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Thornton Weather, Weather History

April 26 to May 2 – This week in Denver weather history

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April 26 to May 2 - This week in Denver weather history
April 26 to May 2 - This week in Denver weather history

This week in Denver weather history shows the extremely wide variety of conditions we can have this year.  From major snow storms to hail dropping thunderstorms, we can see it all.

From the National Weather Service:

24-26

IN 1924…POST-FRONTAL RAIN CHANGED TO SNOW…WHICH BECAME HEAVY AND TOTALED 10.2 INCHES OVER DOWNTOWN DENVER. THE GREATEST AMOUNT OF SNOW ON THE GROUND WAS 6.0 INCHES ON THE 25TH DUE TO MELTING. NORTH WINDS WERE SUSTAINED TO 38 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 42 MPH ON THE 24TH.

25-26

IN 1985…A SPRING STORM BROUGHT MUCH RAIN AND SNOW TO METRO DENVER. THE FOOTHILLS WERE BURIED WITH 15 INCHES OF SNOW AT CONIFER AND 12 INCHES AT EVERGREEN. AT LOWER ELEVATIONS… AN INCH OR MORE OF RAIN FELL IN DENVER AND BOULDER. THE HEAVY PRECIPITATION CAUSED BRIEF POWER OUTAGES IN THE DENVER AREA. PRECIPITATION TOTALED 1.06 INCHES AT STAPLETON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT…INCLUDING ONLY 0.7 INCH OF SNOWFALL.

25-27

IN 1877…SNOW ENDED AROUND 7:00 AM ON THE MORNING OF THE 27TH… AFTER FALLING CONTINUOUSLY FOR 48 HOURS AND TOTALING AN ESTIMATED 13 INCHES IN THE CITY. THE STORM…LIKELY ACCOMPANIED BY STRONG WINDS…CAUSED TRAINS TO BE DELAYED FOR 2 TO 3 DAYS. ONE OR TWO ROOFS OF SMALL BUILDINGS WERE CRUSHED BY THE WEIGHT OF THE SNOW…AND MANY TREE BRANCHES WERE BROKEN IN THE CITY. THERE WERE A NUMBER OF REPORTS OF LIVESTOCK LOSSES. ONE STOCKMAN LOST 17 HORSES AND SEVERAL CATTLE FROM THE SNOW AND COLD. PRECIPITATION TOTALED 1.30 INCHES FROM THE STORM.

26

IN 1965…WHILE ONLY 0.40 INCH OF RAIN FELL AT STAPLETON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT…SOME COMMUNITIES IN THE FOOTHILLS WEST OF DENVER REPORTED OVER 30 INCHES OF SNOW FROM THE STORM.

IN 1972…A SPRING SNOW STORM ACCOMPANIED BY THUNDER DUMPED 15.8 INCHES OF HEAVY WET SNOW ON METRO DENVER. STRONG NORTHWEST WINDS GUSTING TO 35 MPH PRODUCED BLOWING SNOW. THE STORM WAS QUITE INTENSE AND GREATLY HAMPERED TRAVEL. HIGH WINDS CAUSED DRIFTS 10 TO 15 FEET DEEP IN SOME AREAS… BLOCKING ROADS AND STRANDING HUNDREDS OF MOTORISTS. AN ESTIMATED 500 TO 600 PEOPLE WERE STRANDED IN THE CASTLE ROCK AREA. RESCUE SERVICE WAS PROVIDED BY HEAVY ARMY EQUIPMENT FROM FORT CARSON. POWER LINES WERE DOWNED…POWER POLES WERE TOPPLED…AND A NUMBER OF STEEL TOWERS CARRYING HIGH VOLTAGE POWER LINES WERE DOWNED. SOME AREAS NORTHEAST OF DENVER WERE WITHOUT POWER FOR A WEEK. A LARGE NUMBER OF CATTLE AND SHEEP WERE KILLED BY THE STORM. THE GREATEST SNOW DEPTH ON THE GROUND AT STAPLETON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT WAS 12 INCHES. WARM TEMPERATURES FOLLOWING THE STORM QUICKLY MELTED THE SNOW.

IN 1995…THE THIRD MAJOR SNOW STORM OF THE MONTH DUMPED HEAVY SNOW IN AND NEAR THE FRONT RANGE FOOTHILLS. SIX TO 12 INCHES OF HEAVY WET SNOW FELL IN THE WESTERN METRO SUBURBS WITH THE HEAVIEST AMOUNTS ABOVE 6 THOUSAND FEET. BOTH BOULDER AND GOLDEN MEASURED 10 INCHES OF SNOW. ONLY 2.4 INCHES OF SNOWFALL WERE MEASURED AT THE SITE OF THE FORMER STAPLETON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT. NORTH WINDS GUSTED 28 MPH AT DENVER INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT.

IN 1998…THE LAST IN A SERIES OF APRIL STORMS BLANKETED THE FOOTHILLS WITH HEAVY SNOW. SNOWFALL AMOUNTS INCLUDED: 17 INCHES NEAR BLACKHAWK…15 INCHES AT IDAHO SPRINGS…14 INCHES AT GEORGETOWN…11 INCHES NEAR CONIFER AND MORRISON. ONLY A TRACE OF SNOW FELL AT THE SITE OF THE FORMER STAPLETON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT. NORTH WINDS GUSTED TO 28 MPH AT DENVER INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT.

Continue reading April 26 to May 2 – This week in Denver weather history →

Thornton Weather, Weather History

April 19 to April 25 – This week in Denver weather history

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April 19 to April 25 - This week in Denver weather history
April 19 to April 25 - This week in Denver weather history

This week in Denver weather history is one to truly showcase the incredible variety of weather Colorado can receive.  Major snow storms, high winds, warm temperatures in the 80’s and even three reports of tornadoes – one near Thornton 21 years ago – have all been seen this time of year. 

17-19

IN 1920…SNOW FELL ACROSS THE CITY CONTINUOUSLY FOR 57 HOURS… FROM THE EARLY MORNING OF THE 17TH UNTIL 11:40 AM ON THE 19TH.  THE HEAVY WET SNOWFALL TOTALED 18.2 INCHES WITH THE GREATEST ACCUMULATION ON THE GROUND OF 12 INCHES.  WINDS DURING THE STORM WERE STRONG WITH SUSTAINED SPEEDS IN EXCESS OF 27 MPH FOR OVER 40 CONSECUTIVE HOURS…WHICH CREATED NEAR-BLIZZARD CONDITIONS.  THE HIGHEST RECORDED WIND SPEEDS WERE 44 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 50 MPH FROM THE NORTH ON THE 17TH AND 39 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 48 MPH FROM THE NORTHWEST ON THE 18TH.  THE STRONG WINDS PILED THE SNOW INTO HIGH DRIFTS WHICH STOPPED ALL DENVER TRAFFIC. RAILROADS WERE BLOCKED WITH ONLY ONE TRAIN ENTERING THE CITY ON THE 19TH.  ALL INTERURBAN TRAINS WERE BLOCKED…AS WERE THE 13 TROLLEY LINES.  THUS…MANY WORKERS WERE UNABLE TO GET HOME AT NIGHT AND FILLED ALL OF THE DOWNTOWN HOTELS TO CAPACITY.  NO GROCERY OR FUEL DELIVERIES WERE POSSIBLE… EXCEPT MILK AND COAL TO HOSPITALS AND TO FAMILIES WITH BABIES.  NO LIVES WERE LOST IN THE CITY…BUT SEVERAL PEOPLE PERISHED IN SURROUNDING DISTRICTS.  STOCK LOSSES WERE HEAVY ON THE PLAINS.  TEMPERATURES DURING THE STORM WERE IN THE 20’S.

18-19

IN 1884…A MAJOR STORM DUMPED 13.8 INCHES OF SNOWFALL ON DOWNTOWN DENVER.  MOST OF THE SNOW…10.0 INCHES…FELL ON THE 18TH.  LIGHT RAIN ON THE EARLY MORNING OF THE 18TH CHANGED TO HEAVY SNOW AT 8:00 AM AND BECAME LIGHT AFTER 2:00 PM BUT CONTINUED UNTIL 4:00 AM ON THE 19TH.  THE SNOW MELTED NEARLY AS FAST AS IT FELL.  THERE WERE ONLY 3 INCHES ON THE GROUND EARLY ON THE MORNING OF THE 19TH.
 
IN 1941…HEAVY SNOWFALL TOTALED 8.4 INCHES OVER DOWNTOWN DENVER.  NORTHEAST WINDS WERE SUSTAINED TO 17 MPH.
 
IN 1993…SPORADIC HIGH WINDS OCCURRED ACROSS METRO DENVER. SIGNIFICANT WIND GUSTS INCLUDED 97 MPH AT ROLLINSVILLE… 80 MPH IN SOUTHWEST BOULDER…AND 55 MPH AT STAPLETON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT.  THE STRONG WINDS SNAPPED A PINE TREE TOP…ABOUT 15 FEET LONG AND 8 INCHES IN DIAMETER…WHICH CRASHED THROUGH THE ROOF OF A CHURCH IN EVERGREEN…CAUSING ONE THOUSAND DOLLARS IN DAMAGE.  WIND GUSTS OF 50 TO 60 MPH CAUSED STRUCTURAL DAMAGE TO 3 HOMES UNDER CONSTRUCTION IN BROOMFIELD.  NORTHWEST WINDS GUSTED TO 55 MPH AT STAPLETON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT.
 
IN 1995…THE SECOND SPRING STORM OF THE MONTH DUMPED HEAVY SNOW IN THE FOOTHILLS.  THE UPSLOPE FLOW ALONG WITH AREAS OF THUNDER SNOW DROPPED 6 TO 12 INCHES OF SNOW IN THE FOOTHILLS WEST OF DENVER AND BOULDER.  SNOWFALL TOTALED 4.6 INCHES AT THE SITE OF THE FORMER STAPLETON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT…BUT MOST OF THE SNOW MELTED AS IT FELL.  EAST WINDS GUSTED TO 29 MPH AT DENVER INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT ON THE 18TH.

Continue reading April 19 to April 25 – This week in Denver weather history →

Thornton Weather

April 12 to April 18 – This week in Denver weather history

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April 12 to April 18 - This week in Denver weather history
April 12 to April 18 - This week in Denver weather history

A look back at this week in Denver weather history shows quite the variety of weather conditions.  We have seen everything from high winds and snowstorms to hail, thunderstorms and sub-freezing temperatures.

From the National Weather Service:

 7-12 

IN 1959…SNOW FALLING OVER A 5-DAY PERIOD TOTALED 20 TO 30 INCHES JUST EAST OF THE MOUNTAINS…WHILE OVER THE PLAINS BLIZZARD CONDITIONS CLOSED SCHOOLS AND BLOCKED HIGHWAYS. THE SECOND BIG STORM IN TWO WEEKS DUMPED 16.4 INCHES OF SNOWFALL ON STAPLETON AIRPORT WITH THE MOST…11.6 INCHES…  OCCURRING ON THE 8TH.  EAST WINDS GUSTED TO 37 MPH ON THE 9TH.  TEMPERATURES DIPPED INTO THE SINGLE DIGITS ON THE MORNINGS OF THE 7TH AND 12TH WHEN 7 DEGREES WERE REGISTERED.  LOW TEMPERATURE RECORDS FOR THE DATES WERE SET ON THE 9TH…10TH… AND 12TH.  THE COLD TEMPERATURES CAUSED STREETS TO GLAZE WITH ICE…RESULTING IN THE DEATH OF A PEDESTRIAN WHO WAS STRUCK BY A CAR IN DENVER.  THREE PEOPLE DIED FROM HEART ATTACKS WHILE SHOVELING THE HEAVY… WET SNOW.

9-12 

IN 1901…RAIN CHANGED TO SNOW AND TOTALED 10.8 INCHES IN DOWNTOWN DENVER OVER THE 4 DAYS.  NORTHEAST WINDS WERE SUSTAINED TO 28 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 31 MPH ON THE 11TH. TEMPERATURES HOVERED IN THE 30`S.

10-12

IN 1997…A PACIFIC STORM PRODUCED HEAVY SNOW ON THE 10TH AND THE 11TH IN AND NEAR THE FOOTHILLS WITH 6 TO 8 INCHES AT LOUISVILLE AND TURKEY CREEK CANYON…5 INCHES AT MORRISON…  AND ONLY 3.5 INCHES AT THE SITE OF THE FORMER STAPLETON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT.  NORTHEAST WINDS GUSTED TO 24 MPH AT DENVER INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT.  THE STORM ALSO BROUGHT UNSEASONABLY COLD WEATHER WITH 5 NEW TEMPERATURE RECORDS EQUALED OR BROKEN.  RECORD LOW TEMPERATURES OF 8 AND 6 OCCURRED ON THE 11TH AND 12TH.  RECORD LOW MAXIMUM TEMPERATURES OF 20…19…AND 30 OCCURRED ON THE 10TH…11TH…  AND 12TH RESPECTIVELY.  THIS WAS ALSO ONLY THE SECOND TIME ON RECORD THAT THE TEMPERATURE HAD FAILED TO REACH THE FREEZING MARK FOR 3 CONSECUTIVE DAYS IN APRIL.

Continue reading April 12 to April 18 – This week in Denver weather history →

Weather History

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

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April 5 to April 11 - This week in Denver weather history.
April 5 to April 11 - This week in Denver weather history.

An incredibly busy week on the Denver weather history calendar as we see below.  Thunderstorms, blizzards, tornadoes, hurricane force winds and more have all been seen during this week in Denver weather history. 

From the National Weather Service:

2-5  

IN 1918…SNOWFALL TOTALED 12.4 INCHES OVER DOWNTOWN DENVER. MOST OF THE SNOW FELL ON THE 3RD AND 4TH.  TEMPERATURES WERE IN THE 20`S AND 30`S.  NORTHWEST WINDS WERE SUSTAINED TO 24 MPH ON THE 2ND.

3-5  

IN 1996…THE FOOTHILLS WEST OF DENVER RECEIVED 6 TO 8 INCHES OF NEW SNOW.  ONLY 0.8 INCH OF SNOW FELL AT THE SITE OF THE FORMER STAPLETON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT…ALONG WITH SOME FREEZING DRIZZLE ON THE 4TH AND 5TH.  NORTH-NORTHEAST WINDS GUSTED TO 30 MPH AT DENVER INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT ON THE 3RD.

3-6  

IN 1898…SNOWFALL TOTALED 8.7 INCHES IN DOWNTOWN DENVER OVER THE 4 DAYS.  NORTHEAST WINDS WERE SUSTAINED TO 48 MPH WITH GUSTS AS HIGH AS 60 MPH ON THE 3RD.

IN 1983…A PROLONGED HEAVY SNOW STORM BLANKETED THE AREA ALONG WITH VERY COLD TEMPERATURES.  THE GREATEST AMOUNTS OF SNOW FELL IN THE FOOTHILLS WHERE 24 TO 42 INCHES WERE MEASURED.  A FOOT OF SNOW FELL IN BOULDER.  SNOW FELL FOR 50 CONSECUTIVE HOURS AT STAPLETON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT ON THE 3RD THROUGH THE 5TH WITH A TOTAL SNOWFALL OF 8.8 INCHES AND A MAXIMUM ACCUMULATION ON THE GROUND OF 6 INCHES ON THE 5TH.  IN DENVER…THE MERCURY FAILED TO RISE ABOVE FREEZING FOR 3 CONSECUTIVE DAYS…ON THE 4TH…5TH… AND 6TH…FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER IN APRIL.  FIVE DAILY TEMPERATURE RECORDS WERE SET FROM THE 4TH THROUGH THE 6TH. RECORD LOW TEMPERATURES OF 12 DEGREES OCCURRED ON THE 5TH WITH 7 DEGREES ON THE 6TH.  RECORD LOW MAXIMUM TEMPERATURES OF 25 DEGREES OCCURRED ON THE 4TH…27 DEGREES ON THE 5TH…  AND 28 DEGREES ON THE 6TH.

4-5  

IN 1900…RAIN CHANGED TO HEAVY SNOW AND TOTALED 7.8 INCHES IN DOWNTOWN DENVER OVERNIGHT.  A THUNDERSTORM ON THE 4TH PRODUCED HAIL.  PRECIPITATION TOTALED 1.50 INCHES.

IN 1911…NORTH TO NORTHWEST WINDS WERE SUSTAINED TO 42 MPH ON THE 4TH AND TO 41 MPH ON THE 5TH.

IN 2002…A WHITISH-COLORED HAZE ENGULFED METRO DENVER ON BOTH DAYS.  THE HAZE WAS THE RESULT OF A HUGE WIND STORM THAT KICKED UP DUST AND SAND FROM THE GOBI DESERT IN MONGOLIA AND CHINA DURING THE LATTER HALF OF MARCH.  WESTERLY WINDS ALOFT TRANSPORTED THE DUST CLOUD ACROSS THE PACIFIC OCEAN AND OVER THE WESTERN UNITED STATES…DEPOSITING SOME OF IT ON COLORADO.

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

Weather History

March 29 to April 4 – This week in Denver weather history

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March 29 - April 4 - This week in Denver weather history.
March 29 - April 4 - This week in Denver weather history.

This week in Denver weather history is notable for the variety of conditions that can be experienced this time of year.  From hurricane force winds and heavy snow to more typical spring severe weather like tornadoes, all can be experienced this time of year. 

From the National Weather Service:

27-29

IN 1948…HIGH WINDS RAKED BOULDER.  A WIND GUST TO 75 MPH WAS RECORDED AT VALMONT.  SUSTAINED WINDS IN EXCESS OF 35 MPH WERE ESTIMATED IN BOULDER.  MINOR DAMAGE WAS REPORTED.

IN 1961…HEAVY SNOWFALL TOTALED 9.5 INCHES AT STAPLETON AIRPORT OVER THE 3 DAY PERIOD.  MOST OF THE SNOW…5.3 INCHES…FELL ON THE 28TH.  WINDS WERE GENERALLY LIGHT AND GUSTED TO ONLY 22 MPH FROM THE NORTH.
28-29 IN 1891…RAIN CHANGED TO SNOW AND TOTALED 9.7 INCHES IN THE CITY.  NORTHEAST WINDS WERE SUSTAINED TO 12 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 28 MPH ON THE 28TH.

IN 1910…A STRONG COLD FRONT BROUGHT MUCH WIND…RAIN…AND AND SNOW TO THE CITY.  RAIN ON THE 28TH CHANGED TO SNOW EARLY ON THE 29TH.  SNOWFALL TOTALED ONLY 2.8 INCHES…BUT NORTH WINDS WERE SUSTAINED TO 50 MPH ON THE 29TH. PRECIPITATION FROM THE STORM TOTALED 0.96 INCH.

IN 1994…MOIST UPSLOPE WINDS COMBINED WITH AN UPPER LEVEL SYSTEM TO DUMP 5 TO 7 INCHES OF SNOW ALONG THE EASTERN FOOTHILLS AND ACROSS METRO DENVER.  SNOWFALL TOTALED 6.3 INCHES AT STAPLETON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT WHERE NORTHEAST WINDS GUSTED TO 39 MPH.  THIRTEEN INCHES OF NEW SNOW WERE MEASURED AT THE ELDORA SKI AREA WEST OF BOULDER.

28-30

IN 1949…A MAJOR WINTER STORM DUMPED 11.3 INCHES OF SNOW OVER DOWNTOWN DENVER.  SNOWFALL TOTALED 10.4 INCHES AT STAPLETON AIRPORT.  NORTH TO NORTHEAST WINDS WERE SUSTAINED TO 17 MPH.

Continue reading March 29 to April 4 – This week in Denver weather history →

Weather History

March 22 to March 28 – This week in Denver weather history

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March 22 - March 28 - This week in Denver weather history.
March 22 - March 28 - This week in Denver weather history.

This week in Denver weather history are a number of interesting events.  As March comes to a close we are not yet done with winter so snow is certainly still possible but we also start seeing more Spring-like weather.  Reminders of this include the coldest temperature ever recorded in March – 11 degrees below zero 123 years ago.  Conversely, 38 years ago the highest temperature ever recorded in March of 84 degrees was recorded.  

20-22

In 1944…heavy snow fell over metro Denver for a total of 36 hours. The storm dumped 18.5 inches of snowfall over downtown Denver and 12.2 inches at Stapleton Airport. Fortunately…there were no strong winds with the storm. North winds to only 19 mph were recorded on the 21st.

21-22

In 1955…wind gusts to 98 mph were recorded at rocky flats south of Boulder. Some damage and a few minor injuries were reported in Boulder. Northwest winds were sustained to 28 mph with gusts to 39 mph at Stapleton Airport on the 22nd.

In 1966…a vigorous cold front produced only 1.7 inches of snowfall at Stapleton International Airport…but northeast winds gusted to 49 mph on the 21st. Temperatures cooled from a maximum of 66 degrees on the 21st to a minimum of 14 degrees on the 22nd. Strong winds occurred on both days.

In 1992…an arctic cold front produced upslope snow across metro Denver mainly west of I-25. Castle Rock reported 6 inches of snow with 3 inches at Evergreen. At Stapleton International Airport…only 1.5 inches of snowfall were measured and northeast winds gusted to 18 mph on the 21st.

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

Thornton Weather

March 15 to March 21 – This week in Denver weather history

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March 15 to March 21 - This week in Denver weather history
March 15 to March 21 - This week in Denver weather history

This week is Denver and Thornton weather history is notable for many reasons.  2003 stands out as an extremely eventful year this week in weather history.  From March 17th to the 19th, six years ago, Denver was hit by one of its largest snowstorms in history.  We actually recently wrote about this storm on Examiner.com – click here to see it.  Also, we see our first mention of a tornado for the year, also in 2003, on March 17th.  The twister hit near Strasburg but was short-lived and caused no damage.  These events serve as a reminder that winter is not over and severe weather can strike at any time.

9-19 

IN 1906…AN EXTENDED COLD AND BLUSTERY PERIOD OCCURRED WITH LIGHT SNOW TOTALING 14.4 INCHES OVER 11 CONSECUTIVE DAYS. THE GREATEST AMOUNT OF SNOW ON A SINGLE DAY WAS 4.0 INCHES ON THE 15TH.  ONLY A TRACE OF SNOW FELL ON THE 12TH AND 17TH. HIGH TEMPERATURES WERE BELOW FREEZING FOR THE ENTIRE PERIOD. THE COLDEST WERE 14 DEGREES ON THE 16TH AND 18 DEGREES ON THE 17TH.  BOTH READINGS WERE RECORD LOW MAXIMUMS FOR THE DATES. LOW TEMPERATURES WERE MOSTLY IN THE SINGLE DIGITS.  THE COLDEST WERE 2 DEGREES BELOW ZERO ON THE 16TH AND 5 DEGREES BELOW ZERO ON THE 19TH.  NORTHEAST WINDS WERE SUSTAINED TO 22 MPH ON THE 9TH.  NORTH WINDS WERE SUSTAINED TO 36 MPH ON THE 10TH…32 MPH ON THE 13TH… AND 22 MPH ON THE 15TH.

12-16

IN 1880…A PROTRACTED COLD SPELL RESULTED IN 8 TEMPERATURE RECORDS BEING SET.  RECORD LOW TEMPERATURES FOR THE DATE WERE SET WHEN THE TEMPERATURE DIPPED TO 10 DEGREES BELOW ZERO ON THE 13TH AND 14TH…8 DEGREES BELOW ZERO ON THE 12TH AND 15TH…AND 4 DEGREES BELOW ZERO ON THE 16TH. DAILY RECORD LOW MAXIMUM TEMPERATURES WERE SET WITH 11 DEGREES ON THE 12TH…12 DEGREES ON THE 13TH… AND 19 DEGREES ON THE 15TH.

13-15

IN 1906…SNOWFALL TOTALED 8.0 INCHES OVER DOWNTOWN DENVER.

14-16

IN 1908…A WARM SPELL RESULTED IN DAILY RECORD HIGH MINIMUM TEMPERATURES ON 3 CONSECUTIVE DAYS:  54 DEGREES ON THE 14TH…52 DEGREES ON THE 15TH…AND 56 DEGREES ON THE 16TH…  ALSO THE ALL-TIME RECORD HIGH MINIMUM FOR THE MONTH OF MARCH.  HIGH TEMPERATURES RANGED FROM 65 DEGREES ON THE 14TH TO 72 DEGREES ON THE 16TH.

IN 1983…A HEAVY WET SNOWSTORM BURIED METRO DENVER WITH THE FOOTHILLS RECEIVING THE MOST.  CONIFER RECORDED 34 INCHES OF SNOW WITH 4 FEET MEASURED AT COAL CREEK CANYON IN THE FOOTHILLS NORTHWEST OF DENVER.  THE STORM LEFT 6 TO 10 INCHES OF SNOW ACROSS METRO DENVER.  BOULDER RECEIVED 12 TO 18 INCHES.  FLIGHT OPERATIONS AT STAPLETON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT WERE LIMITED TO ONE RUNWAY FOR A TIME.  SOME ROADS AND SCHOOLS WERE CLOSED…AND POWER OUTAGES OCCURRED WHEN WET SNOW DOWNED LINES.  SNOWFALL ON THE 15TH AND 16TH TOTALED 7.2 INCHES AT STAPLETON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT WHERE NORTH WINDS GUSTED TO 30 MPH.  MAXIMUM SNOW DEPTH ON THE GROUND WAS ONLY 6 INCHES DUE TO MELTING.

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

Thornton Weather

March 8 to March 14 – This week in Denver weather history

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March 8 to March 14 - This week in Denver weather history
March 8 to March 14 - This week in Denver weather history

Our look back at Denver weather history for the week reminds us that although the calendar says it is March, it is still very much winter.  Numerous mentions of snow, blizzards and related winter conditions are quite prevelant and we are reminded that March after all is our snowiest month. 

6-8  

IN 1932…SNOWFALL TOTALED 6.3 INCHES IN DOWNTOWN DENVER. MOST OF THE SNOW…5.2 INCHES… FELL ON THE 8TH.  NORTHEAST WINDS GUSTED TO 20 MPH ON THE 6TH.

7-8  

IN 1878…SNOW FROM THE EVENING OF THE 7TH UNTIL NOON OF THE 8TH TOTALED ONLY 5 INCHES IN DOWNTOWN DENVER. APPARENT HEAVIER SNOW OVER THE PLAINS ALONG WITH STRONG WINDS DRIFTED THE SNOW INTO HIGH DRIFTS…WHICH DELAYED TRAINS FOR SEVERAL DAYS AND CAUSED A GREAT LOSS OF LIVESTOCK.  MELTING OF THE SNOW CAUSED A RISE IN CHERRY CREEK…WHICH RESULTED IN MUCH DAMAGE.  PRECIPITATION FROM THE STORM TOTALED ONLY 0.50 INCH IN DENVER.
 
IN 2000…HIGH WINDS DEVELOPED IN AND NEAR THE FRONT RANGE FOOTHILLS…AS WELL AS PARTS OF THE NORTHEAST COLORADO PLAINS AS ANOTHER PACIFIC STORM SYSTEM MOVED ACROSS THE AREA.  SEVERAL TREES AND POWER LINES WERE DOWNED NEAR BLACKHAWK…BOULDER… AND IN COAL CREEK CANYON.  ABOUT 30 HOMES IN THE PINEBROOK HILLS SUBDIVISION IN BOULDER WERE EVACUATED WHEN DOWNED POWER LINES SPARKED A GRASSFIRE.  THE WINDS EVENTUALLY SHIFTED THE FIRE ONTO ITSELF…THUS ALLOWING FIREFIGHTERS TO CONTAIN THE TWO ACRE BLAZE.  SEVERAL ROOFS WERE BLOWN OFF BARNS…SHEDS…  AND GARAGES.  TWO SEMI-TRAILERS WERE BLOWN OVER…ONE ALONG C-470 BETWEEN GOLDEN AND MORRISON AND ANOTHER NORTH OF DENVER ON I-25.  WIND GUSTS REACHED 101 MPH ON ROCKY FLATS…100 MPH AT THE NEARBY NATIONAL WIND TECHNOLOGY CENTER…90 MPH AT BLACKHAWK AND ATOP BLUE MOUNTAIN…92 MPH IN SOUTH BOULDER… 73 MPH IN COAL CREEK CANYON…72 MPH IN GOLDEN… AND 70 MPH AT LOUISVILLE. NORTHWEST WINDS GUSTED TO 45 MPH ON THE 7TH AND TO 49 MPH ON THE 8TH AT DENVER INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT.

8    

IN 1878…WINDS STARTED TO INCREASE AT 4:00 AM AND BLEW STEADILY AT SUSTAINED SPEEDS OF 36 TO 40 MPH WITH A MAXIMUM SUSTAINED SPEED OF 60 MPH AROUND 11:00 AM. SNOWFALL OF 5.0 INCHES OCCURRED IN THE CITY…BUT MUCH MORE SNOW FELL ON THE PLAINS…WHICH BLOCKADED TRAINS BOUND FOR THE CITY FOR SEVERAL DAYS.
 
IN 1898…NORTHWEST WINDS SUSTAINED TO 53 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 60 MPH WARMED THE TEMPERATURE TO A HIGH OF 67 DEGREES.
 
IN 1908…LIGHT SNOWFALL OF 0.8 INCH PRODUCED ONLY 0.01 INCH OF PRECIPITATION.  THIS ALONG WITH THE 0.10 INCH OF PRECIPITATION ON THE 21ST RESULTED IN THE DRIEST MARCH ON RECORD WITH A TOTAL OF 0.11 INCH OF PRECIPITATION.
 
IN 1986…TEMPERATURES CLIMBED FROM A RECORD HIGH MINIMUM OF 45 DEGREES TO A RECORD MAXIMUM OF 72 DEGREES FOR THE DAY.
 
IN 2005…A VIGOROUS COLD FRONT MOVED A WALL OF BLOWING DUST ACROSS METRO DENVER DURING THE MID-MORNING.  AT DENVER INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT…NORTH WINDS SUSTAINED TO 48 MPH WITH GUSTS AS HIGH AS 55 MPH…ALONG WITH VERY LIGHT RAIN WHICH CHANGED TO SNOW…BRIEFLY REDUCED THE SURFACE VISIBILITY TO 1 MILE.  A THUNDERSTORM FORMED OVER ARVADA. WITH THE PASSAGE OF THE COLD FRONT…THE TEMPERATURE PLUNGED 11 DEGREES IN JUST 16 MINUTES AT DENVER INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT WHERE PRECIPITATION WAS ONLY 0.01 INCH ALONG WITH 0.1 INCH OF SNOW.

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

Colorado Weather, Thornton Weather

Four weather records broken in recent days

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Sunny skies on Wednesday, March 4th helped Denver break a 137 year old high temperature record.
Sunny skies on Wednesday, March 4th helped Denver break a 137 year old high temperature record.

Denver officially broke the high temperature record on Wednesday, March 4th.  At 12:40pm the temperature at Denver International Airport reached 76 degrees, breaking the old record of 74 degrees set in 1872.  

This marks the 4th weather record we have broken in just the week. In addition to Wednesday’s mark, we have had:

We are very dry right now and could really use some significant precipitation as snowfall totals are less than half of what they normally are by this time of year.  Is there hope?  We remember back to 2003 when we were in a similar dry condition and two major storms helped to turn things around.  Click here to read about that on Examiner.com.

Are these really records and is it fair to compare these measurements with historical data?  Check out our Examiner.com investigation to see why some say these records should have an asterisk attached to them. 

Thornton Weather

March 1 to March 7 – This week in Denver weather history

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March 1 to March 7 - This week in Denver weather history
March 1 to March 7 - This week in Denver weather history

Looking at this week in Denver weather history, it is easy to see why March is known as Denver’s snowiest month. There are numerous instances of major winter storms dumping snow on the city that was measured not in inches – but feet!

From the National Weather Service:

28-1

IN 1875…6 INCHES OF SNOW FELL FROM 3:15 PM ON THE 28TH TO 1:00 AM ON THE 1ST. PRECIPITATION FOR THE TWO DAYS WAS 0.50 INCH.

29-1

IN 1896…SNOWFALL TOTALED 5.5 INCHES IN THE CITY. NORTHEAST WINDS GUSTED TO 24 MPH.

IN 1948…SNOWFALL TOTALED 5.9 INCHES IN DOWNTOWN DENVER. NORTH WINDS WERE SUSTAINED TO 15 MPH.

1

IN 1904…WEST WINDS WERE SUSTAINED TO 42 MPH WITH GUSTS AS HIGH AS 58 MPH. THE CHINOOK WINDS WARMED THE TEMPERATURE TO A HIGH OF 67 DEGREES.

IN 1906…SNOWFALL WAS HEAVY AND TOTALED 7.5 INCHES OVER DOWNTOWN DENVER. NORTHEAST WINDS WERE SUSTAINED TO 37 MPH.

IN 1940…SNOWFALL WAS HEAVY AND TOTALED 7.7 INCHES IN DOWNTOWN DENVER.

IN 1943…6.0 INCHES OF SNOW FELL OVER DOWNTOWN DENVER. NORTH WINDS WERE SUSTAINED TO 19 MPH.

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