The heat records just seem to keep coming.
Denver’s temperature, as measured at Denver International Airport, topped out at 98 degrees. That ties the record high for the date previously set in 1981 and 1979.
Here in Thornton, we actually were a bit warmer with a high of 99 degrees.
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.
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
In 1888…heavy rain in the mountains and foothills caused flooding on clear creek in Golden. The high waters also washed away portions of the railroad tracks in the canyon between Idaho Springs and Golden.
In 1901…the temperature reached a high of 100 degrees in the city.
In 1902…the high temperature climbed to 100 degrees in downtown Denver.
In 1914…a thunderstorm produced 1.00 inch of rainfall in just 21 minutes and north winds sustained at 43 mph with gusts to 50 mph. Rainfall totaled 1.17 inches.
In 1938…the temperature climbed to a high of 100 degrees in downtown Denver…which is the record maximum for the date. The temperature was also recorded on this date in previous years.
In 1976…flight operations at Stapleton International Airport were suspended for 90 minutes when the airport tower radar was knocked out and water reached a foot deep on some taxi ramps after 1.50 inches of rain fell in one hour. Heavy rain also caused minor flooding in east Denver and Aurora where lightning damaged the roof of a home and injured the owner. One young man was swept down a flooded ditch…but was rescued by firemen. A number of rafts were floated in flooded streets. Thunderstorm rainfall totaled 1.71 inches at Stapleton International Airport.
In 1978…a tornado damaged a house and broke a power pole 5 miles northwest of Parker. A microburst wind gust to 52 mph briefly reduced visibility to 1 mile in blowing dust at Stapleton International Airport.
In 1985…heavy thunderstorms roared through the southern and western sections of metro Denver…producing large hail and heavy rain. Lightning hit a recreational vehicle trailer causing it to burn. There was a lot of street flooding over western suburbs where rainfall totaled over 2 inches in some areas. One inch diameter hail was reported in Littleton and near Evergreen. Hail piled 4 to 6 inches deep at Tinytown in the foothills southwest of Denver.
In 1990…a small rope-like tornado was spotted in open country 15 miles southeast of centennial airport. No damage was reported from the twister.
In 1992…pilots reported a funnel cloud near the construction site of the new Denver International Airport. A few minutes later…a tornado was reported near Bennett. The tornado remained on the ground for about 18 minutes and was visible from the national weather service office at Stapleton International Airport. Thunderstorm wind gusts to 70 mph were reported near Bennett and Watkins with a wind gust to 60 mph at Brighton. Two men were injured when struck by lightning. A young man sustained serious injuries when struck by lightning while jet skiing on Cheery Creek Reservoir. A man received only minor injuries when struck by lightning while golfing in Westminster.
In 1994…heavy thunderstorm rains in the foothills west of Denver caused the closure of the Virginia Canyon Road north of Idaho Springs by rocks and debris.
In 2001…a 34 year old man on the South Platte River bike path in Denver received minor injuries when lightning struck a nearby tree. Lightning…coupled with strong thunderstorm winds…knocked out electrical power to about 10 thousand homes and businesses in Golden.
In 2006…strong thunderstorms hit southern metro Denver. A severe thunderstorm wind gust estimated to 71 mph knocked down a tree in Aurora near Cherry Creek. Lightning sparked a fire in a home near lone tree and struck a transformer at an RTD light rail station at Interstate 25 and Yosemite Street. Heavy thunderstorm rainfall forced the closure of Arapahoe Road between Holly and Quebec streets due to high water. Flooding was also reported near Park Meadows Mall and Greenwood Village. Heavy rainfall also caused flooding in Highlands Ranch…lone tree…and Parker. Water up to 6 inches deep was reportedly running over the roads.
In 2020…a worsening drought that started in the spring of 2020…continued through August. The month of August tied with 2011 for the warmest August on record. It also occurred in the middle of the second warmest summer on record. The combination of hot and dry conditions…in addition to critically dry fuels from years of beetle kill…resulted massive wildfires. The Cameron Peak fire…which became the largest wildfire in the state`s history started on August 13th and continued to burn into October. Smoke from this wildfire in addition to several other large wildfires in Colorado and the West resulted in multiple days of extremely poor air quality. In addition…the air quality in Denver and the entire Front Range had deteriorated severely due to the very warm temperatures and high ozone content… which had spiked significantly. In August…26 days in the month equaled or exceeded 90 degrees.
Continue reading July 31 to August 6: This Week in Denver Weather History
Not much relief from the heat in the early morning and evening.
As measured at Denver International Airport, Denver’s low temperature for the date only dipped to 70 degrees. This tied the record high minimum temperature for the date set in 2008
Thankfully Thornton wasn’t that mild with a low of 64 degrees.
Colorado offers outdoor opportunities unlike any other state and while the summer heat settles in, photos of the amazing scenes across our state provide a view into why we love it here so much.
The weather this time of year has a pretty standard pattern of quickly warming temperatures followed by afternoon thunderstorms that can cool things down. These storms sometimes provide a good bit of ‘excitement’ and are a prime photo subject.
Recreationalists head outdoors and take advantage of urban, suburban and rural opportunities. As they do, our abundant wildlife that is found just about anywhere comes into focus.
Showcasing images captured by ThorntonWeather.com readers as well as some of our own, our monthly slideshow covers the entire gamut of weather and nature related imagery. Sunsets, sunrises, wildlife and of course every type of weather condition are vividly depicted.
To learn more about how to send your photo to us for inclusion in the slideshow, see below the slideshow.
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What is missing in the slideshow above? Your photo!
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Images can be taken in Thornton, Denver or anywhere across the extraordinary Centennial State. We’ll even take some from out of state if we can tie it to Colorado somehow.
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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.
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.
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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.
In 2016…severe thunderstorms produced damaging straight-line. A storm leveled a greenhouse and caused tree damage near Byers. A peak wind gust to 74 mph was measured at Denver International Airport.
In 2018…thunderstorms produced very heavy rainfall…1 to 2 inches in less than 30 minutes. In Englewood…the floodwaters quickly inundated a basement apartment and trapped a woman inside. She was found unresponsive in the apartment and died several hours later. Several homes in the immediate area suffered severe flood damage. The floodwaters also stalled vehicles and forced the closure of several intersections. In Sheridan…the heavy rain created a large sinkhole which swallowed a small SUV. A downed power line caused a fire in Arapahoe County.
24-25 Continue reading July 24 to July 30: This week in Denver weather history
It was almost a certainty and indeed it did happen. The Mile High City broke the high temperature record for July 18.
As measured at Denver International Airport, the city’s high temperature topped out at 100 degrees today. That bests the previous high temperature for the date of 99 degrees set in 2020 and previous years.
Here in Thornton, we matched the Denver high with our own 100 degree top reading.
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.
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.
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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.
In 2016…a severe thunderstorm produced hail up to 1 inch in diameter near Buckley Air Force Base.
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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.
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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.
In 2016…two men at the Indian Tree Golf Course in Arvada were struck by lightning when they sought shelter from a rapidly developing thunderstorm under a tree. One man died from his injuries while the other suffered minor injuries. Very heavy rainfall was observed across central and southern parts of Denver. The storm dropped around 1.5 inches of rainfall in 30 minutes and caused minor street flooding. Nickel size hail was reported west of Pine in central Jefferson County.
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 17 to July 23: This Week in Denver Weather History
With this type of heat, the nighttime doesn’t offer much relief as is seen by the weather record set today.
As measured at Denver International Airport, the Mile High City saw a low temperature today of 70 degrees. This ties the record low minimum for the date last set in 1931.
Thankfully, Thornton managed to be a good bit cooler with a low of 63 degrees.
Our look back at this week in Denver weather history demonstrates why July is considered the Mile High City’s stormiest month. Many instances of flooding rains, damaging wind and hail and dangerous lightning are seen in our past.
From the National Weather Service:
1-18
In 1874…a streak of 18 consecutive days of 90 degrees tied for second with another streak that was later set in the summer of 1901. The record of 24 consecutive days was established in the summer of 2008.
1-31
In 2012…it was the hottest July on record in Denver since weather records began in 1872. The average temperature for the month was 78.9 degrees which was 4.7 degrees above normal. There were 27 days in which the high temperature equaled or exceeded 90 degrees…which established a new record. There were also 7 days in which the temperature equaled or exceeded 100 degrees which tied the record set in 2005.
6-23
In 1901…a streak of 18 consecutive days of 90 degrees tied for second with another streak set in the summer of 1874. The record of 24 consecutive days was established in the summer of 2008.
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.
9-10
In 1980…a series of severe thunderstorms hit metro Denver… Dumping heavy rain and producing a spectacular lightning display lasting for several hours. A number of homes were damaged by lightning. Winds gusted to 60 mph at Stapleton International Airport where about half an inch of rain fell in just 10 minutes along with 1/4 inch diameter hail. The evening thunderstorms continued into the early morning hours with total rainfall of 1.35 inches at Stapleton International Airport.
In 1998…thunderstorm rainfall totaled 2.04 inches at the site of the former Stapleton International Airport.
10
In 1878…a lunar rainbow was observed during a light mist and fog.
In 1895…the temperature warmed to a high of only 53 degrees… The all-time record lowest maximum temperature for the month of July.
In 1967…golf ball size hail damaged aircraft at Jefferson County Airport near Broomfield.
In 1983…two people were injured when struck by lightning just southwest of Morrison. A man was injured when he was swept downstream by a flash flood on a tributary of clear creek in the canyon 8 miles west of Golden. Heavy thunderstorm rains caused mudslides which closed several roads. Rainfall amounts included: 1.75 inches in 20 minutes in southeast Denver…1.26 inches in 35 minutes in Boulder…2.14 inches in 2 hours in Lakewood…1.70 inches in 45 minutes in Aurora…and 1.25 inches in 30 minutes atop Floyd Hill in the foothills west of Denver.
In 1992…storm spotters reported 3/4 inch diameter hail near the construction site of the new Denver airport just northeast of the city.
In 1995…microburst winds toppled a pine tree 60 feet high and 2 feet in diameter in Denver. The tree fell and injured a man nearby. Microburst winds to 59 mph broke the glass on a door at the national weather service forecast office at the site of the former Stapleton International Airport.
In 1998…thunderstorm rainfall totaled 2.35 inches at Denver International Airport.
In 2000…three children were injured…one critically…when lightning hit a nearby tree at panorama point atop Flagstaff Mountain just west of Boulder. Lightning hit the tree…entered the ground…then struck the children. Lightning sparked a grassfire that burned about 50 acres at the Rocky Flats Environmental Test Facility. Also… Lightning sparked at least 6 fires in the Hudson and Keenesburg areas as thunderstorms…accompanied with heavy rain…large hail…and tornadoes…moved through southern Weld County. Over 2 inches of very heavy rain caused flooding along an I-76 exit ramp near Keenesburg. The fire department rescued 15 stranded motorists as high water inundated sections of the exit ramp and adjacent highway. Basements were also flooded in Keenesburg. One home reportedly had 7 feet of standing water in the basement before the rain subsided. A weak tornado (F0) touched down briefly near Brighton…but caused no damage.
In 2001…a severe thunderstorm dumped 7/8 inch diameter hail in wheat ridge.
In 2002…severe thunderstorms pelted the southern suburbs of metro Denver with large hail. Hail as large as 3 inches in diameter fell 6 miles southeast of Parker. Other large hail reports included 2 inch diameter hail around centennial airport and 3/4 inch hail near Sedalia and Deckers. Hail as large as 3/4 inch was also reported in Broomfield. Runoff from heavy thunderstorm rainfall in the Hayman fire burn area flooded lost creek ranch with up to 18 inches of water just off State Highway 126. Floodwaters damaged a very expensive rug in the lodge. A driveway to a residence was washed away. In Douglas County…runoff damaged forest access roads in the Turkey Creek drainage.
In 2011…a severe thunderstorm produced intense microburst winds in southeast Boulder County. A peak wind gust to 75 mph was recorded in Superior with gust to 58 mph…2 miles south of Lafayette. At Denver International Airport…a peak wind gust of 31 mph was recorded.
11
In 1872…heavy rainfall started at 4:00 pm and continued into the night. The heavy rainfall damaged homes and buildings in all parts of the city. Rainfall totaled 1.64 inches.
In 1888…the temperature reached 100 degrees in downtown Denver.
In 1954…the high temperature climbed to 102 degrees at Stapleton Airport.
In 1970…a girl walking in a park in southeast Denver received eye and facial injuries when lightning struck nearby. Lightning also caused numerous power outages and heavy rainfall produced local flooding at several locations across metro Denver.
In 1974…large hail up to 1 1/2 inches in diameter fell in Thornton.
In 1990…the worst hailstorm in American history in terms of dollar damage at the time battered metro Denver. Storm damage totaled 605 million dollars…as it cut a 5-to 10-mile wide swath from just southeast of Estes Park to northeast of Colorado Springs. Hail as large as baseballs (2.75 inches) pounded metro Denver. Hardest hit areas were southeast Boulder County…the Jefferson County Airport in Broomfield… Arvada…east Wheat Ridge…southwest and south-central Westminster…west Thornton…northwest…west-central and downtown Denver…northeast and east-central Lakewood…just east of Littleton…portions of Arapahoe County west of I-25… And northern and central Douglas County near Castle Rock and Franktown. Golf ball to baseball size hail severely damaged roofs on thousands of homes and buildings…battered tens of thousands of automobiles…windows…signs…street lights…and traffic signals…stripped paint…awnings…and trim from buildings…punched holes in the roofs of two homes in Arvada…knocked out power and telephone service to thousands of homes and businesses…defoliated thousands of trees…ripped up greens and fairways on a number of golf courses…and severely damaged several aircraft tied down at Jefferson County Airport. Hail the size of baseballs fell for several minutes in old town Arvada. Later…golf ball size hail and heavy rain pummeled two northwest Denver amusement parks. Hardest hit was Elitch Gardens Amusement Park where 47 people were injured and received treatment for bumps…cuts…and bruises at local hospitals. Many of the injured were stranded on rides during the storm when power failed. Hail clogged storm sewers…causing rain water to back up 3 to 6 feet deep on some roads and intersections in Arvada. Several basements were flooded. In some places hail was washed into drifts several feet deep. In addition… The storm spawned 2 small tornadoes. One touched down briefly in Lakewood near 6th avenue and Kipling Blvd….but did no damage. In Castle Rock…a tornado (F1) did heavy damage to some homes and vehicles in the Founders Village development near Ridge Road.
In 2001…lightning struck two homes in Thornton. Most of the damage was confined to the attics of both homes. Hail as large as 3/4 inch in diameter fell in Keenesburg…Longmont… And near Boulder.
In 2011…severe thunderstorms developed over parts of Adams and Denver Counties. At Denver International Airport…a severe thunderstorm produced a peak wind gust to 66 mph…with another gust to 59 mph measured in Denver. In Commerce City…the intense winds blew down a large tree.
In 2015…a peak wind gust to 55 mph was measured from the northwest at Denver International Airport. A trace of rainfall was also observed.
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In 1872…heavy rain from 4:00 pm until 2:00 am caused much damage. Rainfall totaled 1.76 inches.
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In 1881…during the early evening…a brisk rain fell for 30 minutes from a nearly clear sky containing not one tenth of clouds with the sun shining brightly. Rainfall was 0.16 inch.
In 1885…thunderstorms produced widespread lightning across the city during the evening. Several people were injured when their homes were struck by lightning.
In 1954…the high temperature reached 101 degrees at Stapleton Airport.
In 1962…lightning struck and killed a Denver man…while he was assisting a co-worker with his car.
In 1971…the temperature climbed to a high of 101 degrees at Stapleton International Airport.
In 1974…hail to 3/4 inch in diameter fell in Castle Rock.
In 1991…hail to 2 inches in diameter fell in Thornton with golf ball size hail in Brighton. Dime size hail was recorded in the city of Denver. Very heavy rain caused flooding across metro Denver. Water was up to 2 feet deep in parts of Golden where one foot of water was reported in the lot of a mobile home park. Flood water washed away part of a parking lot at the Colorado school of mines in Golden. Heavy rain caused a rock slide and flooding along I-70 in the foothills just west of Denver. Flood waters were a foot deep at the intersection of I-70 and I-25 just north of downtown Denver. A funnel cloud was sighted just east of the rocky mountain arsenal.
In 1996…very heavy rainfall from a fast moving thunderstorm dumped 2 to 3 inches of rain within an hour over southern Jefferson County. Two people were killed near the town of Buffalo Creek when a 20-foot wall of water flooded the area. Utility poles and trees were uprooted; cars… Propane tanks…and bridges were destroyed in the flood’s path. Entire buildings were moved from their foundations and heavily damaged by the floodwaters. The first fatality occurred along State Highway 126 when the driver of a pick-up truck was washed off the road by the deadly wall of water. The second death occurred farther upstream when a man in a 5th-wheel trailer was washed away. This was the second disaster to strike the area in the last couple of months. The community was already recovering from a wildfire which burned about 12 thousand acres of forest land in late May. With the forest burned by fire…very little vegetation was available to slow the storm’s runoff…which resulted in the flash flood. Power…water…and sewer service were heavily damaged in the flood and…in some cases…beyond repair. The cost of repairing the roads and water system in the area was estimated at around a half million dollars. Elsewhere across metro Denver…severe thunderstorms produced hail…damaging winds…and small tornadoes. Weak tornadoes (F0) were reported in Broomfield… 3 miles east of Englewood…and in Dacono. No damage was reported…except a trampoline was blown into a window and several trees were downed in Broomfield. Thunderstorm wind gusts estimated as high as 60 mph blew a fence down in Louisville where winds also toppled a tree near a house. The house received only minor damage. Large hail…strong winds and heavy rain caused substantial property damage in portions of southeastern Boulder and northern Jefferson counties. Damage estimates in the Broomfield area alone were about 1 million dollars. Winds gusted to 81 mph in Broomfield. Large hail…3/4 to 1 1/2 inches in diameter fell in Evergreen…Lakewood…Englewood…Broomfield…near Morrison…northeast of Boulder…and just east of Denver International Airport.
In 2000…heavy rain fell across a portion of the hi meadow fire burn area near buffalo creek…causing localized flooding. About 3/4 inch of rain fell in 30 minutes over miller gulch. Some culverts become plugged by debris from the fire. As a result…small sections of a U.S. Forest Service road along Miller Creek were washed out. Lightning struck a home in Castle Rock…causing extensive damage to the roof…attic…and second floor.
Continue reading July 10 to July 16: This Week in Denver Weather History
It was a hot one today as the Mile High City set a new record high temperature for the date.
As measured at Denver International Airport, the mercury topped out at 100 degrees. This topped the previous record high for the date of 98 degrees set in 2021, 1989 and 1903.
Here in Thornton, we actually topped the Denver reading with a high of 101 degrees.