Lightning is a very real danger here in Colorado.  The outdoor-centric lifestyle we lead oftentimes puts us in situations when we are better off heading for cover.  The dangers of not properly taking shelter when lightning is in the area are highlighted by a number of events in our look back at this week in Denver weather history.

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19-30

In 1875…grasshoppers appeared in great numbers at 10:00 am on the 19th.  Thousands landed on the ground.  The streets were literally covered with them.  Swarms of grasshoppers were seen on each day.  All gardens in the city were devastated…and in the countryside the grasshoppers were very destructive to ripened grain.  On the 30th the grasshoppers were so numerous as to almost darken the sun.

22 

In 1898…an apparent thunderstorm produced southwest sustained winds to 40 mph with gusts to 43 mph.
 
In 1903…a late afternoon thunderstorm produced rain…hail… And east winds sustained to 40 mph with gusts to 44 mph.
 
In 1904…the lowest recorded temperature in August…40 degrees…occurred.  The same temperature also occurred on three consecutive days…August 24…25…and 26 in 1910.
 
In 1965…heavy rain and hail caused some damage from flooding over northern Douglas County from Castle Rock to Franktown.
 
In 1981…thunderstorms moved across metro Denver.  At least 5 funnel cloud sightings were reported.  Funnel clouds were seen at 96th Ave. And Sheridan Blvd. and at 92nd Ave. and Federal Blvd. In Westminster and 7 miles north of Stapleton International Airport.  Lightning injured two people in Boulder.  A quarter inch of rain fell in just 5 minutes in Brighton.  Up to 3/4 inch of rain doused Parker in 30 minutes.
 
In 1983…3/4 inch diameter hail was reported at Kittredge… Along with 0.60 inch of rain in 25 minutes.
 
In 1984…a thunderstorm dumped 4 inches of rain on Brighton in 90 minutes…causing extensive street flooding in the downtown area.
 
In 1987…over an inch of rain fell in 24 hours throughout most of metro Denver.  A public library suffered water damage to the ceiling…carpet…and a few books.  Rainfall was 0.76 inch at Stapleton International Airport.
 
In 1990…lightning knocked out power to about 2500 homes in Lakewood for about an hour.
 
In 1991…National Weather Service personnel at Stapleton International Airport sighted an apparent tornado briefly on the ground 3 miles west-northwest of the airport.  No damage was reported.
 
In 1995…lightning struck 3 electrical power substations in Louisville.  Residences of more than 4500 people were without power from 30 minutes to more than an hour.
 
In 1996…between 1 and 3 inches of rain fell across metro Denver.  As a result…several low lying areas were flooded. A bicyclist was swept into a fast moving creek when he tried to cross a flooded bike path.  The man was washed downstream about 15 feet before getting snagged by a tree stump.  He and a man who tried to rescue him received minor injuries.  The heavy rain caused numerous power outages…false fire alarms…and traffic accidents. In Lakewood…telephone service to around 60 thousand residents was knocked out when a switching center was flooded.  Funnel clouds were sighted near Chatfield Reservoir and Highlands Ranch.
 
In 2000…lightning sparked a blaze which gutted a 10-unit apartment building in Highlands Ranch.  Twenty-eight people were left homeless.  Damage was estimated at 2 million dollars.
 
In 2007…severe thunderstorms produced large hail…up to 1 1/4 inches in diameter…in the vicinities of Castle Rock… Elizabeth and Franktown.

Continue reading August 22 to August 28 – This week in Denver weather history →

While not as common this time of year, severe weather can still strike as we close out summer.  Most notable are the heavy rain events that can come along as a result of the monsoon season.  The dangers of these are oftentimes ignored and as we see can oftentimes turn deadly.

15

In 1899…a thunderstorm produced southwest sustained winds to 43 mph with gusts to 46 mph.
 
In 1972…a pilot reported a funnel cloud briefly touching the ground in open fields…17 miles east-northeast of Stapleton International Airport.
 
In 1980…thunderstorm winds gusted to 55 mph in Boulder.
 
In 1982…brief heavy rain and winds estimated as high as 70 mph occurred in the conifer-Evergreen area.  No damage was reported.
 
In 1990…lightning triggered a small attic fire in a house near Sedalia…20 miles south of Denver.  A furious lightning storm caused widespread power outages across southern sections of metro Denver.  One lightning bolt knocked out an electrical substation…causing a 90-minute blackout in southeast Denver affecting nearly 10 thousand homes and businesses.
 
In 2007…severe thunderstorms produced large hail…up to 2 inches in diameter…near Larkspur.   Extensive damage to vehicles in the area was reported.  In Parker…lightning struck a residence.  The ensuing fire damaged the attic and top floor; causing $100000 in property damage.
 
In 2008…at least three homes were hit by lightning during the early morning hours in Arapahoe County.  Lightning also struck two homes in Castle Rock…damaging the roofs.

Continue reading August 15 to August 21 – This week in Denver weather history →

Monsoon season in Colorado typically brings short-lived but heavy rains.  These can result in flash flooding and we see that in our look back at this week in Denver weather history.  Also notable are the number of lightning deaths and injuries as well as hail events and even a swarm of grasshoppers!

8 

In 1874…swarms of grasshoppers invaded the city.  Millions of them were seen cruising through the air.  The insects were apparently picked up by a thunderstorm gust front and carried into the city.  The grasshoppers had ravaged crops in surrounding counties for the last month.
 
In 1878…the highest temperature ever recorded in Denver…105 degrees…occurred at 3:20 pm.  This temperature was equaled on July 20th in 2005.
 
In 1969…the temperature reached 100 degrees at Stapleton International Airport.
 
In 1976…in Thornton…a 13 year old boy riding a bicycle was struck and killed by lightning.
 
In 2000…lightning struck three homes in central Arapahoe County east of Denver.  Damage was estimated at 47 thousand dollars.
 
In 2003…hail to 1 inch in diameter pelted Denver.  Hail to 7/8 inch was measured in Boulder.
 
In 2008…heavy rain also caused flash flooding over south Denver and its nearby suburbs. Heavy rain…from 2.5 to 4 inches…fell in less than 90 minutes.  Firefighters rescued 20 people as the water quickly rose along creeks…flooded roadways…and stranded motorists.  Three people had to be rescued along Cherry Creek when the bike path flooded.  In Evergreen…a man suffered minor injuries when he was struck by lightning.  It entered his finger…traveled down his body… And exited his foot.

Continue reading August 8 to August 14 – This week in Denver weather history →

August isn’t normally associated with severe weather but our look back at the history books show it certainly can and does happen.  We see many occurrences of dangerous lightning and of particular note is the flood events – a byproduct of the monsoon season the first of August brings.

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.

1

In 1888…heavy rain in the mountains and foothills caused flooding on clear creek in Golden.  The high waters also washed away portions of the railroad tracks in the canyon between Idaho Springs and Golden.
 
In 1901…the temperature reached a high of 100 degrees in the city.
 
In 1902…the high temperature climbed to 100 degrees in downtown Denver.
 
In 1914…a thunderstorm produced 1.00 inch of rainfall in just 21 minutes and north winds sustained at 43 mph with gusts to 50 mph.  Rainfall totaled 1.17 inches.
 
In 1938…the temperature climbed to a high of 100 degrees in downtown Denver…which is the record maximum for the date.  The temperature was also recorded on this date in previous years.
 
In 1976…flight operations at Stapleton International Airport were suspended for 90 minutes when the airport tower radar was knocked out and water reached a foot deep on some taxi ramps after 1.50 inches of rain fell in one hour.  Heavy rain also caused minor flooding in east Denver and Aurora where lightning damaged the roof of a home and injured the owner.  One young man was swept down a flooded ditch…but was rescued by firemen.  A number of rafts were floated in flooded streets.  Thunderstorm rainfall totaled 1.71 inches at Stapleton International Airport.
 
In 1978…a tornado damaged a house and broke a power pole 5 miles northwest of Parker.  A microburst wind gust to 52 mph briefly reduced visibility to 1 mile in blowing dust at Stapleton International Airport.
 
In 1985…heavy thunderstorms roared through the southern and western sections of metro Denver…producing large hail and heavy rain.  Lightning hit a recreational vehicle trailer causing it to burn.  There was a lot of street flooding over western suburbs where rainfall totaled over 2 inches in some areas.  One inch diameter hail was reported in Littleton and near Evergreen.  Hail piled 4 to 6 inches deep at Tinytown in the foothills southwest of Denver.
 
In 1990…a small rope-like tornado was spotted in open country 15 miles southeast of centennial airport. No damage was reported from the twister.
 
In 1992…pilots reported a funnel cloud near the construction site of the new Denver International Airport.  A few minutes later…a tornado was reported near Bennett.  The tornado remained on the ground for about 18 minutes and was visible from the national weather service office at Stapleton International Airport.  Thunderstorm wind gusts to 70 mph were reported near Bennett and Watkins with a wind gust to 60 mph at Brighton.  Two men were injured when struck by lightning.  A young man sustained serious injuries when struck by lightning while jet skiing on Cheery Creek Reservoir.  A man received only minor injuries when struck by lightning while golfing in Westminster.
 
In 1994…heavy thunderstorm rains in the foothills west of Denver caused the closure of the Virginia Canyon Road north of Idaho Springs by rocks and debris.
 
In 2001…a 34 year old man on the South Platte River bike path in Denver received minor injuries when lightning struck a nearby tree.  Lightning…coupled with strong thunderstorm winds…knocked out electrical power to about 10 thousand homes and businesses in Golden.
 
In 2006…strong thunderstorms hit southern metro Denver. A severe thunderstorm wind gust estimated to 71 mph knocked down a tree in Aurora near Cherry Creek. Lightning sparked a fire in a home near Lone Tree and struck a transformer at an RTD light rail station at Interstate 25 and Yosemite street.  Heavy thunderstorm rainfall forced the closure of Arapahoe road between Holly and Quebec streets due to high water.  Flooding was also reported near park meadows mall and greenwood village.  Heavy rainfall also caused flooding in Highlands Ranch…Lone Tree…and Parker.  Water up to 6 inches deep was reportedly running over the roads.

Continue reading August 1 to August 7 – This week in Denver weather history →

Colorado’s unofficial severe weather season is during the months of May and June.  However, as we look back in Denver weather history, we see that July can oftentimes hold its own.  Many occurrences of flooding, scorching heat, and even tornadoes have been recorded.  Most notably, this week marks the 24th anniversary of the Big Thompson Flood – Colorado’s deadliest weather disaster ever.

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.

24-25

In 2003…maximum temperature of 100 degrees on the 24th was a record high for the date.  Low temperature of 73 degrees on the 25th was a record high minimum for the date.

25   

In 1875…brief heavy rain and hail lasted only 5 minutes… But the 1/4 inch diameter hail covered the ground to a depth of 1/2 inch and made the streets look like there had been snowfall.  There was much crop damage…especially to corn…and some sheep were killed.  Precipitation totaled 0.51 inch in the city.
 
Continue reading July 25 to July 31 – This week in Denver weather history →

As we move further into summer, we see a decrease in traditional things associated with severe weather like tornadoes.  However, there is a corresponding increase in heavy rain as Colorado gets closer to its monsoon season.  We see many occurences of dangerous flooding as well as damaging hail, deadly lightning and more as we look back at this week in Denver weather history.

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.

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.

11

In 1872…heavy rainfall started at 4:00 pm and continued into the night.  The heavy rainfall damaged homes and buildings in all parts of the city.  Rainfall totaled 1.64 inches.
 
In 1888…the temperature reached 100 degrees in downtown Denver.
 
In 1954…the high temperature climbed to 102 degrees at Stapleton Airport.
 
In 1970…a girl walking in a park in southeast Denver received eye and facial injuries when lightning struck nearby.  Lightning also caused numerous power outages and heavy rainfall produced local flooding at several locations across metro Denver.
 
In 1974…large hail up to 1 1/2 inches in diameter fell in Thornton.
 
In 1990…the worst hailstorm in American history in terms of dollar damage at the time battered metro Denver.  Storm damage totaled 605 million dollars…as it cut a 5-to 10-mile wide swath from just southeast of Estes Park to northeast of Colorado springs.  Hail as large as baseballs (2.75 inches) pounded metro Denver.  Hardest hit areas were southeast Boulder County…the Jefferson County Airport in Broomfield… Arvada…east Wheat Ridge…southwest and south-central Westminster…west Thornton…northwest…west-central and downtown Denver…northeast and east-central Lakewood…just east of Littleton…portions of Arapahoe County west of I-25… And northern and central Douglas County near Castle Rock and franktown.  Golf ball to baseball size hail severely damaged roofs on thousands of homes and buildings…battered tens of thousands of automobiles…windows…signs…street lights…and traffic signals…stripped paint…awnings…and trim from buildings…punched holes in the roofs of two homes in Arvada…knocked out power and telephone service to thousands of homes and businesses…defoliated thousands of trees…ripped up greens and fairways on a number of golf courses…and severely damaged several aircraft tied down at Jefferson County Airport.  Hail the size of baseballs fell for several minutes in old town Arvada.  Later…golf ball size hail and heavy rain pummeled two northwest Denver amusement parks.  Hardest hit was Elitch Gardens amusement park where 47 people were injured and received treatment for bumps…cuts…and bruises at local hospitals.  Many of the injured were stranded on rides during the storm when power failed.  Hail clogged storm sewers…causing rain water to back up 3 to 6 feet deep on some roads and intersections in Arvada.  Several basements were flooded.  In some places hail was washed into drifts several feet deep.  In addition… The storm spawned 2 small tornadoes.  One touched down briefly in Lakewood near 6th avenue and Kipling Blvd….but did no damage.  In Castle Rock…a tornado (f1) did heavy damage to some homes and vehicles in the Founders Village development near Ridge Road.
 
In 2001…lightning struck two homes in Thornton.  Most of the damage was confined to the attics of both homes.  Hail as large as 3/4 inch in diameter fell in Keenesburg…Longmont… And near Boulder.

Continue reading July 11 to July 17 – This week in Denver weather history →

Closing out June and entering July our look back at this week in Denver weather history is marked by severe weather and scorching heat.  Damaging hail to dangerous lightning are two common occurrences as is record-setting heat waves.

From the National Weather Service:

21-3 

In 2002…the maximum temperature in Denver equaled or exceeded 90 degrees for 13 consecutive days…equaling the 5th longest such streak on record.  The record of 18 consecutive days was set during the summer of 1901.

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.

27

In 1873…Pikes Peak was hidden from view by smoke from forest fires in the mountains to the southwest of the city.
 
In 1927…the temperature cooled to a low of only 72 degrees… The all-time record high minimum for the month.
 
In 1980…lightning injured 4 people on a baseball diamond in Broomfield.  The bolt seriously injured the pitcher while also striking (out) the batter…catcher and second baseman.
 
In 1987…a microburst wind gust to 53 mph was recorded at Stapleton International Airport.
 
In 1990…the temperature reached a high of 102 degrees… Setting a new record maximum for the date.
 
In 1993…thunderstorm winds gusted to 60 mph across parts of metro Denver.  A wind gust to 50 mph blew over a 30-foot canvas tent at an amusement park southeast of Denver. Fifteen people…mostly children…were injured.  Microburst wind gusts to 33 mph were recorded at Stapleton International Airport.
 
In 2002…heavy rain…up to 3/4 inch…fell across sections of the Hayman burn area near Cheeseman Reservoir.  Several forest service roads were washed out and many culverts were plugged by debris.
 
In 2004…heavy rain producing thunderstorms caused rock and mud slides across the overland fire burn area in Jamestown. An estimated 50 tons of sand…dirt…rock…and ash slid into town…filling a culvert under main street.  The slide covered 150 to 225 feet of Main Street.  The flood was produced by half an inch of rain in 30 minutes.  A deluge of very heavy rainfall from nearly stationary thunderstorms caused flooding and flash flooding problems over parts of Jefferson and Douglas counties.  An automated rain gage in Golden measured 3.60 inches of rainfall in one hour.  Numerous homes were flooded in Golden…including one that was 146 years old. The home was listed as a complete loss.  State Highway 93 had to be closed from the Pine Ridge subdivision to the Golden Gate Canyon Road.   At the height of the storm…about 4 feet of water covered State Highway 93 through Golden… Forcing its temporary closure.  Several intersections were also flooded and impassable.  Rock and mud slides were reported in Golden Gate Canyon State Park.  At the Deer Creek Golf Course at Colorado 470 and Kipling…the greens were completely inundated by floodwaters.  Some backyards near the golf course were partially washed out.  In Douglas County…water up to a foot deep covered the roadways in Roxborough State Park.  The Waterton Canyon Road also had to be closed due to high water.

Continue reading June 27 to July 3 – This week in Denver weather history →

Late June weather is usually relatively calm but when it turns severe, it can do so in spades.  Hail, flooding rains, tornadoes and more are not unusual.  This week in Denver weather history we see plenty of each of those including a hail storm in 1993 that damaged dozens of planes at Denver International Airport. 

19-21

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

20

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.
 
Continue reading June 20 to June 26 – This week in Denver weather history →

June typically is a very eventful weather month and looking back at this week in Denver weather history that is clearly seen.  Among the more noteworthy items are the 2002 Hayman Fire, a 1965 flood that damaged dozens of bridges in the Denver area and the infamous tornadoes in 1988 that struck near downtown Denver. 

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.

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.

13

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.

Continue reading June 13 to June 19 – This week in Denver weather history →