September 6 to September 12 - This week in Denver weather history.
Colorado weather is certainly varied and this week’s look back at weather history proves that. We have seen everything from deadly lightning, hail and severe winds to even snow during the second week of September.
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.
5-9
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.
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.
August 30 to September 5 – This week in Denver weather history.
As always, when looking at weather history we are reminded of the varied and sometimes dangerous weather conditions we have here in Colorado. Our look this week we see high temperatures soaring to 97 degrees but also we see the earliest snowfall on record.
From the National Weather Service:
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.
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.
August 23 to August 29 – This week in Denver weather history
Quite the interesting week in Denver weather history. Swarms of grasshoppers are the most unusual item we see but there is plenty of standard severe weather including tornadoes, landspouts, hail, lightning and much more.
From the National Weather Service:
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.
22-24
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 vertebra. Another camper narrowly escaped injury. Seconds after he back up his truck…a tree came down where it had been parked.
August 16 to August 22 - This week in Denver weather history
August is usually considered one of the calmer weather months in Denver but as our look back in weather history for this week shows, that isn’t always the case. Thunderstorms and all their associated dangers – lightning, flooding, tornadoes and more – all present a very real danger even this time of year.
From the National Weather Service:
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 women 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.
August 9 to August 15 - This week in Denver weather history
Denver and Colorado as a whole are known for their unusual weather. This week in particular is notable for one extraordinary event in weather history – clouds of grasshoppers!
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.
May 17 - May 23 - This week in Denver weather history
As we move further into the severe weather season, we begin to see that transition in our look back at Denver weather history. There are many more mentions of lightning, wildfires, tornadoes, hail and other season weather conditions.
14-18
In 1996…a period of unusually warm weather resulted in 4 record maximum temperatures in 5 days. The record high temperatures were 87 degrees on the 14th…89 degrees on the 15th…and 93 degrees on both the 16th and 18th. The temperature climbed to only 81 degrees on the 17th which was not a record.
16-17
In 1981…a heavy rain storm dumped 1 to 2 1/2 inches of rain across metro Denver. Rainfall totaled 1.27 inches at Stapleton International Airport where north winds gusted to 38 mph on 17th.
In 1983…a very strong late spring storm dumped heavy snow over the Front Range. Strong winds with the storm produced blizzard conditions at times. Sustained winds were 20 to 40 mph with a peak gust to 55 mph at Stapleton International Airport. The foothills received 1 to 2 feet of snow with 4 to 12 inches along the foothills. Howling winds whipped the snow into drifts several feet deep…closing schools and highways. Stapleton International Airport was forced to reduce flight operations…closing 2 of 4 runways and stranding hundreds of travelers. Most of the damage and inconvenience caused by the storm was in power outages… Which occurred when wind and heavy wet snow caused hundreds of power poles to snap and topple. About 20 square miles of Denver were blacked out. Precipitation from the storm totaled 1 to 3 inches. At Stapleton International Airport… Snowfall totaled 7.1 inches with a maximum snow depth on the ground of only 2 inches due to melting. The high temperature of 40 degrees on the 17th was a record low maximum for the date. Due to the heavy moisture content of the storm…widespread street flooding occurred on the 18th when much of the snow melted under the warm May sun and temperatures climbed to a high of 57 degrees.
In 1995…significant moisture and upslope flow caused flooding across metro Denver. Moderate to heavy rains… Which began on the evening of the 16th…developed in the foothills and spread eastward over metro Denver throughout the night. The heavy rains brought many creeks and small streams to bankfull or slightly over. Locations along the foothills received between 3 and 4 inches of rainfall from the storm. Boulder received 3.60 inches of rainfall for the 24-hour period…causing minor street flooding near small streams. To the northwest of Boulder…a bridge which crossed Fourmile Creek was washed out. Numerous rock and mudslides occurred in foothills canyons…closing portions of U.S. Highways 6 and 40 and State Highway 119 for a few hours at a time. Rocks were piled 6 feet deep on a stretch of State Highway 119 along with Boulders as large as cars on U.S. Highway 6. A parking lot near a creek in Golden caved in leaving a hole the size of an 18-wheeler. Rushing water washed out a 50-foot stretch of a road in Westminster. Rainfall totaled 1.75 inches at Denver International Airport…but only 1.42 inches at the site of the former Stapleton International Airport.
The biggest sporting event of the year is of course the Super Bowl and no doubt this year’s matchup between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Arizona Cardinals is sure to be no different. Super Bowl XLIII will be held in Tampa Bay, Florida and the weather forecast is looking to be just about perfect – see our game day forecast below.
What about Super Bowl’s in the past? Was there ever any notable weather during the big game? You bet there was. Here are some fun facts (courtesy wx-man.com):
17 of 42 Super Bowls played indoors
16 of 42 Super Bowls had a trace or more of rain nearby
2 Super Bowls had snow on game day (1982,2006)
1 Super Bowl played during an ice storm (2000)
Warmest high temperature of 82° (1973,2003)
Coldest high temp for dome game 16° (1982)
Coldest high temp for non-dome game 49° (1985)
Wettest Super Bowl .92 inches (2007)
Outside games with high wind gust (1980, 1984, 1989,2007)
You will notice there isn’t really any mention of severe weather in those statistics. The NFL has been pretty fortunate on that front with nothing particularly notable – rain always seems to be the biggest threat.
For a more in depth look at severe weather in February in Florida, the Super Bowl forecast and some interesting tornado statistics, please visit our Examiner.com story.
Denver officially broke the record high temperature for January 21st, reaching 71 degrees.
It’s official. As reported earlier this morning on our Examiner.com pages, we had a decent shot at breaking the all time record high temperature for this date and we have done it. At 1:28pm today the temperature at Denver International Airport reached 71 degrees, breaking the old record of 70 degrees set in 1950. Here in Thoronton we didn’t get quite that warm, “only” reaching a high of 69 degrees.
Thursday we will be a bit cooler and “only” reach 65 degrees – still 20 degrees above normal though. Enjoy the next 36 hours or so though as Friday bring change – see our Examiner.com morning forecast here for details.
Get more local news and weather information on Examiner.com.
December 14 - 20 - This week in Denver weather history.
Our look back in Denver weather history for this week is punctuated by hurricane force winds – numerous times. Some of these storms reached 120 mph, overturned semis, ripped roofs off and more. Also notable is the blizzard we suffered through two years ago this week.
In 1939…more than 2 weeks of unseasonably warm weather made the month the 3rd warmest on record. Seven daily temperature records were set…including the all time record high temperature for the month of 79 degrees on the 5th. Daytime highs were balmy with 14 days in the 60’s and 70’s. Low temperatures dipped to freezing or below on only 5 days. The period was dry with only a trace of snow on the 12th.
3-15
In 1972…a protracted cold spell held an icy grip on metro Denver when maximum temperatures never reached above freezing for 10 consecutive days from the 3rd through the 12th and minimum temperatures dipped below zero on eleven consecutive days from the 5th through the 15th. Daily low temperature records were set with 15 degrees below zero on the 5th…17 degrees below zero on the 6th… And 18 degrees below zero on the 10th. Daily record low maximum readings were set with 3 degrees on the 6th and 6 degrees on the 9th. The very cold temperatures were caused by 3 to 5 inches of snow cover and a Canadian air mass.
IN 1939…MORE THAN 2 WEEKS OF UNSEASONABLY WARM WEATHER MADE THE MONTH THE 3RD WARMEST ON RECORD. SEVEN DAILY TEMPERATURE RECORDS WERE SET…INCLUDING THE ALL TIME RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE FOR THE MONTH OF 79 DEGREES ON THE 5TH. DAYTIME HIGHS WERE BALMY WITH 14 DAYS IN THE 60`S AND 70`S. LOW TEMPERATURES DIPPED TO FREEZING OR BELOW ON ONLY 5 DAYS. THE PERIOD WAS DRY WITH ONLY A TRACE OF SNOW ON THE 12TH.
3-15
IN 1972…A PROTRACTED COLD SPELL HELD AN ICY GRIP ON METRO DENVER WHEN MAXIMUM TEMPERATURES NEVER REACHED ABOVE FREEZING FOR 10 CONSECUTIVE DAYS FROM THE 3RD THROUGH THE 12TH AND MINIMUM TEMPERATURES DIPPED BELOW ZERO ON ELEVEN CONSECUTIVE DAYS FROM THE 5TH THROUGH THE 15TH. DAILY LOW TEMPERATURE RECORDS WERE SET WITH 15 DEGREES BELOW ZERO ON THE 5TH…17 DEGREES BELOW ZERO ON THE 6TH… AND 18 DEGREES BELOW ZERO ON THE 10TH. DAILY RECORD LOW MAXIMUM READINGS WERE SET WITH 3 DEGREES ON THE 6TH AND 6 DEGREES ON THE 9TH. THE VERY COLD TEMPERATURES WERE CAUSED BY 3 TO 5 INCHES OF SNOW COVER AND A CANADIAN AIR MASS.
5-7
IN 1978…A MAJOR STORM DUMPED HEAVY SNOW ACROSS METRO DENVER. AT STAPLETON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT…SNOWFALL TOTALED 8.5 INCHES…NORTHEAST WINDS GUSTED TO 46 MPH…AND TEMPERATURES PLUNGED FROM A HIGH OF 49 DEGREES ON THE 5TH TO A LOW OF ONLY 6 DEGREES ON THE 6TH. MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE OF 6 DEGREES ON THE 7TH WAS A NEW DAILY RECORD LOW MAXIMUM READING. MOST OF THE SNOW…6.7 INCHES…FELL ON THE 5TH.
