Tag Archives: Denver weather history

July 24 to July 30: This week in Denver weather history

July 27, 2022 Thornton Weather Leave a comment

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.

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 →

July 17 to July 23: This Week in Denver Weather History

July 17, 2022 Thornton Weather Leave a comment

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

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.

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.

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.

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 →

Weather History

July 10 to July 16: This Week in Denver Weather History

July 10, 2022 Thornton Weather Leave a comment

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.

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.

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.

11-12

In 1872…heavy rain from 4:00 pm until 2:00 am caused much damage. Rainfall totaled 1.76 inches.

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 →

Weather History

July 3 to July 9: This Week in Denver Weather History

July 4, 2022 Thornton Weather Leave a comment

In our July weather preview we discussed how the month is not only Denver’s hottest but also its stormiest. Our look back at this week in Denver weather history helps to illustrate that fact. We start seeing 100+ degree days as well as many of the types of fast moving thunderstorm events expected this time of year.

From the National Weather Service:

29-15

In 2000…the 29th marked the beginning of a near record hot streak for metro Denver. The high temperatures…as recorded at Denver International Airport…exceeded the 90 degree mark for 17 consecutive days from June 29th through July 15th. The record of 24 consecutive 90 degree or above days was set from July 13th through August 5th…2008.

1-18

1-31

In 1874…the temperature climbed to a high of 101 degrees in downtown Denver.

In 1881…the all time highest recorded daily minimum temperature of 77 degrees occurred in the city. This was also the highest daily minimum temperature ever recorded in July.

In 1885…a severe thunderstorm produced hail the size of hazel nuts…which fell with great force. A telegraph pole in west Denver was struck by lightning and shattered to pieces.

In 1955…a brief microburst wind gust to 61 mph was recorded at Stapleton Airport.

In 1960…a major hail storm caused 1.5 million dollars in damage across metro Denver. The heaviest damage occurred in south Denver…Englewood…Littleton…and Golden from wind- driven hail as large as golf balls and heavy rain which caused flooding. Winds were estimated at 60 to 70 mph. Rainfall was estimated at 2 to 3 inches. Hail accumulated 3 to 4 inches deep in some sections. Hail carried by flood waters drifted 3 to 4 feet deep. An Englewood policeman was injured when hail broke the windshield of his car. One inch of rain in 10 minutes…and heavy hail damage were reported in Parker. At some places the hail from the storm was still on the ground the next morning.

In 1967…large hail stones from 1 3/4 to 2 1/2 inches in diameter damaged cars and buildings in southwest Denver and Littleton where hail drifted to depths of 3 to 4 feet. The hail caused a great deal of damage…and streets were flooded by heavy rain over many sections of west metro Denver. At centennial race track near Littleton…a few hail stones were as large as tennis balls. Large hail broke the windshield on a Littleton police car. Golf ball to tennis ball size hail fell in the vicinity of Arapahoe road and south Broadway. One inch diameter hail fell at the intersection of orchard and south university. Golf ball size hail fell in Broomfield. Hail in Westminster was measured from 1 to 1 1/4 inches in diameter. Tornadoes were sighted by the public near Cheery Creek Reservoir… north of Commerce City…and in Arvada…but caused no reportable damage.

In 1993…high winds developed behind a strong cold front along portions of the Front Range. While the strongest winds were reported north of metro Denver…the winds blew out a half inch thick pane of glass from a vacant 9-story building. The glass landed on a parked car below. West winds gusting to 52 mph kicked up some blowing dust at Stapleton International Airport.

In 1996…lightning sparked a small fire near buffalo creek in southern Jefferson County. Only one acre burned before the fire was contained.

In 2002…heavy thunderstorm rain washed out a frontage road 6 miles north of Larkspur. The nearby mountain ranch subdivision was also flooded. Heavy rainfall in the Hayman fire burn area washed out a secondary road when debris from the runoff blocked a culvert. Hail as large as 3/4 inch fell near Keenesburg…in Castle Rock…and 7 miles to the south of Castle Rock.

In 2005…severe thunderstorms produced high winds. Wind gusts to 75 mph were measured near Longmont and to 60 mph just west of Boulder. No damage was reported.

In 2007…severe thunderstorms produced large hail in the foothills and suburbs west of Denver. Large hail from 1 to 2 inches in diameter was reported in the vicinity of Idaho Springs…Rollins and Edgewater.

In 2009…severe thunderstorms produced large hail and north and east of Denver. Hail up to one inch in diameter was observed near Erie and firestone. Hail up to 1 3/4 inches was observed 5 to 6 miles west-southwest of Byers. The golfball size hail caused extensive damage to a wheat field. In Aurora…six children received minor injuries when lightning struck a nearby tree. The injuries occurred when they were knocked down by the blast. None of the children suffered burns or appeared to have been directly hit by lightning.

In 2014…a severe thunderstorm produced large… up to 1 ½ inches in diameter…about 14 miles northwest of Golden.

In 1874…the temperature reached a high of 102 degrees in downtown Denver. Large forest fires in the mountains from the west-northwest to the south filled the atmosphere over the city with dense smoke.

In 1885…a thunderstorm produced sustained winds to 44 mph with gusts to 60 mph. A circus tent was tattered by the strong winds.

In 1900…a thunderstorm produced northwest winds sustained to 42 mph with gusts to 51 mph…but only 0.05 inch of rain.

In 1903…the all time lowest temperature ever recorded in July…42 degrees…occurred. The temperature also occurred on July 31…1873.

In 1910…thunderstorm winds were sustained to 42 mph from the southwest.

In 1922…thunderstorm winds were sustained to 37 mph with gusts to 48 mph.

In 1956…a thunderstorm wind gust to 54 mph was recorded at Stapleton Airport.

In 1964…several men were knocked down by a bolt of lightning while playing golf in south metro Denver. They got up and ran for cover when one of them was struck by a second bolt. He suffered burns and shock.

In 1987…a weak tornado was observed for 6 minutes…7 miles northeast of Watkins. Hail 3/4 to 1 1/4 inches in diameter fell in southeast Aurora.

In 1988…lightning struck a group of people at the Jefferson County fairgrounds. A 42-year-old woman was seriously injured and was hospitalized for 3 days. Four other people sustained minor injuries.

In 1993…strong northwest winds uprooted several trees across metro Denver. Wind gusts to 64 mph were reported at Erie north of Denver. A west wind gust to 43 mph was recorded at Stapleton International Airport.

In 1995…lightning struck and injured two people standing in a field in Arvada.

In 1998…heavy thunderstorm rain…up to 2.75 inches…and marble size hail combined to flood local roads and fields near Roggen.

In 2002…heavy thunderstorm rain in the Hayman fire burn area caused flash flooding. In Jefferson County…Gulch Road was washed out. In Douglas County…high water washed out some forest access roads as well…generally to the east of a line extending from signal butte to Deckers.

In 2010…intense thunderstorms produced torrential rainfall… In excess of 5 inches in one hour…and caused flash flooding in the vicinity of Elizabeth. Numerous County roads were washed out. The combination of heavy rain and hail made it necessary to run snow plows through town. Extensive basement flooding was also reported. Severe thunderstorms produced large hail from Aurora south to Elizabeth and Larkspur. The hail size ranged from 1 to 2 inches in diameter. A wet microburst produced 1.84 inches of rainfall at Denver International Airport. A peak wind gust to 48 mph was also observed from the northeast.

In 2017…a microburst produced a wind gust to 61 mph…about 13 miles east-northeast of Denver International Airport.

In 2019…severe thunderstorms brought a wave of large hail across portions of Arapahoe…Broomfield…Denver…Douglas…Jefferson… and Weld counties. The hail ranged in size from 1 to 2 inches in diameter. The city of Lone Tree evacuated Sweetwater Park… where Fourth of July celebrations were underway…and Brighton delayed its Fourth of July concert. The Denver Outlaws game was postponed due to lightning. In Denver County…there was widespread damage from the hail…including damage to roof coverings and vehicles.

4-5

In 1875…nearly every railroad running into the city was damaged by heavy thunderstorm rains. The heavy rains washed out wooden bridges over normally dry creeks. Some trains were entirely suspended. In the city…heavy thunderstorm rain totaled 1.05 inches on the 4th…but only 0.28 inch on the 5th.

4-8

In 1989…one of the most intense heat waves on record roasted metro Denver. The temperature reached 100 degrees or more on 5 consecutive days. The city had previously never recorded more than 2 straight 100-degree days since records began in 1872. Water and electricity usage reached all time highs. The heat wave created extremely dry weather conditions…which contributed to a major forest fire in Boulder canyon on July 9th. The temperature reached 103 degrees on the 8th…and the mercury climbed to 101 degrees on both the 4th and 5th…and to 102 degrees on both the 6th and 7th. The low temperature of 68 degrees on the 8th equaled the record high minimum for the date.

5 Continue reading July 3 to July 9: This Week in Denver Weather History →

Weather History

June 26 to July 2: This Week in Denver Weather History

June 26, 2022 Thornton Weather Leave a comment

Our look back at this week in Denver weather history certainly has plenty of the usual suspects related to severe weather. Most notable however are the many occurrences of lightning strikes and the effects they can have from sparking fires to causing significant injury and death.

From the National Weather Service:

22-26

In 2012…from the 22nd to the 26th…the maximum temperature exceeded 100 degrees for five consecutive days. Two of the high temperatures on the 25th and 26th peaked at 105 degrees…which set the all time record for the month of June and tied the all-time maximum temperature for Denver.

25-26

In 1969…high winds raked Boulder causing one fatality and some injuries. One man was injured by a falling tree limb. At the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder… Sustained winds of 55 to 60 mph with wind gusts to 123 mph were recorded. In downtown Boulder…winds averaged 30 to 40 mph with gusts to 70 mph. Widespread minor damage occurred… Especially in the Table Mesa area of south Boulder. Much tree damage occurred in the older areas of Boulder where several trees were uprooted. A mobile home was overturned by the winds. At Stapleton Airport…west winds gusted to 43 mph on the 25th and 37 mph on the 26th.

In 1975…strong winds damaged utility lines…buildings… vehicles…trees…and power lines in Boulder and other communities to the north of Boulder. Microburst winds gusted to 45 mph at Stapleton International Airport on the 25th.

In 1983…heavy rain fell in the foothills west of Denver with 1.50 inches in 30 minutes at Intercanyon. Heavy rain continued over metro Denver on the 26th with two-day storm totals at many locations ranging from 1.00 to 2.50 inches. Rainfall totaled 1.37 inches at Stapleton International Airport on the 26th.

In 1985…one to two inches of rain fell over metro Denver. At Stapleton International Airport…rainfall totaled 0.93 inches…thunderstorm winds gusted to 44 mph…and 7/10 inch hail was measured. The air mass was unusually cold for the season…and snow fell in the foothills above 8 thousand feet. The high temperature of only 63 degrees on the 26th equaled the record low maximum reading for the date.

In 2012…Denver broke the all-time record temperature for the month of June on the 25th when it reached 105 degrees. This also tied the all-time record maximum temperature in Denver. The maximum temperature of 105 degrees was then matched once more on the 26th. Sandwiched in between these records…the minimum temperature of 71 on the morning of the 26th… established a new record high minimum for the date.

In 1873…there was a great deal of smoke from a large forest fire in the mountains to the southwest of the city and a smaller fire directly to the west.

In 1874…fires at timberline to the west were visible from the city. New and extensive fires were continually started from south to northwest along the ridge line. Carelessness of tourists was the apparent cause of the fires. Large and valuable tracts of timber had already been destroyed.

In 1890…the only thunderstorm of the month produced a trace of rain. A trace of rain also fell on 7 other days. This was the only precipitation recorded during the month… Making it the driest June on record.

In 1893…northwest winds were sustained to 45 mph with gusts to 48 mph.

In 1971…a microburst wind gust to 58 mph was recorded at Stapleton International Airport. Dust devils were sighted.

In 1980…strong gusty thunderstorm winds damaged several mobile homes in Thornton. Thunderstorm winds gusted to 37 mph at Stapleton International Airport.

In 1986…hail piled up 1 1/2 inches deep in Golden Gate Canyon and covered roadways an inch deep in Evergreen.

In 1988…a tornado touched down 2 miles north of Watkins. It was on the ground for 15 minutes and did no reported damage.

In 1989…two inch diameter hail fell at Kassler…1 inch hail at Louviers…and 1 1/2 inch hail at tiny town.

In 1991…high winds…not associated with thunderstorms… Damaged a home in the Green Mountain area. The strong winds picked up a heavy metal and glass table on the deck of a house and threw it into the house. The table was destroyed and the house received considerable damage.

In 1992…3/4 inch diameter hail fell in south Aurora and near Buckley Air National Guard base. Golf ball size hail was reported in Parker.

In 1994…the all-time highest recorded temperature in June and the second highest temperature ever recorded in Denver… 104 degrees occurred. This was the hottest day in Denver since August 8…1878…when the temperature reached 105 degrees.

In 2005…strong thunderstorm winds gusting to 58 mph damaged a garage and some nearby trees near Fort Lupton. Winds also gusted to 58 mph near Watkins. Thunderstorm winds gusted to 60 mph near Roggen. Hail to 3/4 inch in diameter was measured in southwest Aurora.

In 2009…severe thunderstorms moving through Denver and the surrounding metro area produced intense thunderstorm winds. At Denver International Airport…a wind gust blew a luggage car into a southwest airlines airplane causing some damage. Peak wind gusts included: 68 mph at Denver International Airport…4 miles west of rocky mountain metropolitan airport and 12.5 miles north of Lowry AFB; 64 mph near Arvada and Parker; and 60 mph in Aurora/cherry.

In 2014…a severe thunderstorm produced a peak wind gust to 58 mph…9 miles northeast of Denver International Airport. Offically…a peak wind gust to 54 mph was measured from the northeast with just a trace of rainfall.

In 2020…severe thunderstorms produced very strong wind gusts over parts of northern Jefferson and western Adams counties. A peak wind gust to 67 mph was observed at Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport near Broomfield…with a gust to 61 mph in Thornton.

26-27

In 1965…wind gusts to 38 mph were recorded in downtown Boulder…causing widespread minor damage. A microburst wind gust to 41 mph was recorded at Stapleton International Airport.

Continue reading June 26 to July 2: This Week in Denver Weather History →

Weather History

June 19 to June 25: This Week in Denver Weather History

June 22, 2022 Thornton Weather Leave a comment

Heavy rain, flooding, lightning, tornadoes and hail are not at all uncommon this time of year and we see plenty of those types of events in our look back at this week in Denver weather history. Probably one of the most notable events occurred 10 years ago when a thunderstorms with large hail ripped through Denver International Airport causing $10 million in property damage and damaged dozens of airplanes.

From the National Weather Service:

In 1874…during the afternoon…large columns of smoke from extensive fires in the mountain forests moved over the city from the west and southwest.

In 1875…while no precipitation was measured in the city… rainfall over the Palmer Divide caused Cherry Creek to rise to the highest level in 10 years.

In 1977…hail up to 2 inch diameter damaged two patrol cars in Castle Rock.

In 1983 golf ball size hail fell just north of Bennett.

In 1990…lightning from a thunderstorm struck the roof of a house in south Boulder. Residents of the house were able to extinguish the ensuing fire with a garden hose…but not before several shingles had burned.

In 1992…thunderstorms produced hail up to 2 inches in diameter in central Douglas County near Castle Rock. Hail was 3 inches deep on I-25 south of Castle Rock. A funnel cloud was sighted near Parker.

In 1997…a 66-year-old man was knocked unconscious by a bolt of lightning while he was golfing at the Eagle Country Club in Broomfield.

In 2000…dry microburst winds gusting to near 70 mph were reported across southeast Boulder and northern Jefferson counties. Peak wind gusts included: 68 mph at the National Wind Technology Center…67 mph at Jefferson County Airport… and 65 mph in Broomfield.

In 2001…severe thunderstorms produced large hail in the foothills southwest of Denver. Hail as large as 1 3/4 inch in diameter fell near Conifer and Bailey.

In 2002…lightning damaged the Evergreen Fire Protection District radio repeater. One microwave transmitter…the main fire channel transmitter…and two solar panel controllers were destroyed. Lightning struck a garage and caused a small fire. Two vehicles parked in the garage were damaged. Hail to 3/4 inch in diameter fell near Castle Rock.

In 2004…severe thunderstorms produced hail to 3/4 inch in diameter near Castle Rock…Larkspur…and Golden.

In 2018…very large hail pummeled portions of the Front Range Urban Corridor and extended across the northeast plains of Colorado. Reports of collapsed roofs due to hail were reported…with major hail portions of the Denver metro area. The Rocky Mountain Insurance Information Association estimated the property damage from the storm totaled 276.4 million dollars…making it the 8th costliest hailstorm to strike the state to date. In Denver and the surrounding metro area…hail sizes included: 3 inch diameter in Englewood; 2 3/4 inch in Greenwood Village; 2 inch at Aurora Cherry Creek…4 miles south of Glendale and near Smoky Hill; 1 3/4 inch just east of Denver International Airport and near South Glenn; 1 1/2 inch near Niwot; and 1 inch diameter hail in Southwest Denver and 5 miles northeast of Parker.

19-21

In 1875…from the 19th to the 21st…smoke from several large forest fires in the mountains was visible from the city on each of these days.

In 1888…northwest winds were sustained to 44 mph.

In 1956…a microburst caused a brief wind gust to 58 mph at Stapleton Airport.

In 1964…hail up to 1 inch in diameter was reported 1 mile north of Stapleton International Airport. A 3 minute hail storm at both Stapleton International Airport and Lowry Field piled small hail to one half inch deep.

In 1967…a strong thunderstorm dumped 1.95 inches of rain in less than an hour at Stapleton International Airport and produced a wind gust to 54 mph. The storm caused some flooding in east Denver and Aurora. There was widespread flooding to streets…basements…and store buildings and automobiles. Hail stones to 3/4 inch in diameter were measured at Buckley Field in Aurora. A tornado touched down just south of Littleton…damaging a barn and killing several head of cattle.

In 1985…a wind gust to 61 mph was reported at Golden Gate Canyon in the foothills west of Denver.

In 1986…a man was killed by lightning at Highlands Ranch south of Denver.

In 1987…several tornadoes were sighted across metro Denver. A tornado touched down briefly 5 miles west of Parker. A tornado was sighted just north of Chatfield Reservoir. A tornado just northwest of Watkins was on the ground for 15 minutes. A tornado near Barr Lake was taped by a television news crew. It had a double vortex and was on the ground for about 10 minutes. In addition to the 4 tornadoes…severe thunderstorms dumped large hail across metro Denver. One inch hail was reported in southeast Aurora; 3/4 inch hail fell at the Denver Technology Center…Buckley Field…and Franktown.

In 1992…several short-lived tornadoes occurred in the vicinity of Barr Lake. No injuries or damages were reported. A water spout was sighted over the southern end of Barr Lake. Funnel clouds were also sighted on the grounds of the Rocky Mountain Arsenal by National Weather Service observers at Stapleton International Airport.

In 1994…hail up to dime size covered I-25 south of Denver and near Sedalia. Heavy rain caused local flooding on the Interstate highway.

In 1996…strong thunderstorm winds downed several large tree limbs in Boulder on the University of Colorado campus. A stop light in the city was also blown down.

In 1999…lightning sparked an oil tank fire near Brighton.

In 2001…large hail driven by strong thunderstorm winds raked Denver International and Front Range Airports. Wind gusting to 54 mph along with hail as large 2 inches in diameter punched at least 14 thousand holes and cracks in the flat roofs of several buildings at Denver International Airport. In addition…93 planes and hundreds of cars were damaged. About 100 flights had to be cancelled…stranding 1500 travelers. The airport was completely shut down for about 20 minutes. The storm also damaged a ground avoidance radar used to track planes on the ground to prevent collisions. Damage was estimated at 10 million dollars…not counting the damage to the 93 airliners. The storm moved south and struck Watkins with hail as large as 2 1/2 inches in diameter and winds gusting to 60 mph. A least 30 private planes at Front Range Airport were destroyed. The radome protecting the National Weather Service doppler radar…which was tracking the storm…also sustained damage. The large hail…damaging winds…and heavy rain pummeled a mobile home park near Watkins. In the park…52 mobile homes…14 recreational vehicles…3 homes…and a commercial building were damaged. Siding was riddled with holes and windows were broken. Vehicles sustained extensive damage and car windows were shattered. A handful of people were treated for minor cuts and bruises. The strong winds also flipped a tractor trailer along I-70 near Watkins. The storm caused power outages…which affected about 1200 residents. Excluding the damage at Denver International Airport…damage estimates totaled 49 million dollars…making the storm the costliest in the last 3 years and the 10th costliest since 1984. A small tornado touched down just east of Brighton… but did no damage. Hail as large as 2 inches in diameter fell near Fort Lupton with 3/4 inch hail measured in Bennett. Precipitation from the storm totaled only 0.23 inch at Denver International Airport.

In 2002…heavy rain fell near the Hayman Wildfire burn area. Flash flooding washed out a 40-foot section of the access road to Cheeseman Reservoir. Some debris was washed against a gate…blocking the road. Hail to 1 1/2 inches in diameter fell near Central City with 3/4 inch hail near Blackhawk.

In 2003…hail as large as 1 inch in diameter fell near Bennett and Strasburg with 3/4 inch hail measured in Denver…Golden… at Centennial Airport…and near Parker. Hail as large as 7/8 inch was reported in Arvada.

In 2004…a severe thunderstorm produced hail to 3/4 inch in diameter in and near Brighton.

In 2005…severe thunderstorms produced large hail near the Palmer Divide. Hail to 1 inch in diameter was measured near Larkspur with 7/8 inch hail near Sedalia and 3/4 inch hail in Greenland. An apparent thunderstorm outflow produced a wind gust to 59 mph at Denver International Airport during the evening hours.

In 2010…lightning struck a home in Centennial and sparked a fire which caused extensive damage.

20-21

In 1897…high winds raked the city overnight. Southeast winds were sustained to 60 mph with gusts as high as 72 mph on the 20th. Southeast winds were sustained to 57 mph with gusts to 60 mph on the 21st.

In 2007…a brief hot spell produced two temperature records. The high temperature of 97 degrees was tied on the 20th. A new record high temperature of 99 degrees was established on the 21st.

Continue reading June 19 to June 25: This Week in Denver Weather History →

Weather History

June 12 to June 18: This week in Denver weather history

June 18, 2022 Thornton Weather Leave a comment

The first half of June is when Colorado’s severe weather season really kicks into high gear and our look back at this week in Denver weather history reflects that. Numerous flooding, hail, and tornadic events punctuate just how dangerous and damaging our weather can be this time of year.

From the National Weather Service:

11-14

In 1999…damage from several hailstorms in and near metro Denver totaled 35 million dollars. About 17.5 million dollars was from automobile claims with another 17.5 million in homeowner claims. The areas hardest hit by the storms included Castle Rock…Commerce City…Evergreen… And Golden.

In 1901…south winds were sustained to 45 mph with an extreme velocity to 47 mph.

In 1917…northwest winds were sustained to 40 mph with gusts to 45 mph.

In 1927…flooding on Little Dry Creek in Englewood resulted in two deaths.

In 1947…a trace of snow fell over downtown Denver during the early morning. This was the latest last snow of the season (trace or more). This also marked the end of the longest snow season…264 days…from the first snow…a trace…on September 22…1946. High temperature of 43 degrees was a record low maximum for the date. Minimum temperature of 33 degrees was a record low for the date.

In 1971…a funnel cloud sighted over Arvada possibly touched down at the base of the foothills. The public reported 3/4 inch to 1 inch diameter hail over the city of Denver.

In 1974…strong thunderstorm winds caused damage to power lines in metro Denver. Northwest winds gusted to 45 mph at Stapleton International Airport.

In 1975…a thunderstorm wind gust to 56 mph was recorded at Stapleton International Airport.

In 1982…three small tornadoes were sighted near Bennett. One of the twisters caused minor crop and road damage along its path. A brief tornado was sighted by national weather service observers at Stapleton International Airport.

In 1983…3/4 inch hail fell in Boulder. Golf ball to 3/4 inch size hail fell in Arvada…denting cars and house roofs. Over a thousand hail damage insurance claims were filed from the area. Golf ball size hail also fell in Northglenn and Bennett…1 to 2 inch hail in Thornton…2 1/2 inch hail in northeast of Denver. A tornado was sighted 10 miles northeast of Stapleton International Airport; it was only on the ground for 1 to 2 minutes.

In 1984…large hail pelted many parts of southern metro Denver. Fifteen aircraft were damaged by golf ball size hail at Centennial airport. Golf ball size hail was reported in south Denver…and 3/4 inch hail was measured in southeast Aurora.

In 1987…a small weak tornado touched down for about 3 minutes near the intersection of I-70 and Colorado Blvd in northeast Denver. No damage was recorded. A microburst wind gust to 53 mph was recorded at Stapleton International Airport.

In 1991…in the city of Denver…lightning struck a tree under which seven people were picnicking. One person was critically injured. The others received only minor injuries.

In 1992…golf ball size hail fell in Evergreen.

In 1994…microburst winds gusting to 53 mph kicked up some blowing dust at Stapleton International Airport.

In 1996…lightning struck a house in Parker…which sparked a fire. The bolt was strong enough to blow nails out of the drywall in one room. About 85 percent of the house was damaged. No dollar estimate of the damage was available. Lightning also struck a power line in Boulder…which left 250 customers without electricity for a short time.

In 1997…a tornado touched down near Parker…damaging some construction equipment. Hail to 2 inches in diameter was measured in Henderson. One inch diameter hail fell in the city of Denver with 3/4 inch hail measured in Lakewood.

In 1999…hail as large as 1 1/2 inches in diameter struck Hudson. A funnel cloud was sighted by ramp personnel to the east of Denver International Airport.

In 2003…lightning blew a hole in the roof of a house in Highlands Ranch. The bolt knocked several holes in the bedroom ceiling and damaged the home’s electrical system.

In 2004…lightning struck a home in Louisville…but caused only minor damage.

In 2006…a strong microburst wind gust…estimated at 69 mph… Ripped the roof off a horse barn near the intersection of Havana Street and Smith Road in Denver. A 13 year old girl was injured…when she was thrown from a horse inside the barn at the time the roof was being torn off. A thunderstorm produced a microburst wind gust to 54 mph and a trace of rainfall at Denver International Airport. A severe thunderstorm produced hail to 0.75 inch near Watkins.

12-17

In 2000…two large wildfires developed in the Front Range foothills as careless campers and very dry conditions proved to be a dangerous combination. Strong winds gusting in excess of 60 mph on the 13th fanned the flames… Spreading both wildfires out of control. Winds gusted to 78 mph atop Niwot Ridge near the Continental Divide west of Boulder. The Hi Meadows wildfire…about 35 miles southwest of Denver…consumed nearly 11 thousand acres and 80 structures…mostly high priced homes. The Bobcat wildfire…located about 12 miles southwest of Fort Collins… Consumed nearly 11 thousand acres and 22 structures. Late on the 16th…a strong cold front moved south over the great plains into northeastern Colorado. Low level upslope conditions developed in the wake of the front…producing 2 to 4 inches of snowfall overnight at elevations above 8 thousand feet. Firefighters were able to contain both fires shortly thereafter.

In 1956…a microburst caused a brief wind gust to 59 mph at Stapleton Airport.

In 1957…an unconfirmed tornado appeared to touch the ground in the vicinity of Franktown. No damage was reported from the twister.

In 1968…a violent gust of wind…possibly associated with a thunderstorm…caused 75 hundred dollars damage in Boulder.

In 1973…hail…1/2 to 3/4 inch in diameter…fell over Lakewood. Flash flooding occurred in west Denver from the same storm.

In 1974…a thunderstorm wind gust to 64 mph was recorded at Stapleton International Airport.

In 1977…hail the size of table tennis balls…1 1/2 inches in diameter…was reported in Boulder.

In 1981…large hail to golf ball size fell in Denver… Northglenn…and Brighton. Hail as large as baseballs was reported in federal heights.

In 1984…one of the worst hailstorms ever experienced in metro Denver struck the northwestern suburbs of Arvada…Wheat Ridge…and Lakewood…but large hail also fell in Golden… Southeast Denver…and Aurora. Homes and other buildings sustained around 200 million dollars in damage. Thousands of cars were battered by giant hailstones…and total damage to vehicles was estimated at 150 million dollars. In some areas…golf ball size hail fell continuously for 30 to 40 minutes. Some places were pelted with a few stones as large as grapefruits! Roofs on thousands of structures were severely damaged. Uncounted car windshields were broken; two-thirds of Arvada’s police cars were rendered inoperable. Torrential rains…with as much as 4.75 inches in Lakewood clogged drains and caused widespread damage from flooding. In some places hail was washed into drifts several feet deep. About 20 people were injured by the giant hailstones. One couple was hospitalized. A woman drowned when she was trapped under a trailer by high water. Only pea size hail fell at Stapleton International Airport.

In 1988…2 inch hail fell in Parker. Soft hail 1 inch in diameter fell at the mouth of turkey creek canyon 5 miles southeast of Morrison. Hail between 1 inch and 1 3/4 inches fell at both Bennett and Strasburg. A tornado touched down briefly at Strasburg. A brief funnel cloud was sighted by national weather service observers 15 miles southwest of Stapleton International Airport.

In 1991…a Boulder man was injured when struck by lightning while in a tent. He received only minor burns.

In 1997…lightning struck a home in Denver. The extent of the damage was unknown. A home in Littleton was also struck. The house caught fire…but the extent of the damage was not known.

In 1998…a strong mountain wave produced a brief period of high winds along the Front Range. A small building atop squaw pass west of Denver was blown down. Tree limbs were downed across metro Denver. Peak wind gusts included: 80 mph on Squaw Pass…69 mph at Jefferson County Airport near Broomfield…and 60 mph in Westminster and at the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder. West-northwest winds gusted to 51 mph at Denver International Airport.

In 2001…high winds developed briefly in Boulder County. A peak wind gust to 76 mph was recorded at the National Center for Atmospheric Research atop the mesa in Boulder. A wind gust to 72 mph was recorded at southern hills middle school in Boulder. Lightning started a small fire…which damaged the roof of a house in Greenwood Village.

In 2009…severe thunderstorms produced hail up to one inch in diameter near Arvada and byers…as well as 7 miles north-northwest of Front Range airport near watkins.

13-14

In 2006…the high temperature of 99 degrees on the 13th equaled the record maximum temperature for the date first set in 1994. The high temperature of 102 degrees on the 14th was a new record maximum temperature for the date.

In 1877…an evening thunderstorm produced lightning which struck several houses and killed a cow in the bottom land of the South Platte River

In 1886…hail as large as 3/4 inch in diameter fell in the city. Precipitation was only 0.10 inch.

In 1887…south winds were sustained to 41 mph.

In 1900…a thunderstorm produced northwest winds to 51 mph with gusts to 61 mph…but only a trace of rain.

In 1923…a severe thunderstorm pelted the city with hail. The stones ranged in diameter from 0.2 to 0.8 inch. Gardens and greenhouses suffered considerable damage. Rainfall was only 0.14 inch downtown.

In 1960…one workman was killed and 4 others injured in Lakewood when a partly built apartment building collapsed in strong winds. Microburst wind gusts to 54 mph caused some blowing dust at Stapleton Airport.

In 1967…tornadoes touched down briefly 3 miles west of Franktown and 4 miles northeast of Parker. No damage was reported. Numerous funnel clouds were reported over south metro Denver…one 5 miles south of Denver…one 2 to 3 miles north of Castle Rock…and two near Littleton.

In 1968…a microburst wind gust to 52 mph was recorded at Stapleton International Airport.

In 1972…1 3/4 inch hail was reported in Wheat Ridge.

In 1976…high winds…unusually strong for this late in the season…raked metro Denver. Wind gusts estimated to 100 mph tore 24 boats from their moorings and damaged a total of 47 boats at Boulder reservoir. Wind gusts to 82 mph were recorded in Boulder. The strong winds toppled the wind mast at a radio station in Boulder. An automobile was smashed by a fallen tree in Boulder. Other damage in Boulder was minor…but power outages occurred when tree limbs fell on power lines. At Jefferson County Airport near Broomfield…wind gusts to 78 mph were recorded with 87 mph gusts clocked at Rocky Flats nuclear plant south of Boulder. Wind gusts to 66 mph were observed in Littleton… And northwest winds gusted to 46 mph at Stapleton International Airport. The strong winds collapsed a barn near Arvada. Several horses received minor injuries. Thirty trees were uprooted or broken in Denver. Four major power outages occurred from west Denver and Lakewood to the foothills.

In 1982…the worst hailstorm in 17 years struck Commerce City. The storm left 4 to 8 inches of hail on the ground. A few of the stones were as large as golf balls. Many vehicles were dented…and some windshields were shattered. Roofs of homes were damaged. Total damage was estimated at over one million dollars. Hail to 1 inch in diameter also fell in Littleton. Only 1/4 inch hail was measured at Stapleton International Airport.

In 1988…lightning ripped a small hole in the roof of a home in the southern part of Boulder. There were some power outages in the area.

In 1992…an off duty national weather service employee reported hail to 1 inch diameter in Westminster.

In 1997…one inch diameter hail fell in Bennett…and 3/4 inch hail was measured in Littleton.

In 1999…hail as large as 1 1/2 inches in diameter hit Aurora. Lightning sparked two small fires at separate residences near the Hiwan Country Club in Evergreen.

In 2004…lightning sparked two small fires near Jamestown. One was in Geer Canyon and the other 7.5 miles up Sunshine Canyon. Both were quickly contained and caused no damage to structures in the area.

In 2009…a complex of severe thunderstorm produced large hail damaging thunderstorm and funnel clouds across parts of the urban corridor. The line formed along a boundary over the western suburbs of Denver then moved east. The boundary produced at least one well defined funnel cloud that could be observed by stadium full of baseball fans at Coors Field. Large hail…up to 1 3/4 inches in diameter…was reported in Arvada…Broomfield…Denver…Federal Heights and Northglenn. In addition…the storm produced peak wind gusts from 60 to 74 mph. At Denver International Airport…a peak wind gust to 58 mph was observed from the west-northwest.

In 2014…severe thunderstorms broke out across the Urban corridor. Large hail…ranging in size from 1 to 2 inches in diameter…was observed. The area extended from around Englewood to Aurora and included: Brookridge…Cherry Knolls… Greenwood Village and south Denver. As many as 212 thousand residences were potentially impacted by the storms. The hail shattered windshields and damaged vehicles.

In 1907…south winds were sustained to 40 mph. The winds were strong all day.

In 1908…the hail storm was unusually severe. Heavy clouds moved over the city from the north and northwest…and by late morning the weather had become very threatening. Heavy rain with intermittent hail from pea to 3/4 inch in diameter fell near noon. The fall of rain and hail totaled 0.68 inch of precipitation with 0.35 inch in just 5 minutes. The temperature fell from 71 degrees to 51 degrees during the storm. The hail did considerable damage to trees…gardens…and hot houses. On sidewalks with northern exposures…the hail ranged in depth from 2 to 6 inches. West winds were sustained to 29 mph during the storm.

In 1956…strong southeast winds raked metro Denver all day. Sustained winds at 44 mph with gusts as high as 61 mph were recorded at Stapleton Airport where blowing dust briefly reduced the visibility to 2 miles.

In 1984…golf ball size hail pelted southern and central Aurora. Rainfall of 2.06 inches over central Aurora in just over an hour produced local street flooding.

In 1987…golf ball size hail fell in the southern part of Lakewood.

In 1988…several tornadoes developed across metro Denver. One tornado touched down just northeast of the rocky mountain arsenal. The twister moved very slowly and did no damage…except to demolish a small electrical substation… Even though it was on the ground for nearly 30 minutes. Later…another tornado was sighted east of Brighton about 2 miles north of barr lake. An f2 tornado cut a swath through northeast Denver. The main path went through a thickly wooded area for about 6 blocks and uprooted about 500 city owned trees…many of them large elms 75 to 100 years old. Hundreds of privately owned trees were also sucked from the ground by the slow moving twister…which was filmed by a news team in a helicopter as it uprooted trees. The replacement cost to the city owned trees was estimated at 1.5 million dollars. The twister did little damage to buildings. Some homes suffered roof and chimney damage…a gas main was ruptured…and some cars were damaged by falling trees. The uprooted trees also caused curb and sidewalk damage and cut some electrical wires. The funnel cloud passed close to Stapleton International Airport. Aircraft operations were shut down…and the tower was evacuated. The tornado was on the ground for almost 25 minutes. An F3 tornado cut an erratic path through south Denver for about 25 minutes…causing extensive damage in at least 3 areas. The twister damaged about 85 buildings… 20 severely; the total loss was estimated at 5 to 10 million dollars. Many cars were severely damaged; at least 15 vehicles were overturned. One trailer was lifted onto the top of a building that had just been unroofed; numerous antique cars inside the building were damaged. A ford bronco was blown over a church…and landed 100 yards away. A metal storage shed was deposited far above the ground in some power lines. The tornado uprooted many trees on a golf course. No one was seriously hurt…although seven people suffered minor injuries from flying debris. A golfer was thrown 40 feet…but was not hurt; a man clinging to a telephone pole was unscathed…but lost both shoes…a sock…and buttons off his shirt. A woman holding a baby was sucked through a broken convenience store window… But was unhurt. A dog…tethered to the ground by its leash… Was suspended in the air by the twister. Uprooted trees crushed cars and damaged curbs and sidewalks. People in downtown Denver could see three tornadoes occurring simultaneously. Hail as large as 1 3/8 inches in diameter fell in extreme southeast Aurora.

In 1997…a tornado touched down briefly at the Colorado National Speedway near Dacono north of Denver. The tornado ripped through the south grandstand causing at least 50 thousand dollars in damage to a shed…kiosk… Bleachers…and several concession stands.

In 2004…a tornado touched down briefly near Castle Rock and blew the roof off a machine shop. A tornado near Elizabeth destroyed a barn and caused roof damage to a home. Two other barns on nearby properties were damaged extensively. The twister also caused widespread tree damage in the area. A tornado also touched down near Bennett and Strasburg…but did no damage.

In 2009…thunderstorm winds knocked a tree on to two vehicles in Boulder. One of the drivers was injured when the tree smashed into the windshield of her car.

Continue reading June 12 to June 18: This week in Denver weather history →

Weather History

June 5 to June 11: This week in Denver weather history

June 5, 2022 Thornton Weather Leave a comment

The first part of June typically brings some of Denver’s most eventful weather of the year and we clearly see that in our look back at this week in Denver weather history. From many damaging hail and wind events to heavy rains that resulted in flooding and even the Southlands Mall tornado of 2009 it has been an eventful week in history.

From the National Weather Service:

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In 2012…it was the hottest June in Denver since weather records began back in 1872. The average temperature for the month was 75.0 degrees which was 7.6 degrees above normal. There were a total of seventeen 90 degree days in the month of June. The highlight of record setting month was a stretch of five consecutive 100 degree days from the 22nd to the 26th. This was only the third time in Denver weather history in which this happened. Two of the high temperatures during the stretch peaked at 105 degrees…which set the all time record for the month of June and tied the all time maximum temperature for Denver.

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In 1921…heavy rainfall for nearly a week…on top of streams already swollen by mountain snowmelt…produced widespread flooding over the South Platte River basin…including the tributaries through the canyons to the west and southwest of Denver. Heavy rainfall over the 6-day period totaled 3.36 inches in Boulder…4.98 inches in Morrison…4.27 inches in Castle Rock…and 2.94 inches in the city of Denver. Rainfall amounts in the foothills were estimated between 3 and 6 inches. The narrow-gage tracks of the Colorado and southern railroad were destroyed in the Platte Canyon. From the mouth of the canyon through the city to near Brighton… The river spread from 1/2 to nearly 1 1/2 miles wide… Flooding farm and pasture land and destroying or damaging many bridges. In the city…many businesses along with as many as 500 homes were inundated…forcing their evacuation. Bridges were swept away. The high waters flooded the rail yards and stock yards in lower downtown…closing three adjacent packing houses. The heavy rains also caused flooding on Boulder creek in Boulder on the 6th.

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In 1965…lightning and an 18-hour rain storm damaged streets and roads and telephone and power lines across metro Denver. Precipitation totaled 2.77 inches at Stapleton International Airport where the visibility was reduced to 3 miles at times from pre-frontal thunderstorms and heavy upslope rains.

In 1998…a late season snow storm struck the Front Range foothills. Up to 5 inches of snow fell in Coal Creek Canyon. Light snow also fell over western sections of metro Denver and briefly at Denver International Airport. Snow covered the grass at the Denver federal center in Lakewood before melting around mid-morning on the 5th. No snow fell at the site of the former Stapleton International Airport. Several temperature records were set. High temperatures of 47 degrees on the 4th and 49 degrees on the 5th were record low maximums for their respective dates. Minimum temperature of 34 degrees on both the 5th and 6th were record lows for those dates.

In 1864…high water on the west fork of clear creek caused a small dam near empire to fail…which destroyed several downstream bridges.

In 1885…a windstorm during the afternoon and early evening produced south to southwest winds at sustained speeds up to 42 mph.

In 1937…a trace of snow fell in downtown Denver. This was the latest snowfall of record at the time. Light rain and snow were mixed around mid-day. Precipitation totaled only 0.01 inch. North winds were sustained to 20 mph.

In 1941…hail of unknown size fell on the city.

In 1961…lightning struck and injured an airman outside a base classroom at Lowry Air Force Base. Funnel clouds were sighted near Frederick and firestone north of Denver. The one near Frederick briefly touched down in an open field but caused no damage. Heavy rain and hail hit the Fort Lupton area causing damage to crops. Heavy rain in Frederick added to the flood damage of the 3rd. A pilot reported a funnel cloud that touched down briefly and then dissipated south of Castle Rock.

In 1965…a lightning-caused fire destroyed a mountain home near Rollinsville.

In 1988…a tornado touched down 5 miles east of Lafayette near I-25 and stayed on the ground for 15 minutes. The twister hit a campground…demolishing one trailer and damaging six others…along with 4 cars. The rope-like funnel also blew down fences…signs…and electrical boxes. The twister moved a 1500-pound hay wagon 150 feet. Total damage to the campground was estimated at 50 thousand dollars. Another tornado touched down between Broomfield and Lafayette…staying on the ground for about 20 minutes. The twister hit a subdivision…unroofing one abandoned house and causing minor damage to a dozen others. A four- car garage and three barns were destroyed. At one location a chain link fence…a satellite dish…and a shed were destroyed…while the deck and garage of the house were damaged. A grain storage tank was moved 200 feet. There were reports of boards being blown through walls; one came through a kitchen.

In 1992…lightning struck a 15-year-old boy…causing minor injuries…in Adams County 6 miles north-northeast of Stapleton International Airport. Thunderstorm winds gusted to 63 mph at Jefferson County Airport near Broomfield…to 58 mph at the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission’s facility at Rocky Flats…to 58 mph in Thornton…and to 48 mph at Stapleton International Airport where 1/8 inch diameter hail fell.

In 1996…strong microburst winds up to 60 mph damaged several trees in Boulder…snapping large branches 1 to 2 inches in diameter.

In 1997…a woman was struck by lightning as she was walking to her car in Nederland. The lightning bolt apparently struck a nearby power line and arced into her left hand. She received minor injuries.

In 2014…severe thunderstorms broke out across parts of Arapahoe…Douglas…Elbert and Jefferson Counties… impacting areas generally southwest and south of Denver. The storms produced large hail…from quarter to golfball size.

In 2015…severe thunderstorms produced hail up to 1 1/2 inches in diameter in Castle Rock and hail up to 1 inches in diameter…southwest of Byers. At Denver International Airport…0.99 inches of rainfall was recorded. A peak wind gust to 35 mph from the southwest as also observed.

In 2017…an intense thunderstorm produced damaging downburst winds which snapped a power pole near the interchange of Interstate 70 and US 36. A weak short-lived landspout also touched down south of I-70 near Bennett and tossed around some lawn furniture.

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In 1977…lightning caused several power outages and moderate damage to a railroad building.

In 1954…thunderstorm winds at speeds of 50 mph with gusts as high as 59 mph briefly reduced the visibility to 1 mile in blowing dust at Stapleton Airport.

In 1967…the public reported golf ball to 1 3/4 inch diameter hail in the city…3 miles west-southwest of Stapleton International Airport. The amount of damage was unknown. Thunderstorm winds gusted to 46 mph at Stapleton International Airport.

In 1981…hail to 3/4 inch in diameter was reported in east Denver.

In 1990…golf ball size hail was reported near Strasburg on I-70 east of Denver.

In 1991…a tornado was spotted by national weather service personnel and weather spotters…14 to 17 miles northeast of Stapleton International Airport. A funnel cloud was sighted over south Aurora just east of Buckley Field…and a tornado was spotted just east of Watkins. No damage was reported. Thunderstorms moved through Aurora and dropped hail up to 1 inch in diameter. The storms also produced heavy rain… Up to 1 inch in 30 minutes…causing flooding of streets. Water was reported hood deep…stranding motorists. Water covered fire hydrants at some intersections.

In 1995…a waterspout sighted over Standley Lake in northern Jefferson County…quickly dissipated once it reached shore. A brief tornado…which was momentarily visible by a dust debris cloud on the ground…damaged the roof of a house in Westminster. A funnel cloud was sighted just south of Lafayette. Hail from 3/4 to 1 1/4 inches in diameter fell over north Boulder. Thunderstorm outflow produced north wind gusts to 44 mph at Denver International Airport.

In 1997…a tornado touched down near baseline reservoir just east of Boulder. The tornado struck a home…tearing off part of the roof. A storage building nearby was nearly leveled and 5 trees were uprooted. The twister then moved onto baseline reservoir…forming a huge waterspout. Several recreational vehicles and a boat dock were also damaged. A nearly stationary line of thunderstorms dumped 4.60 inches of rain on portions of Thornton. Extensive flooding of streets and underpasses and other low lying areas was reported. Several businesses were flooded and basements in the area were damaged. Rainfall totaled 1.02 inches at Denver International Airport and 1.24 inches at the site of the former Stapleton International Airport. Large hail…up to 1 3/4 inches in diameter…fell over the city of Denver with 3/4 inch hail measured in Littleton and near Henderson.

In 1999…high winds developed for a brief time in and near the foothills of Boulder. The Gamow Tower on the University of Colorado campus recorded a wind gust to 87 mph. Winds peaked to 71 mph atop Niwot Ridge near the continental divide west of Boulder.

In 2003…a small tornado touched down near Strasburg…but did no damage.

In 2012…severe thunderstorms broke late in the evening…striking areas hardest from Denver southward. Locations impacted by the storms included but were not limited to: Aurora…Castle Rock…Centennial…Highlands Ranch…Lone Tree…Parker and Surrey Ridge. The storms produced a barrage of
large hail…damaging straight line winds…flash flooding and several short lived tornadoes. The hail ranged in size from 1 to 2 inches in diameter…and caused extensive damage to homes and automobiles. The hail inundated the roadways with several inches of hail in Douglas County. Consequently…snow plows had to be called out to clear the roadways. The combination of torrential hail and heavy rain produced flash flooding in parts of Elbert…Douglas and Arapahoe Counties…as thunderstorms brought up to 3.35 inches of rain to some areas within 90 minutes. In Aurora…Picadilly Road was closed from flooding north of 6th Avenue. A water rescue took place on South Gun Club Road in Arapahoe County…where floodwaters were rushing to depth of 3 feet. Flash flooding forced the closure of several streets and roads from Parker south to The Pinery…where the floodwaters inundated the roadway with up to 2 feet in several locations. At Centennial Airport…a historic B-17 Flying Fortress suffered extensive damage as hailstones as large as ping pong balls struck the aircraft. Although the airframe itself did not require repair…the fabric-covered ailerons and elevators were extensively damaged. The hail came straight down and punched holes in the fabric-covered control surfaces. The aircraft landed just hours before the storm hit to participate in a weekend tour stop. Lightning also struck two homes…one in Lakewood and the other in Parker. Straight line winds downed trees and power lines in Aurora. As a result…scattered electrical outages affected around five thousand residents. At Denver International Airport…0.61 inches rainfall was recorded along with a peak wind gust of 41 mph.

In 2016…powerful thunderstorms fired up along the Urban Corridor and produced damaging hail…strong outflow winds… heavy rain and lightning. Golf-ball size hail in Highlands Ranch caused extensive damage including broken windows on homes and windshields on vehicles. Heavy rainfall…also produced street flooding. In and around Highlands Ranch… anywhere from 2.3 to 2.8 inches of rainfall was observed… with 1.0 to 1.5 inches around metro Denver. At Denver International Airport…0.38 inches of rainfall was recorded.

In 2020…a combination of an upper level trough moving northwest across the state…coupled with a strong surface pressure gradient…led to numerous reports of high wind gusts across the Denver the surrounding region. Most of the wind damage occurred with the passage of a rare derecho; a large fast-moving complex of thunderstorms with powerful straight-line winds. In addition…strong wind gusts from 59 to 71 mph not associated with the derecho… occurred prior to and following the passage of this system. By midday the derecho…moved over the mountains…and then rapidly northeast across the I-25 corridor by mid afternoon. Wind gusts from 60 to 80 mph were common with a few gusts exceeding 90 mph. The highest gust observed was 110 mph…at the Winter Park Ski area…around 12000 feet. Xcel Energy reported more than 208000 customers lost power because of the storm statewide. Widespread tree damage was reported. The intense wind toppled a billboard that crashed onto Denver bakery. Two delivery trucks parked nearby were heavily damaged. Two injuries occurred in Denver…one seriously. A man and his nine-year-old daughter were injured by a fallen tree. They were standing in front of a family members house when the incident occurred. The tree impaled the father through his back and he required several surgeries. His daughter sustained cuts and bruises that required stitches. Southwest winds gusted to 78 mph at Denver International Airport…with a peak gust to 76 mph at Centennial Airport.

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In 2004…a brief hot spell produced 3 temperature records. High temperatures of 95 degrees on the 6th and 98 degrees on the 7th were record maximum temperatures for the dates. Low temperature of 68 degrees on the 7th was a record high minimum for the date.

In 2007…an unusually strong storm system brought very strong winds to the Front Range foothills and urban corridor. Peak gusts included: 92 mph at Boulder…85 mph…2 miles southwest of Boulder…83 mph…10 miles south of Boulder and 55 mph at Denver International Airport. High winds forced the closure of Mt. Evans road and Trail Ridge Road. Several trees were uprooted across the urban corridor. In Aurora… The driver of a car was injured when some building material blew off the Fitzsimmons Complex. The debris landed on the car and knocked the driver unconscious. The wind forced the cancellation of 60 flights at Denver International Airport. Xcel reported outages in Boulder…Denver…Lakewood and Longmont.

In 1904…a thunderstorm produced south winds to 40 mph with gusts to 50 mph…but only a trace of rain.

In 1942…heavy thunderstorm rainfall in south Denver caused flooding of shops…stalled motorists…and halted tramway service temporarily. Lightning damaged houses…but there was no loss of life. Precipitation totaled 0.53 inch in downtown Denver.

In 1951…a 24×65 foot roof of a cow barn was lifted off the building and blown to the ground by a “twister” near Fort Lupton.

In 1961…small hail and heavy rain damaged property and crops in southwest metro Denver…including the southwest section of the city…Lakewood…and Littleton. Precipitation totaled 1.20 inch…11 miles southwest of Stapleton Airport. Complete primary and secondary rainbows were sighted by national weather service observers at Stapleton Airport.

In 1968…severe thunderstorms moving to the northeast through sections of Denver caused local flooding of streets and damage to trees and gardens from hail 1/2 to 1 3/4 inches in diameter. One man was killed and 2 were injured at the Wellshire Golf Course when lightning struck a tree under which they had taken shelter. At another golf course… A man was mortally injured by lightning. Marble to golf ball size hail fell over downtown Denver. Hail to 3/4 inch in diameter was measured in Westminster.

In 1975…hail up to 3/4 inch diameter fell in Boulder.

In 1978…a man standing under a tree on a golf course in Denver was struck in the arm by lightning. Wind gusts to 60 mph and golf ball size hail pelted west and south Denver.

In 1986…7/8 inch hail was measured in Lafayette.

In 1990…a thin…rope-shaped tornado touched down east of the intersection of State Highway 2 and 96th avenue just north of the rocky mountain arsenal. No damage was reported.

In 1992…a thunderstorm wind gust to 60 mph was recorded in Boulder. A funnel cloud was sighted by a highway patrol officer just northwest of Stapleton International Airport where thunderstorm winds gusted to 51 mph. Spotters and state patrol officers reported funnel clouds in the northwestern part of metro Denver…near Golden…and 7 miles northwest of Stapleton International Airport.

In 1993…non-convective high winds pummeled the Front Range foothills during the late morning and afternoon. Speeds of 60 to 80 mph were common. The winds caused several power outages as well as uprooting trees. In Lafayette…a 4-year- old boy was slightly injured while standing on the roots of a large tree which was toppled by the winds. The boy fell 10 feet to the ground and was bruised and scraped. A tree fell onto a parked car in Boulder…causing about 35 hundred dollars in damage. West wind gusts to 41 mph were recorded at Stapleton International Airport where a thunderstorm produced 1/8 inch hail at daybreak.

In 1995…severe thunderstorms produced large hail across west and north metro Denver from Golden to Westminster and Fort Lupton. Hail ranged in size from 3/4 to 2 inches in diameter. The largest hail fell in Fort Lupton. A weak tornado produced a brief dust and debris cloud in a corn field 3 miles northeast of Hudson.

In 1997…two plumbers were injured…one critically…when lightning struck a pipe on which they were working in an apartment building under construction in Denver. The bolt apparently hit one man in the hand…passed through his chest…and struck the other worker. The critically injured man…died a few days later. Lightning also injured a man…while he was talking on a telephone in Ward. The bolt passed through the phone line burning his ear.

In 2001…hail as large as 7/8 inch in diameter fell in Westminster.

In 2009…severe thunderstorms in Denver and the surrounding metropolitan area produced five tornadoes… Large hail…up to 3 inches in diameter…and damaging thunderstorm winds. The tornado that produced the most significant damage touched down in southeast Aurora… South of Buckley Airport; it moved south-southeast across open fields…some residential areas and damaged southlands mall. It was 100 yards wide with a storm track of approximately 5 1/2 miles. Southlands Mall had some roof and window damage…as well as wall damage to one of its restaurants. South of the mall…Lowe’s received some roof damage; lightweight sheds and other structures were also destroyed. Numerous homes and apartments suffered window damage…minor roof damage and there were a few broken garage doors. One resident…north of the mall…was injured when he was swept off his porch while attempting to photograph the tornado. He was found unconscious and bleeding in his front yard…with a dislocated shoulder…an injured neck…and numerous other injuries. In addition…the tornado flipped a trailer home. A man inside the trailer suffered minor injuries. In parts of Aurora and Centennial…thunderstorm winds blew down power lines and caused electrical outages. Approximately 8000 homes and businesses were without power for nearly two hours. Earlier in the day…a tornado touched down about 6 miles northwest of Northglenn and caused minor damage. It’s path covered approximately 1/2 mile. Several trees were downed in an open field. The tornado also damaged a metal fence and caused minor roof damage to a nearby residence. The third tornado touched down 7 miles east-northeast of Buckley Air Field and flipped a semi-trailer as it passed over interstate 70. Lastly… Two tornadoes touched down in northwest Elbert County. One tornado damaged several outbuildings…a residence…and downed several trees. In addition… Several horses were injured by flying metal debris. The other tornado touched down in open country. This day was the first in the series of eight to cause damage along the urban corridor. Damage to homes and property along the Front Range totaled $161 million during the 8-day span. The majority of the property damage was caused by hail; 21000 automobile claims and 13000 homeowner claims were filed.

In 2012…severe thunderstorms brought damaging wind and hail…heavy rain and flash flooding. The storms produced hail from 1.5 to 2.5 inches in diameter. In addition to the large hail…heavy rain from 1 to 2 inches also accompanied the storms. The combination of hail and heavy rain caused extensive street flooding across Aurora…Castle Rock…Centennial…Cherry Creek…Englewood…South Denver…Highlands Ranch…Lakewood and Littleton. The hail was reportedly “knee deep” in several areas making roads impassable. As a result…snow plows had to be summoned to clear the streets. In Castle Rock…a King Soopers supermarket sustained extensive damage when roof partially collapsed under the weight of the hail. At Denver International Airport…0.61 inches of rainfall was again recorded along with a peak wind gust of 40 mph. Total property
damage estimates along the Front Range for the 6th and 7th combined was 321.1 million dollars.

In 2016…large hail up to 1 inch in diameter was observed in Castle Rock.

In 2021…a landspout tornado developed in southwest Weld County…2 miles northeast of Firestone. The tornado traveled north-northeast…and ended 3 miles northwest of Platteville. The tornado reached an intensity of EF-1 on the Enhanced Fujita scale…with estimated wind speeds of 99 mph. There were no injuries…but at least two calves were killed…and several chickens. Other damage included a home located at Highway 66 and Weld County Road 21 that caught fire due to downed power lines. Downed power lines led to a closure of Weld County Road 21 between State Highway 66 and Weld County Road 32.5. The landspout was more than 10000 feet high…and could be seen by spotters as far as 40 miles away. It was on the ground for 35 minutes; it was estimated to be 50 yards wide and traveled a distance of 7.5 miles.

Continue reading June 5 to June 11: This week in Denver weather history →

Weather History

May 29 to June 4: This week in Denver weather history

May 29, 2022 Thornton Weather Leave a comment

There are many notable events on our look back at the weather history books for this week but one in particular stands out. It was 30 years ago this week, on June 3, that the infamous Thornton tornado struck. This twister still stands as the most damaging tornado to have ever struck the Denver metro area.

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In 1995…a cool period with light morning showers and moderate to heavy afternoon showers and thunderstorms pushed rivers already swollen from mountain snow melt over their banks causing minor flooding. Streams and rivers such as the South Platte and Boulder creek flooded meadowlands…bike paths…roads near streams…and other low lying areas. No significant property damage was reported and crop damage was unknown. Rainfall totaled 1.79 inches at the site of the former Stapleton International Airport and only 1.51 inches at Denver International Airport.

In 1934…the low temperature dipped to only 66 degrees…the all-time record highest minimum temperature for the month of May.

In 1958…a microburst caused a brief wind gust to 56 mph at Stapleton Airport.

In 1964…heavy rain caused flooding in the Harvey Gulch area of southeast Denver. The high water damaged homes… Businesses…streets…and bridges. At Stapleton International Airport…1.33 inches of rain were measured with 1.76 inches total rainfall on the 29th and 30th. The heavy rain during the last week of the month was the first significant precipitation since April 3rd.

In 1967…3/4 to 1 inch diameter hail stones fell in the city of Denver…but caused no reported damage. Hail as large as 3/4 inch was measured at Stapleton International Airport.

In 1975…the heaviest last snowfall of the season occurred when 5.6 inches of snow were measured at Stapleton International Airport. Rain all day on the 28th changed to snow on the 29th and accumulated to a depth of 4 inches on the ground. Northwest winds gusted to 31 mph. Precipitation (rain and melted snow) on the 28th and 29th totaled 1.48 inches.

In 1982…one man was killed and two others injured by a lightning strike as they stood under a tree in the city of Denver’s Washington Park.

In 1987…7/8 inch diameter hail fell near Castle Rock.

In 1990…thunderstorms over metro Denver produced several small funnel clouds and two small tornadoes. The first tornado (f0) touched down in northwest Denver and caused roof damage to a house and snapped off the tops of several trees. A second tornado (f1) touched down in Northglenn and moved into Thornton damaging a group of self storage garages…several vehicles…a wooden fence…several trees… And the roof of an auto parts store. No injuries were reported. The storms also caused minor street flooding across northern and western sections of metro Denver. Rainfall totals ranged from 1 to 3 inches. Lightning started a small fire at a home in northwest Denver. The fire was confined to the front rooms and was quickly extinguished. Snow plows were used to clear 2 to 4 inches of pea to marble size hail from a stretch of U.S. Highway 285 in Turkey Creek Canyon. Lightning felled a tree in northeast Denver…while strong winds snapped off several large tree limbs in the same area. Thunderstorm rainfall totaled 0.82 inch at Stapleton International Airport where southwest winds gusted to 30 mph.

In 1991…lightning struck a 13 year old boy in a field in Fort Lupton. The boy was in critical condition in an area hospital for 2 days before recovering.

In 1995…lightning struck a soccer goal post and injured 6 adults viewing a soccer game in Arvada. Although no one received a direct hit from the lightning…all escaped with only minor injuries…except one woman who was hospitalized.

In 1996…large hail…3/4 to 1 1/2 inches in diameter… Struck Lakewood and west Denver. Lightning sparked a small fire when it struck an oil storage tank 5 miles west of Brighton.

In 2001…lightning sparked a fire in an apartment complex in Aurora…forcing the evacuation of 24 units. Most of the fire damage was confined to the attic. Damage was estimated at 100 thousand dollars.

In 2004…a man and his son were struck by lightning while practicing on the driving range at the Meadows Golf Club in southwest metro Denver. The father was killed by the bolt…and his 16 year old son seriously injured. Three other people standing nearby received only minor injuries.

In 2010…hail up to 7/8 inch in diameter was reported in Broomfield.

In 2017…an isolated thunderstorm produced hail up to 7/8 inch in diameter near Centennial.

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In 1894…heavy rain combined with snowmelt runoff caused widespread flooding over the South Platte River basin. Rainfall was heaviest in the foothills where 5 to 8 inches were measured over the 4 days. Heavy rainfall west of Boulder flooded mining towns and damaged mining properties. In the canyons above Boulder…railroads and roads were washed out along with many bridges. The floodwaters spread into central Boulder and covered a wide area from University Hill north to near Mapleton Hill to a maximum depth of 8 feet. Many houses were swept away…and every bridge in Boulder was destroyed. A few people…trapped in their homes by the floodwaters… Had to be rescued. However…the gradual rise of the flood waters resulted in only one death. Boulder creek spread to a width of nearly one mile in the pasture land to the east of Boulder. Extensive flooding on left hand creek north of Boulder washed away railroad and wagon bridges. The heavy cloudbursts caused flooding on bear creek…which washed away bridges…railroad tracks…and structures and destroyed the canyon roadway. Morrison sustained the heaviest flood damage on bear creek. In Denver…rainfall totaled only 1.50 inches on the 30th and 31st…but the heavy rainfall on upstream tributaries of the South Platte River caused the river to rise as much as 10 feet above the low water mark in the city…which caused some flooding of pasture land downstream to a depth of 6 feet near Brighton.

In 1875…a windstorm lasting almost all day produced sustained winds to 42 mph.

In 1935…southeast winds sustained to 29 mph with gusts to 34 mph produced a moderate duststorm during the afternoon.

In 1938…heavy thunderstorm rain and hail pummeled downtown Denver during the evening hours. Rainfall accumulated to 1.63 inches. Hail accumulated to a depth of 18 inches.

In 1948…a localized thunderstorm caused flooding on sand creek in Aurora and northeast Denver. Rainfall was only 0.49 inch in downtown Denver where light hail also fell.

In 1963…a golfer died of injuries received when struck by lightning on a golf course southwest of Denver. A warehouse in Denver was damaged and its contents destroyed by a lightning-caused fire.

In 1967…up to 4.00 inches of rain in Lakewood and wheat ridge caused flooding of roads and basements. Water was several feet deep in some yards. Many streets were temporarily closed. Hail as large as 1 inch in diameter fell in Wheat Ridge. Hail piled up to 2 feet deep in some low lying areas of east and southeast Denver. Snowplows were employed to remove the hail. Stapleton International Airport…where west winds gusted to 39 mph…received 1.51 inches of rain and hail…which forced the closure of the runways for an hour. Hail stones to 3/4 inch in diameter were measured at Buckley Field. A funnel cloud was sighted near south Wadsworth Blvd and Bear Creek. A tornado touched down briefly in the vicinity of 60th and 62nd avenues near north Washington Street. The storm uprooted trees and damaged one building. Doors were ripped from a business house…widely scattering irrigation pipe. In addition…a total of 3 funnel clouds were sighted in that area.

In 1970…hail up to 1 inch in diameter fell at Stapleton International Airport.

In 1976…a single thunderstorm crossed south metro Denver producing a funnel cloud 2 miles south of Arapahoe road and Broadway. The storm moved over Buckley Field producing a funnel cloud and 1/2 inch diameter hail. As the storm moved northeast of the city…a large tornado touched down near east 59th Ave and tower road and was on the ground for 20 minutes. It demolished a 60-foot-long cinderblock cow shed…tore a wall from a machinery shed…tore shingles off the roof of a farmhouse nearby…and felled 12 trees on one farm. A boy in a feed shed 20 feet from a destroyed building was not injured.

In 1977…3/4 to 1 inch diameter hail fell at or near Stapleton International Airport. One inch to baseball size hail fell in south Denver…damaging some homes and extensively damaging some airplanes at Arapahoe County airport…now centennial airport. Hail covered highways to a depth of 6 to 8 inches in south Denver.

In 1978…two funnel clouds were sighted 5 miles south of Stapleton International Airport. Hail up to 1 1/4 inches in diameter was reported in wheat ridge and northwest Denver. Only 1/2 inch diameter hail fell at Stapleton International Airport.

In 1989…golf ball size hail fell at the junction of I-25 and I-225. One inch diameter hail fell in Littleton.

In 1990…a line of severe thunderstorms crossed metro Denver… Producing wind gusts to 60 mph and scattered areas of pea to marble size hail. Small trees and branches were blown down by the strong thunderstorm winds…which also caused minor power outages across southern and eastern sections of metro Denver. The strong winds uprooted a 25- to 30-foot tree in the acres green subdivision of northern Douglas County. The tree blocked a busy street for several hours. A pilot reported hail as large as 1 1/2 inches in diameter covering the ground near the north end of a runway at Stapleton International Airport. Heavy rain caused a rock and mud slide that partially closed the Boulder canyon highway 10 miles west of Boulder. Thunderstorm winds gusted to 41 mph at Stapleton International Airport.

In 2001…lightning ignited a fire which destroyed a luxury home on bear mountain near Evergreen. Estimated damage was set at 1 million dollars.

In 2003…flash flooding occurred in the Hayman Fire burn area after as much as 1 inch of rain fell in 30 minutes. The heavy rainfall washed out many access roads and closed State Highway 67 between Deckers and west creek. A 3-foot wall of water ran down Fourmile Creek from the YMCA camp at Shady Brook…damaging one building in the camp and flooding roads. Hail as large as 3/4 inch in diameter fell near Roggen in weld County.

In 2005…lightning struck as least 20 homes in Westminster. Only minor damage was reported. Severe thunderstorms produced hail as large as 1.25 inches in and near Fort Lupton and hail to 3/4 inch near Indian Hills in Jefferson County.

In 2014…heavy rainfall…nearly 1.2 inches in 30 minutes… produced localized street flooding in Boulder. The heavy rain coupled with the already swollen creeks from the spring runoff along Boulder Creek resulted in the flooding. Street flooding was reported at 6th St and Canyon Blvd and at Baseline Road. Some cars were stranded in the high water in low lying areas and one person reported being trapped in his vehicle.

Continue reading May 29 to June 4: This week in Denver weather history →

Weather History

May 22 to May 28: This week in Denver weather history

May 25, 2022 Thornton Weather Leave a comment

If history is a teacher, our look back at this week in Denver weather history should provide great instruction on the dangers severe weather presents in our history. It was eight years ago this week that the infamous Windsor tornado tore through the area killing one man and damaging hundreds of homes.

From the National Weather Service:

20-22

In 1959…a three-day rain caused some flooding in metro Denver where rain totaled 1.68 inches at Stapleton Airport. Showers…accompanied by hail near Brighton…caused some damage to truck crops. Heavy snow in the foothills caused damage to power and telephone lines.

20-27

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

21-22

In 1878…overnight heavy rains of cloudburst intensity on the Palmer Divide to the south of the city caused flash flooding on Cherry Creek in Denver…which resulted in 2 deaths. A wall of water swept through the city between 2:00 am and 3:00 am on the morning of the 22nd. The flood was so sudden and unexpected that homes along the creek in the city were submerged in water knee deep before the slumbering occupants knew anything about it. By daybreak the banks on both sides of the creek were lined by residents viewing the destruction caused by the raging waters in such a short time. Seven bridges across the creek were destroyed in the city. Damage to private and city property was estimated between 30 and 50 thousand dollars. Quite a number of cattle and sheep were killed along the reach of the creek. Only 0.01 inch of rain fell in the city on the 21st with a trace of rain on the 22nd. Flash flooding also occurred on Kiowa Creek near Bennett on the night of the 21st when the flood waters washed out the Kansas Pacific Railroad bridge. An east bound freight train plunged into the turbulent waters killing the three crewmen. The locomotive was completely buried in the sand and never found to this day!

21-23

In 1876…snow changed to heavy rain over the city…resulting in widespread flooding along Cherry Creek and the South Platte River…nearly as great as the flash flood of May 19-20…1864. However…damage was greater because the city had grown much larger and there were more bridges for the flood waters to destroy. Precipitation in the city totaled 6.70 inches from 10:00 pm on the 21st through 3:00 am on the 23rd. The greatest precipitation ever recorded in Denver in 24 hours…6.53 inches…occurred on the 21st and 22nd. Small buildings and bridges along Cherry Creek were washed away by the flood waters. Bridges over the South Platte River were damaged. The city irrigation ditch was damaged and rendered unfit for service. Strong winds at speeds of 30 to 40 mph drove the heavy rain through brick walls 12 to 16 inches thick. Many sheep and cattle were either killed by lightning or drowned…including some 100 head of cattle in Jefferson County alone. There was immense damage to railroad tracks…especially the Kansas Pacific line to the east of the city. The Colorado central suffered estimated damage of 10 to 15 thousand dollars. In addition…the heavy rain caused extensive flooding on soda and bear creeks in the foothills. Flooding along Boulder creek inundated farm and pasture land in the Boulder valley and damaged a few bridges. Rail travel had to be suspended in the area for several days.

In 1876…the most precipitation in Denver on any calendar day…6.50 inches…occurred.

In 1901…northeast winds were sustained to 41 mph with gusts to 45 mph.

In 1903…west winds were sustained to 45 mph with gusts to 55 mph from an apparent microburst…which produced a trace of rain.

In 1976…the public reported 3/4 inch diameter hail and wind gusts to 53 mph near Littleton.

In 1987…golf ball size hail fell in the Lorretto Heights area of south metro Denver.

In 1991…a tornado touched down briefly in Castle Rock. No injuries were reported.

In 1993…an off duty national weather service employee reported hail up to golf ball size just west of the city of Denver in Jefferson County. Thunderstorm wind gusts reached 58 mph at Jefferson County Airport near Broomfield and 33 mph at Stapleton International Airport.

In 1996…a severe thunderstorm pummeled northwest and northern sections of metro Denver with large hail ranging in size from 3/4 to 2 inches in diameter. The cities of Arvada and Westminster were the hardest hit. The insurance industry estimated 60 million dollars in damage to homes and personal property and 62 million dollars in damage to automobiles…for a total of 122 million dollars in insured losses. This estimate also included the cities of Golden… Thornton…and wheat ridge. This was the fourth worst hailstorm to hit metro Denver in the last 10 years.

In 1998…large hail fell across north metro Denver. Hail as large as 1 1/2 inches in diameter was measured in Broomfield and Hudson. Hail to 1 1/4 inches fell in Roggen. Hail to 1 inch fell in Brighton…near Keenesburg… In Watkins…and in the city of Denver. Lightning ignited a house fire in Ft. Lupton. A warehouse worker in Denver was injured when he was knocked off a loading dock by a lightning bolt. The bolt skipped off a nearby radio tower and struck him in the arm. He was treated for numbness in his right arm and released.

In 1999…severe thunderstorms produced 7/8 inch diameter hail over the city of Denver…with one inch diameter hail reported in Aurora…and 3/4 inch hail near Watkins.

In 2006…a lightning strike sparked a fire and damaged the roof of a recreation center in Evergreen. The fire spread into some brush and consumed about one quarter acre before it was extinguished. Severe thunderstorms produced strong wind gusts across portions of metro Denver. Winds gusted to 72 mph in Georgetown…62 mph near Parker and Bennett… 60 mph in Castle Rock…and 59 mph in Longmont. The winds caused no reportable damage. A thunderstorm produced southwest wind gusts to 52 mph at Denver International Airport.

In 2008…a powerful tornado swept north-northwestward across Weld County…carving a path of destruction nearly 39 miles in length. The tornado…up to one-mile wide at times… Initially touched down northeast of Platteville and finally lifted 6 miles west-northwest of wellington. A tornado assessment in the aftermath of the tornado revealed extensive areas of damage. On the Enhanced Fujita Scale… There were pockets of ef3 damage near the Missile Silo Park campground and to businesses and a home in eastern Windsor. Farmers reported extensive damage to crops and irrigation equipment. There was one fatality and 78 injuries… Ranging from broken bones to minor cuts and lacerations. One man was killed when he tried to escape a trailer park in his motor home. Tractor trailers were flipped along U.S. Highway 85…and over 200 power poles were snapped or blown down. Approximately 60000 people were left without electricity. The tornado overturned 15 railroad cars and destroyed a lumber car. The tornado also flattened the main feedlot in Windsor and destroyed a dairy barn. Most of the 400 cows were killed in the tornado or destroyed later. The thunderstorm also produced hail up to the size of baseballs. Another tornado from a separate thunderstorm… Rated an ef1…briefly touched down near Dacono and destroyed 5 buildings. The tornado overturned a five-wheel trailer and injured a man sitting inside. Preliminary estimates from FEMA indicated 850 homes were damaged…and nearly 300 homes were significantly damaged or destroyed. The Poudre Valley Rural Electric Associated reported $1 million of damage to electric transmission lines. Privately insured damages totaled $147 million…making it the state’s 4th costliest disaster. Large hail up to 1 1/2 inches in diameter…was reported in the vicinities of Golden and Longmont.

In 2014…a severe thunderstorm Denver area produced nickel to quarter size hail in parts of west Denver and near Bennett. Locally heavy rainfall produced some minor street flooding in parts of metro Denver. The heavy rainfall produced localized flash flooding near Bennett. Rainfall totaled 0.54 inches at Denver International Airport.

22-23

In 1933…high winds and gales overnight caused considerable damage in and near the city. Much greenhouse glass was broken…which caused damage to sheltered plants. Great numbers of plants growing in the open were damaged or killed by wind-driven sand and soil. Fields were eroded by the wind and a few trees were uprooted. West winds were sustained to 38 mph with gusts as high as 65 mph in downtown Denver on the 22nd.

In 1916…southeast winds were sustained to 43 mph with gusts as high as 52 mph. The winds were strong for several hours during the afternoon.

In 1965…thunderstorm outflow wind gusts to 59 mph were recorded at Stapleton International Airport.

In 1987…slow moving thunderstorms bombarded metro Denver. One inch diameter hail was reported in south central Denver. Torrential rain caused widespread street flooding… Stalling traffic throughout the area. Rainfall totaled 2.10 inches in just 25 minutes in extreme southeast Aurora. Many other locations in Aurora and east Denver reported 1 to 1 1/2 inches of rain in about 30 minutes. Thunderstorm rainfall totaled 1.33 inches at Stapleton International Airport where 1/4 inch diameter hail was measured and north winds gusted to 40 mph. A man was slightly injured by lightning near Stapleton International Airport. Lightning also started a fire that severely damaged a house in Aurora.

In 1990…a microburst wind gust to 52 mph at Stapleton International Airport produced some blowing dust.

In 1991…thunderstorms moving from southwestern sections of metro Denver to the east of Denver produced large hail up to golf ball size. An estimated 5 thousand homes and 8 thousand cars received considerable damage. Early estimates placed damage costs around 60 million dollars. Three funnel clouds were also reported…two by personnel at Buckley Field and the other by a storm spotter. Heavy rain produced street flooding in Aurora where hail accumulated to a depth of 6 inches. As the storms moved to the east…golf ball size hail was reported at Strasburg.

In 1997…hail to 3/4 inch diameter fell in Broomfield.

In 2002…a very strong microburst near Strasburg swept a woman into a swirl of dirt and carried her about 150 feet. The woman was in an open field…corralling a yearling horse… When the incident occurred. Fortunately…she received only minor injuries.

23-24

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

Continue reading May 22 to May 28: This week in Denver weather history →

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