The week leading up to Christmas is hectic enough but when you through in extreme weather, it can be overwhelming.  This week marks a number of notable weather events in Denver weather history but two stand out.  Most recently was the storm three years ago that became the seventh biggest snowstorm in Denver weather history.  Of course probably the most memorable for longtime Denver residents is the Christmas Eve storm of 1982 that buried the city for the holiday and for days afterwards.

• Related: The Christmas Eve blizzard of 1982 – The best of Denver storms

From the National Weather Service:

17-24

In 1924…a prolonged cold spell occurred after mild temperatures during the first half of the month.  Most low temperatures dipped below zero with the coldest reading of 15 degrees below zero occurring on the 24th. The high temperature of only 5 degrees on the 18th was a record low maximum for the date.

18-21

In 2010…a winter storm produced a 4-day period of moderate to heavy snow in the mountains. The combination of strong wind and heavy snow forced the closure of several mountain passes due to the threat of avalanches. The Amtrak train route… Which runs from Denver to California…was rerouted through Wyoming when Union Pacific closed its tracks along Interstate 70. Numerous accidents forced the closure of I-70 at times. The wind gusted to 60 mph over the higher mountain passes. Storm totals in the ski areas west of Denver ranged from 16 to 32 inches.

18-24

In 1998…a vigorous cold front with north winds gusting as high as 38 mph at Denver International Airport on the 18th dropped temperatures from a high of 51 degrees to a low of just 6 degrees before midnight.  The arctic air mass that settled over metro Denver produced intermittent light snow and a week-long protracted cold spell that caused low temperatures to plunge well below zero for 6 consecutive nights.  The coldest temperature was 19 degrees below zero on the morning of the 22nd.  High temperatures climbed only into the single digits on 4 consecutive days…from the 19th through the 22nd.  At least 15 people…mostly homeless… Were treated for hypothermia at area hospitals.  The bitter cold weather was responsible…either directly or indirectly… For at least 5 fatalities.  Three of the victims died directly from exposure.  The cold weather also caused intermittent power outages.  Following the cold snap… Thawing water pipes cracked and burst in several homes and businesses…causing extensive damage.  Only one temperature record was set.  The high temperature of only 7 degrees on the 19th set a record low maximum for the date.

19-20

In 1982…high winds buffeted the eastern foothills.  At midday on the 19th…gusts of 75 to 80 mph were recorded in the Table Mesa area of Boulder.  A gust to 62 mph was clocked in Boulder on the evening of the 20th.

In 1989…strong winds howled at mountain top level in clear creek and Gilpin counties.  Speeds reached 97 mph on the summit of Squaw Mountain and 84 mph one mile south of Rollinsville.  Northwest winds gusted 35 mph at Stapleton International Airport on the 20th.

19-23

In 1990…a surge of very cold arctic air invaded metro Denver.  Many temperature records were broken as the mercury remained at or below zero for 85.5 hours at Stapleton International Airport…making it the third longest period of subzero readings in 118 years of record keeping.  On the morning of the 22nd…the mercury plunged to 25 degrees below zero…which equaled the all time record low temperature for the month set on December 24…1876. In the foothills southwest of Denver at tiny town…the mercury plunged to 33 degrees below zero on the morning of the 21st.  On the same morning at Castle Rock the temperature dipped to 26 degrees below zero.  During the period…other daily temperature records were set at Denver…including:  record low maximum of 3 degrees below zero on the 20th and a record low of 17 degrees below zero on the 23rd.  The record low was equaled with 16 degrees below zero on the 20th and 21 degrees below zero on the 21st.  Snowfall totaled 2.7 inches at Stapleton International Airport from the 19th through the 21st.

20

In 1894…southwest winds were sustained to 40 mph with gusts to 48 mph.  The Chinook winds warmed the temperature to a maximum of 69 degrees…which was a record high temperature for the date.  The minimum temperature dipped to only 33 degrees.

In 1903…northwest Chinook winds sustained to 54 mph with gusts to 60 mph warmed the temperature to a high of 58 degrees.

In 1948…strong winds occurred along the eastern foothills from Boulder north.  Wind gusts to 45 mph were recorded at Valmont with a gust to 30 mph at Boulder airport.  Some damage occurred.  Wind gusts to 50 mph caused some blowing dust at Stapleton Airport.

In 1957…strong Chinook winds…gusting to 51 mph from the northwest…warmed the afternoon temperature to a high of 54 degrees.

In 1981 high winds were reported in the foothills with a peak gust of 87 mph recorded at Wondervu.

In 1992…strong Chinook winds raked the eastern foothills with 69 mph recorded at Table Mesa in south Boulder. Southwest winds gusted to only 21 mph at Stapleton International Airport.

In 1996…five construction workers were injured…two seriously…when a sudden wind gust blew over a 30-foot- high retaining wall they were working on in western Lakewood.  The scaffolding they were standing on collapsed…and some were pinned under the rubble for 15 minutes.  Wind gusts of 60 to 75 mph were reported in the area.  Southwest winds gusted to only 24 mph at Denver International Airport.

In 2004…strong downslope winds developed over the eastern mountain slopes and spread over metro Denver.  Peak wind gusts approached 100 mph along the foothills of Boulder County.  In superior…a 1200-square-foot section of roof was peeled off the gymnasium at monarch high school. Two semi-trailers were toppled on Colorado Highway 58 at McIntyre Street and another at c-470 and West Bowles Avenue.  Two airplanes were damaged by wind-blown debris at Jefferson County airport.  The high winds forced the closure of State Highway 93 between Golden and Boulder for approximately two hours.  Insurance agents estimated 650 to 850 homes suffered wind damage in the Boulder and Louisville areas.  In addition…downed trees and power lines left about 1000 residents…mainly in the Boulder area…without electricity.  At least three people suffered minor injuries in the storm.  Peak wind reports included:  95 mph in superior…92 mph at Jefferson County airport…85 mph in Golden…81 mph in Boulder…80 mph in Broomfield and Evergreen…and 79 mph in Louisville.  West northwest winds gusted to 59 mph at Denver International Airport.

20-21

In 1969…high winds caused widespread…but mostly minor damage to roofs…windows…and power lines and overturned some house trailers in areas along and just east of the foothills.  Wind gusts of 60 to 70 mph were reported in Boulder and south of Boulder at Rocky Flats.  A wind gust to 115 mph was measured in Boulder at the National Center for Atmospheric Research.  At Stapleton International Airport…west winds gusted to 44 mph on the 20th and to 45 mph on the 21st.  The warm Chinook winds warmed the high temperature to 56 degrees on the 20th and to 65 degrees on the 21st.

In 2006…a major blizzard buried greater metro Denver and the adjacent foothills in deep snow.  A slow moving upper level low pressure center produced deep moist upslope flow over the high plains and against the eastern slopes of the mountains…allowing heavy snowfall to persist for 34 hours across metro Denver.  Total snow accumulations ranged from 1 to 2 1/2 feet across the city and from 2 to nearly 4 feet in the foothills.  Adding to the misery… Strong north winds sustained at 20 to 35 mph with gusts from 45 to nearly 60 mph produced much blowing snow and piled the snow into drifts from 6 to 12 feet high…closing businesses and bringing all transportation to a halt.  The storm forced the closure of Denver International Airport for a total of 45 hours which snarled the nation’s air traffic system.  This was the longest closure in the airport’s 12 year history.  The closure stranded nearly 5000 travelers when 2000 flights were canceled.  Many inbound flights were diverted to other airports…stranding even more passengers.  Many of the stranded travelers failed to reach their final destinations until days after the airport re-opened due to fully booked flights during the holiday season.  Police and national guardsmen rescued hundreds of commuters stuck in their cars…and sent them to temporary shelters set up by the Red Cross.  All interstates and other major highways in and out of Denver were closed. Greyhound was forced to cancel all bus trips from Denver. Mail delivery was suspended.  The Regional Transportation District suspended all metro Denver bus service for the first time since the March 2003 blizzard.  The roof of a discount store in Aurora collapsed under the weight of the heavy snow.  In Lakewood…a power outage left 5600 residents without electricity for a brief time.  Metro Denver snowfall amounts included:  34 inches 10 miles southeast of Buckley AFB…32 inches in Littleton…30 inches in Thornton and near Castle Rock…29.5 inches near Parker…28 inches in Wheat Ridge…25.5 inches at Centennial Airport…25 inches at Niwot…24 inches in Aurora…22.5 inches at Greenwood Village… 22 inches in Arvada…21.5 inches in Lakewood…20 inches in Longmont…and 15.5 inches in Boulder.  Snowfall measured 20.7 inches officially in the Denver Stapleton area.  This ranked the snowfall as the 7th greatest in the city since 1946. North winds were sustained to 37 mph with gusts to 55 mph at Denver International Airport.  In the foothills snowfall totaled:  42 inches at Conifer and 11 miles southwest of Boulder…40 inches at Evergreen…39 inches at Aspen Springs… 37.5 inches 8 miles north of Blackhawk…33 inches near Nederland…31 inches at Intercanyon and near Tiny Town…30.5 inches atop Buckhorn Mountain…30 inches near Indian Hills… 29 inches at Rollinsville…24 inches near Gross Reservoir and Ralston Reservoir…22.4 inches atop Crow Hill…and 20 inches near Georgetown.  Snowpacked and rutted streets and parking lots persisted for a month or more after the storm and subsequent storms.  The heavy snowfall created a snow removal controversy when many citizens complained that residential streets were not cleared in a timely manner in the city and in some suburban areas.  This was in spite of the fact that tens of millions of dollars were spent on snow removal.  In the city of Denver…snow cover of an inch or more from this storm and subsequent storms persisted for 61 consecutive days…through February 19…2007.  This is the second longest period of snow cover on record in the city. Many homeowners who had extensive Christmas lights and decorations in their yards were not able to remove the lights because the wires were buried in deep snow and ice until the end of February or later.

20-22

In 1933…strong downslope winds produced a warm spell. Low temperatures of 43 degrees on both the 20th and 21st and 41 degrees on the 22nd were record high minimums for those dates.  High temperature of 67 degrees on the 21st was a record maximum for the date.  High temperatures of 56 degrees on the 20th and 69 degrees on the 22nd were not records; however…the 69 degrees was the warmest of the month.  West to northwest winds were sustained to 20 and 24 mph on the 21st and 22nd respectively.

20-23

In 1918…light snowfall on each day totaled 12.0 inches over downtown Denver.  Northeast winds were sustained to 16 mph on the 21st.
20-25 in 1983…an extremely bitter cold spell occurred.  The temperature remained below zero for 115 hours in Denver… The longest sub-zero period on record.  The mercury dipped to 21 degrees below zero on the 21st…the coldest recorded temperature in over 20 years.  The cold was accompanied by winds that plunged chill factors to 50 to 70 degrees below zero.  Two people froze to death in Denver; both were found outside dead of exposure.  Numerous cases of frostbite were reported.  Hundreds of water pipes broke from the intense cold…water mains and natural gas lines also fractured…and electricity consumption reached record levels.  Light snow totaling 5.8 inches fell at times…and holiday traffic was delayed at Stapleton International Airport for several hours.  Eight daily temperature records were set at the time.  The all-time record low maximum temperature for the month of 8 degrees below zero on the 21st still stands today.  Other temperature records still standing include record low maximum temperatures of 5 degrees below zero on both the 22nd and 23rd and 4 degrees below zero on the 24th.

21

In 1884…light snow fell from an apparent cloudless sky between 4:15 am and 5:00 am.  Snowfall totaled 3.5 inches for the day.

In 1900…west winds sustained to 46 mph with gusts to 54 mph warmed the temperature to a high of 59 degrees.

In 1910…heavy snowfall totaled 8.0 inches in downtown Denver.  Northwest winds were sustained to 25 mph.

In 1961…strong winds associated with a cold front whipped snow across metro Denver.  West wind gusts to 62 mph were recorded at Stapleton Airport.  There was considerable damage to power lines…signs…and Christmas decorations. In Denver…4 people were injured by wind-caused accidents. Two small planes were flipped over at Stapleton Airport while attempting to land.  Only a trace of snow fell at Stapleton Airport.

In 1983…the high temperature climbed to only 8 degrees below zero at Stapleton International Airport.  This set the record for the lowest maximum temperature of the month.

In 1987…strong winds howled in the foothills and in Boulder. Wind gusts reached 78 mph in east Boulder…85 mph at Table Mesa in southwest Boulder…93 mph near Rollinsville…and 97 mph at the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder.  West winds gusted to 37 mph at Stapleton International Airport.

21-22

In 1969…strong winds raked the eastern foothills in Boulder and Jefferson counties.  Wind gusts to 115 mph were recorded at the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder…while in downtown Boulder winds gusted to 75 mph. Some damage occurred.

In 1981…a snow storm dumped 3 to 8 inches of snow across eastern Colorado.  Snowfall totaled 6.8 inches at Stapleton International Airport where north winds gusted to only 17 mph.

In 2011…large scale lift from an upper level low combined with a deep easterly upslope flow behind a cold front to produce heavy snow in and near the Front Range foothills and palmer divide. Storm totals ranged from 1.5 to 3 feet in the Front Range foothills…with 1 to 1.5 feet along the urban corridor. In the Front Range foothills and Palmer Divide…storm totals included: 36.5 inches… 7 miles southwest of Boulder; 32 inches…12 miles northwest of Golden; 28 inches at Genesee; 24.5 inches…3 miles west of Jamestown; 23 inches at Bergen Park; 21 inches at Evergreen and Gross Reservoir; 19 inches near Eldorado Springs and 3 miles west-southwest of Conifer; 17 inches…4 miles south- southwest of Tiny Town; and 13.5 inches…15 miles north of Elizabeth. Along the urban corridor…storm totals included: 18 inches in Golden; 14.5 inches in Boulder…13 inches at the National Weather Service in Boulder; 12.5 inches…5 miles south-southwest of Arapahoe park; 12 inches at Lone Tree; 11.5 inches in Broomfield; 11 inches in Arvada…4 miles northwest of Elbert…Niwot and Wheatridge; 10 inches in northwest Denver; with 7.3 inches at Denver International Airport.

21-23

In 1924…heavy snowfall totaled 7.9 inches over downtown Denver.  During the storm north to northeast winds were sustained to 21 mph.  Temperatures were quite cold…ranging from a high of 24 degrees on the 21st to a low of 5 degrees below zero on the 23rd.

In 1964…high winds were recorded along the eastern foothills.  A wind gust to 100 mph was registered at Jefferson County airport near Broomfield.  In Boulder… Where many thousands of dollars in damage occurred…warm Chinook winds gusted in excess of 45 mph downtown.  A wind gust to 82 mph was recorded at the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder.  Heavy damage to power lines…homes…and roads was reported at Evergreen…Golden… And Boulder.  Several people were injured by wind-caused accidents.  West winds gusted to 53 mph on the 22nd and to 51 mph on the 23rd at Stapleton International Airport where some blowing dust occurred.  The Chinook winds warmed temperatures in Denver to highs of 68 degrees on the 22nd and 71 degrees on the 23rd.

22

In 1885…a windstorm produced sustained west winds to 48 mph. The winds were strong all afternoon and evening.

In 1892…terribly strong winds hit the foothills above Boulder.  The wind was described as a young tornado…but likely was straight line in nature.  Winds in Boulder remained calm.

In 1901…the passage of an apparent cold front produced north winds sustained to 48 mph with gusts as high as 60 mph.

In 1922…a major storm dumped 8.0 inches of snow in downtown Denver.

In 1941…post-frontal heavy snow fell over downtown Denver where 8.0 inches of new snow were measured.  Northwest winds were sustained to 26 mph.  The cold front and snowfall abruptly broke a week of warm weather with high temperatures in the 50’s and 60’s.

In 1977…high winds unroofed a mobile home in Broomfield. Wind gusts reached 93 mph at Table Mesa in south Boulder and 74 mph at Rocky Flats.  West winds gusted to 52 mph at Stapleton International Airport.

In 1988…high winds hit many foothills areas.  Recorded wind gusts reached 95 mph just north of Boulder and 80 mph on Table Mesa.  The strong winds caused power outages around Boulder.  West winds gusted to 45 mph at Stapleton International Airport.

In 1990…the all-time lowest recorded temperature in December… 25 degrees below zero…occurred.  The same temperature was also reached on December 24…1876.

22-23

In 1926…snow was heavy and totaled 6.7 inches in downtown Denver.  Northeast winds were sustained to 17 mph with gusts to 18 mph on the 23rd.

In 1979…heavy snow blanketed metro Denver.  Total snowfall at Stapleton International Airport was 6.9 inches…and north winds gusted to 20 mph.  Most of the snow…5.7 inches…fell on the 22nd.

In 1984…strong Chinook winds howled along the Front Range foothills.  At Table Mesa in southwest Boulder…gusts reached 108 mph on the morning of the 23rd.  Gusts to 79 mph were clocked in Golden gate canyon.  Gusts to 94 mph were reported in east Boulder.  The winds flattened a two floor cinder block building under construction in Boulder… Causing 75 thousand dollars damage.  Flying debris from the building slightly injured a policeman.  A chain link fence was blown down.  Dozens of windows and roofs were damaged in Boulder…along with mobile homes and cars. Numerous trees and power lines were downed.  A giant plastic bubble dome was blown apart and collapsed…causing at least 100 thousand dollars damage.  West winds gusted to 41 mph at Stapleton International Airport on the 23rd.

22-24

In 2009…a winter storm produced moderate to heavy snow across parts of the Front Range and adjacent plains. In the foothills…storm totals included: 11.5 inches near Eldorado Springs…10 inches… 3 miles southeast of Pinecliffe; 9 inches at Genesee…2 miles southwest of Golden and Ken Caryl; 8 inches…3 miles west of Jamestown and White Ranch Open Space; 7 inches…4 miles east- northeast of Nederland. Across the urban corridor and adjacent plains…storm totals included: 9 inches… 2 miles west of Parker; 8 inches at Watkins; 7 inches…2 miles west-southwest of Byers…12 miles southwest of Buckley AFB and 3 miles northeast of Parker. At Denver International Airport…6.1 inches of snowfall was observed.

Continue reading December 20 to December 26: This week in Denver weather history →

December can of course be cold and that is why Chinook winds are sometimes welcomed as they bring warm air to the Front Range.  However, those winds can also cause a great deal of damage if they blow too hard and we see that in our look back at this week in Denver weather history.  Particularly notable were winds on December 14th & 15th which caused accidents, toppled power poles and fences, ripped off roofs and more.

From the National Weather Service:

2-17

In 1939…more than 2 weeks of unseasonably warm weather made the month the 3rd warmest on record.  Seven daily temperature records were set…including the all time record high temperature for the month of 79 degrees on the 5th.  Daytime highs were balmy with 14 days in the 60’s and 70’s.  Low temperatures dipped to freezing or below on only 5 days.  The period was dry with only a trace of snow on the 12th.

3-15

In 1972…a protracted cold spell held an icy grip on metro Denver when maximum temperatures never reached above freezing for 10 consecutive days from the 3rd through the 12th and minimum temperatures dipped below zero on eleven consecutive days from the 5th through the 15th. Daily low temperature records were set with 15 degrees below zero on the 5th…17 degrees below zero on the 6th… And 18 degrees below zero on the 10th.  Daily record low maximum readings were set with 3 degrees on the 6th and 6 degrees on the 9th.  The very cold temperatures were caused by 3 to 5 inches of snow cover and a Canadian air mass.

9-13

In 1961…cold arctic air produced a protracted cold period. The temperature plunged to 16 degrees below zero on the 10th…establishing a new record for the date and the coldest reading since 25 degrees below zero on February 1… 1951.  Low temperatures dipped below zero on 5 consecutive days with 9 degrees below zero on the 9th…16 below on the 10th…10 below on the 11th…and 12 below on both the 12th and 13th.  High temperatures reached only 3 degrees on the 10th and 6 degrees on the 11th.

11-13

In 1940…5.4 inches of snow fell across downtown Denver. This was the only snowfall of the month.  Temperatures were quite cold on the 13th with a high of 6 degrees and a low of 2 degrees below zero.

In 1984…up to 6 inches of new snow fell over metro Denver… Hampering flight operations at Stapleton International Airport where snowfall totaled 3.8 inches and east winds gusted to 25 mph on the 11th.

12-13

In 1916…snowfall totaled 5.7 inches in downtown Denver. Northeast winds were sustained to 27 mph with gusts to 28 mph on the 12th.

In 1992…an upslope snowstorm whitened metro Denver.  While snowfall totaled only 4.1 inches at Stapleton International Airport…7 inches of new snow fell in Morrison…with 12 inches measured in Castle Rock.  North winds gusted to 23 mph at Stapleton International Airport on the 13th.

In 1995…strong winds gusting to nearly 100 mph whipped across the foothills west of Denver.  The strongest wind gusts included 98 mph atop Squaw Mountain and 75 mph at the Eldora Ski Area.  West-northwest winds gusted to 41 mph at Denver International Airport on the 13th.

12-15

In 1921…downslope Chinook winds produced warm temperatures in the city…which resulted in 4 temperature records. High temperatures of 72 degrees on the 13th and 68 degrees on the 15th were record maximums for the dates.  Low temperatures of 47 degrees on both the 12th and 13th were record high minimums for the dates.  West winds were sustained to 38 mph on the 12th and to 25 mph on the 13th.

13

In 1955…strong winds raked the foothills.  A wind gust to 72 mph was recorded at rocky flats northwest of Denver.  Some damage occurred in Boulder.  Northwest winds were sustained to speeds of 23 mph at Stapleton Airport.

In 1988…high winds again occurred in Boulder where winds were clocked to 66 mph.  West winds gusted to 43 mph at Stapleton International Airport.
13-14 in 1902…heavy snowfall totaled 6.4 inches in the city overnight.  North winds were sustained to 18 mph with gusts to 20 mph on the 13th.

In 1925…heavy apparent post-frontal snowfall totaled 7.8 inches across downtown Denver.  Northwest winds were sustained to 34 mph with gusts to 42 on the 13th… And north winds were sustained to 33 mph with gusts to 38 mph on the 14th.

In 1951…heavy snowfall totaled 5.9 inches at Stapleton Airport.

In 1987…a snowstorm dropped 2 to 8 inches of snow along the Front Range foothills.  Eight to 12 inches fell just south of Denver.  Icy streets and highways contributed to many traffic accidents across metro Denver and flights were delayed at Stapleton International Airport where 2.7 inches of snow fell and northeast winds gusted to 17 mph.

In 1991…high winds pummeled metro Denver.  Wind gusts to 93 mph were recorded at Rollinsville.  Wind speeds across metro Denver were generally 35 to 50 mph.  Northwest winds gusted to 48 mph at Stapleton International Airport on the 13th.

14

In 1926…an intrusion of cold air resulted in temperatures remaining below zero.  The high temperature of one degree below zero was a record low maximum for the date.  The low temperature was 11 degrees below zero.  North winds were sustained to 17 mph.

In 1985…a wind gust to 61 mph was recorded at Table Mesa in Boulder.

In 1996…high winds gusting from 60 to nearly 80 mph moved off the Front Range foothills and over the northeast Colorado plains in the wake of a fast moving cold front. The strongest wind gusts included 79 mph at Golden gate canyon and 70 mph near Table Mesa in southwest Boulder. At Denver International Airport…west-northwest winds gusted to only 39 mph.

14-15

In 1988…a snow storm again whitened metro Denver. Snowfall along the Front Range was in the 6 to 12 inch range.  Snowfall totaled 5.8 inches at Stapleton International Airport where north winds gusted to 38 mph.

In 1990…high winds howled across metro Denver behind a strong pacific cold front.  Boulder was hardest hit by the high winds.  A wind gust to 120 mph was recorded in south Boulder where winds stripped the roof off a garage…a vacant gas station…and a house under construction. Elsewhere in Boulder…several trees were blown down.  In Boulder canyon…the winds toppled two cinder block walls on a house under construction.  Four Boulder County women were treated for injuries caused by the wind.  The injuries were confined to a broken wrist…a mild concussion…bruises…and facial cuts.  Two semi-tractor trailers were blown over by the fierce winds south of Boulder.  Another truck rollover occurred southeast of Golden.  Drivers of all three trucks suffered only cuts and bruises.  Several vehicles were trapped in a blinding dust storm on the Denver-Boulder Turnpike near Broomfield.  Drivers were forced to stop along the highway for several minutes during the storm and witness their vehicles being pelted with sand and gravel. A wind gust to 97 mph was recorded in Golden.  High winds were also reported in Arvada…Boulder…and Lakewood.  Winds toppled a number of utility poles and wooden fences…blew out windows…and caused structural damage to a large apartment complex on the west side of Golden.  Wind gusts of 70 to 100 mph caused considerable damage to several large billboards north of Golden…as well as damaging the paint…trim…and glass on numerous vehicles in the area. A west wind gust to 51 mph was recorded at Stapleton International Airport.

15

In 1999…high winds developed in and near the foothills as a strong upper level jet moved into the area.  Although most wind gusts were in the 70 to 80 mph range…a weather spotter located 1 mile south of Fritz Peak near Rollinsville measured a peak wind gust to 124 mph.  Other wind reports included wind gusts to 77 mph at the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder and atop Blue Mountain and 70 mph at the national wind technology center on Rocky Flats south of Boulder.  West winds gusted to only 32 mph at Denver International Airport.

In 2000…high winds developed in the foothills of Boulder County…but winds were strong across all of metro Denver. Winds gusted as high as 72 mph at the National Center for Atmospheric Research on the mesa just southwest of Boulder. West winds gusted to 44 mph at Denver International Airport.

Continue reading December 13 to December 19: This week in Denver weather history →

Denver and Colorado are certainly known for their varied weather conditions and as always, looking back at the weather history books highlights that.  On these dates we have seen Arctic cold and balmy temperatures in the 70’s.  We have seen hurricane force winds and even a rare December thunderstorm.  And as one would expect, there has been plenty of snow.

2-17

In 1939…more than 2 weeks of unseasonably warm weather made the month the 3rd warmest on record.  Seven daily temperature records were set…including the all time record high temperature for the month of 79 degrees on the 5th.  Daytime highs were balmy with 14 days in the 60’s and 70’s.  Low temperatures dipped to freezing or below on only 5 days.  The period was dry with only a trace of snow on the 12th.

3-15

In 1972…a protracted cold spell held an icy grip on metro Denver when maximum temperatures never reached above freezing for 10 consecutive days from the 3rd through the 12th and minimum temperatures dipped below zero on eleven consecutive days from the 5th through the 15th. Daily low temperature records were set with 15 degrees below zero on the 5th…17 degrees below zero on the 6th… And 18 degrees below zero on the 10th.  Daily record low maximum readings were set with 3 degrees on the 6th and 6 degrees on the 9th.  The very cold temperatures were caused by 3 to 5 inches of snow cover and a Canadian air mass.

4-6

In 1960…heavy snowfall totaled 12.0 inches over the 3 days with 5.1 inches on the 4th…5.2 inches on the 5th…and 1.7 inches on the 6th.  Rain changed to snow early on the 4th and ended by early afternoon.  Snow started again early on the 5th and continued through midday on the 6th.  West northwest winds gusted to 30 mph on the 4th.  Post cold frontal temperatures cooled from a high of 38 degrees on the 4th to a low of 7 degrees below zero on the 6th.

5-6

In 1883…a major snow storm hit the city.  Heavy snow fell from 10:00 am on the 5th to 7:30 am on the 6th.  The amount of snowfall was not recorded…but precipitation from melted snow totaled 1.75 inches…which would give an estimated snowfall of nearly 18 inches.  Temperatures during the storm were in the 30’s…so some of the snow May have melted as it fell.  However…railroads were blocked and telegraph lines were downed in all directions.  Telephone wires and poles were nearly all broken down.  The company manager estimated the damage at 30 thousand dollars.  Northeast winds were sustained to 24 mph in the city.

In 1892…heavy snow totaled 6.2 inches in downtown Denver. Most of the snow…6.0 inches…fell on the 6th.

In 2001…high winds developed in the foothills northwest of Denver.  Winds gusted to 74 mph at aspen springs.  West- northwest winds gusted to 35 mph at Denver International Airport…where the temperature warmed to a high of 55 degrees on the 6th.

5-7

In 1978…a major storm dumped heavy snow across metro Denver. At Stapleton International Airport…snowfall totaled 8.5 inches…northeast winds gusted to 46 mph…and temperatures plunged from a high of 49 degrees on the 5th to a low of only 6 degrees on the 6th.  Maximum temperature of 6 degrees on the 7th was a new daily record low maximum reading.  Most of the snow…6.7 inches…fell on the 5th.

5-8

In 1983…high winds occurred in and near the foothills each day.  Wind gusts to 63 mph were registered in Golden Gate Canyon on the evening of the 5th.  On the evening of the 6th…winds knocked down trees…snapped power lines…and blew out windows across metro Denver.  Gusts were clocked to 102 mph in southwest metro Denver…while wind gusts to 38 mph were recorded at Stapleton International Airport.  On the 7th…winds overturned a tractor trailer near Castle Rock. After midnight on the 8th…gusts to 97 mph were reported in southeast Boulder.  Wind speeds of 60 to 70 mph were reported in other parts of metro Denver.

6

In 1939…high temperature of 73 degrees was a record maximum for the date.  Low temperature of 44 degrees was a record high minimum for the date.

In 1967…strong west winds produced blowing dust at Stapleton International Airport where a wind gust to 55 mph was recorded.  A heavy windstorm caused minor damage in Boulder. In Denver…some structural panels were blown from a building… And the screen of an outdoor theater was severely damaged. There were unofficial reports of wind gusts to 75 mph in metro Denver.

In 1977…wind gusting to 85 mph raked the foothills from Boulder to Morrison.  A few houses under construction were blown down.  Northwest winds gusted to 39 mph at Stapleton International Airport.

In 1991…high in the atmosphere…a volcanic ash cloud was clearly visible in the direction of the sun during the late morning and early afternoon.

6-7

In 1953…high winds buffeted the eastern foothills.  Wind gusts to 80 mph occurred on Lookout Mountain.  In Denver winds gusted to 65 mph.  Damage in Boulder totaled 15 hundred dollars.

7

In 1897…west winds were sustained to 53 mph with gusts to 66 mph.  The Chinook winds warmed the temperature to a high of 62 degrees…the warmest day of the month.

In 1957…a vigorous cold front produced a dust storm as it moved south across metro Denver.  West-northwest wind gusts to 59 mph were recorded at Stapleton Airport where the surface visibility was briefly reduced to 1/2 mile in blowing dust.  Light snowfall of only 0.8 inch followed the passage of a secondary Canadian cold front.

In 1958…the worst wind storm in several years caused 10 thousand dollars damage in Boulder where wind gusts were estimated to 75 mph.

In 1977 winds up to 115 mph were reported in the Boulder area where one house was unroofed and another damaged. One woman was knocked down by the wind and injured. Several families were evacuated from homes in Boulder. Damage to trailers and motor vehicles was widespread. West winds gusted to 54 mph at Stapleton International Airport where the Chinook winds warmed the temperature to a high of 64 degrees.

In 1987…strong winds buffeted the Front Range foothills. A peak gust to 93 mph was recorded at the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder.  Nearby…a metal shed was blown over a fence into a tree two houses away.  Wind gusts of 70 to 80 mph were common in Boulder.

In 1988…4 to 8 inches of snow fell across metro Denver and caused traffic gridlock conditions on area highways.  The 3.9 inches of snow at Stapleton International Airport caused two-hour flight delays.  Northeast winds gusted to 25 mph.

In 2005…a brief cold snap resulted in record breaking temperatures.  The low temperature of 13 degrees below zero was a record minimum for the date.  The high temperature of only 3 degrees was a record low maximum for the date.  The cold temperatures were accompanied by 1.4 inches of light snow that was measured at Denver Stapleton overnight on the 6th and 7th.

Continue reading December 6 to December 12: This week in Denver weather history →