When Denver’s weather turns severe it can turn deadly and damaging. As we look back at this week in Denver weather history we see a time when extreme cold claimed a life and many occasions where wind wreaked havoc and caused damage.
15-23
In 1962…a protracted cold spell kept metro Denver in the deep freeze for more than a week. From the 15th thru the 23rd…low temperatures were zero or below for 9 consecutive days…but a daily record low was set only on the 22nd when the temperature dipped to 14 degrees below zero. A record low maximum for the date was also set on the 22nd when the temperature climbed to only 11 degrees. The coldest high temperature was 3 degrees above zero on the 21st…which did not break the record. The protracted cold was broken for only a few hours on the afternoon of the 20th when Chinook winds warmed the temperature to a high of 38 degrees before another surge of cold arctic air plunged temperatures back into the deep freeze that evening. The severe cold caused much damage to water systems. A woman was frozen to death at Morrison. There were other deaths attributable to the weather…including traffic deaths and heart attacks from overexertion.
18-24
In 2005…a week of mid-winter unseasonably warm weather pushed high temperatures into the 60’s or more on all but one day. During the period…the highest temperature of 70 degrees on the 20th was a new record maximum for the date. Low temperatures remained above freezing on 4 of the days.
22-23
In 1982…wind gusts up to 101 mph were clocked at Wondervu. Wind gusts of 60 to 80 mph were common along the Front Range foothills from Boulder north.
22-26
In 1948…the longest period of snowfall on record (92 hours and 3 minutes) occurred in downtown Denver where a total of 13.6 inches of snow fell. At Stapleton Airport…19.0 inches of snow fell…making it the heaviest snow in January and the 5th heaviest snow of record at that time. North winds were sustained to a velocity of 23 mph on the 25th…but generally the winds were light throughout the storm. The snow disrupted traffic…but street clearing was begun soon after it became apparent that the snow would be heavy. Over the 5 days…temperatures ranged from a high of 48 degrees on the 22nd to a low of 1 degree on the 26th. Most readings were in the teens and 20’s during the storm.
23
In 1872…a brisk northerly wind set in about noon…blew almost a gale about 6:00 pm…and continued brisk until night. A light snow commenced during the late afternoon and continued all night.
In 1886…northwest winds were sustained to 40 mph in the city around sunrise. A cold wave accompanied the strong winds.
Continue reading January 23 to January 29 – This week in Denver weather history
