As we move further into summer, we see a decrease in traditional things associated with severe weather like tornadoes.  However, there is a corresponding increase in heavy rain as Colorado gets closer to its monsoon season.  We see many occurences of dangerous flooding as well as damaging hail, deadly lightning and more as we look back at this week in Denver weather history.

1-18

In 1874…a streak of 18 consecutive days of 90 degrees tied for second with another streak that was later set in the summer of 1901. The record of 24 consecutive days was established in the summer of 2008.

1-31

In 2012…it was the hottest July on record in Denver since weather records began in 1872. The average temperature for the month was 78.9 degrees which was 4.7 degrees above normal. There were 27 days in which the high temperature equaled or exceeded 90 degrees…which established a new record. There were also 7 days in which the temperature equaled or exceeded 100 degrees which tied the record set in 2005.

6-23

In 1901…a streak of 18 consecutive days of 90 degrees tied for second with another streak set in the summer of 1874. The record of 24 consecutive days was established in the summer of 2008.

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.

11

In 1872…heavy rainfall started at 4:00 pm and continued into the night.  The heavy rainfall damaged homes and buildings in all parts of the city.  Rainfall totaled 1.64 inches.

In 1888…the temperature reached 100 degrees in downtown Denver.

In 1954…the high temperature climbed to 102 degrees at Stapleton Airport.

In 1970…a girl walking in a park in southeast Denver received eye and facial injuries when lightning struck nearby.  Lightning also caused numerous power outages and heavy rainfall produced local flooding at several locations across metro Denver.

In 1974…large hail up to 1 1/2 inches in diameter fell in Thornton.

In 1990…the worst hailstorm in American history in terms of dollar damage at the time battered metro Denver.  Storm damage totaled 605 million dollars…as it cut a 5-to 10-mile wide swath from just southeast of Estes Park to northeast of Colorado springs.  Hail as large as baseballs (2.75 inches) pounded metro Denver.  Hardest hit areas were southeast Boulder County…the Jefferson County Airport in Broomfield… Arvada…east Wheat Ridge…southwest and south-central Westminster…west Thornton…northwest…west-central and downtown Denver…northeast and east-central Lakewood…just east of Littleton…portions of Arapahoe County west of I-25… And northern and central Douglas County near Castle Rock and franktown.  Golf ball to baseball size hail severely damaged roofs on thousands of homes and buildings…battered tens of thousands of automobiles…windows…signs…street lights…and traffic signals…stripped paint…awnings…and trim from buildings…punched holes in the roofs of two homes in Arvada…knocked out power and telephone service to thousands of homes and businesses…defoliated thousands of trees…ripped up greens and fairways on a number of golf courses…and severely damaged several aircraft tied down at Jefferson County Airport.  Hail the size of baseballs fell for several minutes in old town Arvada.  Later…golf ball size hail and heavy rain pummeled two northwest Denver amusement parks.  Hardest hit was Elitch Gardens amusement park where 47 people were injured and received treatment for bumps…cuts…and bruises at local hospitals.  Many of the injured were stranded on rides during the storm when power failed.  Hail clogged storm sewers…causing rain water to back up 3 to 6 feet deep on some roads and intersections in Arvada.  Several basements were flooded.  In some places hail was washed into drifts several feet deep.  In addition… The storm spawned 2 small tornadoes.  One touched down briefly in Lakewood near 6th avenue and Kipling Blvd….but did no damage.  In Castle Rock…a tornado (f1) did heavy damage to some homes and vehicles in the Founders Village development near Ridge Road.

In 2001…lightning struck two homes in Thornton.  Most of the damage was confined to the attics of both homes.  Hail as large as 3/4 inch in diameter fell in Keenesburg…Longmont… And near Boulder.

In 2015…a peak wind gust to 55 mph was measured from the northwest at Denver International Airport. A trace of rainfall was also observed.

11-12

In 1872…heavy rain from 4:00 pm until 2:00 am caused much damage.  Rainfall totaled 1.76 inches.

12

In 1881…during the early evening…a brisk rain fell for 30 minutes from a nearly clear sky containing not one tenth of clouds with the sun shining brightly.  Rainfall was 0.16 inch.

In 1885…thunderstorms produced widespread lightning across the city during the evening.  Several people were injured when their homes were struck by lightning.

In 1954…the high temperature reached 101 degrees at Stapleton Airport.

In 1962…lightning struck and killed a Denver man…while he was assisting a co-worker with his car.

In 1971…the temperature climbed to a high of 101 degrees at Stapleton International Airport.

In 1974…hail to 3/4 inch in diameter fell in Castle Rock.

In 1991…hail to 2 inches in diameter fell in Thornton with golf ball size hail in Brighton.  Dime size hail was recorded in the city of Denver.  Very heavy rain caused flooding across metro Denver.  Water was up to 2 feet deep in parts of Golden where one foot of water was reported in the lot of a mobile home park.  Flood water washed away part of a parking lot at the Colorado school of mines in Golden. Heavy rain caused a rock slide and flooding along I-70 in the foothills just west of Denver.  Flood waters were a foot deep at the intersection of I-70 and I-25 just north of downtown Denver.  A funnel cloud was sighted just east of the Rocky Mountain Arsenal.

In 1996…very heavy rainfall from a fast moving thunderstorm dumped 2 to 3 inches of rain within an hour over southern Jefferson County.  Two people were killed near the town of Buffalo Creek when a 20-foot wall of water flooded the area.  Utility poles and trees were uprooted; cars… Propane tanks…and bridges were destroyed in the flood’s path.  Entire buildings were moved from their foundations and heavily damaged by the floodwaters.  The first fatality occurred along State Highway 126 when the driver of a pick-up truck was washed off the road by the deadly wall of water.  The second death occurred farther upstream when a man in a 5th-wheel trailer was washed away.  This was the second disaster to strike the area in the last couple of months.  The community was already recovering from a wildfire which burned about 12 thousand acres of forest land in late May.  With the forest burned by fire…very little vegetation was available to slow the storm’s runoff…which resulted in the flash flood.  Power…water…and sewer service were heavily damaged in the flood and…in some cases…beyond repair.  The cost of repairing the roads and water system in the area was estimated at around a half million dollars.  Elsewhere across metro Denver…severe thunderstorms produced hail…damaging winds…and small tornadoes.  Weak tornadoes (f0) were reported in Broomfield… 3 miles east of Englewood…and in Dacono.  No damage was reported…except a trampoline was blown into a window and several trees were downed in Broomfield.  Thunderstorm wind gusts estimated as high as 60 mph blew a fence down in Louisville where winds also toppled a tree near a house. The house received only minor damage.  Large hail…strong winds and heavy rain caused substantial property damage in portions of southeastern Boulder and northern Jefferson counties.  Damage estimates in the Broomfield area alone were about 1 million dollars.  Winds gusted to 81 mph in Broomfield.  Large hail…3/4 to 1 1/2 inches in diameter fell in Evergreen…Lakewood…Englewood…Broomfield…near Morrison…northeast of Boulder…and just east of Denver International Airport.

In 2000…heavy rain fell across a portion of the Hi Meadow Fire burn area near Buffalo Creek…causing localized flooding.  About 3/4 inch of rain fell in 30 minutes over Miller Gulch.  Some culverts become plugged by debris from the fire.  As a result…small sections of a U.S. Forest Service road along Miller Creek were washed out.  Lightning struck a home in Castle Rock…causing extensive damage to the roof…attic…and second floor.

In 2011…severe thunderstorms developed over parts of Adams and Denver Counties. At Denver International Airport…a severe thunderstorm produced a peak wind gust to 66 mph… with another gust to 59 mph measured in Denver. In Commerce City…the intense winds blew down a large tree.

Continue reading July 11 to July 17: This week in Denver weather history →

As we pointed out in our July weather preview, the month is not only our hottest but it is also the stormiest.  Scorching summer heat is certainly evident when we look back at this week in Denver weather history.  Perhaps more notable is the severe weather we have seen with everything from hail, damaging wind, dangerous lightning and deadly flooding having occurred.

29-15

In 2000…the 29th marked the beginning of a near record hot streak for metro Denver.  The high temperatures…as recorded at Denver International Airport…exceeded the 90 degree mark for 17 consecutive days from June 29th through July 15th. The record of 24 consecutive 90 degree or above days was set from July 13th through August 5th…2008.

1-18

In 1874…a streak of 18 consecutive days of 90 degrees tied for second with another streak that was later set in the summer of 1901. The record of 24 consecutive days was established in the summer of 2008.

1-31

In 2012…it was the hottest July on record in Denver since weather records began in 1872. The average temperature for the month was 78.9 degrees which was 4.7 degrees above normal. There were 27 days in which the high temperature equaled or exceeded 90 degrees…which established a new record. There were also 7 days in which the temperature equaled or exceeded 100 degrees which tied the record set in 2005.

4

In 1874…the temperature reached a high of 102 degrees in downtown Denver.  Large forest fires in the mountains from the west-northwest to the south filled the atmosphere over the city with dense smoke.

In 1885…a thunderstorm produced sustained winds to 44 mph with gusts to 60 mph.  A circus tent was tattered by the strong winds.

In 1900…a thunderstorm produced northwest winds sustained to 42 mph with gusts to 51 mph…but only 0.05 inch of rain.

In 1903…the all time lowest temperature ever recorded in July…42 degrees…occurred. The temperature also occurred on July 31…1873.

In 1910…thunderstorm winds were sustained to 42 mph from the southwest.

In 1922…thunderstorm winds were sustained to 37 mph with gusts to 48 mph.

In 1956…a thunderstorm wind gust to 54 mph was recorded at Stapleton Airport.

In 1964…several men were knocked down by a bolt of lightning while playing golf in south metro Denver.  They got up and ran for cover when one of them was struck by a second bolt. He suffered burns and shock.

In 1987…a weak tornado was observed for 6 minutes…7 miles northeast of Watkins.  Hail 3/4 to 1 1/4 inches in diameter fell in southeast Aurora.

In 1988…lightning struck a group of people at the Jefferson County fairgrounds.  A 42-year-old woman was seriously injured and was hospitalized for 3 days.  Four other people sustained minor injuries.

In 1993…strong northwest winds uprooted several trees across metro Denver.  Wind gusts to 64 mph were reported at Erie north of Denver.  A west wind gust to 43 mph was recorded at Stapleton International Airport.

In 1995…lightning struck and injured two people standing in a field in Arvada.

In 1998…heavy thunderstorm rain…up to 2.75 inches…and marble size hail combined to flood local roads and fields near Roggen.

In 2002…heavy thunderstorm rain in the Hayman Fire burn area caused flash flooding.  In Jefferson County…gulch road was washed out.  In Douglas County…high water washed out some forest access roads as well…generally to the east of a line extending from Signal Butte to Deckers.

In 2010…intense thunderstorms produced torrential rainfall…  in excess of 5 inches in one hour…and caused flash flooding  in the vicinity of Elizabeth.  Numerous county roads were  washed out.  The combination of heavy rain and hail made it  necessary to run snow plows through town.  Extensive  basement flooding was also reported.  Severe thunderstorms  produced large hail from Aurora south to Elizabeth and  Larkspur.  The hail size ranged from 1 to 2 inches in  diameter.  A wet microburst produced 1.84 inches of rainfall  at Denver International Airport.  A peak wind gust to 48 mph  was also observed from the northeast.

In 2017…a microburst produced a wind gust to 61 mph…about 13  miles east-northeast of Denver International Airport.

4-5

In 1875…nearly every railroad running into the city was damaged by heavy thunderstorm rains.  The heavy rains washed out wooden bridges over normally dry creeks. Some trains were entirely suspended.  In the city…heavy thunderstorm rain totaled 1.05 inches on the 4th…but only 0.28 inch on the 5th.

4-8

In 1989…one of the most intense heat waves on record roasted metro Denver.  The temperature reached 100 degrees or more on 5 consecutive days.  The city had previously never recorded more than 2 straight 100-degree days since records began in 1872.  Water and electricity usage reached all time highs.  The heat wave created extremely dry weather conditions…which contributed to a major forest fire in Boulder canyon on July 9th.  The temperature reached 103 degrees on the 8th…and the mercury climbed to 101 degrees on both the 4th and 5th…and to 102 degrees on both the 6th and 7th.  The low temperature of 68 degrees on the 8th equaled the record high minimum for the date.

Continue reading July 4 to July 10: This week in Denver weather history →

This week in weather history we really begin to see the arrival of monsoon season and the heavy rains and flooding it can bring to the Thornton and Denver area.  Be sure to check out the events on the 23rd and what the heavy rain brought to the Thornton area in 2004.

1-31

In 2012…it was the hottest July on record in Denver since weather records began in 1872. The average temperature for the month was 78.9 degrees which was 4.7 degrees above normal. There were 27 days in which the high temperature equaled or exceeded 90 degrees…which established a new record. There were also 7 days in which the temperature equaled or exceeded 100 degrees which tied the record set in 2005.

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 26 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.

18-19

In 2003…heavy rain producing thunderstorms caused flash flooding across southern metro Denver.  Automated rain gages measured 2 to 3 inches of rain in less than an hour.  The heavy rainfall caused many intersections and underpasses to flood…stranding motorists.  Sections of I-25 and I-225 were closed due to the high water.

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

In 1875…recent heavy rains produced high waters on many creeks and rivers in the area…which threatened the destruction of property at some locations.  Cherry Creek in the city was running the highest in 10 years.  Heavy rain in the mining regions over the last 2 days resulted in water running “everywhere” and the suspension of some work.

In 1881…a thunderstorm passing across the city produced lightning with no rain.  A woman was seriously injured when struck by lightning several blocks from the weather office in downtown Denver.

In 1934…the temperature reached a high of 100 degrees in downtown Denver.

In 1965…hail…rain…and lightning hit west metro Denver. Hail stones as large as 1 1/2 inches in diameter accumulated to a depth of 2 inches in Evergreen where 2.95 inches of rain in 2 hours caused some flooding in the business section of the town.  Lightning caused some power outages.

In 1973…two funnel clouds were observed 5 miles southeast of Littleton.  The same funnel clouds were observed for 20 minutes…5 miles west and 5 miles west-southwest of Arapahoe County airport…now Centennial Airport.

In 1975…lightning injured a man in Denver and caused power outages in Aurora…Lakewood…Westminster…and west Denver.

In 1984…strong thunderstorm winds gusting to 45 mph shattered 7 large plate glass windows at Stapleton International Airport.

In 1985…a tornado touched down in the surrey ridge area of northern Douglas County…just west of I-25.  Ten homes were damaged; one under construction was nearly destroyed.  Two vehicles were thrown off I-25 injuring three people.  A pick-up truck was thrown 50 feet by the twister.  In addition…a cluster of severe thunderstorms pounded all of metro Denver with torrential rain…hail…and wind.  The heaviest rain fell in Aurora where one location reported 2.37 inches in just 40 minutes.  One location in northeast Aurora received a total of 4.30 inches from the storm. There was extensive street and basement flooding…and a number of roads were damaged or washed out.  An Aurora boy suffered minor injuries when he was washed into a drainage ditch.  Golf ball size hail in Aurora piled up to 5 inches deep.  An inch of rain fell in 20 minutes at Stapleton International Airport…closing it to air traffic for an hour.  Up to 1 1/2 inches of rain fell in just 15 minutes over central Denver with the high water closing I-25.  The water was so deep on the freeway…that one vehicle was completely submerged and people were diving into the water from the freeway overpass.  Three homes in Littleton were damaged by lightning.  Wind blew out several windows from a high rise apartment building in southeast Denver. Rainfall totaled 1.51 inches at Stapleton International Airport.

In 1997…torrential rain and damaging hail pummeled eastern sections of metro Denver.  Hail up to 1.25 inches in diameter fell at the national weather service office on the site of the former Stapleton International Airport.  The hail continued for about 15 minutes and accumulated to a depth of 2 to 3 inches…causing extensive damage to cars in the area.  Heavy rainfall totaled 3.83 inches in about an hour from the nearly stationary thunderstorm.  Numerous cars stalled along I-70…and several homes were flooded in east Denver.  The roof of a building collapsed under the weight of the water.  The next day several “fatalities” were discovered near the national weather service office; two prairie dogs were found dead along with three rabbits that either drowned or were killed by the large hail.

In 1999…lightning struck two residences in Littleton…but caused only minor damage.  Lightning triggered a fire at a residence in cherry hills village.  A small portion of the roof and ceiling were damaged before the fire could be extinguished.

In 2000…hail as large as 1.25 inches in diameter fell near Roggen northeast of Denver.

In 2004…heavy rainfall caused flooding on the Virginia Canyon Road near Idaho Springs…which had to be closed for repairs.

In 2006…the temperature climbed to a high of 100 degrees.  The high temperature was not a record maximum for the date.

In 2007…a severe thunderstorm produced large hail…up to 1 inch in diameter…about 6 miles north of Northglenn.

In 2016…two men at the Indian Tree Golf Course in Arvada were struck by lightning when they sought shelter from a rapidly developing thunderstorm under a tree. One man died from his injuries while the other suffered minor injuries. Very heavy rainfall was observed across central and southern parts of Denver. The storm dropped around 1.5 inches of rainfall in 30 minutes and caused minor street flooding. Nickel size hail was reported west of Pine in central Jefferson County.

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

In 1898…an apparent thunderstorm produced sustained northwest winds to 45 mph with gusts to 51 mph.

In 1939…the high temperature reached 102 degrees in downtown Denver.  This was the highest temperature recorded since august 8…1878…a period of 61 years…and the third highest temperature of record at the time.  Six miles to the east… At Denver municipal airport…the maximum temperature reached 104 degrees.  A dry period during mid-July…combined with low relative humidities…resulted in an unusually large number of forest fires in the mountains west of Denver.

In 1941…an afternoon thunderstorm caused two lightning deaths.  The men were struck by lightning near the Denver airport.

In 1951…a thunderstorm wind gust to 54 mph was recorded at Stapleton Airport.

In 1965…heavy rain west of Denver damaged roads and bridges. Two bridges in Golden were washed out.  Lightning in Denver caused some power failures and fires…mostly in the northeast section of the city.  Heavy rain caused street flooding in the city of Denver.  Hail as large as 1/2 inch in diameter and 0.40 inch of rain in 5 minutes were measured at Stapleton International Airport where precipitation totaled 1.09 inches.  Lightning damaged a house in Littleton…and caused a power outage in idaho springs.

In 1973…lightning damage was reported west of Arvada.

In 1975…heavy rains caused flash flooding across metro Denver…resulting in the closing of several streets and damage to numerous homes and businesses.  Hail 1/2 to 3/4 inch in diameter was reported.

In 1976…heavy thunderstorms caused flooding of streets in southeast Denver and western Arapahoe counties.  A total of 3.35 inches of rain was measured at Kassler southwest of Littleton.

In 1978…a girl was injured by lightning at a country club southwest of Denver.

In 1984…heavy rain was reported just east of Buckley Field in Aurora where 1.15 inches fell in just 45 minutes.

In 1986…thunderstorms dumped heavy rain across metro Denver causing extensive street flooding…power outages…and basement flooding.  The greatest recorded rainfall was 4.39 inches in Lakewood.  In extreme northwest Denver…2.29 inches of rain fell in just 20 minutes.  Arvada was drenched with 2.60 inches of rain…and over an inch fell in southeast Denver and adjacent sections of Aurora.

In 1990…heavy thunderstorm rains caused flash flooding in sections of Littleton where 1.20 inches of rain fell in less than 30 minutes.  The deluge caused dry creek to jump its banks…causing damage to residential streets…curbs…and sidewalks.  Nearly 100 vehicles were stranded for a time in fender-deep water when sewers and drainage ditches became choked with debris.  The heavy runoff submerged many Littleton streets and intersections.

In 1992…strong thunderstorms moved slowly through east metro Denver…producing rainfall up to 2.50 inches in a short time. Weather spotters reported 0.75 to 1.00 inch of rain in less than 30 minutes.  Many areas of southeast Denver were flooded…including I-25 where up to 6 feet of water filled some underpasses.  Hail to 3/4 inch in diameter fell in Aurora.

In 1995…a tornado touched down briefly in an open field near Strasburg.  Thunderstorm winds gusted to 58 mph at Centennial Airport.

In 1996…strong thunderstorm winds damaged the building of a telephone installation company in the city of Denver.

In 1998…the high temperature reached 100 degrees at Denver International Airport.

In 2006…heavy rainfall in the overland wildfire burn area caused minor flash flooding in Jamestown.  The roads behind the Jamestown fire hall were washed out…when a culvert was blocked by debris.  A rockslide was also reported in town.

In 2009…a severe thunderstorm produced damaging winds… Large hail and very heavy rain across the western and southern suburbs of Denver. Widespread damage was observed in the cities of Arvada…Lakewood and Wheat Ridge. The intense straightline winds were the result of a wet microburst which downed hundreds of trees and snapped power poles. Wind gusts to 80 mph were reported along with hail up to 1 3/4 inches in diameter. The combination of wind and hail caused widespread damage to homes and vehicles. The damage claim estimates totaled 350 million dollars; about 32900 claims were filed for homes…while another 19500 claims were filed for vehicles. As many as 90000 homes and businesses were left without power. In some areas it took up to 3 days to completely restore electrical service. Minor injuries were reported from broken glass during the storm…but no one was hospitalized. The storm crippled the computers at the Colorado crime information center in Lakewood for nearly 3 hours. One weak tornado touched down near Parker but did no damage. In southern weld County… Severe thunderstorms produced widespread damage over 150 square miles of farmland. In all…400 farms were directly impacted by severe weather. Damage to crops alone was estimated to 3 million dollars. At Denver International Airport…a peak wind gust to 48 mph was observed from the northeast. In addition…1.01 inches was measured at the airport.

In 2013…severe thunderstorms produced large hail… Ranging in size from nickel to golf ball…across portions of Arapahoe… Denver…Elbert and Weld counties. In addition… Damaging wind gusts to 60 mph snapped large tree branches in Thornton and 3 miles west-southwest of Buckley AFB. In Bennett…hail up to 1 1/2 inches in diameter was reported. At Denver International Airport…a peak wind gust to 58 mph was recorded from the northeast.

In 2017…a severe thunderstorm north of Elizabeth produced hail up to 1 inch in diameter. The hail completely covered the ground.

20-23 Continue reading July 19 to July 25: This week in Denver weather history →

A busy week in Denver weather history for sure.  Most notable are the occurences of flooding that seem to happen with regularity as well as the costliest hail storm in American history.

1-18

In 1874…a streak of 18 consecutive days of 90 degrees…from the 1st to the 18th…tied for second with another streak that was later set in the summer of 1901. The record of 24 consecutive days was established in the summer of 2008.

1-31

In 2012…it was the hottest July on record in Denver since weather records began in 1872. The average temperature for the month was 78.9 degrees which was 4.7 degrees above normal. There were 27 days in which the high temperature equaled or exceeded 90 degrees…which established a new record. There were also 7 days in which the temperature equaled or exceeded 100 degrees which tied the record set in 2005.

6-23

In 1901…from the 6th to the 23rd…a streak of 18 consecutive days of 90 degrees tied for second with another streak set in the summer of 1874. The record of 24 consecutive days was established in the summer of 2008.

7-25

In 1934…a streak of 15 consecutive days of 90 degrees…from the 7th to the 25th…ranked 5th on the list of hot streaks. The record of 24 consecutive days was established in the summer of 2008.

11-12

In 1872…heavy rain from 4:00 pm until 2:00 am caused much damage.  Rainfall totaled 1.76 inches.

12

In 1881…during the early evening…a brisk rain fell for 30 minutes from a nearly clear sky containing not one tenth of clouds with the sun shining brightly.  Rainfall was 0.16 inch.

In 1885…thunderstorms produced widespread lightning across the city during the evening.  Several people were injured when their homes were struck by lightning.

In 1954…the high temperature reached 101 degrees at Stapleton Airport.

In 1962…lightning struck and killed a Denver man…while he was assisting a co-worker with his car.

In 1971…the temperature climbed to a high of 101 degrees at Stapleton International Airport.

In 1974…hail to 3/4 inch in diameter fell in Castle Rock.

In 1991…hail to 2 inches in diameter fell in Thornton with golf ball size hail in Brighton.  Dime size hail was recorded in the city of Denver.  Very heavy rain caused flooding across metro Denver.  Water was up to 2 feet deep in parts of Golden where one foot of water was reported in the lot of a mobile home park.  Flood water washed away part of a parking lot at the Colorado school of mines in Golden. Heavy rain caused a rock slide and flooding along I-70 in the foothills just west of Denver.  Flood waters were a foot deep at the intersection of I-70 and I-25 just north of downtown Denver.  A funnel cloud was sighted just east of the rocky mountain arsenal.

In 1996…very heavy rainfall from a fast moving thunderstorm dumped 2 to 3 inches of rain within an hour over southern Jefferson County.  Two people were killed near the town of buffalo creek when a 20-foot wall of water flooded the area.  Utility poles and trees were uprooted; cars… Propane tanks…and bridges were destroyed in the flood’s path.  Entire buildings were moved from their foundations and heavily damaged by the floodwaters.  The first fatality occurred along State Highway 126 when the driver of a pick-up truck was washed off the road by the deadly wall of water.  The second death occurred farther upstream when a man in a 5th-wheel trailer was washed away.  This was the second disaster to strike the area in the last couple of months.  The community was already recovering from a wildfire which burned about 12 thousand acres of forest land in late May.  With the forest burned by fire…very little vegetation was available to slow the storm’s runoff…which resulted in the flash flood.  Power…water…and sewer service were heavily damaged in the flood and…in some cases…beyond repair.  The cost of repairing the roads and water system in the area was estimated at around a half million dollars.  Elsewhere across metro Denver…severe thunderstorms produced hail…damaging winds…and small tornadoes.  Weak tornadoes (f0) were reported in Broomfield… 3 miles east of Englewood…and in Dacono.  No damage was reported…except a trampoline was blown into a window and several trees were downed in Broomfield.  Thunderstorm wind gusts estimated as high as 60 mph blew a fence down in Louisville where winds also toppled a tree near a house. The house received only minor damage.  Large hail…strong winds and heavy rain caused substantial property damage in portions of southeastern Boulder and northern Jefferson counties.  Damage estimates in the Broomfield area alone were about 1 million dollars.  Winds gusted to 81 mph in Broomfield.  Large hail…3/4 to 1 1/2 inches in diameter fell in Evergreen…Lakewood…Englewood…Broomfield…near Morrison…northeast of Boulder…and just east of Denver International Airport.

In 2000…heavy rain fell across a portion of the hi meadow fire burn area near buffalo creek…causing localized flooding.  About 3/4 inch of rain fell in 30 minutes over miller gulch.  Some culverts become plugged by debris from the fire.  As a result…small sections of a u.s. forest service road along miller creek were washed out.  Lightning struck a home in Castle Rock…causing extensive damage to the roof…attic…and second floor.

In 2011…severe thunderstorms developed over parts of Adams and Denver counties. At Denver International Airport…a severe thunderstorm produced a peak wind gust to 66 mph… With another gust to 59 mph measured in Denver.  In Commerce City…the intense winds blew down a large tree.

13

In 1902…west winds were sustained to 42 mph with gusts to 48 mph.

In 1910…an apparent dry microburst produced northeast winds sustained to 41 mph.

In 1961…hail as large as 1 inch in diameter was reported near Commerce City.

In 1982…a tornado touched down briefly south of Parker.  No damage was reported.

In 1985…thunderstorms drenched the Highlands Ranch area of northern Douglas County with 1.50 inches of rain in just 30 minutes.  Half an inch of rain fell in 15 minutes in Littleton.

In 1986…a lightning bolt struck a church steeple in Littleton…toppling it to the ground.

In 1989…thunderstorm winds blew down trees and bent a metal basketball fixture just north of Castle Rock in the surrey ridge area.

In 1993…1 inch diameter hail was measured in Lakewood.

In 1995…lightning struck and injured an assistant coach during a baseball game at Highlands Ranch south of Denver.

In 1996…3/4 inch diameter hail fell in Lockbuie with 1 1/2 inch hail measured in Brighton.  Thunderstorm winds gusted to 69 mph at Bennett.  The strong winds were responsible for flipping three semi-trailer trucks onto their sides along I-70…3 miles east of Bennett.  A few cars were also overturned.

In 2001…heavy thunderstorm rain caused flash flooding over south metro Denver.  Three inches of rain reportedly fell near the greenwood village police department in the span of 15 minutes.  The heavy rain caused toll gate creek to overflow…flooding low lying areas along Parker road. Heavy rainfall also caused local flooding along streets near the Denver technology center.  A severe thunderstorm dumped hail to 1 3/4 inches in diameter near Castle Rock.

In 2003…maximum temperature of 100 degrees was a record high for the date.

In 2009…severe thunderstorms produced wind gusts to 70 mph near Parker and Strasburg.  At Denver International Airport…west-northwest winds gusted to 40 mph.

In 2011…severe thunderstorms produced extensive damage as they moved across the urban corridor. At Denver International Airport alone…large hail up to golfball size…very heavy rain and wind gusts to 59 mph caused substantial damage to 40 planes and stranded approximately 1500 passengers overnight. Frontier and United Airlines were hardest hit as dozens of planes were taken out of service for repairs; forcing the cancellation of at least 220 flights over the next several days. Damage to the aircrafts alone was nearly five million dollars. In addition…83 cars in airport parking lots were damaged…  Along with some police cars and maintenance vehicles. In watkins…two people suffered minor injuries and 35 to 40 homes were damaged. As many as two hundred residents in a mobile home park were left homeless by the storm…forcing the Red Cross to open a shelter at Bennett High School. The trailer park contained 52 mobile homes…14 recreational vehicles…3 houses and a commercial building. Hailstones the size of softballs cratered the north sides of the mobile homes. Some farmers in the area said they lost as much as 85 percent of their total wheat crop. Power lines were also damaged which affected about 1200 customers in Watkins. The strong winds also flipped over a tractor- trailer rig on I-70 near Watkins Road. Insurance claims for the Watkins…Bennett and Brighton areas was estimated to be seventeen million dollars. The total damage estimate across the entire urban corridor…was near one hundred sixty five million dollars…and included 17200 automobile claims and 12600 homeowner claims. In addition…thunderstorms producing very heavy rainfall…caused flash flooding in the four mile canyon burn scar west of boulder. Three homes reportedly had water up to the windows with water flowing into structures at Fourmile Canyon Road and Gold Run Road. The heavy rain caused a 4-ft surge along Fourmile Creek through Orodell and into the entry of Boulder Creek. Several roads were affected which restricted access to the area. Roads were closed due to water and debris. Private bridges and drives were washed out and several residents were stranded and later rescued. Numerous cars were damaged in debris flows and several structures suffered flood damage but were not destroyed.

13-5

In 2008…a streak of 26 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.

14

In 1878…the temperature reached a high of 100 degrees in downtown Denver.

In 1906…a thunderstorm produced north winds sustained to 52 mph and 0.53 inch of rain in 10 minutes.

In 1912…a heavy thunderstorm cloudburst in the late afternoon combined with a similar storm to the south of the city to produce widespread flooding on Cherry Creek in downtown Denver…which resulted in two deaths and several injuries. The flooding was the worst since 1864 and covered around 3 square miles of lower downtown.  Bridges along Cherry Creek were washed out and water lapped at the floor of the Broadway bridge over the South Platte River…causing authorities to declare it unsafe except for pedestrians.  By nightfall… Union Depot was under 2 to 3 feet of water…and railroad and street car traffic was stalled.  Those forced from their homes by the surging flood waters took refuge in the Denver auditorium.  The flood waters caused great damage to the sewerage system…parkways…bridges and residences and commercial warehouses near Cherry Creek in the wholesale district.  Flood damage was estimated at several million dollars.  Heavy thunderstorm rainfall of 2.00 inches…of which nearly 1.75 inch fell in 30 minutes in central Denver… Was accompanied by severe thunderstorm winds sustained to 55 mph with gusts as high as 74 mph.

In 1933…thunderstorm rainfall was only 0.01 inch…but northwest winds sustained to 37 mph with gusts to 47 mph produced a dust storm for about 10 minutes during the late afternoon.

In 1967…heavy rain flooded areas of north and west metro Denver…and high water closed street intersections in the city.  Crops were damaged…and 200 chickens drowned by flooding northwest of Denver where farm buildings and irrigation facilities were also damaged.

In 1969…a thunderstorm wind gust to 51 mph was recorded at Stapleton International Airport.

In 1975…heavy rains caused locally heavy flash flooding along niver creek south of Thornton and in other parts of north metro Denver.  Over 40 thousand dollars in damage to public property was reported…and numerous homes and yards were damaged.

In 1986…thunderstorm winds blew down a power line in west- central Jefferson County.  The storm…as it moved into Denver…snapped tree limbs and damaged a fence near Washington Park.  Wind gusts in the area were estimated at 80 to 85 mph.

In 1990…thunderstorm wind gusts to 58 mph were recorded at Buckley Field in Aurora.  No damage was reported.  Winds gusted to 44 mph at Stapleton International Airport.

In 1993…a severe thunderstorm moved across southern sections of metro Denver.  Dime size hail fell in Lakewood…and hail up to one inch diameter was measured at Cheery Creek Reservoir.  Later in the afternoon…hail to one inch diameter fell in Golden and Arvada.

In 1994…hail to 1 1/4 inches in diameter fell north of Bennett.

In 1998…dry microburst winds estimated to 70 mph snapped tree branches up to 4 inches in diameter in Brighton where some road signs were twisted and blown down.  At Denver International Airport…dry microburst winds gusted to 61 mph.

In 1995…thunderstorm winds gusted to 62 mph near Strasburg.

In 2001…a severe thunderstorm dumped hail to 3/4 inch in diameter in the foothills about 10 miles northwest of Golden.

In 2011…severe thunderstorms in the Denver metropolitan area produced very heavy rain…large hail and damaging winds. The strong winds toppled a few trees and the heavy rain caused street flooding and minor flash flooding. Several cars were stranded at the intersection of Santa Fe Drive and Oxford…and near Broadway and U.S. Highway 285. A 16-yr old teenager was seriously injured when he tried to retrieve a ball along the banks of West Toll Gate Creek. He was pulled from the swollen creek and died several days later. Hail up to one inch in diameter was reported around the area. The thunderstorms also produced frequent lightning. One strike sparked a fire at Aspen Academy…a private school in Greenwood Village. Most of the damage was confined to the roof and attic. In Englewood…a 40-ft tree was blown into a house and knocked down some power lines. At Denver International Airport…a severe thunderstorm produced sustained winds of 47 mph and a peak wind gust to 68 mph.

14-15

In 1985…thunderstorms dumped heavy rain and hail at numerous locations along the Front Range from Denver north.  Some of the heaviest rain fell in northern and western suburbs of Denver.  Up to 2.6 inches of rain drenched Arvada…and Thornton was soaked with 2 inches in 45 minutes.  At least 5 homes in Arvada suffered extensive damage from water and mud…and many streets and basements were flooded.  In southern Jefferson County…11 homes were struck by lightning.

Continue reading July 12 to July 18: This week in Denver weather history →

Our look back at this week in Denver weather history reminds us that severe weather can continue to strike, even during what is normally a relatively calm month. Lightning, hail and flooding are three continuous threats as we see during our look back at history this week.

From the National Weather Service:

29-15

In 2000…the 29th marked the beginning of a near record hot streak for metro Denver. The high temperatures…as recorded at Denver International Airport…exceeded the 90 degree mark for 17 consecutive days from June 29th through July 15th. This was one day short of equaling the all time record. The record of 18 consecutive 90 degree or above days was first set from July 1st through July 18th…1874. The record was equaled from July 6th through July 23rd…1901.

1-18

In 1874…a streak of 18 consecutive days of 90 degrees tied for second with another streak that was later set in the summer of 1901. The record of 24 consecutive days was established in the summer of 2008.

1-31

In 2012…it was the hottest July on record in Denver since weather records began in 1872. The average temperature for the month was 78.9 degrees which was 4.7 degrees above normal. There were 27 days in which the high temperature equaled or exceeded 90 degrees…which established a new record. There were also 7 days in which the temperature equaled or exceeded 100 degrees which tied the record set in 2005.

4-5

In 1875…nearly every railroad running into the city was damaged by heavy thunderstorm rains. The heavy rains washed out wooden bridges over normally dry creeks. Some trains were entirely suspended. In the city…heavy thunderstorm rain totaled 1.05 inches on the 4th…but only 0.28 inch on the 5th.

4-8

In 1989…one of the most intense heat waves on record roasted metro Denver. The temperature reached 100 degrees or more on 5 consecutive days. The city had previously never recorded more than 2 straight 100-degree days since records began in 1872. Water and electricity usage reached all time highs. The heat wave created extremely dry weather conditions…which contributed to a major forest fire in Boulder canyon on July 9th. The temperature reached 103 degrees on the 8th…and the mercury climbed to 101 degrees on both the 4th and 5th…and to 102 degrees on both the 6th and 7th. The low temperature of 68 degrees on the 8th equaled the record high minimum for the date.

5

In 1908…a late evening thunderstorm produced sustained north winds to 40 mph…hail…and 0.45 inch of precipitation.

In 1949…a dust devil…possibly a small tornado…was observed 3 miles to the northwest of Stapleton Airport.

In 1973…the temperature reached 100 degrees at Stapleton International Airport.

In 1974…strong thunderstorm winds damaged a mobile home…a barn…two houses…and several sheds near Watkins.

In 1975…a thunderstorm wind gust to 53 mph was recorded at Stapleton International Airport. Hail up to 3/4 inch in diameter fell over the northwest suburbs and in northwest Denver.

In 1977 three houses in Denver were struck by lightning. Some heavy damage and fire occurred.

In 1990…lightning caused minor damage to houses in Castle Rock…Louviers…and Littleton.

In 1996…lightning caused only minor damage when it struck a home in Evergreen. Lightning from a fast moving thunderstorm blasted a large hole in the side of a house in Lakewood. Lightning triggered a minor power outage in the Boulder area. About 200 homes were affected.

In 2001…severe thunderstorm winds gusted to 60 mph at Denver International Airport and to 70 mph…7 miles southwest of the airport.

In 2008…microburst winds downed a large tree and some power lines near a Denver apartment complex. Several of the tenants’ vehicles were damaged.

In 2009…a wet microburst produced very strong winds in and just east of Denver.  A peak wind gust of 69 mph was measured 1.5 miles east of Denver.  In addition…1.50 inches of rain fell in 30 minutes.  A peak wind gust to 68 mph was also observed near byers.  Southwest winds gusted to 31 mph at Denver International Airport.  The airport also received 0.30 inches of rainfall.

6

In 1876…the high temperature reached 101 degrees in downtown Denver.

In 1943…four people were injured by lightning in Denver during a severe early evening thunderstorm. At least two houses were set on fire by the lightning. One house had 1500 dollars in damage and the other 1000 dollars.

In 1959…wind and lightning caused some damage in metro Denver. Wind gusts to 67 mph blew down power lines…signs… And trees. Lightning struck several transformers…leaving many areas without power.

In 1971…a microburst wind gust to 68 mph was recorded at Stapleton International Airport.

In 1973…the temperature reached a high of 103 degrees. This was the second consecutive day with a temperature of 100 degrees or more.

In 1984…a weak tornado moved through eastern Aurora. About 10 homes sustained minor damage to roofs; some sections of fence were thrown more than a block. Soft hail…an inch in diameter…fell over central Aurora…and 1.35 inches of rain fell in just 45 minutes…5 miles east of Buckley Field. Torrential rain and hail stopped traffic on I-225 in central Aurora for 15 minutes. Street flooding was widespread. A wind gust to 57 mph was recorded in southeast Aurora. A wind gust to 66 mph was reported at Front Range airport near Bennett. Northwest winds gusted to 44 mph at Stapleton International Airport where only 1/8 inch hail fell.

In 1986…one inch diameter hail fell near Conifer in the foothills west of Denver. The storm produced 1.50 inches of rain in an hour with a storm total of 2.15 inches. Nearby buffalo creek was drenched with 0.80 inch of rain in just 10 minutes.

In 1996…3/4 inch diameter hail fell in Bennett…east of Denver. Hail…as large as 1 1/2 inches in diameter… Damaged several vehicles in the parking lot of the Colorado Speedway race track near Dacono north of Denver. Several trees were also damaged.

In 2001…a severe thunderstorm wind gust to 59 mph was recorded at Denver International Airport…along with small hail.

In 2009…hail up to 1 inch in diameter was observed near Longmont.

In 2010…heavy rain caused flash flooding near interstate 70 at the Byers exit.  Two feet of water was observed moving across the bottom of exit ramp.  One car was washed into a tree but no one was injured.  In addition…severe thunderstorms produced hail up to 1 1/2 inches in diameter near Franktown.  At Denver International Airport…only 0.01 inches of rainfall was observed.  A peak wind gust to 45 mph from the west was also recorded.

7

In 1905…a thunderstorm produced sustained northeast winds to 40 mph…but only a trace of rain.

In 1933…heavy cloudbursts during the afternoon in the Idledale area and on Saw Mill Gulch caused flash flooding on bear creek resulting in 7 deaths. Flooding in Morrison was compounded when a wall of water as high as 15 feet swept down Mount Vernon Creek. The flooding caused extensive damage to the Bear Creek Canyon Highway.

In 1959…wind gusts to 45 mph at Stapleton Airport…but higher in other areas…damaged power lines and buildings and caused widespread minor damage from falling trees and broken limbs. A field house under construction at Adams County High School in Commerce City sustained severe damage.

In 1963…farm buildings east of Boulder were possibly damaged by a small tornado as there were unconfirmed reports of a funnel cloud in the area.

In 1967…a storm of cloudburst proportion caused damage from flooding in southwest and south Denver. Unofficial reports indicated rainfall of 2.00 inches in 30 minutes and more than 3.00 inches total from the storm. Streets and buildings were flooded by the heavy run-off. Hail in some areas contributed to flooding by blocking storm drains. Water accumulated 12 to 14 feet deep in several underpasses and some street intersections. A young woman drowned when she tried to cross a flooded street and was swept off her feet and trapped under a parked car. Water reached a depth of 5 feet in the street. Police rescued numerous stranded motorists. The roof and wall of a flat roofed store building collapsed under the weight of deep water on the roof. Cars were washed over curbs in many areas. In southwest metro Denver…100 to 150 homes were flooded. Hail caused damage in other areas of Denver and in Aurora. Wind toppled trees in several areas. Snowplows were called out to clear hail from some highways and runways at Stapleton International Airport. Lightning damaged trees and power lines and started a fire…which extensively damaged an automobile dealership. Thunderstorm rainfall totaled 0.83 inch at Stapleton International Airport.

In 1981…severe thunderstorms produced 3/4 inch hail over east Denver. About 1 1/2 inches of rain fell in Littleton. Thunderstorm winds gusted to 45 mph at Stapleton International Airport.

In 1983…tennis ball size hail fell about 5 miles north of Boulder; it was soft and caused no damage.

In 1987…a weak tornado touched down in Castle Rock. Several weak tornadoes were observed in the area. No damage was reported.

In 1988…lightning struck a sign at a bank near Louisville… Damaging it and causing a smoldering fire that resulted in smoke damage to the bank and an adjacent building. Heavy thunderstorm rain…accompanied by 1/2 inch diameter hail at Stapleton International Airport…briefly reduced the visibility to 1/4 mile. Rainfall totaled 1.41 inches… But 1.12 inches fell in 32 minutes.

In 2001…severe thunderstorms dumped large hail across north metro Denver. Hail to 1 3/4 inches in diameter fell near Erie with 7/8 inch hail measured in Thornton.

In 2004…a 9-year-old boy was struck by lightning while at a playground in Arvada. The umpire at a nearby baseball game…along with 2 passers-by…administrated CPR and resuscitated the boy who had quit breathing. The boy suffered first and second degree burns…but was released from the hospital in less than 24 hours. A dry microburst over Denver International Airport produced a recorded peak wind gust to 61 mph.

In 2006…up to 3 inches of heavy thunderstorm rainfall in the Hayman Wildfire burn area produced destructive flash flooding along west creek between the towns of Deckers and Westcreek in southwest Douglas County. Horse creek…which drains into west creek…swelled from a normally small creek into a raging torrent…25 to 30 feet deep and 300 feet wide. The wall of water damaged or destroyed about 30 sections of a 5 mile stretch of State Highway 67…which parallels west creek. Several homes were extensively damaged or destroyed. No injuries were reported…but several people had to be rescued…due to extensive damage to access roads and bridges in the area. Reconstruction was estimated at 13.3 million dollars.

In 2011…heavy rain associated with a wet microbursts produced over 3 inches of rain in 90 minutes across southeast Denver. In Denver…some underpasses were flooded with several feet of water which stranded motorists. As a result…the fire department conducted at least 10 water rescues. Some basements were inundated with up to 4 feet of water which caused extensive flood damage. The Platte Valley and Western Model Railroad Club`s model train display in Union Station was also damaged when 3 to 4 inches of mud and water spilled over some of the command and control systems. Several display modules and scenery pieces in a storage room were also damaged. The entire display spanned more than one thousand feet of track in a room that was once used as the jail at union station in the 1900s. Urban and small stream flooding was reported across the surrounding Denver suburbs. The storm left about 28000 Xcel customers without power when the storm snapped trees and power lines. In addition…heavy rain produced flash flooding in the four mile canyon burn scar. Four debris slides occurred along four mile canyon drive…including one that was 100 yards wide and 4 feet deep. Several rockslides were reported in Lefthand and Boulder canyons. At Denver International Airport…1.04 inches of rain was observed. A peak wind gust of 46 mph from the southeast was also observed.

In 2012…heavy rain produced flash flooding in Boulder County near Jamestown. James Canyon Drive was closed after heavy rain washed out a section of the roadway. Heavy rain washed out a section of Magnolia Road…east-southeast of Nederland. Nearby…a trained spotter 4 miles east-northeast of Nederland… Measured 2.20 inches of rainfall. Flash flooding was also reported in the Fourmile burn area along Summerville Road. In Dacono…in southern Weld County… The Colorado Department of Transportation used snowplows to clear standing water…up to 6 inches deep…from a section of Interstate 25. The interstate was closed in both directions for nearly two hours. South of the Denver…in central Douglas County… Flash flooding was reported near Perry Park…where 2.5 inches of rain fell in one hour.

In 2014…an Arvada resident was injured by a nearby lightning strike while he recorded a video of a thunderstorm with his cell phone. He was standing in his garage…when a nearby lightning bolt knocked him out. He suffered overall body aches and had a ringing sensation in one of his ears. In Denver… Lightning caused a power outage that affected the RTD light rail lines for a short time. In Castle Pines…lightning sparked a small attic fire. Severe thunderstorms produced large hail…from quarter to golfball size… And damaging winds across Arapahoe…Boulder and Jefferson counties including: northwest Arvada…Littleton and Louisville. Flash flooding was reported near Evergreen in central Jefferson County. Heavy rain…up to 2 inches in one hour… Flooded several residences and washed out several bridges along forest estate road. Heavy rainfall also produced street flooding in Denver along with some basement flooding. The strong winds…estimated to 60 mph… Downed trees and power lines in southwest Littleton. At Denver International Airport…0.15 inches of rainfall was observed along with a peak wind gust to 42 mph from the southeast.

Continue reading July 5 to July 11: This week in Denver weather history →