March is Denver’s snowiest month and it is not unusual for us to receive heavy, wet snows during this time. Our look back at this week in Denver weather history highlights many such events.

From the National Weather Service:

4-6

In 1931…a cold front with north winds gusting to 35 mph on the evening of the 4th brought snowfall on the 5th into the early morning of the 6th. Heavy snowfall totaled 6.2 inches. Temperatures plunged from a high of 58 degrees on the 4th to a low of only 22 degrees by midnight…which was also the high reading on the 5th.

In 1983…a slow moving moisture laden storm produced heavy snow and rain. Two to three feet of snow fell in the foothills at Wondervu and Nederland. The southern portion of metro Denver was buried with 26 inches of snow in southeast Aurora…25 inches at Franktown…and 19 inches at Littleton. Snowfall totaled 18.7 inches at Stapleton International Airport with most of the snow…18.0 inches… Falling on the 5th. Brighton received only 11 inches of new snow. Boulder was drenched by rain and received no snow. Precipitation from the storm totaled 3.06 inches at Stapleton International Airport where north winds gusted to 28 mph. The heavy wet snow snapped many tree limbs…which fell on power and phone lines causing many outages. Numerous highways were closed. Two thousand travelers were stranded at Stapleton International Airport where only one runway was open for a time. Many flights were canceled. One home in Denver was severely damaged when its roof collapsed under the weight of the heavy snow. The 2.68 inches of precipitation on the 5th was the greatest calendar day precipitation ever recorded in the city during March. The 2.79 inches of precipitation on the 4th and 5th was the greatest 24 hour precipitation ever measured during March.

5-6

In 1935…3.0 inches of snow fell in downtown Denver. This was the only measurable snow of the month. Northwest winds gusted to 29 mph on the 5th.

In 1940…heavy snowfall totaled 9.1 inches over downtown Denver. North winds gusted to 22 mph.

In 2000…high winds developed in and near the foothills just prior to the passage of an upper level storm system moving in from the west. Peak gusts from the windstorm included: 88 mph at the National Center for Atmospheric Research near Boulder…82 mph in Boulder…80 mph at the national wind technology center south of Boulder…79 mph on Rocky Flats…and 71 mph in Golden Gate Canyon. Several power lines were downed causing a few brief outages. Thunderstorms produced southeast wind gusts to 51 mph at Denver International Airport on the 5th.

In 2003…high winds spread from the mountains down the eastern slopes. The highest wind gusts were 85 mph atop the Gamow Tower on the University of Colorado campus in Boulder and 70 mph at the national wind technology center on Rocky Flats west of Broomfield. West winds gusted to 44 mph at Denver International Airport on the 6th.

6

In 1900…west winds were sustained to 41 mph with gusts to 49 mph.

In 1920…the high temperature warmed to only 6 degrees… The all-time record low maximum temperature for the month of March. The same reading also occurred on March 10…1948.

In 1972…a wind gust to 100 mph was recorded at Jefferson County Airport in Broomfield. Winds gusted in Boulder at speeds of 50 to 65 mph. A light plane was overturned… And there was damage to other planes at Boulder airport. The roof of a garage was blown off…and a mobile home was overturned in Boulder. A truck was blown off the highway 15 miles east of Boulder. West winds gusted to 51 mph at Stapleton International Airport. The warm Chinook winds were responsible for setting a new record high temperature for the date of 75 degrees…exceeding the old record of 72 degrees set in 1925.

In 1990…a blizzard pummeled metro Denver. Snow fell at a rate of 2 to 3 inches an hour. Gusty north winds whipped the snow into 2- to 3-foot drifts by noon. During the afternoon many stores and schools closed. By rush hour sustained winds of 35 to 46 mph and gusts to 58 mph reduced visibilities to near zero and whipped the new snow into 3- to 4-foot drifts. Many residential as well as secondary and primary roads became impassable. I-25 and I-70 were closed in and out of the city. Road crews cleared drifts as high as 12 feet in southeast Boulder and northwest Adams counties. Several hundred rush hour commuters…including the state’s governor…were caught in the blizzard conditions along a 15-mile stretch of the Denver-Boulder turnpike. Many remained snowbound in their vehicles up to 8 hours until rescued by police and the National Guard. The highway remained closed until mid-day on the 7th. Shelters for stranded commuters and travelers were opened in Broomfield and Castle Rock. Many workers didn’t even try to go home…but filled downtown hotels to near capacity. By early evening…Stapleton International Airport was shut down after an airliner with 82 passengers aboard skidded off a runway. Snowfall totals for the storm varied from 18 to 50 inches in the foothills above 6 thousand feet…9 to 24 inches west of I-25…and 2 to 12 inches over eastern metro Denver. Snowfall from the storm totaled 11.8 inches at Stapleton International Airport where the maximum snow depth on the ground was 7 inches due to melting.

In 2004…very strong downslope winds developed in and near the eastern foothills…causing numerous traffic accidents and extensive property damage to roofs and aluminum sheds. Three semi-trucks were toppled by the strong winds near the I-70 and C-470 interchange. One of the trucks was carrying a modular home…while another was hauling hazardous material. I-70 had to be closed in both directions until the accidents could be cleaned up. Strong winds forced the closure of State Highway 93 between Golden and Boulder…when the road became icy and snowpacked from localized ground blizzards. Another semi- truck was blown over near the intersection of State Highways 72 and 93 atop Rocky Flats. Scattered power outages were reported across northern and western sections of metro Denver…affecting around 2000 residents. In Boulder…several pine trees were uprooted by the high winds.

In 2017…strong winds combined with very dry conditions produced extreme fire danger across the region. In Aurora… fire crews responded to a brush fire near Gun Club Road and Jewell Avenue. It burned approximately 290 acres before it was contained. Strong winds also downed a tree which crushed a parked car in a driveway. Peak wind gusts included: 83 mph…5 miles south of Berthoud; 63 mph at Centennial… 58 mph near Bennett and at Denver International Airport.

6-7

In 1981…a storm dumped 4 to 8 inches of snow over higher elevations between Denver and Colorado springs. At Stapleton International Airport…north winds gusted to 16 mph and snowfall totaled only 2.5 inches.

In 1998…heavy snow fell over portions of metro Denver and the adjacent foothills. Snowfall totals included 11 inches at Chief Hosa…10 inches near Evergreen…8.5 inches in Broomfield…8 inches at Bailey…and 7 inches at both Standley Lake and Thornton. Elsewhere…snowfall across metro Denver ranged from 3 to 6 inches with 4.9 inches measured at the site of the former Stapleton International Airport. North winds gusted to 26 mph at Denver International Airport on the 7th. Several accidents occurred along area roads and highways when they became icy and snowpacked.

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

In 1872…heavy rain started shortly after midnight and soon turned to sleet…which continued to just after sunrise…the ground at that time not even being white. At about 7:00 am the worst snow storm of the winter commenced and continued until 10:00 pm…snowing heavily nearly all the time. North winds averaged a sustained speed of 25 mph. About 8 inches of snow fell…but it drifted too much to obtain a direct measurement.

In 1901…northwest winds were sustained to 40 mph with gusts as high as 58 mph. The strong Chinook winds warmed the temperature to a high of 70 degrees.

In 1902…northwest winds were sustained to 45 mph with gusts to 53 mph.

In 1950…strong north winds at 40 mph with gusts as high as 60 mph produced a dust storm across metro Denver. At Stapleton Airport…blowing dust reduced visibility to as low as 1/4 mile for most of the day.

In 1972…northwest winds gusted to 51 mph at Stapleton International Airport. The Chinook winds warmed temperatures to a high of 64 degrees.

In 1984…a wind gust to 63 mph was recorded at Golden Gate Canyon west of Denver. West winds gusted to 39 mph at Stapleton International Airport.

In 2017…strong winds occurred across the north central and northeast Colorado. In west Greeley…a building under construction completely collapsed. The 5000 square-foot addition to a church swayed under the force of the wind then collapsed. Some of the debris pinned a construction worker; he suffered minor injuries. Peak wind gusts included: 81 mph at Berthoud Pass and Genesee; 75 mph near Jamestown…60 mph…2 miles south-southeast of Denver International Airport and 55 mph at Greeley Airport. Officially…a peak wind gust to 46 mph was measured at Denver International Airport from the northwest.

Continue reading March 6 to March 12: This Week in Denver Weather History →

This may be the first full week of spring officially but as any longtime Colorado resident will tell you, spring-like weather is not a given this time of year.  As we look back at this week in Denver weather history, it is very clear that oftentimes Old Man Winter insists on hanging around for a bit longer.

18-21

In 1907…a warm spell resulted in 6 daily temperature records.  Record maximum temperatures of 82 degrees occurred on the 18th with 81 degrees on the 19th and 80 degrees on the 20th.  Record high minimum temperatures of 52 degrees occurred on the 19th and 20th with 54 degrees on the 21st.

19-21

In 1888…heavy snowfall totaled 8.6 inches over downtown Denver.  North winds were sustained to 27 mph on the 19th.

20-21

In 1878…warm days with high temperatures in the lower 70’s in the city…caused snow to melt on the palmer divide…which caused the waters in Cherry Creek to rise. The high…rapid running water damaged a home and eroded bridge footings and abutments.  Some bridges became unsafe for the passage of trains.

In 1904…southwest winds sustained to 48 mph with gusts to 60 mph warmed the temperature to a high of 68 degrees on the 20th.  The high was only 42 degrees on the 21st behind a cold front…which produced 1.3 inches of snow and northeast winds sustained to 27 mph overnight.

In 1923…post-frontal rain changed to heavy snow and totaled 8.2 inches over the city.  North winds were sustained to 27 mph with gusts to 29 mph on the 20th. This was the second major snow in a week.

In 1932…rain changed to heavy snow…which totaled 6.2 inches in downtown Denver.  North winds gusted to 22 mph on the 21st.

In 1948…heavy snowfall totaled 7.2 inches over downtown Denver.

In 1952…a major snow storm produced north wind gusts to 35 mph and dumped 16.9 inches of snowfall on Stapleton Airport.  The maximum snow depth on the ground was 13 inches due to melting.

In 2000…heavy snow fell in and near the foothills of Douglas and Jefferson counties.  Snowfall totals included:  9 inches near tiny town and 7 inches in Littleton.  Snowfall totaled only 1.8 inches at the site of the former Stapleton International Airport. North winds gusted to 34 mph at Denver International Airport on the 20th.

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

In 1898…an apparent Canadian cold front produced strong winds and plunged temperatures from a high of 56 degrees to a low of 8 degrees late in the day.  North winds were sustained to 48 mph with gusts to 60 mph.

In 1908…light snowfall of 1.3 inches produced 0.10 inch of precipitation.  This…along with the 0.01 inch of precipitation on the 8th…resulted in the driest March on record with a total of 0.11 inch of precipitation.

In 1916…southwest winds were sustained to 46 mph with a gust to 48 mph.  The Chinook winds warmed the temperature to a high of 62 degrees.

In 1923…heavy snowfall totaled 8.0 inches in downtown Denver.

In 1953…northwest winds gusting to 57 mph briefly reduced visibility to 3/4 miles in blowing dust at Stapleton Airport.

In 1981…rain changed rapidly to snow…but totaled only 2.8 inches at Stapleton International Airport.  North winds gusting to 35 mph produced much blowing snow and reduced the visibility to a half mile at times.  Over the higher elevations of south metro Denver…4 to 6 inches of snow were measured.

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.

22

In 1905…apparent post-frontal north winds were sustained to 49 mph.

In 1922…a vigorous cold front with north winds sustained to 41 mph brought only 0.6 inch of snowfall to the city. These were the highest winds of the month.

In 1966…high winds caused extensive blowing snow that impeded traffic and closed highways over a wide area of eastern Colorado.  Wind damage was widespread…but minor. North wind gusts to 47 mph were recorded at Stapleton International Airport where visibility was reduced as low as 1/8 mile in blowing snow.

In 1975…a strong west wind gust to 51 mph was recorded at Stapleton International Airport…while east of Denver the strong winds caused minor property damage and considerable blowing dust which closed several roads.

In 1979…near-blizzard conditions paralyzed the northeastern quarter of the state.  Strong winds and drifting snow closed many roads…including I-25 and I-70.  Power outages darkened sections of metro Denver.  Snow accumulations of 4 to 12 inches were measured over the plains with drifts several feet deep.  Only 3.5 inches of snow were recorded at Stapleton International Airport where northeast winds gusted to 39 mph causing some blowing snow.

In 1995…strong winds associated with a fast moving pacific cold front moved from the mountains into metro Denver. Winds estimated at 60 to 75 mph picked up rocks and shattered the windows of a car in Louisville.  The strong winds blew down and partially destroyed two houses under construction just north of Thornton.  West winds gusted to 53 mph at Denver International Airport where the visibility was briefly reduced to 1/2 mile in blowing dust.

In 2016…two brief but powerful gustnadoes developed along a convergence line that formed in the suburbs just north and west of Denver. Three power poles were knocked down. In addition…a small storage shed was destroyed.

22-23

In 1936…heavy snowfall of 7.7 inches was measured in downtown Denver.  The heavy wet snowfall formed a thick coating of snow on trees and shrubs…but caused little damage.  North winds were sustained to 15 mph.

In 1984…around a half foot of new snow fell across metro Denver…causing flight delays at Stapleton International Airport where snowfall totaled 6.0 inches and north winds gusted to 31 mph.  Up to a foot of snow fell in the foothills.  Icy roads produced numerous traffic accidents.

In 2011…strong bora winds developed along the Front Range following the passage of a storm system. Peak wind gusts included: 87 mph at the National Wind Technology Center; 82 mph…6 miles northwest of Boulder; 72 mph at Front Range airport in Broomfield; 71 mph at Longmont; and 64 mph…4 miles west of Lakewood. At Denver International Airport…a peak wind gust of 48 mph from the west was observed on the 22nd.

In 2013…a wet early spring snowstorm brought heavy snow to parts of the Front Range foothills and urban corridor. The heaviest snowfall occurred near the Front Range foothills and palmer divide. Near blizzard conditions forced the closure of interstate 70 east of Denver. In the foothills… Storm totals included: 14.5 inches near Conifer; 14 inches just southwest of Eldorado Springs and Intercanyon; 13 inches near Indian Hills; 12.5 inches near Pinecliffe; 11.5 inches near Golden; 11 inches near Jamestown and Roxborough; 10.5 inches near Brookvale and 10 inches at Genesee. Across the urban corridor and Palmer Divide… Storm totals included: 12.5 inches…8 miles southeast of Watkins; 10.5 inches in Boulder…Centennial and Northglenn; 9.5 inches…just south of Aurora; 9 inches in Westminster; 8 inches at Lafayette; 7.5 inches near Morrison; 7 inches in Arvada…Bennett…Brighton; 6 inches in Highlands Ranch… Longmont…Louisville and Thornton. Officially…11.6 inches of snow fell at DIA from the evening of the 22nd to the afternoon of the 23rd…which set a new two-day snowfall record in Denver for the date. In addition…a peak wind gust to 33 mph was observed from the east on the 22nd with a gust to 30 mph from the north on the 23rd.

In 2016…a powerful blizzard developed across the Front Range of Colorado late on the 22nd and continued through much of the 23rd. The storm tracked east-southeast across Utah on the 22nd…and then into southeast Colorado by the morning of the 23rd. The storm rapidly intensified as it reached eastern Colorado…producing extremely heavy and intense snowfall with snowfall rates exceeding 3 inches per hour at times. In addition to heavy snow…strong winds gusting in excess of 50 mph east of I-25 produced widespread blizzard conditions and zero visibilities. The storm initially began with rain on the plains…but quickly changed over to snow during the early morning hours of the 23rd. Snowfall rates of 1 to 2 inches per hour were common…with several inches of snow already accumulating for the morning commute. Many roads became impassable due to the depth of fallen snow…drifting snow…and near zero visibilities during the day. During the peak of the storm… snowfall rates reached or exceeded 3 inches per hour. Widespread road closures occurred…including I-76 from northeast of Denver to the Nebraska state line…I-70 east of Denver to the Kansas state line…and much of I-25… from near Castle Rock to Colorado Springs. The Colorado Department of Transportation estimated over two thousand vehicles became trapped on I-25 near Monument Hill alone… with hundreds of stuck or abandoned cars elsewhere. Numerous power outages occurred as heavy wet snow accumulated on trees…despite the strong winds. At the peak…several hundred thousand residents along the Front Range were without power. Denver International Airport was closed for 7 hours during and just after the peak of the blizzard…with around 1300 cancelled flights. The power outages shut down the fuel farm pumps…the deicing facility…as well as train service to the concourses at the airport. Pea Boulevard…the main road to the airport…was impassable for much of the day. It was the first time since December 21…2006 that Denver International Airport had been shut down due to extreme winter weather conditions. One to 2 feet of snow fell across much of the Front Range Foothills and Urban Corridor. In the foothills of northern Jefferson County…31.5 inches of snowfall measured at Pinecliffe. Most of the snow fell within a 12-hr period from the early morning into the afternoon. A peak wind gust of 59 mph recorded at Denver International Airport. South of Denver…over the Palmer Ridge…12 to 18 inches of snow was reported…with 6 to 10 inches across the adjacent plains. The official snowfall measurement at Denver International Airport was 13.1 inches. In addition…the snow was very heavy and wet…with many areas receiving 1 to 2 inches precipitation. In the foothills…some locations received nearly 3 inches of water from this storm.

Continue reading March 21 to March 27: This week in Denver weather history →

Think winter is over?  Don’t count on it.  A quick look back at this week in Denver weather history illustrates why.  Many occurrences of winter-like weather can intrude as we see and we don’t even have to look very far back.  It was this week that the March Blizzard of 2003 struck – one of the worst snowstorms in Denver history.

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.

13-14

In 1996…a storm system moving across northern Colorado dumped heavy snow in the mountains and foothills and across metro Denver where snowfall ranged from 5 to 10 inches.  A foot of new snow was measured at Nederland with 11 inches at Conifer.  Snowfall totaled 8.0 inches at the site of the former Stapleton International Airport.  Northeast winds gusted to 30 mph at Denver International Airport on the 13th.

13-15

In 1906…snowfall totaled 8.0 inches over downtown Denver.

14

In 1873…a brisk west wind blew a perfect gale during the afternoon and evening.

In 1898…northwest winds were sustained to 52 mph with gusts to 62 mph.

In 1899…west Bora winds were sustained to 50 mph with gusts to 60 mph.

In 1902…west winds were sustained to 40 mph with gusts to 48 mph.

In 1913…strong winds all day behind a cold front made for a blustery cold day as the high temperature climbed to only 25 degrees after a low of 19 degrees.  Northeast winds were sustained to 51 mph with gusts as high as 60 mph.  Only a trace of snow fell.

In 1920…west winds sustained to 43 mph with gusts to 50 mph warmed the temperature to a high of 67 degrees.

In 1923…heavy snowfall of 8.5 inches fell in downtown Denver.  North winds were sustained to 25 mph.

In 1947…heavy snowfall totaled 5.8 inches in downtown Denver.  Northeast winds were sustained to 17 mph.

In 1971…a wind gust to 51 mph was recorded at the National Bureau of Standards in Boulder.

In 1989…a strong pacific cold front produced west wind gusts to 59 mph at Stapleton International Airport.

In 2002…heavy snow developed in the foothills of Boulder County with 9 inches measured near Jamestown and 7 inches near Nederland.  Snowfall totaled only 2.9 inches at the site of the former Stapleton International Airport.  East winds gusted to 29 mph at Denver International Airport.

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.

15

In 1902…northwest winds were sustained to 54 mph with gusts as high as 60 mph.

In 1920…southwest winds were sustained to 40 mph with gusts to 48 mph.  The strong but cold downslope winds warmed the high temperature to only 35 degrees.

In 1935…strong winds howled across Boulder.  At Valmont a wind gust to 60 mph was recorded.  No damage was reported.

In 2006…strong winds ranging from 60 to 75 mph were reported in and near the foothills of Boulder County.  In Longmont… Two trees toppled by the strong winds damaged a car.  Winds gusted to 75 mph at the National Center for Atmospheric Research Mesa Laboratory in Boulder.  West winds gusted to 52 mph at Denver International Airport.

15-16

In 2000…heavy upslope snowfall occurred in and near the Front Range foothills and over the Palmer Divide to the south of metro Denver.  Snowfall totals from the storm included:  17 inches at Idaho Springs; 16 inches at Aspen Springs; 12 inches in Boulder; 11 inches at Bailey… Chief Hosa…Coal Creek Canyon…Eldorado Springs…Evergreen… And near Morrison; 10 inches at Intercanyon…Ken Caryl Ranch…and near Nederland; 9 inches near Sedalia and in wheat ridge; and 8 inches in Arvada.  Snowfall totaled 5.4 inches at the site of the former Stapleton International Airport.  Northeast winds gusted to 28 mph at Denver International Airport on the 15th.

Continue reading March 14 to March 20: This week in Denver weather history →