Don’t give up hope for precipitation yet! Late last night we did receive at least a little bit and today offers up another chance.

Partly sunny skies will be the general rule for the morning followed by more clouds in the afternoon and evening. Temperatures will be similar to yesterday with highs around 83 degrees expected.

The afternoon and evening again bring a chance for storms with the best opportunity coming between about 3:00pm and 7:00pm. Expect to see some gusty winds as well this afternoon.

Tonight there may be some lingering shower activity before midnight then mostly cloudy skies will be above as we head to a low around 63 degrees.

The hot, dry weather pattern of recent weeks finally moves out, at least for a little while. Today will offer much cooler temperatures and, with any luck, perhaps some precipitation.

We start out with partly sunny skies but then will see a pretty steady layer of clouds above due to a good bit of low level moisture. Temperatures will be far more comfortable with highs topping out right around the 80 degree mark.

A few sprinkles of rain will be possible after mid-morning then we see a better chance for storms after 2:00pm. Most activity today looks to be in areas to our west but we may get lucky and catch some drops of rain in our buckets.

Tonight there will remain some chances for showers with things drying out after midnight. Lows tonight will be in the low to mid-60s.

With a shift in the high pressure that has kept us locked into dry conditions and very warm temperatures, things start to change up a bit. Today will still be quite warm but we do see a better chance for storms and cooler and hopefully wetter conditions lie ahead tomorrow.

For today we start out with mostly sunny skies but then as moisture begins to stream in, cloud cover will increase leading to partly sunny skies for most of the day. Temperatures will steadily climb toward a high in the low 90s however, if the cloud cover is persistent, we may luck out and be cooler than that.

The afternoon brings chances for thunderstorms with our best opportunity coming from 3:00pm to about 7:00pm. Brief heavy rain, gusty winds will be the notable features of any storms that come our way.

A cold front moves through tonight and that will bring relief from the heat, at least for the next couple of days. More details in the extended weather forecast here.

If you’re looking for a break from the hot, dry weather that has dominated us this month you won’t see it today. Temperatures will once again climb to above normal levels and while there is a slight chance for storms, any that do develop aren’t expected to amount to much.

We start out the day under sunny skies then by mid to late morning a few clouds will arrive but nothing that will be intrusive. Temperatures start out mild this morning then will begin their steady ascent to a high in the low to mid-90s.

From about 4:00pm until just after dark we see just the slightest chance for an isolated thunderstorm but most activity will be confined to the high country.

Overnight tonight skies will be partly cloudy with lows to the mid-60s.

Have a great day!

July 23 to July 29: This Week in Denver Weather History

As we near the end of July the weather in Denver tends to be a bit more stable. That doesn’t mean the severe weather threat disappears as can be seen at our look back at this week in Denver weather history. Particularly notable are lightning injuries and deaths, flash flood events and even tornadoes.

From the National Weather Service:

7-25

In 1934…a streak of 15 consecutive days of 90 degrees ranked 5th on the list of hot streaks. The record of 24 consecutive days was established in the summer of 2008.

13-5

In 2008…a streak of 24 consecutive days of 90 degrees shattered the previous record of 18 consecutive days established in 1901 and 1874. Ironically…no new single day record high temperatures were set in the month of July. In August however…a record of 104 degrees was set on the 1st…and another record of 103 degrees was set on the 2nd. In addition…a record low min of 70 degrees was set on August 2nd.

18-2

In 1987…a streak of 16 consecutive days of 90 degrees ranked 4th on the list of hot streaks. The record of 24 consecutive days was established in the summer of 2008.

19-23

In 2005…the high temperature climbed above 100 degrees on each of the 5 days with readings of 101 on the 19th…105 on the 20th…104 on the 21st…and 102 on both the 22nd and 23rd. A new record maximum temperature for the month of July of 105 degrees was set on the 20th…which also equaled the all time record maximum for Denver of 105 degrees first set on August 8th in 1878. Daily maximum temperature records were set on each day…and the 5 day period equaled the record for the most consecutive days of 100 degrees or more first set from July 4th through 8th in 1989. The intense heat resulted in a high use of electricity for cooling purposes. The demand for electric power exceeded the supply and rolling black-outs… Each lasting about an hour…were scheduled across metro Denver during the afternoons and early evenings.

20-23

In 1961…unusually cool weather for July resulted in several temperature records. Record minimum temperatures were set or equaled on each day with readings of 51…51…49… And 49 degrees. High temperature of only 64 degrees on the 21st was a record low maximum for the date.

20-25

In 1965…heavy showers and thunderstorms doused metro Denver with significant rain each day. Rainfall for the six days totaled 5.16 inches at Stapleton International Airport. Massive rainfall occurred on the 20th…21st…and 25th… Flooding streets and basements and causing streams to overflow. The heaviest rainfall…2.05 inches…at Stapleton International Airport occurred on the 25th.

22-23

In 1991…heavy rains over the palmer divide and along the Front Range caused the South Platte River to flood from near Henderson to Fort Lupton. The river was out of its banks at several locations with water covering the roads through the night. Only minor damage was reported.

24

In 1896…heavy cloudbursts in the foothills west of Denver caused flash flooding on Bear Creek…Clear Creek…Golden Gate Gulch…and Mount Vernon Creek…resulting in a total of 27 deaths. The downpour dislodged large Boulders…one of which crushed a house. The heavy rain also caused a dam on cub creek to wash out…adding even more water to the flood. A wall of water as high as 10 feet flooded Evergreen and passed down bear creek…washing away many structures along the way. The flood crest produced 3 feet of water in downtown Morrison during the early evening. Flash flooding on Mount Vernon Creek added to the flooding in Morrison. In Golden…the flooding washed out bridges on clear creek and on Cresman and Tucker gulches and forced the closure of the power plant. In Denver…a thunderstorm produced hail of unknown size during the afternoon and rainfall of 1.23 inches overnight.

In 1958…a thunderstorm wind gust to 52 mph was recorded at Stapleton Airport.

In 1965…heavy rain caused flooding on clear creek and tucker gulch in Golden and west Denver. Damage in Golden was estimated at 80 thousand dollars. Heavy rain south of Denver washed out temporary earthen bridges constructed following the June floods in Castle Rock…Littleton… Englewood…and Denver. Bear creek in south Denver reached flood stage. A cloudburst on cub creek in Evergreen washed out bridges and roads. Heavy rain fell over all the Denver and Aurora areas…causing some flooding of roads…streets… And bridges. A man drowned in a flooded irrigation canal near Hudson. Heavy rain caused flooding of streets and roads in Blackhawk and central city. Hail caused minor damage in Idaho Springs.

In 1967…seven bridges were washed out along a normally dry creek bed south of State Highway 7 west of Brighton. One car was washed into the creek when a bridge gave way.

In 1970…hail stones to 1 1/4 inches in diameter fell in the foothills of Jefferson County southwest of Denver.

In 1971…golf ball size hail was reported in foothill areas of Jefferson County west of Denver. A funnel cloud was sighted in Aurora. Wind gusts estimated at 60 mph…hail… And heavy rain up to an inch in 15 minutes caused local flooding and some other damage in several areas of metro Denver. Hailstones to 3/4 inch in diameter fell 7 miles southeast of Denver.

In 1973…a thunderstorm wind gust to 52 mph was recorded at Stapleton International Airport where one inch diameter hail was measured.

In 1981…strong winds downed a power line in northeast Denver. Wind gusts to 50 mph were recorded at Chatfield Reservoir.

In 1987…3/4 inch diameter hail fell 5 miles northeast of Commerce City.

In 1996…hail…up to 1 3/4 inches in diameter…fell at Chatfield Reservoir. Hail to 3/4 inch in diameter was measured near Bennett.

In 2000…lightning struck near two golfers at ute creek golf course near Longmont…knocking them to the ground. The men received only minor injuries.

In 2001…lightning from a thunderstorm knocked out electrical power to about 1500 residents in the city of Denver.

In 2004…a chilly day with fog and thunderstorms resulted in two temperature records. The low temperature of 49 degrees was a record minimum for the date. The high temperature of only 58 degrees was a record low maximum for the date.

24-25

In 2003…maximum temperature of 100 degrees on the 24th was a record high for the date. Low temperature of 73 degrees on the 25th was a record high minimum for the date.

25

In 1875…brief heavy rain and hail lasted only 5 minutes… But the 1/4 inch diameter hail covered the ground to a depth of 1/2 inch and made the streets look like there had been snowfall. There was much crop damage…especially to corn…and some sheep were killed. Precipitation totaled 0.51 inch in the city.

In 1896…a heavy thunderstorm produced sustained northwest winds to 45 mph with gusts to 50 mph and 1.02 inches of rain.

In 1965…a cloudburst dumped 1.99 inches of rain in 30 minutes at Stapleton International Airport. The storm was accompanied by strong winds gusting to 70 mph. The heavy rain flooded numerous streets in east Denver and Aurora. One inch diameter hail accompanied a cloudburst…9 miles southwest of Denver. A funnel cloud was sighted 25 miles northwest of Denver. In Aurora…there were unofficial reports of 2.30 inches of rain in 40 minutes and 3.30 inches of rain in 30 to 40 minutes. Rainfall totaled 2.05 inches at Stapleton International Airport. Rainfall of 2.42 inches for 24 hours on the 24th and 25th was the second greatest on record for July.

In 1977…a tornado touched down briefly in Aurora southeast of Cheery Creek Reservoir. No damage was reported. A funnel cloud was sighted for 4 minutes by national weather service personnel 10 miles north of Stapleton International Airport near Henderson.

In 1991…heavy rain…up to half an inch in 10 minutes…caused flooding in Westminster…Northglenn…and north Denver where a section of railroad track was washed away. At Stapleton International Airport…heavy thunderstorm rain totaled 1.85 inches and briefly reduced the visibility to 1/4 mile. Hail to 1/8 inch in diameter was also measured. A tornado touched down briefly near Fort Lupton. No damage was reported.

In 1998…heavy monsoonal thunderstorm rains caused flooding and flash flooding in eastern and southern sections of metro Denver…including Englewood and Aurora…when about 2 to 3 inches of rain inundated the area. Both I-25 and I-70 were closed for 2 to 3 hours as several low lying areas became impassable due to the high waters. The water was estimated to be 15 feet deep in one flooded underpass along I-25. As a result…the freeway was closed from south of 6th Avenue to University Blvd. Standing water forced the closure of I-70 at gun club road east of Denver. In Englewood…U.S. Highway 285 was closed…when high water made it impassable. Several cars were reportedly floating down the roadway near Sheridan Blvd. In Aurora…the intersection at Yale Ave. And chambers rd. Was flooded by high water up to 4 feet deep when a spillway on the high line canal was breached. Lightning also knocked out 11 transformers across metro Denver…causing several small fires and scattered power outages. Flood and flash flooding also occurred north of Strasburg when as much as 2.51 inches of rain fell in an hour. The deluge resulted in considerable flooding of local streets and County roads. Torrential rainfall of 2 to 3 inches in less than an hour triggered a flash flood in Virginia Canyon. County road 279 between Idaho Springs and Central City was closed for two days to clear debris from mudslides. Several cars in Idaho Springs were washed off the road…and numerous basements were flooded in town. Thunderstorm rainfall totaled 2.69 inches at Denver International Airport.

In 2001…lightning struck two homes in Lafayette…damaging the roof and attic of one and shorting out the electrical system in another. Hail to 1 3/4 inch in diameter was measured 7 miles north of Castle Rock with 3/4 inch hail 7 miles north of Sedalia.

In 2005…heavy thunderstorm rain in the vicinity of the overland wildfire burn scar triggered a mudslide in Jamestown. Rocks the size of bowling balls…along with silt and mud slid down the mountain into the town. No one was injured. One parked car was buried by the debris.

In 2006…heavy thunderstorm rainfall caused flash flooding 1 mile north of the town of Westcreek in southwestern Douglas County. Several maintenance roads were washed out by the floodwaters.

26

In 1891…a thunderstorm produced sustained northeast winds to 44 mph with gusts to 60 mph and 0.16 inch of rain.

In 1894…a thunderstorm produced sustained southwest winds to 36 mph with gusts to 58 mph…but only 0.04 inch of rain.

In 1910…the high temperature reached 100 degrees in downtown Denver.

In 1959…a Denver man was stunned while standing by a car that was struck by lightning. He was treated for burns and shock at a local hospital. Thunderstorm winds gusted to 55 mph at Stapleton Airport.

In 1983…two heavy thunderstorms hit the northern and western suburbs. The first drenched Northglenn with an inch of rain in 30 minutes. The second storm dumped an inch or more of rain in Idaho Springs and Evergreen. The heaviest rainfall… 2.90 inches in an hour…caused minor street flooding in Golden.

In 1984…heavy early morning thunderstorms drenched the foothills southwest of Denver. Rainfall to 1 1/2 inches in just 30 minutes occurred between Evergreen and Conifer. In nearby Turkey Creek Canyon…1.80 inches of rain was recorded in 35 minutes.

In 1985…a long rope-like white tornado touched down 5 miles east of Erie and stayed on the ground…mainly over an open field…for 18 minutes. However…the twister damaged a few cars on I-25 and injured 3 people from broken glass. The storm flipped over a van…blew out car windows…and ripped a highway sign. It also blew an outbuilding off its foundation. A tornado also touched down briefly 8 miles north of Bennett. No damage was reported from this storm.

In 1988…a 9-year-old girl was slightly injured by lightning in Parker.

In 2003…a severe thunderstorm in and south of Franktown produced hail as large as 1.75 inches in diameter.

26-27 » Click here to read the rest of July 23 to July 29: This week in Denver weather history

A bit of a change in the weather is in store for us, including an increased potential for much-needed precipitation. Monsoonal flow will be on tap, particularly today and tomorrow, helping to cool it down and bringing increased moisture.

For today we start out with mostly sunny skies then will see cloud cover increase by late morning. Temperatures today will be right near normal with highs around the 90 degree mark. Showers and thunderstorms become possible by late morning with the best chances coming after 3:00pm. Some of these will have the potential to give healthy shots of rain. Some isolated activity will continue to be possible overnight as we head for a low in the low to mid-60s.

Saturday we will see more cloud cover due to the increased moisture. Temperatures will be cooler with highs in the mid-80s. The morning hours will actually be the most likely time for us to see rain and thunderstorms then just slight chances for the rest of the day. Overnight lows Saturday into Sunday dip to near 60 degrees.

Things begin to dry out on Sunday. Expect fewer clouds and calm conditions. Highs will be in the mid-80s.

Have a great weekend!

A bit of a change in the recent weather pattern comes today courtesy of monsoonal flow from the southwest. That will translate into a bit cooler conditions and better yet, an increased chance for thunderstorms.

We start out the day with mostly to partly sunny skies and will see similar sky conditions for most of the day until this afternoon when clouds increase. High temperatures today will remain above normal with highs in the low to mid-90s.

As for those thunderstorm chances, activity will be possible afternoon with the best chances coming from about 3:00pm to 9:00pm. Things will dry out after midnight and then we head toward an overnight low in the mid-60s.

Fingers crossed that we finally see some precipitation! Keep an eye out for the showers and storms with our interactive weather radar here.

We could pretty much copy and paste the forecast from the past two days for today’s outlook. Temperatures look to once again be above normal and we stand just the slightest chance for a thunderstorm.

We start out with mostly sunny skies and will similar sky conditions above throughout the day. Temperatures will be heading toward a high in the mid-90s.

The late afternoon and evening bring just slight chances for an isolated thunderstorm although like in days’ past, it is best not to count on them.

Looking ahead, tomorrow offers more of the same but then Friday and the weekend look to cool down some. See the extended forecast here.