Tag Archives: Denver weather history

Climatology, Colorado Weather, Thornton Weather

July 5 to July 11 – This week in Denver weather history

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July 5 - July 11 - This week in Denver weather history.
July 5 - July 11 - This week in Denver weather history.

Our look back at this week in Denver weather history reminds us that severe weather can continue to strike, even during what is normally a relatively calm month.  Lightning, hail and flooding are three continuous threats as we see during our look back at history this week.

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. This was one day short of equaling the all time record.  The record of 18 consecutive 90 degree or above days was first set from July 1st through July 18th…1874.  The record was equaled from July 6th through July 23rd…1901.

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    

In 1908…a late evening thunderstorm produced sustained north winds to 40 mph…hail…and 0.45 inch of precipitation.
 
In 1949…a dust devil…possibly a small tornado…was observed 3 miles to the northwest of Stapleton Airport.
 
In 1973…the temperature reached 100 degrees at Stapleton International Airport.
 
In 1974…strong thunderstorm winds damaged a mobile home…a barn…two houses…and several sheds near Watkins.
 
In 1975…a thunderstorm wind gust to 53 mph was recorded at Stapleton International Airport.  Hail up to 3/4 inch in diameter fell over the northwest suburbs and in northwest Denver.
 
In 1977 three houses in Denver were struck by lightning. Some heavy damage and fire occurred.
 
In 1990…lightning caused minor damage to houses in Castle Rock…Louviers…and Littleton.
 
In 1996…lightning caused only minor damage when it struck a home in Evergreen.  Lightning from a fast moving thunderstorm blasted a large hole in the side of a house in Lakewood.  Lightning triggered a minor power outage in the Boulder area.  About 200 homes were affected.
 
In 2001…severe thunderstorm winds gusted to 60 mph at Denver International Airport and to 70 mph…7 miles southwest of the airport.
 
In 2008…microburst winds downed a large tree and some power lines near a Denver apartment complex.  Several of the tenants’ vehicles were damaged.

Continue reading July 5 to July 11 – This week in Denver weather history →

Climatology, Colorado Weather, Thornton Weather

June 28 to July 4 – This week in Denver weather history

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June 28 to July 4 - This week in Denver weather history
June 28 to July 4 - This week in Denver weather history

As always, an interesting week in Denver and Thornton weather history.  Various severe weather items are noteworthy, none more so than on July 2, 2006 when a teenager wearing an iPod was struck with lightning.  The music player actually contributed to the teen’s injuries by providing a direct route for the electricity into the victim’s head via the headphones.

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.

28   

In 1873…there was a great deal of smoke over the city from forest fires in the mountains.
 
In 1875…smoke from forest fires in the foothills south of Denver were visible from the city.
 
In 1913…an apparent dry microburst produced southwest winds sustained to 44 mph with gusts to 48 mph in the city.
 
In 1925…a thunderstorm produced north winds sustained to 38 mph with gusts to 44 mph.
 
In 1958…a microburst caused a brief wind gust to 58 mph at Stapleton Airport.
 
In 1964…lightning struck several homes in metro Denver… Sparking fires.  Some flooding occurred in the stockyards area…at West 45th Avenue and St. Paul Street…and along Harvard Gulch.
 
In 1997…strong microburst winds of unknown speed downed several trees…signs…and at least one light pole in the Fort Lupton area.  Two trees knocked over by the storm downed power lines causing scattered outages.
 
In 2002…a thunderstorm wind gust to 60 mph was recorded in Parker.
 
In 2005…severe thunderstorms produced wind gusts to 66 mph near Longmont and to 60 mph near Niwot.  No damage was reported.  A thunderstorm produced a wind gust to 55 mph at Denver International Airport during the afternoon.

29   

In 1874…eight different fires in mountain forests were visible from the city.  All of the fires were extensive… And the volume of smoke from each was immense.  Three of these fires had been burning from the 18th with varied intensity.
 
Continue reading June 28 to July 4 – This week in Denver weather history →

Thornton Weather, Weather History

June 21 to June 27 – This week in Denver weather history

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June 21 to June 27 - This week in Denver weather history
June 21 to June 27 - This week in Denver weather history

A typical week during the spring and summer for Denver – tornadoes, hail, damaging winds and more.

19-21

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

21   

In 1927…north winds were sustained to 40 mph with gusts to 44 mph.
 
In 1984…lightning struck and killed two children standing near a tree in a backyard in Lakewood.  Strong thunderstorm downbursts caused a wind gust to 58 mph in Northglenn and knocked down two power poles near Brighton.
 
In 1988…lightning struck a home in Denver…causing about ten thousand dollars damage.  Lightning damaged 3 homes in Littleton…and also hit a house in greenwood village that had been struck by lightning 7 years previously.
 
In 1991…thunderstorms produced widespread hail across metro Denver.  Hail as large as 2 1/2 inches fell at several locations across southwest metro Denver.  One storm spotter reported hail 8 inches deep near the intersection of I-25 and C-470.  Heavy rain with the storms caused some street flooding.  In Commerce City…several cars were under water… And in Westminster a police officer reported water up to the doors of his car.  Damage to homes and automobiles totaled 55 million dollars.
 
In 1992…a tornado touched down briefly near Bennett. Another tornado was briefly on the ground near Strasburg.
 
In 1994…heavy thunderstorm rains caused flooding in metro Denver.  Several vehicles were stalled in the high water on I-25.  Lightning struck an underground natural gas line in Aurora…causing a fire.  Widespread power outages were also observed.
 
In 1996…three homes were struck by lightning in Parker. The lightning struck the garage of the first home…which started a small fire that burned some siding and spread into the attic.  A second home sustained damage to the attic when a small fire was started.  The third home received only minor damage.  Lightning also sparked two small grass fires in the area.  A man in Lakewood received minor injuries when he was struck by lightning while working on a ladder.  A funnel cloud was sighted in Castle Rock.  Strong thunderstorm winds downed a large tree near crossroads mall in Boulder.  A small tornado (f0) briefly touched down near Lafayette.  No damage was reported.
 
In 1997…one inch diameter hail was measured in Boulder.
 
In 2002…a thunderstorm wind gust to 62 mph was recorded at Denver International Airport.
 
In 2005…severe thunderstorms produced hail to 1 inch in diameter in Broomfield along with 3/4 inch hail near Arvada.
 
In 2006…a man riding a motorcycle was struck and killed by lightning on U.S. Highway 36 between church ranch Blvd. And Sheridan Blvd. In Westminster.  After the biker was struck…he and his motorcycle crashed into the center concrete median of the highway.  The lightning bolt left a crater in the highway asphalt that measured 18 inches long…8 inches wide and 4 inches deep.

Continue reading June 21 to June 27 – This week in Denver weather history →

Thornton Weather, Weather Education

June 14 to June 20 – This week in Denver weather history

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June 14 to June 20 - This week in Denver weather history
June 14 to June 20 - This week in Denver weather history

With severe weather season in full swing, we see a very eventful week in Denver weather history.  Wildfires, amazing hail storms, tornadoes, floods and more all make an appearence on the historical calendar.

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.

13-14

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.

14   

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.

Continue reading June 14 to June 20 – This week in Denver weather history →

Thornton Weather, Weather History

June 7 to June 13 – This week in Denver weather history

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June 7 to June 13 - This week in Denver weather history
June 7 to June 13 - This week in Denver weather history

An extremely eventful week in weather history showing just how varied conditions can be.  We of course see typical spring weather like tornadoes and hail but also a touch of snow and this week also marks the anniversary of the start of the Hayman Fire.

2-7  

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.
6-7   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 unconcious.  The wind forced the cancellation of 60 flights at Denver International Airport. Xcel reported outages in Boulder…Denver…Lakewood and Longmont.

7    

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.
 
Continue reading June 7 to June 13 – This week in Denver weather history →

Thornton Weather, Weather History

May 31 to June 6 – This week in Denver weather history

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May 31 to June 6 - This week in Denver weather history
May 31 to June 6 - This week in Denver weather history

An extremely eventful week in Denver weather history.  Most notably for longtime Thornton and Northglenn residents is the 28 year anniversary of the infamous Thornton Tornado which struck on June 3, 1981.

26-31

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.

29-1 

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.

30-31

In 1935…heavy thunderstorm rains overnight caused flash flooding east of the city on both Kiowa and Bijou Creeks… Resulting in a total of 9 deaths.  Most of the damage was on Kiowa Creek where there were more structures.  The water rose rapidly during the storm…ripping houses and stores from their foundations and sweeping them downstream. Precipitation in Denver totaled only 0.01 inch.  Hail fell in the city for a short time.  The hail was very small and caused no damage.
 
In 1983…a late storm of rain and snow hit the Front Range. Over an inch of rain fell at some spots…and above 7 thousand feet…1 to 5 inches of snow whitened the ground. Some snow flakes even fell in the western suburbs of metro Denver on the night of the 30th.
 
In 2002…unseasonably warm weather at the end of the month resulted in 3 temperature records.  High temperature of 91 degrees on the 30th equaled the record maximum for the date.  Low temperature of 61 degrees on the 31st was a record high minimum for the date.  High temperature of 93 degrees on the 31st was a record maximum for the date.
31    in 1917…rainfall totaled 0.55 inch and was mixed briefly with snow around midday.  Only a trace of snow fell. Cold temperatures during the day resulted in a high of 44 degrees and a low of 35 degrees.  The month closed as the coldest May on record with a mean temperature of only 48.7 degrees…about 8 degrees below normal.  The cold temperatures during the month had a marked effect on shade trees and shrubs in the city.  Elms were just starting to leaf.  Leaves on cottonwoods and maples were only half formed.  Lilacs were just blooming…and snowball clusters would not bloom for days.
 
In 1959…the public reported a tornado briefly touching the ground 10 miles south of Stapleton Airport.  No damage was reported.
 
In 1984…a thunderstorm microburst produced a wind gust to 67 mph…7 miles east of Boulder.
 
In 1991…hail to golf ball size pummeled southern and southeastern sections of metro Denver and continued on east to Watkins.  Several houses and cars were damaged.  Later… Thunderstorms dumped heavy rain across the city of Denver… Causing street flooding in an area just south of downtown and just northwest of downtown.  Water was up to 10 inches deep over northwest Denver.  A brief tornado touched down in Castle Rock where 3/4 inch diameter hail also fell.
 
In 1993…thunderstorms dropped dime size hail in Commerce City.
 
In 1994…lightning struck an apartment in Louisville and damaged electronic equipment…including a computer.
 
In 2006…a severe thunderstorm produced 1 inch diameter hail near Boulder.

Continue reading May 31 to June 6 – This week in Denver weather history →

Weather History

May 24 – May 30 – This week in Denver weather history

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May 24 - May 30 - This week in Denver weather history
May 24 - May 30 - This week in Denver weather history

Severe weather in spades is evident on our look back at Denver weather history this week.  Notable is an F1 tornado in 1990 that moved through the Northglenn and Thornton area that damaged buildings, cars and trees.

From the National Weather Service:

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.

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.

24   

In 1953…a microburst caused a brief wind gust to 55 mph at Stapleton Airport.
 
In 1957…walnut size hail…1 1/2 inches in diameter…fell in east Denver.  Only 1/4 inch hail was measured at Stapleton Airport.
 
In 1958…rainfall totaled 1 to 2 inches across metro Denver. Rainfall was only 0.37 inches at Stapleton Airport.
 
In 1974…a tornado was observed briefly near Watkins.  No damage was reported.
 
In 1980…strong gusty winds of at least 60 mph damaged buildings in parts of Denver.  Several buildings were unroofed in Sheridan.  The flying debris damaged other structures.  Strong microburst winds gusted to 52 mph at Stapleton International Airport.
 
In 1991…a tornado touched down briefly in open country near Bennett.  No damage was reported.
 
In 1994…weather spotters reported 2 funnel clouds over Aurora and a short-lived waterspout on Cheery Creek Reservoir.
 
In 1997…hail to 1 inch in diameter fell in Broomfield with 3/4 inch hail measured in Boulder.
 
In 1998…a tornado struck a wooden hangar at the Aurora airpark.  The hangar collapsed…damaging a car and a single engine plane parked inside.  An adjacent steel hangar sustained only minor damage.  The tornado moved northeast…hopped I-70…and touched down again in an open field.  Earlier…a weak tornado touched down briefly in an open field 10 miles southeast of Buckley Field.
 
In 2003…severe thunderstorms produced large hail over northern and southern metro Denver.  Hail as large as 2 3/4 inches in diameter was measured 10 miles northwest of Hudson and to 2 inches in diameter 10 miles northeast of Fort Lupton.  One inch diameter hail fell in Fort Lupton.  Hail to 1 inch in diameter fell near Parker and to 3/4 inch near Franktown.
 
In 2004…severe thunderstorms moved across northwest and north metro Denver.  Hail as large as 1 inch in diameter fell in Broomfield and Thornton with 3/4 inch hail measured near Arvada and Hudson and in the city of Denver.
 
In 2005…severe thunderstorms produced hail as large as 1 inch in diameter in Arvada and the city of Denver.

Continue reading May 24 – May 30 – This week in Denver weather history →

Weather History

May 17 – May 23 – This week in Denver weather history

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May 17 - May 23 - This week in Denver weather history
May 17 - May 23 - This week in Denver weather history

As we move further into the severe weather season, we begin to see that transition in our look back at Denver weather history.  There are many more mentions of lightning, wildfires, tornadoes, hail and other season weather conditions.

14-18

In 1996…a period of unusually warm weather resulted in 4 record maximum temperatures in 5 days.  The record high temperatures were 87 degrees on the 14th…89 degrees on the 15th…and 93 degrees on both the 16th and 18th.  The temperature climbed to only 81 degrees on the 17th which was not a record.

16-17

In 1981…a heavy rain storm dumped 1 to 2 1/2 inches of rain across metro Denver.  Rainfall totaled 1.27 inches at Stapleton International Airport where north winds gusted to 38 mph on 17th.
 
In 1983…a very strong late spring storm dumped heavy snow over the Front Range.  Strong winds with the storm produced blizzard conditions at times.  Sustained winds were 20 to 40 mph with a peak gust to 55 mph at Stapleton International Airport.  The foothills received 1 to 2 feet of snow with 4 to 12 inches along the foothills.  Howling winds whipped the snow into drifts several feet deep…closing schools and highways.  Stapleton International Airport was forced to reduce flight operations…closing 2 of 4 runways and stranding hundreds of travelers.  Most of the damage and inconvenience caused by the storm was in power outages… Which occurred when wind and heavy wet snow caused hundreds of power poles to snap and topple.  About 20 square miles of Denver were blacked out.  Precipitation from the storm totaled 1 to 3 inches.  At Stapleton International Airport… Snowfall totaled 7.1 inches with a maximum snow depth on the ground of only 2 inches due to melting.  The high temperature of 40 degrees on the 17th was a record low maximum for the date.  Due to the heavy moisture content of the storm…widespread street flooding occurred on the 18th when much of the snow melted under the warm May sun and temperatures climbed to a high of 57 degrees.
 
In 1995…significant moisture and upslope flow caused flooding across metro Denver.  Moderate to heavy rains… Which began on the evening of the 16th…developed in the foothills and spread eastward over metro Denver throughout the night.  The heavy rains brought many creeks and small streams to bankfull or slightly over.  Locations along the foothills received between 3 and 4 inches of rainfall from the storm.  Boulder received 3.60 inches of rainfall for the 24-hour period…causing minor street flooding near small streams.  To the northwest of Boulder…a bridge which crossed Fourmile Creek was washed out.  Numerous rock and mudslides occurred in foothills canyons…closing portions of U.S. Highways 6 and 40 and State Highway 119 for a few hours at a time.  Rocks were piled 6 feet deep on a stretch of State Highway 119 along with Boulders as large as cars on U.S. Highway 6.  A parking lot near a creek in Golden caved in leaving a hole the size of an 18-wheeler.  Rushing water washed out a 50-foot stretch of a road in Westminster. Rainfall totaled 1.75 inches at Denver International Airport…but only 1.42 inches at the site of the former Stapleton International Airport.

Continue reading May 17 – May 23 – This week in Denver weather history →

Weather History

May 10 to May 16 – This week in Denver weather history

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May 10 to May 16 - This week in Denver weather history
May 10 to May 16 - This week in Denver weather history

As we move further into spring we begin to less winter-like weather and more spring weather.  In looking at Denver weather history we can see that transition with more mentions of severe rains, flooding, tornadoes and other spring and summer-like severe weather.

8-10 

In 1979…4.3 inches of snow fell at Stapleton International Airport where northwest winds gusted to 30 mph on the 8th. Most of the snowfall…2.3 inches…occurred on the 9th. High temperature of only 35 degrees on the 9th equaled the record low maximum for the date.

9-10 

In 1889…heavy rainfall totaled 2.15 inches in downtown Denver.  The cold rain was mixed with snow at times overnight.  Temperatures on the 10th ranged from a high of 38 degrees to a low of 32 degrees with north winds sustained to 22 mph.
 
In 2003…a late spring snowstorm hammered the mountains… Eastern foothills…and urban corridor.  The heaviest snowfall occurred north of interstate 70.  The heavy wet snow caused damage to trees throughout metro Denver and downed power lines.  About 40 thousand people along the urban corridor were without power.  Storm total snowfall amounts included:  11.5 inches in Louisville… 8 inches in Boulder and Broomfield; 7 inches in Thornton…Broomfield…at Denver International Airport… And at the site of the former Stapleton International Airport; and 6 inches 4 miles east of Denver.  Snowfall ranged from 4 to 9 inches across extreme southern weld County.  In the foothills…15 inches of snow fell near Jamestown…9 inches at Rollinsville and Rawah…with 8 inches at Chief Hosa and atop Lookout Mountain. The snow was accompanied by thunder on the afternoon of the 9th at Denver International Airport where west winds gusted to 25 mph on the 9th and north winds gusted to 22 mph on the 10th.

10

In 1875…a windstorm sand-blasted the city from 10:00 am until midnight.  Northwest winds sustained to 60 mph brought clouds of sand…which caused high damage to unfinished buildings.
 
In 1912…a vigorous cold front produced strong north winds and rain.  North winds were sustained to 48 mph with gusts as high as 60 mph.  Rainfall totaled 1.10 inch.
 
In 1935…no precipitation occurred…making this one of only two days without precipitation during the entire month.  The other day was the 21st.  Precipitation totaled 4.95 inches for the month.
 
In 1956…northwest winds gusted to 53 mph at Stapleton Airport where the visibility was briefly reduced to 1/2 mile in blowing dust.
 
In 1974…strong winds caused 30 thousand dollars in damage to a building under construction in Lakewood.  Microburst winds gusted to 46 mph at Stapleton International Airport.
 
In 1988…lightning struck a house in Boulder…setting it afire.  The house…valued at 170 thousand dollars…was a total loss.
 
In 1989…golf ball size hail fell over southeast Denver near the junction of I-25 and I-225.  Hail to 3/4 inch in diameter fell over southeast Aurora.  Only 3/8 inch hail fell at Stapleton International Airport.
 
In 1991…high winds up to 63 mph raked the eastern foothills. Winds estimated to 50 mph tore a roof from a home in Lafayette.  A tower at Jefferson County stadium in west metro Denver was blown over by the high winds.  No injuries were reported.  Southeast winds gusting to 48 mph at Stapleton International Airport produced some blowing dust.  The temperature climbed to a high of 86 degrees… Equaling the record maximum for the date.
 
In 2005…severe thunderstorms produced hail as large as 2 inches in diameter in and near Longmont.

Continue reading May 10 to May 16 – This week in Denver weather history →

Weather History

May 3 to May 9 – This week in Denver weather history

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May 3 to May 9 - This week in Denver weather history
May 3 to May 9 - This week in Denver weather history

A very eventful week in Denver weather history.  Four tornadoes are mentioned and many reminders that winter may not be over just quite yet. 

From the National Weather Service:

1-5

IN 1898…SNOWFALL TOTALED 15.5 INCHES IN DOWNTOWN DENVER. MOST OF THE SNOW…6.2 INCHES…FELL ON THE 3RD.  MOST OF THE SNOW MELTED AS IT FELL.  THE GREATEST SNOW DEPTH ON THE GROUND WAS ONLY 2.5 INCHES ON THE 3RD AT 8:00 PM. THIS WAS THE ONLY SNOWFALL DURING THE MONTH.  NORTHEAST WINDS WERE SUSTAINED TO 22 MPH ON THE 1ST.

2-3

IN 1979…HEAVY RAIN CHANGED TO SNOW ON THE 2ND.  SNOWFALL TOTALED 3.9 INCHES AT STAPLETON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT… WHERE NORTHWEST WINDS GUSTED TO 26 MPH.  THE GREATEST DEPTH OF SNOW ON THE GROUND WAS ONLY 1 INCH AT MIDDAY ON THE 2ND DUE TO MELTING.  TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE 2 DAYS WAS 1.65 INCHES

2-4

IN 1987…A SLOW MOVING STORM BROUGHT RAIN…WIND…AND SNOW TO METRO DENVER.  RAINFALL TOTALED 1.04 INCHES AT STAPLETON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT WHERE NORTH WINDS GUSTED TO 48 MPH ON THE 3RD.  THE FOOTHILLS RECEIVED 5 TO 10 INCHES OF SNOW

2-5

IN 2001…A VERY SLOW MOVING PACIFIC STORM SYSTEM BECAME PARKED NEAR THE FOUR CORNERS REGION…WHICH ALLOWED HEAVY SNOW TO DEVELOP ABOVE 6500 FEET IN THE FOOTHILLS WITH A MIX OF RAIN AND SNOW OVER LOWER ELEVATIONS OF METRO DENVER.  SNOWFALL TOTALS INCLUDED:  21 INCHES ATOP CROW HILL AND AT IDAHO SPRINGS; 19 INCHES NEAR BLACKHAWK; AND 18 INCHES IN COAL CREEK CANYON…GENESEE…AND 11 MILES SOUTHWEST OF MORRISON. SNOWFALL TOTALED 6.2 INCHES AT THE SITE OF THE FORMER STAPLETON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT.  PRECIPITATION (RAIN AND MELTED SNOW) TOTALED 2.09 INCHES AT DENVER INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT WHERE NORTH WINDS GUSTED TO 30 MPH ON THE 2ND.

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