This week in Denver weather history - October 5th to October 11th

In our weekly look back at Denver weather history, we see a wide range of weather has occurred in the past.  From thunderstorms to rain to big time snowstorms, we can and have seen it all.

3-5   IN 1984…THE REMNANTS OF PACIFIC HURRICANE POLO PRODUCED
        HEAVY RAIN OVER NORTHEASTERN COLORADO.  MOST LOCATIONS
        RECEIVED BETWEEN 1.00 TO 2.50 INCHES OF RAIN…BUT 3.45
        INCHES FELL IN LITTLETON.  RAINFALL TOTALED 1.73 INCHES
        AT STAPLETON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT…WHERE NORTH WINDS
        GUSTED TO 24 MPH. 
4-5   IN 1997…UNUSUALLY WARM WEATHER RESULTED IN TWO TEMPERATURE
        RECORDS.  HIGH TEMPERATURE OF 87 DEGREES ON THE 4TH EXCEEDED
        THE OLD RECORD SET IN 1922 BY ONE DEGREE.  HIGH TEMPERATURE
        OF 86 DEGREES ON THE 5TH EQUALED THE RECORD SET IN 1990 AND
        PREVIOUS YEARS.

5     IN 1962…UNUSUALLY SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS FOR THIS LATE IN THE
        SEASON AFFECTED AREAS FROM BOULDER NORTHWARD.  HAIL UP TO
        GOLF BALL SIZE AND STRONG GUSTY WINDS DID MUCH DAMAGE TO
        ROOFS…WINDOWS…AND SIGNS IN BOULDER.  HEAVY RAINFALL CAUSED
        LOCAL FLOODING.
      IN 1994…LIGHTNING CAUSED A POWER OUTAGE TO OVER 2400 HOMES
        FOR A FEW HOURS IN AND AROUND NEDERLAND IN THE FOOTHILLS
        SOUTHWEST OF BOULDER.  VERY STRONG WINDS ACCOMPANIED THE
        THUNDERSTORM.  THUNDERSTORM WINDS GUSTED TO 60 MPH AND HAIL
        TO 1/2 INCH DIAMETER FELL IN LAFAYETTE.  STRONG MICROBURST
        WINDS GUSTING TO 69 MPH NEAR STRASBURG CAUSED AN OIL RIG
        TO TOPPLE ONTO TWO VEHICLES…INJURING ONE PERSON.  THE
        STRONG WINDS IN THE AREA ALSO DOWNED A FEW POWER POLES…
        BUT CAUSED POWER OUTAGES TO ONLY A FEW HOMES.
      IN 1995…STRONG WINDS SPREAD FROM THE FOOTHILLS ONTO THE
        PLAINS.  WIND GUSTS TO 77 MPH WERE REPORTED ATOP SQUAW
        MOUNTAIN WEST OF DENVER.  ON THE PLAINS…WINDS GUSTED
        TO 60 MPH AT KENNESBURG AND TO 62 MPH NEAR STRASBURG.
        NORTH WINDS GUSTED TO 41 MPH AT DENVER INTERNATIONAL
        AIRPORT.
6     IN 1900…NORTHWEST WINDS WERE SUSTAINED TO 40 MPH WITH
        GUSTS AS HIGH AS 50 MPH IN DOWNTOWN DENVER.
      IN 1903…NORTHWEST WINDS WERE SUSTAINED TO 40 MPH WITH
        GUSTS TO 50 MPH.  THE STRONG WINDS WARMED THE TEMPERATURE
        TO A HIGH OF 71 DEGREES IN THE CITY.  THE LOW READING
        WAS ONLY 46 DEGREES.
      IN 1910…LIGHT SMOKE FROM FOREST FIRES DRIFTED OVER THE
        CITY.
      IN 1976…AN ARCTIC COLD FRONT BROUGHT LIGHT SNOW OVER
        THE FOOTHILLS ABOVE 6 THOUSAND FEET.  TRAFFIC WAS
        SNARLED AT MANY LOCATIONS.  ONLY A TRACE OF SNOW
        FELL AT STAPLETON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT WHERE
        RAINFALL TOTALED 0.20 INCH AND NORTHEAST WINDS GUSTED
        TO 41 MPH.
      IN 1991…THE BRILLIANT ORANGE SUNSET WAS APPARENTLY THE
        RESULT OF AN EXTENSIVE VOLCANIC SMOKE LAYER IN THE UPPER
        ATMOSPHERE.
      IN 1994…STRONG WEST TO NORTHWEST WINDS DEVELOPED IN THE
        FOOTHILLS ABOVE 9500 FEET.  A WIND GUST TO 78 MPH WAS
        RECORDED ATOP SQUAW MOUNTAIN WEST OF DENVER AND TO
        72 MPH AT WARD NORTHWEST OF BOULDER.  NORTHWEST WINDS
        GUSTED TO 35 MPH AT STAPLETON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT.
7     IN 1903…NORTH WINDS WERE SUSTAINED TO 40 MPH WITH GUSTS
        TO 48 MPH.
      IN 1917…POST-FRONTAL NORTHWEST WINDS WERE SUSTAINED TO
        45 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 52 MPH.  RAIN WAS MIXED WITH A
        TRACE OF SNOW…THE FIRST OF THE SEASON.  PRECIPITATION
        TOTALED 0.22 INCH AND INCLUDED THE OCCURRENCE OF HAIL…
        EVEN THOUGH NO THUNDER WAS HEARD.
      IN 1950…STRONG WINDS CAUSED A POWER OUTAGE IN BOULDER.
        THIS WAS THE HEAVIEST WINDSTORM SINCE JANUARY.  DAMAGE
        WAS MINOR.  NORTHWEST WINDS GUSTED TO ONLY 35 MPH AT
        STAPLETON AIRPORT.
      IN 1985…STRONG CHINOOK WINDS BUFFETED THE FRONT RANGE
        FOOTHILLS.  WIND GUSTS BETWEEN 60 AND 70 MPH WERE
        REPORTED IN BOULDER AND ATOP SQUAW MOUNTAIN WEST OF
        DENVER.  SOUTHWEST WINDS GUSTED TO 41 MPH AT STAPLETON
        INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT.
7-8   IN 1990…THE SEASON`S FIRST SNOW OCCURRED.  SNOWFALL
        AMOUNTS VARIED FROM 3 TO 7 INCHES ACROSS METRO DENVER.
        SNOWFALL TOTALED 4.0 INCHES AT STAPLETON INTERNATIONAL
        AIRPORT WHERE NORTH WINDS GUSTED TO 29 MPH.
8     IN 1923…SOUTHEAST WINDS WERE SUSTAINED TO 44 MPH WITH
        GUSTS TO 47 MPH.  THE STRONG WINDS PERSISTED THROUGH THE
        AFTERNOON.  THE HIGH TEMPERATURE OF 77 DEGREES WAS THE
        WARMEST OF THE MONTH THAT YEAR.
      IN 1975…A WIND GUST TO NEAR 100 MPH WAS RECORDED IN BOULDER.
        FREQUENT WIND GUSTS TO 60 MPH WERE REPORTED ALONG THE
        FOOTHILLS CAUSING ONLY MINOR DAMAGE.  WEST WINDS GUSTED
        TO 45 MPH AT STAPLETON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT.
9     IN 1910…LIGHT SMOKE FROM FOREST FIRES IN THE MOUNTAINS WAS
        SIGHTED OVER THE CITY.
      IN 1982…NORTHWEST WINDS GUSTED TO 49 MPH AT STAPLETON
        INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT.
9-10  IN 2005…A MAJOR WINTER STORM BROUGHT HEAVY…WET SNOWFALL
        TO THE FRONT RANGE MOUNTAINS…EASTERN FOOTHILLS…PORTIONS
        OF METRO DENVER…AND THE PALMER DIVIDE.  SNOW ACCUMULATIONS
        RANGED FROM 8 TO 26 INCHES WITH DRIFTS FROM 3 TO 4 FEET
        IN PLACES.  THE HEAVIEST SNOW OCCURRED TO THE EAST AND
        SOUTHEAST OF THE CITY…CLOSING MOST MAJOR HIGHWAYS IN
        THAT AREA…INCLUDING I-70 FROM DENVER TO LIMON.  THE RED
        CROSS OPENED FOUR SHELTERS FOR PEOPLE WHO WERE STRANDED
        ALONG I-70 IN EASTERN COLORADO.  SINCE MANY TREES HAD NOT
        YET SHED THEIR LEAVES…THE STORM CAUSED SIGNIFICANT TREE
        DAMAGE.  ONE WOMAN IN DENVER WAS KILLED WHEN A TREE BRANCH…
        8 TO 10 INCHES IN DIAMETER…SNAPPED UNDER THE WEIGHT OF THE
        HEAVY…WET SNOW AND STRUCK HER AS SHE WAS SHOVELING HER
        DRIVEWAY.  XCEL ENERGY REPORTED POWER OUTAGES TO ABOUT 35
        THOUSAND CUSTOMERS.  SEVERAL INCOMING FLIGHTS WERE DELAYED
        AT DENVER INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT.  SNOW TOTALS INCLUDED:  16
        INCHES IN THE FOOTHILLS NEAR BOULDER…12 INCHES AT GENESEE
        AND NEAR GOLDEN…22 INCHES NEAR WATKINS…19 INCHES NEAR
        BENNETT…17 INCHES SOUTHEAST OF AURORA…14 INCHES NEAR
        PARKER…13 INCHES NEAR CASTLE ROCK…12 INCHES IN CENTENNIAL…
        11 INCHES IN PARKER…AND 10 INCHES AT DENVER INTERNATIONAL
        AIRPORT AND IN LITTLETON.  WHILE MANY AREAS OF METRO DENVER
        RECEIVED HEAVY SNOW…OTHERS EXPERIENCED ALMOST ENTIRELY RAIN.
        THIS INCLUDED WEST AND NORTHWEST METRO DENVER…BOULDER…AND
        LONGMONT.  RAINFALL AMOUNTS WERE SIGNIFICANT AS STORM TOTALS
        RANGED BETWEEN 1.50 AND 2.50 INCHES.  THE STEADY RAINFALL
        TRIGGERED 3 ROCKSLIDES IN FOOTHILLS CANYONS.  TWO OF THE
        SLIDES OCCURRED ON STATE HIGHWAY 119 IN BOULDER CANYON AND
        THE LONGEST SLIDE…7 FEET IN LENGTH…ON STATE HIGHWAY 74 IN
        BEAR CREEK CANYON AT IDLEDALE.  NORTH WINDS WERE SUSTAINED
        TO AROUND 23 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 31 MPH AT DENVER INTERNATIONAL
        AIRPORT ON THE 9TH.  THE HIGH TEMPERATURE OF ONLY 34 DEGREES
        ON THE 10TH WAS A RECORD LOW MAXIMUM FOR THE DATE.  THE LOW
        TEMPERATURE ON BOTH DAYS WAS 32 DEGREES.
10    IN 1901…AN EVENING THUNDERSTORM PRODUCED EAST WINDS TO
        43 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 48 MPH.
      IN 1949…STRONG WINDS BELIEVED TO BE THE WORST IN BOULDER`S
        HISTORY AT THE TIME CAUSED OVER 100 THOUSAND DOLLARS
        DAMAGE IN THE CITY.  PEAK WINDS WERE ESTIMATED TO 85 MPH
        AT VALMONT…JUST EAST OF BOULDER.  HIGH WINDS ALSO
        OCCURRED OVER MOST OF METRO DENVER AND CAUSED DAMAGE TO
        TREES…WINDOW GLASS…AND UTILITY LINES.  THE DAMAGE WAS
        MOST PRONOUNCED OVER THE NORTHWEST METRO AREA…INCLUDING
        NORTH DENVER AND LAKEWOOD.  FALLING TREE BRANCHES CAUSED
        DAMAGE TO PARKED AUTOS AND HOUSES.  WIND GUSTS TO 70 MPH
        WERE RECORDED AT STAPLETON AIRPORT.
      IN 1964…LIGHTNING STRUCK AND KILLED A 13-YEAR-OLD BOY…WHILE
        HE WAS RIDING HIS BICYCLE ALONG A TREE-LINED RESIDENTIAL
        STREET IN SOUTH DENVER.  APPARENT MICROBURST WINDS GUSTED
        TO 54 MPH AT STAPLETON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT.
10-11 IN 1986…THE FIRST SIGNIFICANT SNOWSTORM OF THE SEASON
        PRODUCED 2 TO 5 INCHES OF SNOW OVER METRO DENVER WITH 5
        TO 10 INCHES IN THE FOOTHILLS WEST OF DENVER.  WONDERVU
        RECORDED THE MOST SNOW FROM THE STORM…13 INCHES.  THE
        HEAVY WET SNOW CAUSED NUMEROUS POWER OUTAGES.  THE STORM
        WAS ACCOMPANIED BY STRONG NORTH WINDS WITH GUSTS TO 41 MPH
        RECORDED ON THE 10TH.  THE FIRST SNOWFALL OF THE SEASON
        TOTALED 3.1 INCHES AT STAPLETON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT WITH
        ONLY ONE INCH ON THE GROUND DUE TO MELTING.  THE STRONG
        COLD FRONT ACCOMPANYING THE STORM COOLED THE TEMPERATURE
        FROM A HIGH OF 73 DEGREES ON THE 10TH TO A HIGH OF ONLY
        33 DEGREES ON THE 11TH…WHICH WAS A RECORD LOW MAXIMUM
        FOR THE DATE.
10-12 IN 1969…THE SECOND HEAVY SNOWSTORM IN LESS THAN A WEEK
        DUMPED NEARLY A FOOT OF SNOW ACROSS METRO DENVER AND
        PLUNGED THE AREA INTO EXTREMELY COLD TEMPERATURES FOR SO
        EARLY IN THE SEASON.  SNOWFALL TOTALED 11.0 INCHES AT
        STAPLETON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT.  NORTH WINDS GUSTING TO
        26 MPH PRODUCED DRIFTS UP TO 2 FEET DEEP.  TEMPERATURES
        DIPPED FROM A HIGH OF 52 DEGREES ON THE 10TH TO A RECORD
        LOW FOR THE DATE OF 10 DEGREES ON THE 12TH.  THERE WAS
        ADDITIONAL DAMAGE TO TREES AND POWER AND TELEPHONE LINES
        FROM HEAVY SNOW ACCUMULATIONS AND ICING.  TRAVEL WAS
        RESTRICTED OR BLOCKED BY DRIFTING SNOW IN BOTH THE
        MOUNTAINS AND ON THE PLAINS EAST OF DENVER.
11    IN 1997…DAMAGING WINDS AHEAD OF AN APPROACHING STORM SYSTEM
        DEVELOPED IN THE FOOTHILLS AND SPREAD ACROSS METRO DENVER.
        WINDS GUSTED TO 88 MPH AT CONIFER…71 MPH AT THE NATIONAL
        CENTER FOR ATMOSPHERIC RESEARCH ON THE MESA IN BOULDER…
        AND 53 MPH AT DENVER INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT.  SEVERAL
        TREES AND STREET SIGNS WERE BLOWN DOWN WITH SCATTERED
        POWER OUTAGES REPORTED THROUGHOUT METRO DENVER.  IN
        ARVADA…A CAR WINDOW WAS BLOWN OUT BY A STRONG WIND
        GUST.
11-12 IN 1901…AN APPARENT COLD FRONT PRODUCED NORTHEAST WINDS
        SUSTAINED TO 42 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 48 MPH ON THE 11TH.
        GENERAL RAIN CHANGED TO SNOW OVERNIGHT AND TOTALED 2.0
        INCHES.  THIS WAS THE FIRST SNOWFALL OF THE SEASON.
        TOTAL PRECIPITATION WAS 0.32 INCH.
11-13 IN 1892…APPARENT POST-FRONTAL RAINFALL TOTALED 3.33
        INCHES IN DOWNTOWN DENVER OVER THE 3 DAYS.  A TRACE
        OF SNOW ON THE 12TH MELTED AS IT FELL.  RAINFALL OF
        2.58 INCHES ON THE 12TH INTO THE 13TH WAS THE GREATEST
        24-HOUR PRECIPITATION EVER RECORDED DURING THE MONTH OF
        OCTOBER.  NORTHWEST WINDS WERE SUSTAINED TO 48 MPH WITH
        GUSTS AS HIGH AS 55 MPH ON THE 12TH.

Historical information compiled by and courtesy of the National Weather Service.

Tags: denver weather history, historical weather

This entry was posted on Sunday, October 5th, 2008 at 4:05am MDT and is filed under Colorado Weather, Weather History. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.