June 2 to June 8: This Week in Denver Weather History
June is when Colorado sees the majority of its severe weather and our look back at this week in Denver weather history highlights this fact. Many occurrences of damaging and deadly lightning, powerful winds, large hail and of course tornadoes are seen.
From the National Weather Service:
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In 2002…unusually very warm weather for so early in June resulted in two temperature records. Maximum temperatures of 96 degrees on the 1st and 93 degrees on the 2nd were record highs for each date…respectively.
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In 1977…unusually warm weather for this early in June resulted in 3 maximum temperature records being equaled at the time: 88 degrees on the 1st…90 degrees on the 2nd… And 93 degrees on the 4th. Maximum of 91 degrees on the 3rd was not a record.
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In 2012…it was the hottest June in Denver since weather records began back in 1872. The average temperature for the month was 75.0 degrees which was 7.6 degrees above normal. There were a total of seventeen 90 degree days in the month of June. The highlight of record setting month was a stretch of five consecutive 100 degree days from the 22nd to the 26th. This was only the third time in Denver weather history in which this happened. Two of the high temperatures during the stretch peaked at 105 degrees… which set the all time record for the month of June and tied the all-time maximum temperature for Denver.
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In 1914…flooding occurred on Boulder creek when heavy rains added to heavy snowmelt runoff. Flooding damaged the water supply system from the mountains into Boulder and destroyed roads and bridges in the canyons above Boulder. The flooding in central Boulder was described as the worst since the tragic flood of May 29th through June 3rd in 1894. However…there was no reported loss of life. The flood waters also inundated pasture land to the east of the town.
In 1951…the lowest recorded temperature in June…30 degrees… Occurred. The unusually cold weather was accompanied by 0.3 inch of snowfall. Precipitation…both rain and melted snow…totaled 0.30 inch.
In 1966…microburst winds gusted to 51 mph at Stapleton International Airport.
In 1981…a severe thunderstorm roared through metro Denver… Dumping 2.00 inches of rain in as little as 20 minutes and bombing many areas with hail to 1 3/4 inches in diameter. The heavy rain caused local flooding with up to 3 feet of water in some streets in northwest metro Denver. Part of a street was washed out in Thornton. Lightning strikes started a fire and caused a power outage just north of Denver. Lightning also struck a barn which burned to the ground in Brighton. Numerous cars sustained minor hail damage. A tornado was spotted 4 miles northeast of the rocky mountain arsenal…but caused no damage.
In 1982…severe thunderstorms produced large hail across metro Denver. Hail to 3/4 inch in diameter was reported in Louisville and northeast Denver. Golf ball size hail fell near Strasburg where two tornadoes were also sighted.
In 1983…a tornado touched down 5 miles south of Bennett. It destroyed an outbuilding and did extensive damage to greyhound dog shelters. Golf ball size hail fell near the tornado…destroying some hay.
In 1985…3/4 inch hail fell in southwest metro Denver.
In 1989…large hail fell over eastern and central Denver. A few stones were as large as baseballs…and many ranged from 3/4 inch to golf ball size. The hail piled up 2 to 4 inches deep in some areas. Hail to 3/4 inch fell at Buckley Field in Aurora…and 7/8 inch hail fell just east of Aurora. A home in Louisville was struck by lightning and was 30 percent destroyed by the ensuing fire.
In 1991…strong thunderstorm winds in Arapahoe County…14 miles southeast of Stapleton International Airport…damaged the roof of a home and a radio antenna. A funnel cloud… 4 miles northeast of Stapleton International Airport…was sighted for 11 minutes by national weather service observers.
In 1993…a tornado touched down briefly in south Denver… Destroying the 4-inch thick concrete roof of a building and causing about 20 thousand dollars in damage. The twister also picked up a trash dumpster and dropped it onto a car 30 feet away…causing an estimated 3 thousand dollars in damage. Hail up to an inch in diameter fell in Aurora… Conifer…and Bennett. Two funnel clouds were spotted near Deckers. A funnel cloud was sighted for 19 minutes by National Weather Service observers to the southwest of Stapleton International Airport.
In 1994…lightning struck two homes in Denver…starting fires which caused considerable damage to both. Hail to 3/4 inch in diameter fell in Golden.
In 1995…lightning struck a house in Nederland…causing a fire that was doused by subsequent rainfall. A portion of the roof and wall was damaged. The storm also left most of Nederland without power for two hours. Lightning also struck a high chimney of an elementary school in west Denver. The jolt sprayed bricks around the school yard and parking lot. Twenty students and teachers were in the school building at the time…but all escaped without injury. A funnel cloud was sighted over Fort Lupton…and 3/4 inch hail fell in Lafayette.
In 2003…severe thunderstorms produced strong winds and large hail. Hail as large as 1 1/2 inches in diameter fell near Parker. Estimated wind gusts to 70 mph occurred near Parker and near Denver International Airport where thunderstorm wind gusts to 52 mph were recorded. Wind gusts to 60 mph were estimated near Bennett.
In 2005…a severe thunderstorm produced hail as large as 1 inch in diameter in the city of Denver. A tornado was sighted near Bennett along with 3/4 inch hail.
In 2008…severe thunderstorms produced large hail over western Arapahoe…northern Denver and southern weld counties. Hail…2 inches in diameter…was observed near Brighton; with hail to 1 1/2 inches in diameter…5 miles east of prospect. Hail to one inch in diameter was observed near Buckley Field…Frederick and Denver.
In 2012…severe thunderstorm produced damaging thunderstorm winds. Peak wind gusts included: 82 mph near Strasburg… 61 mph at Buckley Field…60 mph near Byers and southwest Denver…58 mph near Watkins and 52 mph at Denver International Airport. The microburst winds caused extensive tree and roof damage. In addition…hail up to 1 inch in diameter was reported 3 miles east-southeast of Parker.
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In 1989…heavy rain drenched metro Denver with the greatest amounts recorded on the 3rd. Total rainfall ranged from 1 1/2 to 3 inches. Roads were washed out in Boulder County… And flooded basements caused water damage to houses in the Gunbarrel section of Boulder. In suburban Denver…heavy rain caused minor flooding along Lena Gulch in Jefferson County where two mobile home parks were evacuated. Rainfall totaled 1.66 inches at Stapleton International Airport.
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In 1921…heavy rainfall for nearly a week…on top of streams already swollen by mountain snowmelt…produced widespread flooding over the South Platte River basin…including the tributaries through the canyons to the west and southwest of Denver. Heavy rainfall over the 6-day period totaled 3.36 inches in Boulder…4.98 inches in Morrison…4.27 inches in Castle Rock…and 2.94 inches in the city of Denver. Rainfall amounts in the foothills were estimated between 3 and 6 inches. The narrow-gage tracks of the Colorado and southern railroad were destroyed in the Platte Canyon. From the mouth of the canyon through the city to near Brighton… The river spread from 1/2 to nearly 1 1/2 miles wide… Flooding farm and pasture land and destroying or damaging many bridges. In the city…many businesses along with as many as 500 homes were inundated…forcing their evacuation. Bridges were swept away. The high waters flooded the rail yards and stock yards in lower downtown…closing three adjacent packing houses. The heavy rains also caused flooding on Boulder creek in Boulder on the 6th.
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In 1951…a trace of snow fell at Stapleton Airport.
In 1961…torrential rains fell 10 to 30 miles north of Denver…causing flooding in the town of Frederick. The rush of water broke through and over a retaining dike sending a 5-foot wall of water into the town…flooding homes and damaging sewer lines…roads…and streets. Golf ball size hail fell in derby…west Denver…and Lakewood…causing more than one million dollars in damage.
In 1981…severe thunderstorms produced tornadoes over metro Denver. The first tornado touched down at the intersection of Alameda Ave. and Sheridan Blvd. The twister moved north along Sheridan Blvd….damaging businesses…apartment buildings…homes…and vehicles. Over ten homes were unroofed. The roof of one landed in the middle of a neighborhood park. At least 10 mobile homes were wrecked. The tornado curved to the northeast into northwest Denver… Hopping up and down in several places. Very strong winds outside the actual funnel caused 20 to 30 thousand dollars in damage in downtown Denver. The third floor of one old building was demolished. No major injuries were reported from the tornado…although several people were hurt slightly in traffic accidents on Sheridan Blvd. In the confusion caused by the storm. Damage in Lakewood alone was estimated at 200 thousand dollars. At the same time… The worst tornado to ever hit metro Denver struck Thornton. Coming from the same thunderstorm that spawned the Denver twister…the Thornton tornado tore a swath through the heart of the city. 87 homes were destroyed…110 others damaged at least moderately. In all…600 homes in a 100 block area sustained some damage. The twister also hit shopping centers…several restaurants…and other buildings. Seven of the 42 injured were considered serious. The storm was strong enough to snap lamp posts in half and drive a 6- inch slab of wood 2 feet into the ground. Damage was estimated at up to 50 million dollars. The same storm that struck Thornton produced another damaging tornado that touched down in the northwest section of Fort Lupton. This twister damaged 16 homes and numerous cars and campers. Two children were slightly injured when the car they were in was knocked about and its windows shattered by the storm. The twister also damaged two commercial buildings. Damage was very spotty…and observers said the storm hopped up and down at least 3 times. Dollar damage was estimated at 500 thousand dollars. The thunderstorm complex that produced 3 damaging tornadoes also dropped large hail which damaged many cars over northwest Denver. One to 2 inches of rain fell in less than an hour…flooding a mobile home park with 3 to 4 feet of water on the northwest edge of Denver. The high water damaged about half of the 392 homes in the park. Local flooding was also reported in other areas across metro Denver. A tornado was also sighted near Franktown…but caused no damage. A thunderstorm wind gust to 52 mph was recorded at Stapleton International Airport.
In 1982…a cold air funnel cloud touched down briefly in southwest Denver. Two tornadoes were briefly spotted near Watkins. No damage was reported from these storms. A brief funnel cloud was sighted by national weather service observers at Stapleton International Airport where 1/4 inch hail fell.
In 1984…there were several sightings of tornadoes around Parker. No damage was reported.
In 1985…a tornado just southeast of Aurora was spotted by a national weather service employee. No damage was reported. Severe thunderstorms pummeled the metro area with hail. One inch to baseball size hail was reported in south Lakewood…one inch hail in Littleton…3/4 inch to 1 inch hail in Aurora…and golf ball size hail in south Denver.
In 1989…hail up to golf ball size fell over Arvada. A golf course had to be evacuated as the hail accumulated up to 3 inches deep in some places. One inch diameter hail fell in west Denver and Westminster.
In 1993…an early morning thunderstorm produced lightning… Which caused an attic fire at a residence in Niwot northeast of Boulder. Damage was estimated at 40 thousand dollars. No one was injured.
In 1994…hail to 1 1/2 inch diameter fell just northeast of Boulder. One inch diameter hail fell in Golden. Thunderstorm wind gusts to 70 mph were recorded in erie.
In 1995…a tornado was sighted over open country near Strasburg. No damage was reported. A funnel cloud was sighted 11 miles east of Aurora where 3/4 inch hail fell.
In 2001…severe thunderstorms produced large hail over east and southeast metro Denver. Hail as large as 1 3/4 inches in diameter fell at Centennial Airport with 1 1/2 inch hail near Buckley Field…1 1/4 inch hail in Parker…1 inch hail near Elizabeth…7/8 inch hail at Cheery Creek Reservoir…and 3/4 inch hail 20 miles north of Kiowa in Elbert County.
In 2002…severe thunderstorms dumped large hail across metro Denver. Hail to 1 3/4 inches in diameter fell over southeast Denver and 4 miles north of Aurora. Hail to 1 1/4 inches pelted Parker. One inch hail was measured near Ft. Lupton…and 3/4 inch hail fell 9 miles southeast of Buckley Field…near Strasburg…and at the site of the former Stapleton International Airport.
In 2005…thunderstorms producing heavy rain and hail caused flash flooding over parts of southeast metro Denver. People became trapped in their vehicles by the high water… And numerous water rescues were required. The hardest hit areas included the vicinity of I-25 and Alameda Avenue…as well as the intersection of Yale Avenue and Quebec Street. Several basements were flooded along Eastman Place. Severe thunderstorms brought heavy rain and hail to eastern Centennial and southeastern Aurora. Up to 3 feet of standing water was reported on east orchard road where several motorists were stranded in their vehicles and needed to be rescued. Hail to 3/4 inch in diameter fell in the area. Ten vehicles were stranded on Grand Avenue…and most had to be towed once the floodwaters receded. Water was reportedly chest deep at one location on Girard Avenue. Hail as large as 3/4 inch in diameter also was reported in Littleton…near Parker…and near Buckley Air Force Base. Hail to 7/8 inch was measured near Sheridan and Cheery Creek Reservoir.
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In 1904…a thunderstorm during the early morning of the 3rd turned into widespread general rain…which continued into the early afternoon of the 4th. Rainfall totaled 2.04 inches.
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In 1878…a “waterspout” or cloudburst of rain was sighted up the South Platte canyon at around noon. The resulting high waters on the South Platte River slightly damaged a railroad bridge in the city.
In 1937…a trace of snow fell in downtown Denver where rainfall totaled 0.25 inch. Minimum temperature of 34 degrees was a record low for the date. Northeast winds were sustained to 22 mph.
In 1951…the start of the second shortest snow-free period on record…109 days…occurred with the last snow of the season…a trace…on the 3rd. The first snow of the next season occurred on September 21st when 4.2 inches of snow fell at Stapleton Airport.
In 1954…a microburst produced brief sustained winds of 40 mph with gusts as high as 64 mph at Stapleton Airport.
In 1956…the failure of the Georgetown dam caused downstream flooding on clear creek at Idaho Springs and Golden.
In 1976…funnel clouds were sighted near Brighton…Erie…and Dacono…all north of Denver. A tornado touched down briefly 1 1/2 miles east of Lafayette. Another tornado touched down briefly at Hyland Hills Golf Course in Westminster. No damage was reported.
In 1983…severe thunderstorms during the afternoon produced 3/4 inch hail in south Denver…golf ball size hail 5 miles west of Parker…1 1/4 inch hail in Littleton…1 1/2 inch hail in south Aurora.
In 2001…hail as large as 1 inch in diameter fell 17 miles north of Bennett in Adams County.
In 2005…snow was mixed with rain for nearly an hour at Denver International Airport during mid to late morning. The temperature at the time was 45 degrees. Precipitation totaled 0.36 inch for the day. Northwest winds gusted to 37 mph.
In 2008…a severe thunderstorm produced large hail…up to 1 3/4 inches in diameter in Arvada…a northwest suburb of Denver. Several vehicles were damaged. In addition…a severe thunderstorms produced hail to 1 inch in diameter… 10 miles northeast of manila…east of Denver International Airport.
In 2015…severe thunderstorms broke out across Boulder… Denver…Elbert…Jefferson and southern Larimer Counties. Two large and long lived tornadoes developed near Berthoud and near Simla. The tornado that occurred along the Boulder and Larimer county line. It first touched about 3 miles south of Berthoud…and then tracked to the west/northwest and lifted about 6 miles southwest of Berthoud. The majority of the damage was EF1…with some areas of EF2… and a few small areas of EF3. At least 25 homes between Longmont and Berthoud were damaged; three of them destroyed. No injuries were reported as the winds tore apart homes and rolled vehicles. The EF3 rating is defined as maximum winds estimated at 135 to 140 mph. The path length was 6 miles long with a width of one quarter mile at times. Large hail from quarter to tennis tennis ball size was observed. The largest hail occurred in northeast Boulder County. The hail damaged cars and homes; breaking windows and windshields. In addition… numerous roads were closed along the Larimer and Boulder county line due to flash flooding. Just west of Berthoud… 3.47 inches of rain had fallen. At Denver International Airport…only 0.01 inches of rainfall was recorded… with a peak wind gust to 35 mph from the northeast.
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Extreme weather can occur during in month in Colorado we well know. June however is when traditional spring severe weather arrives in the state oftentimes with hail, damaging wind and tornadoes.
