Our look back at this week in Denver weather history contains much of what you would expect to see this time of year – high winds, snow storms, and cold but also a rare February thunderstorm. 

21-22

IN 1909…A MAJOR STORM DUMPED 12.9 INCHES OF HEAVY SNOWFALL OVER THE CITY.  NORTH WINDS WERE SUSTAINED TO 37 MPH ON THE 22ND.  TEMPERATURES DURING THE STORM HOVERED IN THE 20’S.

22   

IN 1893…NORTHWEST WINDS WERE SUSTAINED TO 36 MPH WITH  GUSTS TO 50 MPH.

IN 1900…NORTHWEST WINDS SUSTAINED TO 40 MPH WITH GUSTS  TO 45 MPH WARMED THE TEMPERATURE TO A HIGH OF 61 DEGREES.

IN 1910…A COLD FRONT CAUSED A REMARKABLY SHARP DROP IN  TEMPERATURE FROM 43 DEGREES AT 3:00 AM TO ONLY 3 DEGREES  AT 8:30 AM.  THESE WERE THE HIGH AND LOW TEMPERATURES FOR  THE DAY.  EARLY WEST WINDS SWITCHED TO NORTHEAST BEHIND  THE FRONT.

IN 1927…WEST WINDS WERE SUSTAINED TO 42 MPH WITH A MEASURED  MAXIMUM VELOCITY TO 60 MPH.

IN 1954…STRONG AND GUSTY WEST WINDS PERSISTED THROUGHOUT THE  DAY.  THE HIGHEST WIND GUST RECORDED AT STAPLETON AIRPORT  WAS 58 MPH.

IN 1960…SNOWFALL TOTALED 5.9 INCHES…PRODUCING NEAR-BLIZZARD  CONDITIONS IN SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW AT STAPLETON AIRPORT  WHERE NORTHEAST WIND GUSTS TO 40 MPH REDUCED VISIBILITY  TO 1/2 MILE.

IN 1986…HIGH WINDS OCCURRED IN THE FOOTHILLS.  WIND GUSTS OF  65 TO 70 MPH WERE REPORTED AT GOLDEN GATE CANYON…AND A PEAK  GUST OF 83 MPH WAS RECORDED AT ECHO LAKE.  NORTHWEST WINDS  GUSTED TO ONLY 29 MPH AT STAPLETON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT.

IN 1988…A WIND GUST TO 83 MPH WAS RECORDED IN BOULDER WITH  80 MPH CLOCKED AT ROLLINSVILLE.  NORTHWEST WINDS GUSTED TO  45 MPH AT STAPLETON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT.

IN 1996…WIND GUSTS TO 63 MPH WERE REPORTED IN WESTERN  ELBERT COUNTY.  SOUTHWEST WINDS GUSTED TO 45 MPH AT  DENVER INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT.

IN 1999…STRONG POST-FRONTAL…BORA WINDS DEVELOPED OVER THE  FOOTHILLS AND SPREAD OVER THE NORTHEAST PLAINS.  PEAK WIND  GUSTS INCLUDED:  87 MPH AT GOLDEN GATE CANYON; 84 MPH AT  WONDERVU; 80 MPH AT THE NATIONAL CENTER FOR ATMOSPHERIC  RESEARCH MESA LAB; 75 MPH AT THE ROCKY FLATS ENVIRONMENTAL  TEST FACILITY; 74 MPH AT JEFFERSON COUNTY AIRPORT NEAR  BROOMFIELD; 72 MPH AT THE GAMOW TOWER ON THE UNIVERSITY OF  COLORADO CAMPUS IN BOULDER; AND 60 MPH AT BENNETT.  WEST  TO NORTHWEST WINDS GUSTED TO 44 MPH AT DENVER INTERNATIONAL  AIRPORT.

IN 2000…THUNDER WAS HEARD ACROSS MUCH OF METRO DENVER.  THUNDERSTORMS OVER SOUTHWEST METRO DENVER PRODUCED 1/4  TO 1/2 INCH DIAMETER HAIL AT PINEHURST COUNTRY CLUB.  A  THUNDERSTORM AT DENVER INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT PRODUCED  WIND GUSTS TO 34 MPH.  THIS WAS ONLY THE 6TH TIME SINCE  1891 THAT THUNDER HAD BEEN REPORTED IN FEBRUARY.
22-23

IN 1985…A SNOWSTORM STRUCK THE EASTERN FOOTHILLS WITH 8 TO  15 INCHES OF NEW SNOW.  THREE TO 7 INCHES OF NEW SNOW FELL  ACROSS METRO DENVER AND PARTS OF I-70 WERE CLOSED AT TIMES.  SNOWFALL TOTALED ONLY 3.3 INCHES AT STAPLETON INTERNATIONAL  AIRPORT WHERE NORTHEAST WIND GUSTS TO 29 MPH WERE RECORDED.

IN 1992…A SNOW STORM DUMPED HEAVY SNOW IN THE FRONT RANGE  FOOTHILLS.  CONIFER RECEIVED 12 INCHES OF NEW SNOW WITH 7.5  INCHES AT ASPEN SPRINGS.  SNOW ONLY DUSTED THE PLAINS AND  METRO DENVER…BUT WINDS WERE STRONG WITH A GUST TO 43 MPH  FROM THE NORTH AT STAPLETON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT WHERE  SNOWFALL TOTALED ONLY 0.3 INCH.  THIS WAS THE ONLY  MEASURABLE SNOWFALL OF THE MONTH…EQUALING THE RECORD  FOR THE LEAST SNOWIEST FEBRUARY FIRST SET IN 1970.  RARE  THUNDER FOR FEBRUARY ACCOMPANIED THE SNOW DURING THE EARLY  MORNING HOURS OF THE 23RD.

IN 1999…STRONG CHINOOK WINDS DEVELOPED ON A VERY LOCALIZED  SCALE OVERNIGHT IN AND NEAR THE FOOTHILLS OF NORTHERN  JEFFERSON AND SOUTHERN BOULDER COUNTIES.  PEAK WIND REPORTS  INCLUDED:  82 MPH AT THE ROCKY FLATS ENVIRONMENTAL TEST  FACILITY…80 MPH AT THE NATIONAL CENTER FOR ATMOSPHERIC  RESEARCH MESA LAB IN BOULDER…77 MPH NEAR NEDERLAND…AND  75 MPH ATOP THE GAMOW TOWER ON THE UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO  CAMPUS IN BOULDER.

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

Wind, wind and more wind.  Sounding like a broken record, we see that mentioned many times in our look back at this week in Denver weather history.  There is of course other common weather conditions for this time of year including blizzards and arctic cold. 

14-15

IN 1960…HEAVY SNOWFALL TOTALED 6.1 INCHES AT STAPLETON AIRPORT.

IN 1965…5.4 INCHES OF SNOW FELL AT STAPLETON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT BEHIND A COLD FRONT.  NORTH-NORTHEAST WINDS GUSTED TO 32 MPH.  WINDS WERE STRONG AND GUSTY ALL DAY AND CAUSED CONSIDERABLE BLOWING SNOW…CONTRIBUTING TO HAZARDOUS DRIVING CONDITIONS MAINLY TO THE EAST OF DENVER.

IN 1984…A SNOW AND WIND STORM HOWLED ACROSS EASTERN COLORADO CLOSING I-70 EAST OF DENVER.  THIS WAS THE SECOND BLIZZARD IN LESS THAN 4 DAYS.  ONLY 0.5 INCH OF NEW SNOW FELL AT STAPLETON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT…BUT NORTH WINDS GUSTED TO 51 MPH.

15   

IN 1881…THE TEMPERATURE PLUNGED TO A LOW OF 20 DEGREES BELOW ZERO IN THE CITY.  IN OUTER AREAS OF THE CITY…THE TEMPERATURE DIPPED TO 26.5 DEGREES BELOW ZERO.

IN 1910…WEST WINDS WERE SUSTAINED TO 42 MPH.

IN 1986…HIGH WINDS BATTERED THE FRONT RANGE FOOTHILLS. A WIND GUST TO 95 MPH WAS RECORDED IN BOULDER…BUT WINDS OF 60 TO 80 MPH WERE COMMON IN AND NEAR THE FOOTHILLS.  IN AURORA…AN AUTOMOBILE DEALERSHIP LOST A LARGE PLATE GLASS WINDOW.  SOUTHWEST WIND GUSTS TO 44 MPH WERE RECORDED AT STAPLETON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT.  THE STRONG WINDS WARMED TEMPERATURES.  A RECORD MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE OF 66 DEGREES AND A RECORD HIGH MINIMUM TEMPERATURE OF 37 DEGREES WERE RECORDED AT STAPLETON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT.

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

Our look back at this week in Denver weather history contains many of the severe weather conditions we would expect to see – high speed winds, arctic cold, big time snowstorms, etc.  Most notable is the coldest February temperature ever recorded – 25 degrees below zero. 

31-8 

IN 1963…WARM WEATHER THAT BEGAN WITH THE STRONG CHINOOK WINDS ON THE 31ST AND 1ST CONTINUED THROUGH THE 8TH. MAXIMUM TEMPERATURES THROUGH THE PERIOD RANGED FROM 52 DEGREES ON THE 2ND TO 76 DEGREES ON THE 5TH…WHICH WAS A NEW RECORD HIGH FOR THAT DATE.

31-12

IN 1899…A PROTRACTED COLD SPELL LASTED ALMOST TWO WEEKS. LOW TEMPERATURES PLUNGED BELOW ZERO ON ALL DAYS BUT FEBRUARY 9TH WITH A READING OF 6 DEGREES.  THE COLDEST LOW TEMPERATURE OF 22 DEGREES BELOW ZERO ON FEBRUARY 6TH WAS A RECORD LOW FOR THE DATE.  LOW TEMPERATURES OF 20 DEGREES BELOW ZERO OCCURRED ON BOTH FEBRUARY 11TH AND 12TH… BUT ONLY THE 11TH REMAINS AS THE RECORD MINIMUM FOR THE DATE.  HIGH TEMPERATURE OF ONLY 5 DEGREES BELOW ZERO ON FEBRUARY 11TH WAS A RECORD LOW MAXIMUM FOR THE DATE.  HIGH TEMPERATURES CLIMBED TO ONLY ZERO DEGREES ON BOTH FEBRUARY 2ND AND 3RD…BUT WERE NOT RECORDS.  INTERMITTENT LIGHT SNOW OR FLURRIES FELL DURING THE PERIOD.  THE MOST SNOWFALL…2.0 INCHES…OCCURRED ON FEBRUARY 2ND.

1-9  

IN 1883…A PROTRACTED COLD PERIOD OCCURRED WHEN LOW TEMPERATURES DIPPED BELOW ZERO FOR 9 CONSECUTIVE DAYS. LOW TEMPERATURES RANGED FROM 22 DEGREES BELOW ZERO ON THE 4TH TO 2 DEGREES BELOW ZERO ON THE 1ST AND 6TH.  HIGH TEMPERATURES RANGED FROM 10 BELOW ZERO ON THE 3RD TO 23 ON THE 9TH.  SEVERAL TEMPERATURE RECORDS WERE SET THAT STILL STAND TODAY.  RECORD LOWS OF 18 BELOW AND 22 BELOW ZERO OCCURRED ON THE 3RD AND 4TH.  RECORD LOW MAXIMUM READINGS OF 2 BELOW AND 10 BELOW ZERO OCCURRED ON THE 2ND AND 3RD.  THE HIGH OF ONLY 10 BELOW ZERO ON THE 3RD IS THE COLDEST MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE EVER RECORDED IN DENVER.

5-11 

IN 1978…THE 5TH MARKED THE START OF A RECORD 7 CONSECUTIVE DAYS OF DENSE FOG AT STAPLETON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT.  THE HEAVY FOG REDUCED THE VISIBILITY TO 1/4 MILE OR LESS FOR A PERIOD OF TIME ON EACH OF THESE DAYS.  LIGHT SNOW AND/OR FREEZING DRIZZLE OCCURRED ON MOST DAYS.  FOG REDUCING VISIBILITY TO LESS THAN 7 MILES WAS RECORDED AT STAPLETON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT ON 11 CONSECUTIVE DAYS THROUGH THE 15TH.  DURING THE PERIOD 5-14…THE COLD THICK FOG DEPOSITED HEAVY RIME ICE UP TO 5 INCHES THICK ON POWER LINES AND POLES OVER A WIDE AREA OF EASTERN COLORADO…CAUSING A MAJOR ELECTRICAL POWER OUTAGE DISASTER.

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

A look back at this week in Denver weather history shows the wide variety of weather conditions that we can receive.  Everything from warm spring-like days to high speed damaging winds to protracted bone chilling Arctic cold spells is evident. 

26-1 

IN 1888…A PROTRACTED WARM SPELL LASTED A WEEK.  MAXIMUM TEMPERATURES RANGED FROM 62 DEGREES ON THE 29TH TO AN ALL TIME RECORD HIGH FOR THE MONTH OF 76 DEGREES ON THE 27TH.  DAILY RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURES OF 76…69… AND 71 OCCURRED ON THE 27TH…28TH… AND 30TH RESPECTIVELY. RECORD HIGH MINIMUM TEMPERATURES OF 47 AND 34 OCCURRED ON THE 26TH AND 27TH.

30-7 

IN 1985…A COLD FRONT ON THE 29TH PRODUCED A PROTRACTED COLD SPELL AS ARCTIC AIR REMAINED ENTRENCHED ACROSS METRO DENVER. WHILE THE ONLY DAILY TEMPERATURE RECORD SET WAS A LOW MAXIMUM READING OF 2 DEGREES ON FEBRUARY 3RD…MINIMUM TEMPERATURES PLUNGED WELL BELOW ZERO ON 9 CONSECUTIVE DAYS. THE COLDEST READINGS WERE 15 DEGREES BELOW ZERO ON JANUARY 31ST AND 14 DEGREES BELOW ZERO ON FEBRUARY 5TH.

31-1 

IN 1963…HIGH WINDS STRUCK METRO DENVER.  THE STRONG CHINOOK WINDS REACHED 101 MPH IN LITTLETON…80 MPH IN DENVER…AND 90 MPH AT ROCKY FLATS.  AMONG THE HARDEST HIT AREAS WERE BOULDER WHERE BUILDINGS UNDER CONSTRUCTION WERE BLOWN DOWN…PORCHES AND ROOFS BLOWN OFF BUILDINGS… AND POWER LINES DAMAGED.  DAMAGE TOTALED 100 THOUSAND DOLLARS IN BOULDER ALONE.  IN OTHER AREAS…UTILITY LINES WERE DAMAGED AND MANY SIGNS…ANTENNAS… AND ROAD MARKERS WERE BLOWN DOWN.  AT STAPLETON AIRPORT…WEST WINDS GUSTED TO 44 MPH ON THE 31ST AND 66 MPH ON THE 1ST.  THE CHINOOK WINDS WARMED MAXIMUM TEMPERATURES TO 65 DEGREES ON THE 31ST AND TO 70 DEGREES ON THE 1ST.

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

A very eventful week in Denver weather history.  Among the notable items – the longest period of snow on record, the highest wind gust ever in the metro area (147mph) and numerous blizzards that caused a variety of problems.

22-26

IN 1948…THE LONGEST PERIOD OF SNOWFALL ON RECORD (92 HOURS AND 3 MINUTES) OCCURRED IN DOWNTOWN DENVER WHERE A TOTAL OF 13.6 INCHES OF SNOW FELL.  AT STAPLETON AIRPORT…19.0 INCHES OF SNOW FELL…MAKING IT THE HEAVIEST SNOW IN JANUARY AND THE 5TH HEAVIEST SNOW OF RECORD AT THAT TIME.  NORTH WINDS WERE SUSTAINED TO A VELOCITY OF 23 MPH ON THE 25TH…BUT GENERALLY THE WINDS WERE LIGHT THROUGHOUT THE STORM.  THE SNOW DISRUPTED TRAFFIC…BUT STREET CLEARING WAS BEGUN SOON AFTER IT BECAME APPARENT THAT THE SNOW WOULD BE HEAVY.  OVER THE 5 DAYS…TEMPERATURES RANGED FROM A HIGH OF 48 DEGREES ON THE 22ND TO A LOW OF 1 DEGREE ON THE 26TH.  MOST READINGS WERE IN THE TEENS AND 20`S DURING THE STORM.

24-25

IN 1916…A TRACE OF LIGHT RAIN…RARE IN DENVER FOR JANUARY…  OCCURRED ON BOTH DAYS.
 
IN 1946…HIGH WINDS OCCURRED IN BOULDER AND ALONG THE FOOTHILLS TO THE NORTH.  A WIND GUST TO 72 MPH WAS RECORDED AT VALMONT.
 
IN 1947…STRONG WINDS WERE MEASURED IN BOULDER.  HOURLY WIND GUSTS AVERAGED 72 MPH AT VALMONT EAST OF BOULDER.
 
IN 1950…HEAVY SNOWFALL TOTALED 7.1 INCHES AT STAPLETON AIRPORT AND 6.8 INCHES IN DOWNTOWN DENVER.

Continue reading January 25 to January 31 – This week in Denver weather history →