIPITATION TOTALED 1.82 INCHES.
18-23 IN 2003…AN EXTENDED WARM SPELL RESULTED IN 5 NEW TEMPERATURE
        RECORDS.  THE HIGH TEMPERATURE OF 84 DEGREES ON THE 18TH
        EQUALED THE RECORD HIGH FOR THE DATE.  HIGH TEMPERATURES
        OF 86 DEGREES ON THE 19TH…83 DEGREES ON THE 21ST…AND 84
        DEGREES ON THE 22ND WERE RECORD HIGHS FOR THE DATES.  LOW
        TEMPERATURE OF 49 DEGREES ON THE 23RD WAS A RECORD HIGH
        MINIMUM FOR THE DATE.  LOW TEMPERATURES DURING THE PERIOD
        WERE IN THE 40`S AND LOWER 50`S.

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

October 12th to the 18th – This week in Denver weather history

October 12th to the 18th - This week in Denver weather history.
October 12th to the 18th - This week in Denver weather history.

Looking back into the Denver weather history books shows Denver can receive just about any kind of weather this time of year.  From heavy snow to gale force winds to 80 plus degree temperatures, it can all happen this week.

10-12 IN 1969…THE SECOND HEAVY SNOWSTORM IN LESS THAN A WEEK
        DUMPED NEARLY A FOOT OF SNOW ACROSS METRO DENVER AND
        PLUNGED THE AREA INTO EXTREMELY COLD TEMPERATURES FOR SO
        EARLY IN THE SEASON.  SNOWFALL TOTALED 11.0 INCHES AT
        STAPLETON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT.  NORTH WINDS GUSTING TO
        26 MPH PRODUCED DRIFTS UP TO 2 FEET DEEP.  TEMPERATURES
        DIPPED FROM A HIGH OF 52 DEGREES ON THE 10TH TO A RECORD
        LOW FOR THE DATE OF 10 DEGREES ON THE 12TH.  THERE WAS
        ADDITIONAL DAMAGE TO TREES AND POWER AND TELEPHONE LINES
        FROM HEAVY SNOW ACCUMULATIONS AND ICING.  TRAVEL WAS
        RESTRICTED OR BLOCKED BY DRIFTING SNOW IN BOTH THE
        MOUNTAINS AND ON THE PLAINS EAST OF DENVER.

Continue reading October 12th to the 18th – This week in Denver weather history

This week in Denver weather history – October 5th to October 11th

This week in Denver weather history - October 5th to October 11th
This week in Denver weather history - October 5th to October 11th

In our weekly look back at Denver weather history, we see a wide range of weather has occurred in the past.  From thunderstorms to rain to big time snowstorms, we can and have seen it all.

3-5   IN 1984…THE REMNANTS OF PACIFIC HURRICANE POLO PRODUCED
        HEAVY RAIN OVER NORTHEASTERN COLORADO.  MOST LOCATIONS
        RECEIVED BETWEEN 1.00 TO 2.50 INCHES OF RAIN…BUT 3.45
        INCHES FELL IN LITTLETON.  RAINFALL TOTALED 1.73 INCHES
        AT STAPLETON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT…WHERE NORTH WINDS
        GUSTED TO 24 MPH. 
4-5   IN 1997…UNUSUALLY WARM WEATHER RESULTED IN TWO TEMPERATURE
        RECORDS.  HIGH TEMPERATURE OF 87 DEGREES ON THE 4TH EXCEEDED
        THE OLD RECORD SET IN 1922 BY ONE DEGREE.  HIGH TEMPERATURE
        OF 86 DEGREES ON THE 5TH EQUALED THE RECORD SET IN 1990 AND
        PREVIOUS YEARS.

Continue reading This week in Denver weather history – October 5th to October 11th

The Christmas Eve blizzard of 1982 – The best of Denver storms

As part of a special “Best of” series on Examiner.com, I recently penned an article about what was one of the most significant storms in Denver history – the 1982 Christmas Eve blizzard.  It is republished here as I thought everyone might like to check it out:

* You are viewing an old article – Our story on the Christmas Eve Blizzard of 1982 has been updated!  Click here to view the new version which includes some great photos.

Looking back through history, Denver and Colorado have had some extraordinary weather stories.  When looking to pick a “best” or most significant weather event, reaching far back into the history books one might choose the Georgetown blizzard of 1913 which dumped an astonishing 86 inches of snow or perhaps the Big Thompson Flood of 1976 which claimed 145 lives.  More recently, there were the holiday storms of 2006 or the Windsor tornadoes from 2007.  But, there is one storm that historically stands out not only because of its severity in terms of the weather but also because of the long lasting impact it caused in Denver and Colorado which is still being felt today – the Christmas Eve Blizzard of 1982.  For those of you that didn’t live in Colorado then or are too young to remember, a trip through the history books shows why this storm was so significant.  Those that do remember it have memories that will last a lifetime.

Continue reading The Christmas Eve blizzard of 1982 – The best of Denver storms

This week in Denver weather history – September 27 – October 4

This week in Denver weather history - September 27- October 3
This week in Denver weather history - September 27- October 4

A new weekly feature for ThorntonWeather.com – This Week in Denver Weather History.  The National Weather Service maintains a historical archives of weather history across the nation and makes it available to the public.  ThorntonWeather.com will start publishing that information weekly. 

So, let’s stroll down memory lane with This Week in Denver Weather History

26-28 IN 1936…THE HEAVIEST SNOWFALL EVER RECORDED IN SEPTEMBER
        AND THE HEAVIEST SNOWFALL EVER RECORDED SO EARLY IN THE
        SEASON DUMPED A TOTAL OF 16.5 INCHES OF SNOW ON DOWNTOWN
        DENVER AND 21.3 INCHES AT DENVER MUNICIPAL AIRPORT.  THE
        15.0 INCHES OF SNOW MEASURED FROM 6:00 PM ON THE 27TH TO
        6:00 PM ON THE 28TH IS THE GREATEST 24 HOUR SNOWFALL EVER
        RECORDED IN SEPTEMBER.  THIS WAS THE FIRST SNOW OF THE
        SEASON.  THE SNOW WAS INTERMITTENT THROUGH THE 26TH…BUT
        CONTINUOUS FROM EARLY AFTERNOON ON THE 27TH TO AROUND
        MIDNIGHT ON THE 28TH…EXCEPT FOR A PERIOD OF RAIN DURING
        THE AFTERNOON OF THE 28TH WHICH CONTRIBUTED TO A LOSS OF
        DEPTH ON THE GROUND.  THE GREATEST SNOW DEPTH ON THE GROUND
        DOWNTOWN WAS 13 INCHES WITH 8 INCHES AT DENVER MUNICIPAL
        AIRPORT.  THERE WERE NO HIGH WINDS WITH THE STORM AND
        TRAFFIC WAS INTERRUPTED FOR ONLY A SHORT PERIOD.  THE
        STORM PRODUCED PROPERTY DAMAGE ESTIMATED AT 7 MILLION
        DOLLARS.  WITH TREES AND SHRUBS IN FULL FOLIAGE…THE LEAVES
        CAUGHT AND HELD THE HEAVY WATER-LADEN SNOW…UNTIL THE
        BRANCHES SNAPPED FROM THE WEIGHT.  MORE THAN 3000 WORKMEN
        WERE CALLED TO REMOVE THE DEBRIS AND SNOW FROM THE CITY.  THE
        CITY FIREMEN WHO WERE OFF DUTY…AS WELL AS ALL THE RESERVES…
        WERE ASKED TO REPORT TO THEIR STATIONS.  ALL SCHOOLS IN THE
        CITY REMAINED OPEN…BUT ATTENDANCE WAS ONLY 50 PERCENT OF
        NORMAL.  GRADE SCHOOL STUDENTS WERE SENT HOME AT NOON ON THE
        28TH.  THE EARLY STORM CAUGHT STOCKMEN WITH MANY CATTLE STILL
        IN HIGHER RANGES.  WARM WEATHER FOLLOWED THE SNOW…WHICH HAD
        ALL MELTED BY THE END OF THE MONTH…EXCEPT FOR A FEW INCHES
        IN SHELTERED PLACES.  

Continue reading This week in Denver weather history – September 27 – October 4