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Weather History

September 5 to September 11: This week in Denver weather history

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This Week in Denver Weather History

September is typically one of our quietest weather months and in fact it is our sunniest.  That doesn’t however mean we can’t experience weather extremes.  This week in Denver weather history we see everything from scorching heat and severe thunderstorms to snow and damaging wind.  For more about September’s weather, check out our September weather preview.

1-5

In 1995…record breaking heat occurred on the first 5 days of the month when the temperature climbed into the 90’s on each day.  Record high temperatures of 97 degrees on both the 1st and 4th equaled the all-time record maximum for the month.  High temperature of 95 degrees on the 3rd was a record for the date.  High temperatures of 94 degrees on both the 2nd and the 5th were not records.  The low temperature of 64 degrees on the 4th equaled the record high minimum for the date.

1-7

In 1978…the temperature reached 90 degrees or more on seven consecutive days with the highest temperature…94 degrees… Recorded on both the 4th and 6th.

3-6

In 1909…rainfall for the 4 days accumulated to 3.97 inches in Boulder…while in Denver rainfall totaled 2.45 inches on the 4th…5th…and 6th.

5

In 1899…the highest recorded temperature in September…97 degrees…occurred.  The same temperature was also reached on September 4…1960…and September 1 and 4…1995.

In 1940…a severe wind and hail storm confined mostly to the west and north parts of the city occurred shortly after 4:30 pm.  Hail stones ranged in size from 1/4 to 1/2 inch in diameter. In north Denver…hail piled to a depth of 4 inches.  Flooding occurred in one underpass…which stalled 2 cars.  One girl was injured when the weight of the hail flattened a porch on which she stood. Northeast winds were sustained to 29 mph with gusts to 32 mph in downtown Denver.

In 1987…a thunderstorm complex produced hail as large as 1 3/8 inches in diameter…2 miles east of Buckley Field in Aurora.  No damage was reported.

5-9

In 1988…layers of smoke aloft from large forest fires in Yellowstone National Park completely obliterated the sun at times.  At Stapleton International Airport…surface visibility was reduced at times to 5 and 6 miles in smoke.

5-13

In 2010…the Fourmile Canyon Wildfire…northwest of Boulder… broke out on the morning of the 5th. It originated from an unattended fire pit at a local residence. The wildfire quickly consumed 5 1/2 square miles or 3500 acres the first day…and forced the evacuation of over three thousand residents. Erratic 45-mph gusts sent the fire in two directions at times. Very dry weather conditions preceded the fire. The combination of strong winds…low relative humidities and dry fuels allowed the wildfire spread rapidly through the steep…heavily forested terrain. The flames were reportedly 20 to 50 feet in length. Towns within the burn area included Salina…Wallstreet and Gold Hill. The dry conditions coupled with gusty winds ranging from 45 to 64 mph persisted for several more days. Fire managers used as many as 700 firefighters and support personnel from 35 agencies and seven air tankers to battle the wildfire. A total of 6181 square acres or approximately 10 square miles were burned. The Fourmile Canyon Wildfire was the most destructive fire in Colorado history in terms of the damage to personal property. It destroyed 171 homes with an estimated cost of 217 million dollars.

6

In 1940…a thunderstorm pelted the city with small hail. The storm produced some lightning damage.  One woman was stunned by a bolt which struck near her.  Heavy rain from the storm raised the level of Cherry Creek by more than 3 feet during the height of the storm.  Rainfall downtown was only 0.26 inch.

In 1988…strong winds blew down two houses that were under construction in Castle Rock.  Northwest winds gusted to 44 mph at Stapleton International Airport.

In 1993…a man was struck and killed by lightning while standing outside his home in unincorporated Arapahoe County 11 miles south of Denver.  Lightning also struck a cabin in Marshdale…20 miles southwest of Denver…which started a fire and damaged one room and a portion of the roof.

In 1995…hail as large as 3/4 inch in diameter fell in Coal Creek Canyon in northern Jefferson County.

In 2001…a thunderstorm dropped 3/4 inch diameter hail in Aurora near Cherry Creek.

7

In 1875…the creeks were running dangerously high during the night from heavy rains in the mountains.

In 1885…a thunderstorm produced very white hail of irregular shape and about the size of beans.  Precipitation was only 0.10 inch.

In 1971…a vigorous cold front accompanied by a thunderstorm produced wind gusts to 48 mph at Stapleton International Airport and much upslope cloudiness and light rain across metro Denver.

In 1989…widespread thunderstorms produced lightning strikes that knocked out power to about 13 thousand homes in Boulder County. In a rugged area stripped of vegetation by a forest fire earlier in July…heavy rain triggered mud slides that destroyed one home and severely damaged another in Boulder canyon 10 miles west of Boulder. In one home…the mud caved in an exterior wall and poured into the residence only seconds after 2 people had evacuated the premises. Rainfall totaled 1 to 3 inches.  Hail 1 3/4 inches in diameter fell in Nederland…Idaho Springs…and Golden Gate Canyon.  Hail 1 inch in diameter was measured 10 miles north of Golden.

In 1993…thunderstorm winds toppled an overhead sign onto the intersection of I-70 and I-25 in Denver…causing considerable damage to 4 vehicles.  The winds also caused a police car to be blown off the road northeast of Denver. Thunderstorm winds gusting to 66 mph damaged the siding of a residence southeast of Brighton.  A thunderstorm wind gust to 53 mph was recorded at Stapleton International Airport.  Hail to 7/8 inch in diameter fell at Kittredge in the foothills of Jefferson County.

In 1994…lightning severely damaged a public television transmitter atop Squaw Mountain west of Denver.

7-8

In 1884…a windstorm from mid-afternoon until the early morning hours of the 8th produced south winds sustained to 48 mph.  The strong winds toppled several trees in the city.

In 1892…there was a trace of rainfall each day.  This together with a trace of rain on both the 2nd and 3rd was the only rainfall of the month…making the month the driest on record.  The record was equaled in 1944.

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

Weather History

August 29 to September 4: This week in Denver weather history

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This Week in Denver Weather History

Certainly this time of year we start to see temperatures drop and the conditions moderate.  This is usually one of Denver’s most pleasant times of years when the heat of summer fades and the snow and cold of winter is still far away.  That however wasn’t the case when the most notable event in Denver weather history this week occurred.  It was in 1961 on the 3rd of September that Denver received its earliest measurable snowfall – 4.2 inches!

19-30

In 1875…grasshoppers appeared in great numbers at 10:00 am on the 19th.  Thousands landed on the ground.  The streets were literally covered with them.  Swarms of grasshoppers were seen on each day.  All gardens in the city were devastated…and in the countryside the grasshoppers were very destructive to ripened grain.  On the 30th the grasshoppers were so numerous as to almost darken the sun.

29

In 1876…after the passage of a gentle rain shower to the east during the late evening hours…the moon shone brightly and a remarkably bright lunar rainbow appeared.

In 1910…an apparent cold front produced sustained northeast winds to 40 mph.

In 1946…the high temperature warmed to only 55 degrees…the record low maximum for the month.

In 1989…a spectacular lightning display knocked out power to 300 blocks in southeast Denver.  One bolt started a fire in a lumber yard in the northeast part of the city…and the attic of a home in the same area was set ablaze by a lightning bolt.

In 1996…3/4 inch diameter hail was measured in Parker.

In 2000…lightning struck two homes in Thornton.  The extent of damage was unknown.

In 2002…two small tornadoes caused damage in southeast metro Denver.  The first tornado…associated with a multi-vortex storm…touched down briefly near E-470 and South Jordan Road.  Some fences were damaged…and a few trees were blown down.  A few of the homes also sustained minor roof damage. Damage from this storm totaled 100 thousand dollars.  The second tornado associated with the storm touched down in a subdivision that was under construction at Gartrell and Arapahoe roads.  Four large condominiums under construction were destroyed.  The most heavily damaged portions of the structures were still in the framing stages.  Adjacent sections where enclosed walls were in place were not destroyed.  A man suffered 4 broken ribs and several cuts and bruises when the trailer he sought shelter in was flipped three times and torn apart by the twister.  Damage from this storm totaled 6 million dollars. A severe thunderstorm produced 1 inch diameter hail near Evergreen.

In 2006…severe thunderstorms produced large hail in the foothills west of Denver.  Hail to 1 inch in diameter fell near Blackhawk.  Hail as large as 7/8 inch was measured near Idaho Springs…along with 3/4 inch hail near Nederland and Conifer.

30

In 1981…60 mph winds were reported in Boulder.

In 2004…a severe thunderstorm produced hail as large as 1 inch in diameter in south Aurora near Cherry Creek.

31

In 1951…hail as large as 1 3/4 inches in diameter caused an estimated 300 thousand dollars damage in metro Denver. Hail as large as 1 1/2 inches in diameter was measured at Stapleton Airport.

In 1978…strong thunderstorm winds tore the roof off an apartment building in Aurora…downed trees…and damaged windows in Denver.  A microburst wind gust to 58 mph was recorded at Stapleton International Airport.

In 1985…a thunderstorm wind gust to 60 mph was clocked at Buckley Field in Aurora.

In 1997…hail to 1 1/4 inches in diameter was measured in Aurora.

In 2006…a female postal worker was struck and injured by lightning while delivering mail in Westminster.

In 2008…lightning struck a home in Brighton…damaging the roof and a bedroom.  The damaged totaled 20 thousand dollars.

1

In 1951…large hail pounded Boulder…causing thousands of dollars in damage to roofs and automobiles.  Heavy thunderstorm rainfall flooded basements and produced widespread street flooding.

In 1966…severe thunderstorms caused local flooding in areas from Denver to the north and east.  There was scattered damage from hail and lightning.  Streets were flooded in Boulder…and streets and basements were flooded in several areas of metro Denver.  The public reported 1 inch diameter hail in Aurora and near Cheery Creek Reservoir. Thunderstorm rainfall totaled only 0.39 inch at Stapleton International Airport.

In 1985…severe thunderstorms dumped heavy rain and hail at many locations along the Front Range from Denver south. The southern and eastern suburbs of metro Denver were especially hard hit.  Rainfall from 1 1/2 to 3 inches caused extensive street flooding in Aurora where two creeks rose out of their banks.  Two homes in the city suffered minor lightning damage.  Almost 4 inches of rain fell in the Parker area.  Hail up to ping-pong ball size piled up to a foot deep and closed a road in Evergreen. Hail as large as 1 3/4 inches in diameter was reported 8 miles northeast of Deckers.  Wind gusts to 65 mph were estimated in southeast Aurora.

In 1990…marble size hail piled up to 2 inches deep in the foothills community of Kittredge…18 miles southwest of Denver.  As much as half an inch of rain fell in just 15 minutes and caused minor road and small stream flooding. A thunderstorm dropped pea to marble size hail and brief heavy rain near Ward road and 64th avenue in Arvada. Minor street and small stream flooding was reported in the area.

In 1995…a strong thunderstorm microburst with only a few drops of rain produced a recorded wind gust to 85 mph at the site of the former Stapleton International Airport. The wind gust occurred at 8:30 pm MDT.  The all-time highest recorded temperature in September…97 degrees…occurred.  The same temperature also occurred on September 5…1899…September 4…1960…and September 4… 1995.
1-5

In 1995…record breaking heat occurred on the first 5 days of the month when the temperature climbed into the 90’s on each day.  Record high temperatures of 97 degrees on both the 1st and 4th equaled the all-time record maximum for the month.  High temperature of 95 degrees on the 3rd was a record for the date.  High temperatures of 94 degrees on both the 2nd and the 5th were not records.  The low temperature of 64 degrees on the 4th equaled the record high minimum for the date.

1-7

In 1978…the temperature reached 90 degrees or more on seven consecutive days with the highest temperature…94 degrees… Recorded on both the 4th and 6th.

2

In 1938…heavy cloudbursts in the foothills near the top of Genesee mountain caused flash flooding on bear creek at Morrison.  Nearly 8 inches of rain fell just north of Morrison in 6 hours and drowned 6 people in a car between Morrison and Kittredge.  Damage was estimated at nearly a half million dollars.  Flash flooding also occurred on South Boulder Creek in Eldorado Springs. Rainfall totaled 4.42 inches in Eldorado Springs…and rainfall was estimated to more than 6 inches in the foothills west of the town.  Many buildings and residences were damaged in Eldorado Springs…and bridges were swept away.  The high waters forced residents from their homes as far downstream as Erie.  This was the flood of record on south Boulder creek.

In 1973…hail to 3/4 inch diameter was reported in Boulder.

In 1987…lightning struck two men who were standing under a tree in downtown Denver.  Both were seriously injured and hospitalized.

In 1996…lightning sparked a brush fire in the south buffer zone of the Rocky Flats Environmental Test Facility.  No structures were damaged…but the fire burned about 100 acres of grassland before being contained.

2-3

In 1892…there was a trace of rainfall each day.  This… Together with a trace of rain on both the 7th and 8th…was the only rainfall of the month…making the month the driest on record.  The monthly record was equaled in 1944.

3

In 1901…a thunderstorm produced rain…hail of unknown size… And south winds sustained to 40 mph with gusts to 43 mph.

In 1961…Labor Day snow storm is the earliest date of the first snow…trace and measurable…of the season.  The heavy wet snow broke many limbs from trees that were still in full foliage.  The storm produced 4.2 inches of snowfall at Stapleton Airport with nearly a foot of snow in western suburbs and in the foothills.  Minimum temperature of 33 degrees was a record for the date and the coldest ever recorded so early in the season.

In 1999…severe thunderstorms dumped large hail across metro Denver.  Hail as large as 1 inch in diameter was measured near Cherry Creek in Aurora and near Bennett.  Hail to 3/4 inch in diameter fell in the city of Denver.

In 2002…a thunderstorm produced a wind gust to 51 mph at Denver International Airport.

In 2003…very heavy thunderstorm rain washed out parts of the Virginia Canyon Road above Idaho Springs.  Up to 4 feet of mud reportedly washed down the road during the storm.  Several vehicles were trapped on the road.  In Idaho Springs…several streets…including the main street… Were also buried in mud and gravel.  Some buildings in town experienced minor flooding…including the basement of the town library and the police station.

3-6

In 1909…rainfall for the 4 days accumulated to 3.97 inches in Boulder…while in Denver rainfall totaled 2.45 inches on the 4th…5th…and 6th.

Continue reading August 29 to September 4: This week in Denver weather history →

Weather History

August 22 to August 28: This week in Denver weather history

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This Week in Denver Weather History

Lightning is a very real danger here in Colorado.  The outdoor-centric lifestyle we lead oftentimes puts us in situations when we are better off heading for cover.  The dangers of not properly taking shelter when lightning is in the area are highlighted by a number of events in our look back at this week in Denver weather history.

19-30

In 1875…grasshoppers appeared in great numbers at 10:00 am on the 19th.  Thousands landed on the ground.  The streets were literally covered with them.  Swarms of grasshoppers were seen on each day.  All gardens in the city were devastated…and in the countryside the grasshoppers were very destructive to ripened grain.  On the 30th the grasshoppers were so numerous as to almost darken the sun.

22

In 1898…an apparent thunderstorm produced southwest sustained winds to 40 mph with gusts to 43 mph.

In 1903…a late afternoon thunderstorm produced rain…hail… And east winds sustained to 40 mph with gusts to 44 mph.

In 1904…the lowest recorded temperature in August…40 degrees…occurred.  The same temperature also occurred on three consecutive days…August 24…25…and 26 in 1910.

In 1965…heavy rain and hail caused some damage from flooding over northern Douglas County from Castle Rock to Franktown.

In 1981…thunderstorms moved across metro Denver.  At least 5 funnel cloud sightings were reported.  Funnel clouds were seen at 96th Ave. And Sheridan Blvd. and at 92nd Ave. and Federal Blvd. In Westminster and 7 miles north of Stapleton International Airport.  Lightning injured two people in Boulder.  A quarter inch of rain fell in just 5 minutes in Brighton.  Up to 3/4 inch of rain doused Parker in 30 minutes.

In 1983…3/4 inch diameter hail was reported at Kittredge… Along with 0.60 inch of rain in 25 minutes.

In 1984…a thunderstorm dumped 4 inches of rain on Brighton in 90 minutes…causing extensive street flooding in the downtown area.

In 1987…over an inch of rain fell in 24 hours throughout most of metro Denver.  A public library suffered water damage to the ceiling…carpet…and a few books.  Rainfall was 0.76 inch at Stapleton International Airport.

In 1990…lightning knocked out power to about 2500 homes in Lakewood for about an hour.

In 1991…National Weather Service personnel at Stapleton International Airport sighted an apparent tornado briefly on the ground 3 miles west-northwest of the airport.  No damage was reported.

In 1995…lightning struck 3 electrical power substations in Louisville.  Residences of more than 4500 people were without power from 30 minutes to more than an hour.

In 1996…between 1 and 3 inches of rain fell across metro Denver.  As a result…several low lying areas were flooded. A bicyclist was swept into a fast moving creek when he tried to cross a flooded bike path.  The man was washed downstream about 15 feet before getting snagged by a tree stump.  He and a man who tried to rescue him received minor injuries.  The heavy rain caused numerous power outages…false fire alarms…and traffic accidents. In Lakewood…telephone service to around 60 thousand residents was knocked out when a switching center was flooded.  Funnel clouds were sighted near Chatfield Reservoir and Highlands Ranch.

In 2000…lightning sparked a blaze which gutted a 10-unit apartment building in Highlands Ranch.  Twenty-eight people were left homeless.  Damage was estimated at 2 million dollars.

In 2007…severe thunderstorms produced large hail…up to 1 1/4 inches in diameter…in the vicinities of Castle Rock… Elizabeth and Franktown.

In 2013…flash flooding occurred in central Douglas County with numerous road closures reported. One of the closures occurred at the Tomah Road exit along I-25…south of Castle Rock. The closure backed up all I-25 the way to Castle Rock. At Denver International Airport…1.94 inches of precipitation was recorded…which set a new record rainfall for the date. The old record was 0.75 inches… set back in 1953.

22-24

In 1987…some locations in metro Denver had a total 3-day rainfall of 2 to 4 inches.  Rainfall totaled 0.96 inch at Stapleton International Airport.

23

In 1900…northwest winds were sustained to 42 mph with gusts to 49 mph.

In 1921…a thunderstorm cloudburst produced 2.20 inches of rainfall in an hour over downtown Denver.  This is the greatest 1 hour rainfall on record at the official observing site in the city.  Precipitation totaled 2.93 inches…which is the greatest calendar day precipitation ever recorded in August.

In 1941…one man was killed by lightning about 2 miles from the official weather station in downtown Denver.

In 1962…a home near Boulder was destroyed by a lightning- caused fire.

In 1968…strong winds buffeted Boulder briefly during the early morning hours.  At the National Center for Atmospheric Research…winds averaged 55 mph with gusts to 85 mph.  Damage was minor.  Northwest winds gusted to 31 mph at Stapleton International Airport.

In 1977…lightning damaged at least 6 homes in Aurora.

In 2008…a landspout touched down near Westcreek in Douglas County.  One man was seriously injured when he tried to escaped several falling trees in his ATV.  One of the trees struck his back and broke two vertebrae.  Another camper narrowly escaped injury.  Seconds after he back up his truck…a tree came down where it had been parked.

Continue reading August 22 to August 28: This week in Denver weather history →

Weather History

August 15 to August 21: This week in Denver weather history

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This Week in Denver Weather History

While not as common this time of year, severe weather can still strike as we close out summer.  Most notable are the heavy rain events that can come along as a result of the monsoon season.  The dangers of these are oftentimes ignored and as we see can oftentimes turn deadly.

15

In 1899…a thunderstorm produced southwest sustained winds to 43 mph with gusts to 46 mph.

In 1972…a pilot reported a funnel cloud briefly touching the ground in open fields…17 miles east-northeast of Stapleton International Airport.

In 1980…thunderstorm winds gusted to 55 mph in Boulder.

In 1982…brief heavy rain and winds estimated as high as 70 mph occurred in the conifer-Evergreen area.  No damage was reported.

In 1990…lightning triggered a small attic fire in a house near Sedalia…20 miles south of Denver.  A furious lightning storm caused widespread power outages across southern sections of metro Denver.  One lightning bolt knocked out an electrical substation…causing a 90-minute blackout in southeast Denver affecting nearly 10 thousand homes and businesses.

In 2007…severe thunderstorms produced large hail…up to 2 inches in diameter…near Larkspur.   Extensive damage to vehicles in the area was reported.  In Parker…lightning struck a residence.  The ensuing fire damaged the attic and top floor; causing $100000 in property damage.

In 2008…at least three homes were hit by lightning during the early morning hours in Arapahoe County.  Lightning also struck two homes in Castle Rock…damaging the roofs.

In 2013…a dry microburst uprooted 30 to 40 large trees across a 12-block area of the Park Hill neighborhood in east central Denver. Several trees were snapped near the base along with numerous branches…8 to 10 inches in diameter. Power poles and lines were also downed with resulted in outages which affected seven hundred residents. One of the downed trees crushed a car`s hood… narrowly missing the driver. At Denver International Airport…a peak wind gust of 22 mph was observed from the southwest.

16

In 1902…a thunderstorm produced west winds sustained to 48 mph with gusts to 60 mph…but only a trace of rain.

In 1952…a thunderstorm wind gust to 50 mph was recorded at Stapleton Airport.

In 1960…lightning struck a warehouse in central Denver… Causing 8 thousand dollars in damage to the building and stored electrical equipment.

In 1975…large hail…1 1/2 to 1 3/4 inches in diameter…fell about 4 miles north of Castle Rock.  Hail caused some minor damage in Aurora.  A funnel cloud was reported 25 miles east of Denver near Bennett.

In 1981…a tornado touched down briefly in open country just to the east of Aurora.  No damage was reported.

In 1982…a thunderstorm wind gust to 61 mph was recorded at Buckley Field in Aurora.  At the same time almost an inch of rain flooded and closed streets in south Aurora.  A woman was hit by lightning just north of Denver.  A house in the area was also struck.

In 1985…a thunderstorm produced strong wind gusts over southern metro Denver.  One strong wind gust hit Cheery Creek Reservoir…capsizing a boat and drowning a man.  The wind gusts…clocked as high as 50 mph…also downed a few trees.

In 1989…1 3/4 inch diameter hail fell at Intercanyon in the foothills of Jefferson County.

In 1990…lightning caused minor damage to a south Aurora home.  No injuries were reported.

In 1994…strong thunderstorm winds caused damage in southern Weld County near Hudson and Fort Lupton.  Two mobile homes were destroyed and a few lost their roofs.  Up to 20 downed power poles and the destruction of two 115 thousand-volt towers caused widespread power outages.  Thunderstorm gust front winds from the north gusted to 48 mph at Stapleton International Airport.

In 2000…lightning ripped most of the roof from a home in southeast Aurora.  The bolt sparked a fire which destroyed the residence.  Damage was estimated at 250 thousand dollars.

In 2002…the temperature climbed to a maximum of 100 degrees setting a new record high for the date.

In 2003…a teenager was injured when he was struck by lightning while camping at Herman Lake…13 miles northwest of Georgetown.  The boy was knocked unconscious and suffered minor injuries.

16-19

In 1979…heavy thunderstorm rains on each of 4 consecutive days dumped a total of 2.62 inches of rain on Stapleton International Airport.  The heaviest rain…1.05 inches… On the 19th was accompanied by 1/4 inch diameter hail.

Continue reading August 15 to August 21: This week in Denver weather history →

Weather History

August 8 to August 14: This week in Denver weather history

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This Week in Denver Weather History

Monsoon season in Colorado typically brings short-lived but heavy rains.  These can result in flash flooding and we see that in our look back at this week in Denver weather history.  Also notable are the number of lightning deaths and injuries as well as hail events and even a swarm of grasshoppers!

8

In 1874…swarms of grasshoppers invaded the city.  Millions of them were seen cruising through the air.  The insects were apparently picked up by a thunderstorm gust front and carried into the city.  The grasshoppers had ravaged crops in surrounding counties for the last month.

In 1878…the highest temperature ever recorded in Denver…105 degrees…occurred at 3:20 pm.  This temperature was equaled on July 20th in 2005.

In 1969…the temperature reached 100 degrees at Stapleton International Airport.

In 1976…in Thornton…a 13 year old boy riding a bicycle was struck and killed by lightning.

In 2000…lightning struck three homes in central Arapahoe County east of Denver.  Damage was estimated at 47 thousand dollars.

In 2003…hail to 1 inch in diameter pelted Denver.  Hail to 7/8 inch was measured in Boulder.

In 2008…heavy rain also caused flash flooding over south Denver and its nearby suburbs. Heavy rain…from 2.5 to 4 inches…fell in less than 90 minutes.  Firefighters rescued 20 people as the water quickly rose along creeks…flooded roadways…and stranded motorists.  Three people had to be rescued along Cherry Creek when the bike path flooded.  In Evergreen…a man suffered minor injuries when he was struck by lightning.  It entered his finger…traveled down his body… And exited his foot.

8-10

In 1979…heavy thunderstorm rains on each of three consecutive days dumped a total of 2.22 inches of rain at Stapleton International Airport.  The heaviest rain… 0.95 inches…fell on the 9th.  Small hail to 1/8 inch diameter fell on the 8th.

8-13

In 1875…clouds of grasshoppers were seen flying through the air on the prevailing winds during each day.

9

In 1900…a thunderstorm produced west winds sustained to 47 mph with gusts to 55 mph…but only 0.01 inch of rain.

In 1902…a thunderstorm produced no rain and north winds sustained to 52 mph with gusts to 60 mph.

In 1934…heavy cloudbursts in the foothills near Kittredge and at the head of Mount Vernon Creek caused flash flooding on both Bear Creek and Mount Vernon Creek at Morrison… Which resulted in 6 deaths and much property damage. The highway in Mount Vernon Canyon was destroyed by the flood waters.

In 1981…3/4 inch hail fell at Kittredge near Evergreen in Jefferson County.

In 1987…3/4 inch hail fell in Boulder and 9 miles northwest of Castle Rock.

In 1995…lightning struck a 16-year-old counselor in the back of the head while he and a friend were standing under a tree at the singing river ranch…7 miles west of Evergreen.  He stopped breathing…but his friend was able to summon help and they were able to revive him.  He was hospitalized for a few days and released.

In 1998…brief…weak tornadoes (f0) were sighted near Bennett and Roggen.  No damage was reported.  Hail as large as 1 inch diameter fell in Franktown with 3/4 inch diameter hail measured near Castle Rock. Thunderstorm winds gusted to 61 mph near Roggen.

9-10

In 2006…mid and high cloudiness overnight on both days resulted in two temperature records.  The low temperature of 71 degrees on the 9th was a record high minimum for the date.  The low temperature of 68 degrees on the 10th equaled the record high minimum for the date first set in 1936.

10

In 1924…0.01 inch of rain fell over downtown Denver.  This along with the 0.01 inch of rainfall on the 4th was the only rainfall of the month…making this the driest August on record in the city.

In 1962…the high temperature reached 100 degrees at Stapleton Airport.

In 1970…hail stones to 1 inch in diameter were reported in the Fort Lupton  area.

In 1972…dry thunderstorm microburst winds gusting to 46 mph briefly reduced the surface visibility to 3/4 mile in blowing dust at Stapleton International Airport.

In 1978…lightning struck two men in Aurora…killing one and injuring the other.

In 1982…a tornado was sighted near Castle Rock and remained on the ground for 10 minutes.  Wind gusts to 60 mph were reported in Castle Rock.  No damage was reported.

In 1994…heavy thunderstorm rains caused flash flooding on Lena Gulch in west metro Denver.  Damage was estimated at 50 thousand dollars.  Lightning struck a house in Westminster…causing a small attic fire.

In 1996…strong thunderstorm winds toppled a tent at a company picnic in Westminster.  Five people received minor injuries when the tent collapsed.  Two cars nearby were also damaged by flying debris.  A weak tornado (f0)…first sighted near Denver International Airport…traveled east to near Bennett and Strasburg.  No significant damage was reported.

In 1998…heavy rain caused flooding and flash flooding problems over southwest metro Denver.  An observer in Lakewood measured 3.26 inches of rainfall in an hour. Several streets were flooded in central Lakewood.  In addition…a trailer park along Lena Gulch in Wheat Ridge was evacuated due to high waters.  One inch diameter hail fell near Roggen.

In 1999…thunderstorm-producing tornadoes…damaging straight line winds…heavy rain…and hail hammered metro Denver.  In the city…small hail and heavy rainfall…up to 2.50 inches an hour…caused a 20-foot by 50-foot section of the roof to collapse at a furniture warehouse.  Damage to the warehouse was estimated at 1 million dollars.  Heavy rain also flooded several underpasses with up to 3 feet of water…which resulted in a number of stalled vehicles.  In Fort Lupton…a tornado bounced across the area.  Spotty damage was reported along a 5-mile path as trees…power poles…and lines were downed.  In addition…an empty semi-trailer was overturned onto another vehicle northeast of the town.  Thunderstorm winds gusted to 81 mph south of Fort Lupton.

In 2004…severe thunderstorms pummeled metro Denver with large hail.  Hail up to 3 inches in diameter was measured 10 miles east of Castle Rock.  Two inch diameter hail fell in Louisville…10 miles north of Hudson…and 1 mile east of Brighton.  Hail to 1.75 inches was reported in Englewood… 1 mile south of Ft. Lupton…and 8 miles east of Boulder. Hail to 1.50 inches was reported around Boulder…near Broomfield…and in Lafayette…Thornton and Greenwood Village. Hail from 3/4 to 1 inch in diameter was found in Broomfield… Brighton…Castle Rock…Denver and Thornton…and near Longmont… Northglenn…Greenwood Village…Morrison…and Wheat Ridge. Severe thunderstorm wind gusts were recorded to 66 mph in Parker and to 60 mph 5 miles northeast of Boulder.  There were no damage estimates from the hail or wind.

11

In 1872…fog was very dense until about 8:00 am.  There was water dripping from the roofs of houses as if it had rained. The rain gage showed 0.01 inch of moisture…even though there had been no rainfall.

In 1927…an apparent dry microburst produced only a trace of rain and brief northwest winds sustained to 34 mph with gusts to 44 mph.

In 1980…hail up to golf ball size caused some roof and car damage in the southern part of Aurora.

In 1990…lightning ignited a storage tank filled with 10 thousand gallons of crude oil in a farmer’s field near Dacono…25 miles north of Denver.  Flames shot to 40 feet high for nearly 2 hours before being extinguished.  A lightning bolt also struck 21 miles north of Denver at an Erie fire station…causing extensive damage to the gas meter and electrical system.  The sudden power surge blew out the station’s television set…a refrigerator…and a pop machine.  Small fires spread throughout the structure… Totally destroying the building’s electrical wiring.  The fires were quickly extinguished by the in-resident fire fighters.  Golf ball size hail was reported in Denver near the intersection of Santa Fe Drive and I-25.

In 1992…dime size hail fell in Westminster.

In 1994…strong thunderstorms produced large hail across northwest and north metro Denver.  One inch diameter hail fell in Brighton with 3/4 inch hail reported in Westminster and at Indian Hills in the foothills west of Denver. Lightning struck a house in Arvada.  The resulting fire destroyed one-third of the house.  Funnel clouds were sighted over Westminster.

In 1997…large hail…strong winds…and torrential rains hammered portions of Lakewood and south Denver.  Nearly 1 inch of rain fell in the span of 10 minutes in south Denver with a storm total of 1.81 inches.  Street flooding was extensive as gutters and other drainage systems in the area were clogged by hail…piled several inches deep…and other debris.  Strong thunderstorm winds to 50 mph and large hail accompanied by heavy rain caused extensive damage to cars…homes…and businesses.  Several trees were downed by the strong winds…and trees were stripped of their leaves by hail.  A water lily exhibition on display at the Denver Botanic Gardens was heavily damaged.  Final estimates of the damage included 60 million dollars to automobiles and an additional 68 million dollars to homes and businesses.  Hail to 1 1/2 inches in diameter fell in south Denver with 3/4 to 1 inch hail in Lakewood.  A man received minor injuries in Aurora when he was struck by lightning while talking on the telephone.

In 2003…hail to 3/4 inch in diameter was measured in Aurora near Cherry Creek.

In 2012…a severe thunderstorm produced a wind gust to 60 mph at Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport.

Continue reading August 8 to August 14: This week in Denver weather history →

Weather History

August 1 to August 7: This week in Denver weather history

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This Week in Denver Weather History

August isn’t normally associated with severe weather but our look back at the history books show it certainly can and does happen.  We see many occurrences of dangerous lightning and of particular note is the flood events – a byproduct of the monsoon season the first of August brings.

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.

1

In 1888…heavy rain in the mountains and foothills caused flooding on clear creek in Golden.  The high waters also washed away portions of the railroad tracks in the canyon between Idaho Springs and Golden.

In 1901…the temperature reached a high of 100 degrees in the city.

In 1902…the high temperature climbed to 100 degrees in downtown Denver.

In 1914…a thunderstorm produced 1.00 inch of rainfall in just 21 minutes and north winds sustained at 43 mph with gusts to 50 mph.  Rainfall totaled 1.17 inches.

In 1938…the temperature climbed to a high of 100 degrees in downtown Denver…which is the record maximum for the date.  The temperature was also recorded on this date in previous years.

In 1976…flight operations at Stapleton International Airport were suspended for 90 minutes when the airport tower radar was knocked out and water reached a foot deep on some taxi ramps after 1.50 inches of rain fell in one hour.  Heavy rain also caused minor flooding in east Denver and Aurora where lightning damaged the roof of a home and injured the owner.  One young man was swept down a flooded ditch…but was rescued by firemen.  A number of rafts were floated in flooded streets.  Thunderstorm rainfall totaled 1.71 inches at Stapleton International Airport.

In 1978…a tornado damaged a house and broke a power pole 5 miles northwest of Parker.  A microburst wind gust to 52 mph briefly reduced visibility to 1 mile in blowing dust at Stapleton International Airport.

In 1985…heavy thunderstorms roared through the southern and western sections of metro Denver…producing large hail and heavy rain.  Lightning hit a recreational vehicle trailer causing it to burn.  There was a lot of street flooding over western suburbs where rainfall totaled over 2 inches in some areas.  One inch diameter hail was reported in Littleton and near Evergreen.  Hail piled 4 to 6 inches deep at Tinytown in the foothills southwest of Denver.

In 1990…a small rope-like tornado was spotted in open country 15 miles southeast of centennial airport. No damage was reported from the twister.

In 1992…pilots reported a funnel cloud near the construction site of the new Denver International Airport.  A few minutes later…a tornado was reported near Bennett.  The tornado remained on the ground for about 18 minutes and was visible from the national weather service office at Stapleton International Airport.  Thunderstorm wind gusts to 70 mph were reported near Bennett and Watkins with a wind gust to 60 mph at Brighton.  Two men were injured when struck by lightning.  A young man sustained serious injuries when struck by lightning while jet skiing on Cheery Creek Reservoir.  A man received only minor injuries when struck by lightning while golfing in Westminster.

In 1994…heavy thunderstorm rains in the foothills west of Denver caused the closure of the Virginia Canyon Road north of Idaho Springs by rocks and debris.

In 2001…a 34 year old man on the South Platte River bike path in Denver received minor injuries when lightning struck a nearby tree.  Lightning…coupled with strong thunderstorm winds…knocked out electrical power to about 10 thousand homes and businesses in Golden.

In 2006…strong thunderstorms hit southern metro Denver. A severe thunderstorm wind gust estimated to 71 mph knocked down a tree in Aurora near Cherry Creek. Lightning sparked a fire in a home near Lone Tree and struck a transformer at an RTD light rail station at Interstate 25 and Yosemite street.  Heavy thunderstorm rainfall forced the closure of Arapahoe road between Holly and Quebec streets due to high water.  Flooding was also reported near park meadows mall and greenwood village.  Heavy rainfall also caused flooding in Highlands Ranch…Lone Tree…and Parker.  Water up to 6 inches deep was reportedly running over the roads.

2

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.

Continue reading August 1 to August 7: This week in Denver weather history →

Weather History

July 25 to July 31: This week in Denver weather history

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This Week in Denver Weather History

Colorado’s unofficial severe weather season is during the months of May and June.  However, as we look back in Denver weather history, we see that July can oftentimes hold its own.  Many occurrences of flooding, scorching heat, and even tornadoes have been recorded.  Most notably, this week marks the 24th anniversary of the Big Thompson Flood – Colorado’s deadliest weather disaster ever.

7-25

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

13-5

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

18-2

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

20-25

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

24-25

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

25

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Continue reading July 25 to July 31: This week in Denver weather history →

Weather History

July 18 to July 24: This week in Denver weather history

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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.

16-18

In 1997…an extended hot spell resulted in 3 temperature records being set. The maximum temperature reached 98 degrees on each of the days…setting records on the 16th and 18th. The low temperature of 71 degrees on the 17th was a record high minimum for the date. The high temperature reached 100 degrees on the 17th at the site of the former Stapleton International Airport.

18

In 1874…the temperature climbed to 90 degrees or more for the 18th consecutive day…setting a record. The record was equaled from July 6th through the 23rd in 1901.

In 1902…a thunderstorm produced northwest winds sustained to 45 mph with gusts to 48 mph along with rain and hail. Total precipitation was 0.53 inch.

In 1911…a shower produced north winds sustained to 44 mph.

In 1958…1 1/2 inch diameter hail fell 9 miles west-southwest of Stapleton Airport.

In 1981…a thunderstorm bombed Evergreen with about 2 inches of rain in 45 minutes. A heavy hailstorm left 5 to 7 inches of hail on the ground in some places and stopped the Colorado Open Golf Tournament at Hiwan.

In 1985…over 2 inches of rain doused the southwest suburbs of Denver. Street flooding occurred in the Montbello area of northeast Denver.

In 1992…nickel size hail fell across central Douglas County near Castle Rock and Sedalia. One inch diameter hail fell in Castle Rock.

In 1993…thunderstorm winds gusted to 60 mph at Strasburg east of Denver.

In 2004…heavy thunderstorm rainfall caused flooding over parts of the Virginia Canyon Road near Idaho Springs. Several sections of the roadway were washed out. The road was closed temporarily for repairs.

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.

Continue reading July 18 to July 24: This week in Denver weather history →

Weather History

July 11 to July 17: This week in Denver weather history

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This Week in Denver Weather History

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 →

Weather History

July 4 to July 10: This week in Denver weather history

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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.

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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.

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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 →