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.

18-20

IN 1966…SUB-FREEZING TEMPERATURES CAUSED THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS IN DAMAGE TO FRUIT TREES ACROSS METRO DENVER. MINIMUM TEMPERATURES WERE IN THE TEENS EACH MORNING AND FAILED TO REACH ABOVE FREEZING ON THE 19TH.  THE LOW TEMPERATURE OF 13 ON THE 20TH SET A NEW RECORD MINIMUM FOR THE DATE.  SNOWFALL TOTALED 5.7 INCHES AT STAPLETON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT DURING THE PERIOD.

19   

IN 1899…NORTHWEST WINDS WERE SUSTAINED TO 48 MPH WITH GUSTS AS HIGH AS 60 MPH IN THE CITY.
 
IN 1941…THE LAST SNOW OF THE SEASON…0.4 INCH…OCCURRED… MARKING THE END OF THE SHORTEST SNOW SEASON…167 DAYS. THE FIRST SNOW OF THE SEASON…A TRACE…OCCURRED ON NOVEMBER 4…1940.
 
IN 1954…STRONG GUSTY WINDS RAKED METRO DENVER FOR MOST OF THE DAY PRODUCING SOME BLOWING DUST.  AT MIDDAY…A SEVERE DUST DEVIL WAS SIGHTED IN THE WESTWOOD AREA OF SOUTHWEST DENVER.
 
IN 1955…COLD WEST WINDS AT 52 MPH WITH GUSTS AS HIGH AS 69 MPH WERE RECORDED AT STAPLETON AIRPORT WHERE BLOWING DUST REDUCED THE VISIBILITY TO 1/2 MILE.
 
IN 1960…THE SECOND WIND STORM IN 3 DAYS PRODUCED SUSTAINED WEST WINDS UP TO 44 MPH WITH GUSTS AS HIGH AS 58 MPH AT STAPLETON AIRPORT.  WINDS WERE STRONG AND GUSTY MOST OF THE DAY…BUT NO DAMAGE WAS REPORTED.
 
IN 1963…THE SECOND WINDY DAY IN A ROW PRODUCED WEST- NORTHWEST WIND GUSTS TO 52 MPH AT STAPLETON AIRPORT.
 
IN 1971…A TORNADO OCCURRED IN THE SOUTHWEST CORNER OF WELD COUNTY ABOUT 10 MILES WEST-NORTHWEST OF BRIGHTON.  THE STORM MOVED THROUGH A FARM YARD DAMAGING EQUIPMENT AND STRUCTURES.  THE STRONG TORNADIC WINDS LIFTED A STOCK TANK OVER 2 FENCES INTO A CORRAL 150 FEET AWAY.  LATER…A TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN BRIEFLY WEST-SOUTHWEST OF BUCKLEY FIELD…8 MILES SOUTHEAST OF STAPLETON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT.  NO DAMAGE WAS REPORTED.
 
IN 1985…HIGH WINDS OCCURRED IN THE FOOTHILLS.  WINDS GUSTED TO 97 MPH ATOP SQUAW MOUNTAIN IN THE FOOTHILLS WEST OF DENVER.  WEST WINDS GUSTED TO 37 MPH AT STAPLETON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT.
 
IN 1987…A POWERFUL COLD FRONT PRODUCED HIGH WINDS AND ENGULFED METRO DENVER IN HUGE CLOUDS OF BLOWING DUST THAT LOWERED THE VISIBILITY TO AS LITTLE AS 100 YARDS.  THE COLD FRONT GENERATED WINDS AS HIGH AS 72 MPH AT BRIGHTON…67 MPH IN THORNTON…AND 54 MPH AT STAPLETON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT. WINDS OF 50 TO 70 MPH WERE COMMON ALONG THE FRONT RANGE FROM DENVER NORTH.  THE HIGH WIND GUSTS FLIPPED A LIGHT PLANE TAXIING AT STAPLETON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT…SLIGHTLY INJURING TWO PEOPLE ON BOARD.  THE COLD FRONT DROPPED THE TEMPERATURE FROM A HIGH OF 80 DEGREES AT 3:00 PM TO A LOW OF 33 DEGREES AT MIDNIGHT.  NEARLY AN INCH OF SNOW…0.8 INCH… FELL AT STAPLETON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT BEFORE MIDNIGHT.
 
IN 1988…A TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN IN FORT LUPTON…FOLLOWING A PATH 50 TO 75 YARDS WIDE FOR 2 1/2 BLOCKS.  THE TWISTER DAMAGED ROOFS ON 2 SCHOOLS AND BROKE NUMEROUS WINDOWS; ABOUT 10 HOUSES WERE DAMAGED AND SEVERAL CARS HAD WINDOWS BLOWN OUT.  SEVERAL TREES WERE DOWNED.
 
IN 1989…WINDS WERE CLOCKED TO 68 MPH IN WHEAT RIDGE. MICROBURST WINDS GUSTED TO 35 MPH AT STAPLETON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT.
 
IN 1996…HIGH WINDS GUSTING FROM 70 TO NEAR 100 MPH DEVELOPED IN THE FRONT RANGE FOOTHILLS AND ADJACENT PLAINS.  NUMEROUS POWER OUTAGES WERE REPORTED AS POWER LINES AND POLES WERE DOWNED.  THE HIGH WINDS BLEW THE CHIMNEY OFF THE ROOF OF A HOUSE IN WESTMINSTER.  NUMEROUS HOMES RECEIVED MINOR SHINGLE DAMAGE.  SOME OF THE STRONGER WIND GUSTS INCLUDED:  98 MPH AT JEFFERSON COUNTY AIRPORT IN BROOMFIELD…91 MPH ATOP SQUAW MOUNTAIN WEST OF DENVER…AND 75 MPH ATOP TABLE MESA NEAR BOULDER.  WEST NORTHWEST WINDS GUSTED TO 45 MPH AT DENVER INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT.
 
IN 2001…WESTERLY CHINOOK WINDS…GUSTING AS HIGH AS 40 MPH AT DENVER INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT…PREVENTED THE LOW TEMPERATURE FROM DROPPING BELOW 51 DEGREES…SETTING A NEW RECORD HIGH MINIMUM FOR THE DATE.  THE HIGH TEMPERATURE OF 77 DEGREES WAS NOT A RECORD.
 
IN 2005…SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCED LARGE HAIL ACROSS METRO DENVER.  HAIL AS LARGE AS 1 1/4 INCHES IN DIAMETER WAS MEASURED IN ARVADA.  HAIL TO 1 INCH IN DIAMETER FELL IN WESTMINSTER…NORTHGLENN…AND THORNTON.  HAIL TO 7/8 INCH WAS REPORTED NEAR BRIGHTON…BARR LAKE…AND CASTLE ROCK. HAIL TO 3/4 INCH FELL IN ELIZABETH AND BROOMFIELD AND NEAR GOLDEN…BRIGHTON…AND FORT LUPTON.

19-20

IN 1892…RAIN ON THE 18TH CHANGED TO SNOW ON THE 19TH AND TOTALED 6.0 INCHES OVER DOWNTOWN DENVER INTO THE 20TH. TOTAL PRECIPITATION WAS 1.56 INCHES.  NORTH WINDS WERE SUSTAINED TO 26 MPH ON THE 19TH.
 
IN 1907…A MAJOR STORM DUMPED 18.0 INCHES OF SNOWFALL IN DOWNTOWN DENVER.  MUCH OF THE HEAVY WET SNOW MELTED AS IT FELL.  THE MOST SNOW ON THE GROUND WAS 7.0 INCHES AT 6:00 PM ON THE 19TH.  NORTH TO NORTHEAST WINDS WERE SUSTAINED TO 42 MPH ON THE 19TH AND TO 21 MPH ON THE 20TH.  HIGH TEMPERATURES WERE IN THE LOW TO MID 30’S WITH LOW READINGS AROUND 20.

19-21

IN 1984…A LARGE SNOWSTORM BURIED MOST OF COLORADO UNDER A THICK MANTLE OF WET SNOW.  TOTAL SNOW AMOUNTS RANGED FROM 10 TO 20 INCHES ACROSS METRO DENVER AND A WHOPPING 20 TO 40 INCHES IN THE ADJACENT FOOTHILLS.  THE SNOW CLOSED ROADS AND DAMAGED ELECTRICAL TRANSFORMERS…CAUSING NUMEROUS POWER OUTAGES.  NEARLY 14 INCHES (13.6) OF SNOW FELL AT STAPLETON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT WHERE THE COMBINATION OF SNOW AND WIND CLOSED ALL BUT ONE RUNWAY…RESULTING IN THE CANCELLATION OF MANY FLIGHTS.  BOTH I-70 AND I-76 WERE CLOSED TO THE EAST OF DENVER.

19-22

IN 1933…A MAJOR STORM DUMPED 16.8 INCHES OF SNOWFALL OVER DOWNTOWN DENVER WHEN RAIN CHANGED TO SNOW DURING THE EARLY MORNING OF THE 20TH AND CONTINUED THROUGH MIDDAY OF THE 22ND.  MOST OF THE SNOW FELL ON THE 21ST.  DUE TO MELTING… THE MOST SNOW ON THE GROUND WAS 10.5 INCHES AT 6:00 PM ON THE 21ST.  BEFORE THE SNOW STARTED…A STRONG COLD FRONT ON THE EVENING OF THE 19TH PRODUCED NORTH WINDS SUSTAINED TO 35 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 37 MPH.  THE STRONG WINDS DEPOSITED A THIN LAYER OF DUST ON THE CITY.  NORTH TO NORTHWEST WINDS WERE SUSTAINED TO 31 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 35 MPH ON THE 20TH AND TO 29 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 32 MPH ON THE 21ST.

20   

IN 1874…LIGHT SNOW FELL FOR MOST OF THE DAY…BUT MELTED ALMOST AS FAST AS IT FELL.  THE FLAKES…AS LARGE AS 1 1/2 INCHES IN DIAMETER DURING THE AFTERNOON…RESEMBLED WHITE FEATHERS. PRECIPITATION FROM MELTED SNOW WAS ONLY 0.21 INCH IN THE CITY.  SNOWFALL WAS MUCH HEAVIER IN THE MOUNTAIN PARKS WHERE SNOW DEPTHS WERE REPORTED BETWEEN 3 AND 5 FEET FROM THE STORMS OF THE 15TH AND 20TH.  THE HEAVY SNOW RESULTED IN THE DEATHS OF HUNDREDS OF CATTLE AND SHEEP.
 
IN 1875…THE CITY WAS ENVELOPED IN A SEVERE WIND AND SAND STORM.  FOR NEARLY 30 MINUTES BEFORE THE STORM…IT COULD BE SEEN MOVING TOWARD THE CITY FROM THE NORTHWEST AS A BLACK WALL OF CLOUDS EXTENDING ONLY 10 DEGREES ABOVE THE HORIZON. AT 5:30 PM…THE SAND WAS SWEEPING PAST IN SUCH CLOUDS THAT OBJECTS AT A DISTANCE OF ONLY 10 YARDS WERE NOT VISIBLE. THE STREETS WERE ENTIRELY DESERTED.  THE GREATEST VELOCITY OF WIND DURING THE STORM WAS 36 MPH FROM THE NORTH-NORTHWEST. THE STORM DIMINISHED BY 7:00 PM.  SWARMS OF GRASSHOPPERS WERE SEEN TODAY AND WERE REPORTED IN ALL PARTS OF THE TERRITORY.
 
IN 1897…SOUTHWEST WINDS WERE SUSTAINED TO 46 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 50 MPH.  THE APPARENT CHINOOK WINDS WARMED THE TEMPERATURE TO A HIGH OF 76 DEGREES.
 
IN 1905…APPARENT POST-FRONTAL NORTH WINDS WERE SUSTAINED TO 43 MPH.
 
IN 1912…WEST WINDS WERE SUSTAINED TO 42 MPH WITH AN EXTREME VELOCITY OF 48 MPH.
 
IN 1958…STRONG CHINOOK WINDS GUSTED TO 52 MPH AT STAPLETON AIRPORT.
 
IN 1981…3/4 INCH HAIL FELL IN LAKEWOOD WITH UP TO ONE HALF INCH OF RAIN IN A FEW MINUTES ACROSS NORTHERN SECTIONS OF OF THE CITY OF DENVER.  THUNDERSTORM RAINFALL TOTALED 0.39 INCHES AT STAPLETON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT…WHERE 1/4 INCH HAIL WAS ALSO MEASURED.
 
IN 1987…6 TO 12 INCHES OF HEAVY SNOW FELL IN THE FOOTHILLS. ONLY 2.5 INCHES OF SNOW FELL AT STAPLETON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT WHERE THE USUAL FLIGHT DELAYS OCCURRED.
 
IN 2005…SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCED LARGE HAIL ACROSS METRO DENVER.  HAIL AS LARGE AS 1 3/4 INCHES IN DIAMETER FELL AT DENVER INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT.  HAIL TO 3/4 INCH IN DIAMETER FELL IN AND NEAR GOLDEN AND NEAR HUDSON… KEENESBURG…BARR LAKE…AND BENNETT.

20-22

IN 1957…STRONG AND GUSTY SOUTH TO SOUTHEAST WINDS RAKED METRO DENVER EACH DAY.  THE STRONGEST WIND GUST OF 55 MPH OCCURRED ON THE 21ST WHEN BLOWING DUST BRIEFLY REDUCED THE VISIBILITY TO 3/4 MILE AT STAPLETON AIRPORT.

20-23

IN 1989…UNUSUALLY WARM WEATHER RESULTED IN SEVERAL DAILY TEMPERATURE RECORDS BEING BROKEN IN DENVER.  THE HIGH TEMPERATURE OF 89 DEGREES ON THE 21ST EXCEEDED THE RECORD MAXIMUM FOR THE MONTH AT THAT TIME.  DAILY RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURES WERE EITHER EXCEEDED OR EQUALED WITH 83 DEGREES ON THE 20TH…88 DEGREES ON THE 22ND…AND 85 DEGREES ON THE 23RD.  THE LOW TEMPERATURE OF 55 DEGREES ON THE 22ND EQUALED THE RECORD HIGH MINIMUM FOR THE DATE.

21   

IN 1885…RAIN CHANGED TO SNOW DURING THE EARLY MORNING AND WAS THE HEAVIEST SNOW OF THE SEASON.  TOTAL SNOWFALL WAS ESTIMATED AT 8.0 INCHES OVER DOWNTOWN DENVER…BUT THE SNOW MELTED RAPIDLY ON THE GROUND AS IT FELL.  HOWEVER… THE WEIGHT OF THE SNOW…AS WELL AS NORTHWEST WINDS SUSTAINED TO 29 MPH DOWNED TELEGRAPH AND TELEPHONE WIRES. SEVERAL LARGE BRANCHES OF TREES WERE ALSO BROKEN BY THE WEIGHT OF THE SNOW.  PRECIPITATION TOTALED 1.01 INCHES FROM THE STORM.
 
IN 1887…WEST WINDS WERE SUSTAINED TO 47 MPH.
 
IN 1932…THE TEMPERATURE DIPPED TO A LOW OF ONLY 60 DEGREES… THE ALL-TIME RECORD HIGH MINIMUM FOR THE MONTH.
 
IN 1988…A SMALL TORNADO WAS OBSERVED BY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EMPLOYEES ABOUT 3 MILES NORTHWEST OF THORNTON.  IT WAS ON THE GROUND FOR ABOUT 2 MINUTES.  NO DAMAGE WAS REPORTED.  LATER…LIGHTNING STRUCK TWO 14-YEAR-OLD GIRLS ON A SOFTBALL FIELD IN WESTMINSTER.  ONE WAS KILLED…WHILE THE OTHER SUFFERED MODERATE INJURIES.  NORTHWEST WINDS GUSTED TO 44 MPH AT STAPLETON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT BEHIND A COLD FRONT.

21-22

IN 1910…NORTH WINDS WERE SUSTAINED TO 45 MPH BEHIND A COLD FRONT.  RAINFALL TOTALED 0.63 INCH.
 
IN 1923…SNOWFALL OF 2.0 INCHES IN THE CITY WAS THE ONLY SNOW OF THE MONTH AND THE LAST MEASURABLE SNOW OF THE SEASON.  NORTHWEST WINDS WERE SUSTAINED TO 25 MPH ON THE 21ST.
 
IN 1952…HEAVY SNOWFALL TOTALED 7.6 INCHES AT STAPLETON AIRPORT.  THE STORM WAS ACCOMPANIED BY NORTH WINDS GUSTING TO 33 MPH.
 
IN 2001…THE SECOND MAJOR SNOW STORM IN 11 DAYS MOVED INTO METRO DENVER WITH BLIZZARD CONDITIONS DEVELOPING AGAIN ACROSS THE PLAINS TO THE NORTHEAST OF DENVER.  SNOWFALL AMOUNTS RANGED UP TO 9 INCHES IN METRO DENVER WITH UP TO 23 INCHES IN THE FOOTHILLS.  NORTHWEST WINDS WERE SUSTAINED AT 20 TO 30 MPH WITH GUSTS AS HIGH AS 36 MPH AT DENVER INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT WHICH WAS AGAIN SHUT DOWN FOR NEARLY AN HOUR BY POWER OUTAGES ON THE 22ND.  THE OUTAGES AFFECTED LIGHTING IN THE CONCOURSES…TRAIN OPERATIONS…DE-ICING AND REFUELING OPERATIONS…FLIGHT INFORMATION DISPLAYS…AND SECURITY SCREENINGS.  NAVIGATIONAL AIDS WERE ALSO AFFECTED… RESULTING IN THE CANCELLATION OF 58 ARRIVING AND DEPARTING FLIGHTS WHICH STRANDED ABOUT 5000 PASSENGERS.  ACROSS METRO DENVER STORM TOTALS INCLUDED:  9 INCHES AT ELDORADO SPRINGS; 7 INCHES IN BOULDER; 6 INCHES AT KEN CARYL…NORTHGLENN AND NEAR SEDALIA; AND 5 INCHES IN ARVADA AND MORRISON.  ONLY 1.7 INCHES OF SNOW WERE MEASURED AT THE SITE OF THE FORMER STAPLETON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT.  IN THE FOOTHILLS SNOW TOTALS INCLUDED:  23 INCHES NEAR FRITZ PEAK SOUTH OF ROLLINSVILLE…17 INCHES NEAR JAMESTOWN…16 INCHES NEAR BLACKHAWK…14 INCHES IN COAL CREEK CANYON…13 INCHES AT IDAHO SPRINGS AND NEAR NEDERLAND…11 INCHES AT ASPEN SPRINGS…AND 10 INCHES NEAR BERGEN PARK.

21-23

IN 1999…A SPRING SNOWSTORM DUMPED HEAVY SNOWFALL OVER METRO DENVER AND IN THE FOOTHILLS.  NEARLY 3 FEET OF SNOW FELL IN THE FOOTHILLS WITH OVER A FOOT IN THE CITY.  THE HEAVY WET SNOW DOWNED POWER LINES IN DOUGLAS AND ELBERT COUNTIES. SCATTERED OUTAGES WERE REPORTED AT PARKER…FRANKTOWN… SEDALIA…AND CASTLE ROCK.  SOME RESIDENTS WERE WITHOUT ELECTRICITY FOR AS LONG AS 20 HOURS.  THE INCLEMENT WEATHER WAS BLAMED…AT LEAST IN PART…FOR SEVERAL TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS ALONG THE I-25 CORRIDOR BETWEEN DENVER AND CASTLE ROCK. SNOWFALL TOTALS INCLUDED:  32 INCHES AT IDAHO SPRINGS; 31 INCHES ON CROWHILL; 29 INCHES NEAR EVERGREEN; 26 INCHES AT CHIEF HOSA AND COAL CREEK CANYON; 25 INCHES AT BAILEY; 24 INCHES AT FLOYD HILL; 23 INCHES AT CONIFER…GENESEE…GOLDEN GATE CANYON…NORTH TURKEY CREEK…AND PINE JUNCTION; 13 INCHES AT BROOMFIELD AND NEAR SEDALIA;  12 INCHES IN BOULDER; 11 INCHES AT LOUISVILLE AND PARKER; AND 9 INCHES AT THE SITE OF THE FORMER STAPLETON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT.
 
IN 2004…HEAVY SNOW FELL ACROSS METRO DENVER…WHEN LOW LEVEL UPSLOPE CONDITIONS DEVELOPED AGAINST THE FOOTHILLS AND PALMER DIVIDE.  SNOWFALL TOTALS INCLUDED:  18 INCHES IN THE FOOTHILLS SOUTHWEST OF BOULDER…17 INCHES AT INTERCANYON AND NEAR CONIFER…10 INCHES NEAR BLACKHAWK AND PARKER…9 INCHES AT CASTLE ROCK AND NEAR SEDALIA…7 INCHES IN CENTENNIAL… LITTLETON…AND NEAR LONE TREE.  ELSEWHERE ACROSS METRO DENVER…SNOWFALL GENERALLY RANGED FROM 2 TO 5 INCHES. SNOWFALL WAS 4.7 INCHES AT DENVER STAPLETON.  NORTHWEST WINDS GUSTED TO 35 MPH AT DENVER INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT ON THE 21ST.

22   

IN 1896…SOUTHWEST WINDS WERE SUSTAINED TO 39 MPH WITH GUSTS AS HIGH 56 MPH.  THE APPARENT CHINOOK WINDS WARMED THE TEMPERATURE TO A HIGH OF 78 DEGREES.
 
IN 1904…WEST WINDS SUSTAINED TO 40 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 48 MPH WARMED THE TEMPERATURE TO A HIGH OF 69 DEGREES.
 
IN 1925…SOUTHEAST WINDS SUSTAINED TO 42 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 46 MPH WARMED THE TEMPERATURE TO A HIGH OF 76 DEGREES.
 
IN 1958…WEST-NORTHWEST WINDS GUSTED TO 48 MPH AT STAPLETON AIRPORT.

22-23

IN 1885…THE WORST SNOW STORM SINCE STATION RECORDS BEGAN IN 1872 DUMPED A TOTAL OF 24.0 INCHES OF SNOWFALL ON THE CITY. THE 23.0 INCHES OF SNOW RECORDED ON THE 22ND AND 23RD WAS THE GREATEST 24-HOUR SNOWFALL EVER RECORDED DURING THE MONTH OF APRIL.  STREETS WERE IMPASSABLE…ROOFS CAVED IN… TELEGRAPH AND TELEPHONE WIRES WERE DOWNED…RAILROADS WERE BLOCKED AND TRAINS DELAYED…AND MOST BUSINESS CAME TO A COMPLETE STANDSTILL.  ESTIMATED LOSSES WERE REPORTED TO 50 THOUSAND DOLLARS.  THE TOTAL SNOWFALL WAS PARTLY ESTIMATED DUE TO MELTING.  PRECIPITATION FROM THE STORM TOTALED 2.79 INCHES.
 
IN 1915…POST-FRONTAL RAIN DURING THE DAY AND OVERNIGHT TOTALED 2.00 INCHES.  MOST OF THE RAIN FELL ON THE 22ND.
 
IN 1945…6.7 INCHES OF SNOW FELL OVER DOWNTOWN DENVER.  THIS WAS THE THIRD MAJOR SNOW IN A LITTLE OVER 3 WEEKS…WHICH MADE THIS MONTH THE 4TH SNOWIEST ON RECORD.  NORTHEAST WINDS WERE SUSTAINED TO 25 MPH AND LIGHT HAIL FELL ON THE 22ND.

23   

IN 1889…NORTH WINDS WERE SUSTAINED TO 48 MPH.
 
IN 1913…NORTHEAST WINDS WERE SUSTAINED TO 46 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 60 MPH BEHIND A DRY COLD FRONT.
 
IN 1914…A THUNDERSTORM PRODUCED CONSIDERABLE HAIL AND 0.29 INCH OF RAIN.  WEST WINDS WERE SUSTAINED TO 42 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 48 MPH.
 
IN 1942…HAIL OF UNKNOWN SIZE FELL OVER THE CITY.
 
IN 1958…A FUNNEL CLOUD WAS SIGHTED FOR 20 MINUTES…15 MILES SOUTHEAST OF STAPLETON AIRPORT.  THE FUNNEL FORMED IN ADVANCE OF A THUNDERSTORM AND HUNG ABOUT A THOUSAND FEET BELOW THE BASE OF THE CLOUD…BUT REMAINED ALOFT.  LATER IN THE DAY…3.6 INCHES OF SNOW FELL AT STAPLETON AIRPORT.
 
IN 2002…PERSISTENT DRY CONDITIONS IN THE FOOTHILLS CONTRIBUTED TO THE FIRST LARGE FOREST FIRE OF THE SEASON NEAR BAILEY.  VERY DRY AND WINDY CONDITIONS ALLOWED THE FIRE…INITIALLY STARTED BY A CARELESS SMOKER…TO GROW INTO A 2400-ACRE BLAZE BEFORE IT COULD BE CONTAINED. FORTUNATELY…NO SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE OCCURRED TO HOMES OR OTHER PROPERTY IN THE AREA.
 
IN 2006…SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCED LARGE HAIL ACROSS METRO DENVER.  HAIL AS LARGE AS 1.25 INCHES IN DIAMETER FELL IN SOUTH DENVER WITH HAIL TO 0.88 INCH ACROSS THE REST OF THE CITY.  HAIL TO 1.00 INCH IN DIAMETER WAS REPORTED NEAR MORRISON…IN SOUTH LAKEWOOD…AND IN AURORA NEAR CHERRY CREEK.  HAIL TO 0.88 INCH WAS MEASURED IN GOLDEN WITH 0.75 INCH HAIL IN EAST LAKEWOOD.

23-24

IN 1883…SNOWFALL TOTALED 7.6 INCHES IN DOWNTOWN DENVER.
 
IN 1904…A THUNDERSTORM PRODUCED HAIL DURING THE LATE EVENING OF THE 23RD.  APPARENT POST-FRONTAL RAIN CHANGED TO SNOW DURING THE EARLY MORNING OF THE 24TH…BUT TOTALED ONLY 2.0 INCHES.  PRECIPITATION CONSISTING OF RAIN…MELTED HAIL…AND SNOW TOTALED 0.60 INCH.  NORTHEAST WINDS WERE SUSTAINED TO 41 MPH WITH GUSTS AS HIGH AS 52 MPH ON THE 24TH.
 
IN 1905…RAIN CHANGED TO SNOW AND TOTALED 8.0 INCHES.  MUCH OF THE SNOW MELTED AS IT FELL WITH ONLY 2.5 INCHES MEASURED ON THE GROUND.  PRECIPITATION TOTALED 1.88 INCHES. NORTHEAST WINDS WERE SUSTAINED TO 20 MPH ON THE 23RD.
 
IN 1942…THE SOUTH PLATTE RIVER REACHED FLOOD CONDITIONS IN THE CITY.  AS MANY AS 15 THOUSAND RESIDENTS WERE WARNED TO EVACUATE THEIR HOMES TEMPORARILY.  TWO LIVES WERE LOST IN THE CITY.  FOUR BRIDGES WERE WASHED OUT BY THE FLOOD WATERS AND OTHER BRIDGES WERE ENDANGERED.  THE DAMAGE WAS GENERALLY LIMITED TO BRIDGES THAT WERE IN POOR CONDITION. HOWEVER…THE FLOOD WATERS DID NOT OVERFLOW THEIR CHANNEL BANKS WITHIN THE CITY LIMITS.
 
IN 1980…HEAVY RAIN BEGAN IN THE EASTERN FOOTHILLS ON THE NIGHT OF THE 23RD AND TURNED TO HEAVY WET SNOW ON THE 24TH. UP TO A FOOT AND A HALF OF SNOW FELL IN THE FOOTHILLS WEST OF DENVER.  AT STAPLETON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT PRECIPITATION TOTALED 1.58 INCHES…BUT ONLY 3.7 INCHES OF SNOW FELL FROM THE STORM.  EAST WINDS GUSTED TO 24 MPH.
 
IN 1997…LOCATIONS IN AND NEAR THE FOOTHILLS RECEIVED THE GREATEST SNOW OF THE YEAR AS A WINTER-LIKE STORM SYSTEM MOVED INTO METRO DENVER.  EAST TO SOUTHEAST WINDS AT SPEEDS OF 15 TO 35 MPH WERE COMMON WITH EVEN STRONGER GUSTS ABOVE 9 THOUSAND FEET.  SNOW FELL AT A RATE OF 2 TO 3 INCHES AN HOUR AS DEEP UPSLOPE COMBINED WITH A MOIST AND UNSTABLE AIR MASS.  THE SNOW BEGAN IN THE FOOTHILLS ABOVE 7500 FEET DURING THE EVENING OF THE 23RD.  BY SUNRISE THE SNOW LEVEL HAD DROPPED TO 5000 FEET.  THE HARDEST HIT AREAS EXTENDED FROM I-25 INTO THE FOOTHILLS.  SNOWFALL TOTALS IN THE FOOTHILLS RANGED FROM 1 1/2 TO OVER 3 1/2 FEET.  IN THE CITY…SNOWFALL RANGED FROM 8 TO 18 INCHES.  SOME SNOWFALL AMOUNTS INCLUDED:  36 INCHES AT COAL CREEK CANYON; 31 INCHES AT NEDERLAND AND WONDERVU; 20 TO 24 INCHES NEAR BLACKHAWK… AT ECHO LAKE…AND NORTH TURKEY CREEK CANYON; 15 TO 19 INCHES AT BOULDER…CENTRAL CITY…CONIFER…EVERGREEN…GEORGETOWN… AND LOUISVILLE; 8 TO 14 INCHES IN ARVADA…BROOMFIELD… WESTMINSTER…WHEAT RIDGE…CASTLE ROCK…AND KEN CARYL RANCH. ONLY 2.3 INCHES OF SNOW FELL AT THE SITE OF THE FORMER STAPLETON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT ON THE 24TH.  EAST WINDS GUSTED TO 36 MPH AT DENVER INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT ON THE 24TH.
 
IN 2003…A STRONG AND DEEP NORTHERLY FLOW CIRCULATING AROUND A CLOSED UPPER LOW PRESSURE CENTER ALLOWED HEAVY SNOW TO FALL IN THE MOUNTAINS AND EASTERN FOOTHILLS.  SNOWFALL TOTALED 14 INCHES IN IDAHO SPRINGS.  RAIN WAS MIXED WITH SNOW AND THUNDER ACROSS METRO DENVER.  SNOWFALL WAS ONLY 0.9 INCH OVERNIGHT AT THE SITE OF THE FORMER STAPLETON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT.  PRECIPITATION TOTALED 1.34 INCHES AT DENVER INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT…WHERE NORTHWEST WINDS GUSTED TO 55 MPH ON THE 23RD.
 
IN 2007…A STORM SYSTEM INTENSIFIED OVER SOUTHEAST COLORADO… ALLOWING FOR HEAVY SNOW AND RAIN TO DEVELOP OVER MUCH OF NORTH-CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST COLORADO.  SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS PRECEDED THE STORM SYSTEM ON THE 23RD…AFFECTING THE URBAN CORRIDOR.  NICKEL SIZE HAIL WAS REPORTED IN BOULDER AND A SMALL LANDSPOUT TOUCHED DOWN NEAR BYERS.  ON THE 24TH…HEAVY SNOW FELL IN THE FOOTHILLS WEST OF DENVER AND BOULDER…WHERE STORM TOTALS RANGED FROM 1 TO 2 FEET.  HEAVY SNOW ALSO OCCURRED ALONG THE PALMER DIVIDE…WITH STORM TOTALS OF 10 TO 16 INCHES.  ELSEWHERE…A STEADY MODERATE TO HEAVY RAINFALL WAS REPORTED.  DENVER INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT MEASURED 2.09 INCHES OF RAINFALL…WHICH SHATTERED THE PREVIOUS 24-HR RECORD OF 1.29 INCHES FOR THE 24TH OF APRIL.  THE HEAVY WET SNOW CAUSED SEVERAL POWER OUTAGES.  IN SOME INSTANCES IT TOOK SEVERAL DAYS TO RESTORE POWER.  SEVERAL ROAD CLOSURES WERE REPORTED…INCLUDING INTERSTATES 25 AND 70.  A JACKNIFED SEMI-TRAILER BACKED UP TRAFFIC FOR NEARLY 20 MILES…ON SOUTHBOUND I-25…BETWEEN DENVER AND COLORADO SPRINGS.  IN ADDITION…A 50-TON BOULDER BLOCKED THE SOUTHBOUND LANE OF STATE HIGHWAY 285…NEAR PARMALEE GULCH.  CREWS HAD TO USE EXPLOSIVES TO BREAK UP THE BOULDER AND CLEAR THE DEBRIS. STRANDED BUSES AND IMPASSABLE ROADWAYS ALSO FORCED SEVERAL SCHOOL CLOSURES.

23-25

IN 1935…HEAVY WET SNOW FELL ACROSS METRO DENVER.  THE STORM STARTED AS RAIN ON THE 23RD AND CHANGED TO SNOW EARLY ON THE MORNING OF THE 24TH.  THERE WAS CONTINUOUS PRECIPITATION FOR A PERIOD OF 48 HOURS.  SNOWFALL TOTALED 19.0 INCHES OVER THE CITY AND 20.0 INCHES AT DENVER MUNICIPAL AIRPORT.  HOWEVER… DUE TO WARM TEMPERATURES IN THE 30’S…MUCH OF THE SNOW MELTED AS IT FELL AND DID NOT SERIOUSLY DISRUPT TRAFFIC. THE GREATEST SNOW ACCUMULATION ON THE GROUND DOWNTOWN WAS 12 INCHES…BUT IT QUICKLY MELTED.  THE HIGHEST SUSTAINED WIND SPEED RECORDED DURING THE STORM WAS 28 MPH FROM THE NORTH ON THE 23RD.  THE STORM CONTAINED 3.16 INCHES OF MOISTURE.

24   

IN 1959…WIND GUSTS TO 60 MPH RECORDED IN DOWNTOWN BOULDER CAUSED VERY LIMITED MINOR DAMAGE.  WEST WINDS GUSTED TO 38 MPH AT STAPLETON AIRPORT.
 
IN 1986…A WIND GUST TO 60 MPH WAS CLOCKED AT GOLDEN GATE CANYON.
 
IN 1989…1 3/4 INCH DIAMETER HAIL WAS REPORTED IN LAFAYETTE. BOULDER AND LOUISVILLE REPORTED 3/4 INCH HAIL.

24-25

IN 1890…RAIN CHANGED TO SNOW AND TOTALED 7.0 INCHES IN DOWNTOWN DENVER.
 
IN 1931…HEAVY SNOWFALL TOTALED 9.3 INCHES OVER DOWNTOWN DENVER.  WINDS WERE LIGHT DURING THE STORM.
 
IN 1996…THE SECOND WIND STORM IN LESS THAN A WEEK DEVELOPED EAST OF THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE AND SPREAD OVER METRO DENVER.  HIGH WINDS GUSTED FROM 60 TO 90 MPH.  SEVERAL POWER LINES AND POLES WERE DOWNED.  SOME OF THE STRONGER WIND GUSTS INCLUDED:  91 MPH ATOP SQUAW MOUNTAIN WEST OF DENVER…90 MPH ATOP TABLE MESA NEAR BOULDER…85 MPH IN GOLDEN GATE CANYON…AND 82 MPH AT WONDERVU.  NORTHWEST WINDS GUSTED TO 41 MPH AT DENVER INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT ON THE 25TH.

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   

IN 1902…NORTHEAST WINDS WERE SUSTAINED TO 42 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 48 MPH.
 
IN 1908…NORTH WINDS WERE SUSTAINED TO 40 MPH BEHIND AN APPARENT COLD FRONT.  SNOWFALL WAS 0.5 INCH.
 
IN 1928…RAIN CHANGED TO SNOW…WHICH BECAME HEAVY AND TOTALED 7.4 INCHES IN DOWNTOWN DENVER.  DUE TO MELTING…THE MAXIMUM SNOW DEPTH ON THE GROUND WAS 4.0 INCHES AT 6:00 PM.  THIS WAS THE LAST SNOW OF THE SEASON.  SOUTHEAST WINDS WERE SUSTAINED TO 19 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 20 MPH.
 
IN 1976…A SOUTH WIND GUST TO 54 MPH WAS RECORDED AT STAPLETON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT.  THE HIGH WINDS TOPPLED A 70-FOOT HIGH COTTONWOOD TREE ONTO THE REAR OF HOUSE AND A NEIGHBORING RESIDENCE IN CENTRAL DENVER.
 
IN 1989…LIGHTNING CAUSED HEAVY DAMAGE TO A RADIO TRANSMITTER IN PARKER…KNOCKING A DENVER AREA RADIO STATION OFF THE AIR FOR 3 HOURS.
 
IN 1994…WEATHER SPOTTERS REPORTED DIME-SIZE HAIL AT THE INTERSECTION OF U.S. HIGHWAY 287 AND C470 IN JEFFERSON COUNTY.  MARBLE-SIZE HAIL COVERED THE GROUND NEAR GOLDEN TO A DEPTH OF 1 INCH.  PEA-SIZE HAIL WAS REPORTED COVERING THE GROUND TO A DEPTH OF 3 INCHES IN ARVADA.

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.