High winds and wintry weather highlight our look back at this week in Denver weather history.  Among the notable events is Denver’s longest continuous period of snow cover – 61 days – that occurred just four years ago.

From the National Weather Service:

10-13

In 1905…an extremely cold arctic air mass moved over the city behind a cold front on the 10th and persisted through the morning of the 13th.  North winds were sustained to 25 mph behind the front on the 10th dropping the temperature to a low of 2 degrees below zero…which was also the high reading on the 11th.  Light snowfall totaled 3.0 inches overnight of the 10th into the 11th.  The low temperature plunged to 19 degrees below zero on the 11th.  Records were set on the 12th and 13th.  The high temperature of only zero degrees on the 12th was a record low maximum for the date.  The low readings of 21 degrees below zero on the 12th and 14 degrees below zero on the 13th were record minimum temperatures for those dates.

11-13

In 1903…west to northwest Chinook winds gusting to 34 mph warmed the temperature to a high of 50 degrees on the 11th… Before temperatures rapidly plunged to a low of 14 degrees behind a cold front.  Light snow fell through the 13th and totaled 4.2 inches in the city…while temperatures ranged from a high of 14 degrees on the 12th to a low of 5 degrees below zero on the 13th.

12-13

In 1915…heavy snowfall totaled 7.0 inches over downtown Denver.  Northwest winds were sustained to 24 mph on the 13th.
 
In 1951…heavy snowfall totaled 8.1 inches at Stapleton Airport where northeast winds gusted to 28 mph on the 12th.
 
In 1968…snowfall totaled 5.6 inches at Stapleton International Airport where northeast winds gusted to 26 mph.  Snow fell all day on the 12th and into the morning hours of the 13th.
 
In 1997…heavy snow fell in the foothills southwest of Denver.  Conifer…Evergreen…Morrison…and north turkey creek received 6 to 8 inches of new snow overnight. Only 0.2 inch of snow fell at the site of the former Stapleton International Airport.  North-northeast winds gusted to 23 mph at Denver International Airport on the 13th.

13

In 1886…northwest winds were sustained to 40 mph during the early morning hours…but winds were strong and gusty all day.
 
Continue reading February 13 to February 19 – This Week in Denver Weather History →

Cold, snow and wind mark this week in our look back at Denver weather history.  Numerous notable events including a period of 69 hours when the temperatures remained below zero – the fourth longest on record.

30-7 

In 1985…a cold front on the 29th produced a protracted cold spell as arctic air remained entrenched across metro Denver. While the only daily temperature record set was a low maximum reading of 2 degrees on February 3rd…minimum temperatures plunged well below zero on 9 consecutive days. The coldest readings were 15 degrees below zero on January 31st and 14 degrees below zero on February 5th.

31-8 

In 1963…warm weather that began with the strong Chinook winds on the 31st and 1st continued through the 8th. Maximum temperatures through the period ranged from 52 degrees on the 2nd to 76 degrees on the 5th…which was a new record high for that date.

31-12

In 1899…a protracted cold spell lasted almost two weeks. Low temperatures plunged below zero on all days but February 9th with a reading of 6 degrees.  The coldest low temperature of 22 degrees below zero on February 6th was a record low for the date.  Low temperatures of 20 degrees below zero occurred on both February 11th and 12th… But only the 11th remains as the record minimum for the date.  High temperature of only 5 degrees below zero on February 11th was a record low maximum for the date.  High temperatures climbed to only zero degrees on both February 2nd and 3rd…but were not records.  Intermittent light snow or flurries fell during the period.  The most snowfall…2.0 inches…occurred on February 2nd.

Continue reading February 6 to February 12 – This week in Denver weather history →