The heat has been on throughout the summer and continued today as Denver set another record high.
As measured at Denver International Airport, the Mile High City’s official high temperature today came in at 102 degrees. That breaks the old record high for the date of 100 degrees set in 1878.
Here in Thornton, we bested Denver slightly with a high of 103 degrees.
On first glance our look at this week in Denver weather history appears to be less eventful than many we have looked at previously. However, the severity of the events that appear on the historical weather calendar this week are enough to make you stand up and pay attention. While August is typically a pretty quiet weather month, it is clear that severe weather can certainly strike and Thornton is mentioned in more than one significant event.
From the National Weather Service:
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In 1878…the high temperature reached 100 degrees in downtown Denver.
In 1911…an apparent dry microburst produced sustained west winds to 42 mph.
In 1972…one workman was killed and another injured when a strong gust of wind destroyed a partially completed apartment building in south Denver. Hail to 1 3/4 inch diameter fell in Golden.
In 1973…hail to 3/4 inch diameter was reported in Boulder.
In 1986…a major outbreak of severe thunderstorms occurred along the Front Range. Thunderstorms developed explosively. Some places were hit by large hail twice. Two inch diameter hail broke car windows on I-25 west of Brighton…and up to 1 1/4 inch hail broke windows in Thornton. Baseball size hail damaged several planes near Watkins. Funnel clouds were sighted around Aurora. Hail over 1/2 inch in diameter covered the ground 3 to 4 inches deep at Hudson northeast of Denver. Most of the hail fell north of metro Denver…but 3/4 inch diameter hail was measured at Stapleton International Airport. Total damage from the hail storms this day was estimated at over 10 million dollars.
In 1991…late afternoon thunderstorms produced heavy rain across metro Denver. Two feet of water covered parts of I-25 in southeast Denver…while one foot of water covered parts of U.S. Highway 285 in Englewood. Thunderstorm rainfall totaled 0.50 inch at Stapleton International Airport.
In 2001…severe thunderstorms producing heavy rain and hail… Either washed out or damaged several County roads in the Watkins and Bennett areas. A small tornado (f0) touched down near Bennett…but did no damage. Hail as large as 1 3/4 inches in diameter fell near Watkins. One inch diameter hail was measured near Hudson and Keenesburg.
In 2008…strong winds blew several trees down in Denver… Damaging homes and downing power lines. A peak wind gust of 67 mph occurred at Centennial Airport…with gusts to 60 mph estimated in Denver. A peak wind gust of 37 mph was measured at Denver International Airport. An elderly man was killed when a wind damaged tree broke free and crushed him while he attempted to remove it. The downed power lines caused outages to about 500 Xcel energy customers.
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In 1876…grasshoppers were in great abundance in the city and caused considerable damage to gardens and to crops in the surrounding farms and ranches.
In 1951…heavy thunderstorms rumbled across metro Denver through the night. Heavy rain totaled 3.45 inches at Stapleton Airport. This was the greatest 24 hour precipitation ever recorded during the month of august in Denver.
In 2007…heavy rain caused localized flash flooding near Ft. Lupton. Up to 8 inches of water was reported across County road 18. In addition…several other County roads in the immediate area were washed out.
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In 1878…the high temperature climbed to 100 degrees in downtown Denver.
In 1900…a thunderstorm produced west winds sustained to 48 mph with gusts to 55 mph…but only a trace of rain.
In 1903…a thunderstorm produced a trace of rainfall and northwest winds sustained to 45 mph with gusts to 60 mph. The high temperature was 99 degrees.
In 1927…a thunderstorm produced hail and sustained north winds to 22 mph.
In 1933…heavy cloudburst rains caused the failure of the Castlewood dam…which resulted in flash flooding on Cherry Creek…the deaths of 7 people in Denver…and flood damage estimated at 1 million dollars. Lower Denver was flooded during the morning by waters pouring down Cherry Creek and its valley from Castlewood Dam…which had broken between midnight and 2:00 am. Heavy rain of 3 to 9 inches in 9 hours in the watershed above the dam resulted in the failure. At 7:30 am…the flow in Cherry Creek was reported at 16 thousand second-feet as compared with a peak flow of 3 thousand second-feet in other years. The flood waters ruined hundreds of acres of crops and drowned scores of farm animals. Six bridges in Denver were swept away. Great deposits of mud were left in the lower sections of the city…including hundreds of basements and lower floors of buildings. At the end of the month…a deadly stench still rose from swampy areas near the lower city limits.
In 1963…heavy thunderstorm rains in the Parker area caused Cherry Creek to overflow…which damaged roads.
In 1985…a tornado touched down briefly about 10 miles northeast of Parker. No damage was reported.
In 1991…upslope northeast winds produced chilly temperature readings and heavy rain across metro Denver. Rainfall… With no thunder…totaled 1.56 inches at Stapleton International Airport where the heavy rain briefly reduced the surface visibility to 7/8 mile. The mercury climbed to a high of only 63 degrees.
In 1992…a thunderstorm wind gust to 64 mph was recorded in Brighton. A wind gust to 60 mph was measured near the construction site of the new Denver International Airport. Lightning started a fire in an Evergreen church…causing over 75 thousand dollars in damage.
In 1998…3/4 inch hail fell in Jefferson County 15 miles northwest of Arvada.
In 2006…heavy thunderstorm rainfall caused flash flooding along Leyden Creek in unincorporated Jefferson County. An automated rain gauge on upper Leyden Creek…6 miles northwest of Arvada…measured 2.68 inches of rainfall in less than 2 hours. Two to three feet of water covered the roadway at the intersection of 82nd and Quaker Street.
In 2009…a woman riding her bike… In training for an ironman triathlon…was struck by lightning in Boulder. She was in the 78th mile of a 100-mile training ride when she was hit. The woman lost her vision initially and couldn`t move her arms. After a short stay in the hospital…she made of complete recovery.
In 2013…severe wet microburst thunderstorms produced damaging winds and very heavy rain in and around Buckley Air Force Base…Erie and Lafayette. Peak gusts included: 68 mph in Erie…61 mph at Buckley AFB… And 60 mph in Broomfield…4 miles east-southeast of Erie and Lafayette. In Erie…a velodrome under construction was heavily damaged by heavy rain and high winds. The wind toppled the eastern third of the 250-meter cycling track. Bolts measuring one-half-inch thick by 7 1/2 inches in length were ripped out of concrete footers while 16-inch-wide trusses…collapsed under the force of the wind. In town…heavy rain… Around 2.5 inches in less than one hour…caused extensive street flooding. The intense wind also downed trees which resulted in localized power outages. In addition…an empty semi-trailer was blown on its side. A weak non supercell tornado touched down briefly in an open field…7 miles northwest of Hudson. The storm forced seven incoming flights at Denver International Airport to be diverted and contributed to 45-minute delays for others. At Denver International Airport…a peak wind gust of 55 mph was observed from the northeast…with 0.66 inches of rainfall recorded. The very heavy rain produced flash flooding in part of Aurora. Road closures were set up in both directions on both Picadilly Road and Gun Club Road…just north of Buckley AFB. A man had to be rescued when his car was trapped in flood waters at the intersection of 6th Ave. and Picadilly Road. Flash flooding was also observed at the junction of e-470 and I-70 with water running over the road.
In 2018…a gust front associated with a dissipating thunderstorm moved out of the foothills of Boulder and northern Jefferson counties continued to push eastward into Denver. The storm knocked down trees and branches. Power lines were also damaged which produced scattered outages. Peak wind gusts included: 67 mph near Gold Hill…64 mph in south Boulder…62 mph at Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport…and 60 mph at Denver International Airport.
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In 1988…two inches of rain fell in 3 hours at both Morrison and Wheat Ridge. Thunderstorm rainfall totaled 0.80 inch overnight at Stapleton International Airport.
Continue reading August 2 to August 8: This week in Denver weather history
Following on a record setting high, the nighttime brought little relief and set another warm weather record.
As measured at Denver International Airport, the Mile High City’s low temperature for July 27 was only 74 degrees. This breaks the previous record high minimum for the date of 72 degrees set in 1931.
Notably, this reading is also the third warmest minimum temperature ever recorded in Denver. The warmest is 77 degrees recorded on July 3, 1881.
Here in Thornton, we did not stay near as warm at night with a low of 64.2 degrees.
No rest from the summer heat for the Mile High City as Denver sets a record high for the second day in a row.
As measured at Denver International Airport, the Mile High City’s official high temperature today came in at 103 degrees. That breaks the old record high for the date of 100 degrees set in 1910.
Here in Thornton, we bested Denver slightly with a high of 104 degrees.
Weather can be deadly – we are all well (hopefully) aware of that. Looking at this week in Denver weather history we are reminded of that and the tragedy that weather can bring to our state. We see numerous cases of lightning causing death and injury but no one incident highlights the dangers of weather more than what occurred on July 31, 1976. The Big Thompson Flood was Colorado’s worth weather-related disaster and claimed 144 lives. More details on all these events are below.
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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.
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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.
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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.
In 2022…severe thunderstorms produced strong winds across portions of Arapahoe and Boulder counties. The gusts ranged from 60 to 70 mph…with hail up to 1 inch in diameter near Aurora and Cherry Creek. The wind knocked down some large tree limbs…and the hail caused minor property damage.
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In 1885…heavy cloudbursts on the palmer divide south of Denver caused flooding on Cherry Creek in the city overnight. The high water washed away street and railroad bridges and a few houses. The flood waters completely inundated the rail yards in lower downtown. This was the worst flood on Cherry Creek since May 19-20…1864…but the damage was mitigated by stream improvements and fewer structures near the channel. There was also no simultaneous flood on the South Platte River to slow the flow of water through the city. Rainfall in the city was only 0.08 inch on the 26th.
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In 1897…an apparent dry microburst produced sustained west winds to 48 mph with gusts to 60 mph and a trace of rain.
In 1901…a thunderstorm produced north winds to 38 mph with gusts to 41 mph and rainfall of only 0.01 inch in downtown Denver. This was the only measurable rainfall of the month… Making this the driest July on record.
In 1953…an unconfirmed tornado in south Lakewood touched down briefly and abruptly dissipated. No damage was reported from the twister.
In 1955…the public sighted a funnel cloud estimated at 500 feet above the ground near the western edge of Lowry Field. Wind estimates up to 60 mph were reported in the vicinity.
In 1956…a severe thunderstorm produced 3/4 inch diameter hail and wind gusts to 48 mph at Stapleton Airport where rain fall totaled 1.08 inches.
In 1965…a tornado was sighted 21 miles south of Denver in Douglas County. No damage was reported.
In 1977…a thunderstorm wind gust to 51 mph was recorded at Stapleton International Airport. A funnel cloud was sighted by an aircraft east of Parker.
In 1982…heavy rain doused Boulder with 1 1/2 to 3 inches of rain over a short period of time…causing extensive street flooding.
In 1984…strong thunderstorms drenched several areas. Rainfall of 1.04 inches occurred in just 20 minutes at Boulder. Downpours also hit Aurora and northeast Denver… Delaying flights at Stapleton International Airport for an hour. Up to 3/4 inch of rain fell in central Aurora in 15 minutes.
In 1989…lightning hit a home in Littleton…setting a bed on fire. Damage was confined to the bedroom.
In 1994…lightning struck a furniture store in Boulder… Igniting a fire which caused major damage to the building and contents.
In 1997…lightning sparked a fire…causing extensive damage to a home in Watkins. Heavy rain caused Lena Gulch to surge 2 feet over its banks in Golden. The fire department had to rescue a man when his van stalled in high waters. High waters from swollen creeks and streams washed out bridges and several sections of road in southeast Aurora. A 200-to-300 foot section of road was washed away where Picadilly Street dips across coal creek. Three youths had to be rescued when they became stranded by rapidly rising water in another normally dry creek bed.
In 1999…lightning was suspected of igniting a fire which caused substantial damage to a farm in Hudson. The blaze destroyed a 10-foot by 60-foot metal pole barn…a pick-up truck…a SUV…a boat and trailer…3 four wheeler vehicles… And other farm equipment.
In 2007…a man was struck and killed by lightning while jogging at Matthews Winters Park in Morrison.
In 2022…severe thunderstorm produced strong winds near Chatfield Reservoir and Parker…with gusts up to 66 mph. Hail up to 1 inch in diameter was reported at Gold Hill and near Highlands Ranch.
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In 1956…96 percent of the total precipitation for the month of July occurred over the last five days of the month. Heavy thunderstorms produced 4.00 inches of rainfall at Stapleton Airport. This amount of precipitation in 5 days or less had been exceeded only 3 times in previous record. The last time had been in December of 1913 as snow. Considerable property damage occurred across metro Denver from flooding.
Continue reading July 26 to August 1: This week in Denver weather history
Another hot summer day, a record high is broken.
As measured at Denver International Airport, the Mile High City’s official high temperature today came in at 101 degrees. That breaks the old record high for the date of 99 degrees set in 1963 and 1931.
Here in Thornton, we were a good bit hotter than Denver with a high of 104 degrees.
Time for some much-needed R & R that does not involve a keyboard and computer screen!
We’ll be largely incommunicado in our website news section and on social media for the next couple of weeks but rest-assured we shall return.
In the meantime, our website will continue to be updated with live conditions, radar, statistics and of course the forecast. See you soon!
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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
In 2019…a severe thunderstorm produced a wind gust to 60 mph at Centennial Airport. A thunderstorms produced a flash flood in southern Jefferson and southwest Denver counties. The flooding was particularly bad on southbound I-25 near 6th Avenue. One woman was rescued by a passerby in Lakewood when floodwaters began pouring into her car near Casa Bonita. Standing water up to 3 feet deep was observed on other streets in Lakewood. A homeless woman drowned near West 12th Avenue and Miller Street when she was swept away in the floodwaters. Her body was recovered the following day.
20-23 Continue reading July 19 to July 25: This week in Denver weather history
The controversial bi-annual changes to the clock may be coming to an end. Congress is advancing the Sunshine Protection Act that would put us on Daylight Saving Time year-round.
The U.S. House of Representatives passed their version of the bill out of committee today and it appears to be headed for a floor vote with likely passage.
The Senate passed their version of the bill in 2022 but will need to pass a new version before it heads to the president’s desk.
President Trump has supported the measure calling the time changes a, “ridiculous, twice-yearly production.”
Nineteen states, including Colorado, have already passed legislation to make Daylight Saving Time permanent if Congress allows it.
Daylight Saving Time is controversial as many people dislike the twice-yearly time changes. Going to DST year-round is, in many ways, creates just as big of a debate.
Many people, including some sleep experts and doctors, believe year-round Standard Time would be healthier as they say it better aligns with the human body’s natural circadian rhythms. However, those in northern latitudes greatly appreciate the later sunset times, especially in the summer months.
Should the bill pass, while the length of day would not change, sunrises and sunsets would be later.
Under the current system, on the Winter Solstice (December 21), sunrise will be at 7:17am in Denver. The sun will set at 4:38pm.
If we go to DST year-round, sunrise on that date would be at 8:17am, a seemingly late time to start seeing daylight. However, your drive home from work would still have light as sunset would shift to 5:38pm.
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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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In 1872…heavy rain from 4:00 pm until 2:00 am caused much damage. Rainfall totaled 1.76 inches.
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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.
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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.
In 2019…a severe thunderstorm produced hail up to 1.0 inch in diameter in Broomfield…with 7/8 inch size hail reported in Arapahoe County near Buckley AFB.
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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.
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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.
In 2019…a Denver man was killed and his wife injured after he was struck by lightning when they were hiking near the Bear Peak West Ridge Trail. The man was likely hit from a direct lightning strike to his upper body. His wife was not directly hit…but injured by the electrical current from the strike that hit her husband.
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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