Late spring and early summer continue Colorado’s severe weather season. Looking back at this week in Denver weather history we see we experience a wide variety of conditions from record-setting heat to damaging thunderstorms with hail, wind and flooding.

From the National Weather Service:

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In 1874…a thunderstorm pelted the city with hail and brief heavy rain. Rainfall was 0.30 inch in 10 minutes. Total rainfall was 0.36 inch for the day. Hail to 1/4 inch in diameter destroyed the strawberry fields near the limits of the city. The thunderstorm dropped the temperature from 93 degrees to 80 degrees in 5 minutes.

In 1887…north winds were sustained to 42 mph.

In 1954…the temperature climbed to a high of 102 degrees… Setting a record for the date.

In 1962…lightning struck and injured a man near Buffalo… southwest of Denver…while he was riding in the back of a pick-up truck. He suffered multiple bruises…cuts…and shock.

In 1965…an apparent tornado was reported 18 miles east of Denver. No damage was reported.

In 1975…hail up to 3/4 inch in diameter fell at Stapleton International Airport and over other parts of metro Denver. Four funnel clouds were sighted: 10 miles northeast of Denver…south of Boulder…southeast of Boulder…and south of Aurora.

In 1976…heavy rain and eroding water collapsed a retaining wall in Thornton.

In 1981…a thunderstorm produced wind gusts to 60 mph in Littleton.

In 1982…two separate bolts of lightning injured three men in southwest Denver. Two buildings were slightly damaged.

In 1987…severe thunderstorms produced large hail across metro Denver. Golf ball size hail fell in Littleton…near Morrison…and in southeast Aurora with 1 1/2 inch hail recorded in south Lakewood and 1 inch hail reported in Littleton…Arvada…and at Cherry Creek dam. Two funnel clouds were sighted 20 miles southwest of Stapleton International Airport.

In 1993…non-convective high winds developed along the Front Range foothills. Wind gusts to 70 mph were common near the foothills with numerous tree limbs broken by the winds. North winds gusting to 36 mph were recorded at Stapleton International Airport.

In 1999…hail as large as 1 inch in diameter was measured in the city of Denver with 3/4 inch hail in Littleton.

In 2001…a severe thunderstorm produced large hail in south metro Denver. Hail as large as 1 1/2 inch in diameter fell in Littleton with 1 1/4 inch hail near Sheridan.

In 2009…hail up to 1 inch in diameter was observed near Parker. At Denver International Airport…a total of 1.64 inches was measured in a 24-hr period…setting a new record for the date.

In 2014…severe thunderstorms produced large hail near Commerce City and Fort Lupton.  The hail sizes ranged from 1 to 1 1/2 inches in diameter.

In 2016…a severe thunderstorm produced a peak wind gust to 60 mph near Strasburg.

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In 1873…there was a great deal of smoke from a fire in the mountains to the southwest of the city during the late afternoon.

In 1875…smoke from forest fires in the mountains to the southwest could plainly be seen from the city.

In 1958…a strong cold front produced a north wind gust to 55 mph at Stapleton Airport where blowing dust briefly reduced the visibility to 1 mile.

In 1982…one inch diameter hail pelted west Denver. A half inch of rain drenched the suburb of Englewood in 10 minutes. Hail piled up to 5 inches deep…snarling rush hour traffic and damaging some stores in a shopping center when the roof started leaking.

In 1988…lightning destroyed the chimney of a house near Evergreen. Another bolt demolished a radio transmitter in the area.

In 1989…golf ball size hail cut a swath 2 1/2 miles wide through open country 14 miles southwest of Bennett. The storm also dropped 1.75 inches of rain on the area. Hail to 3/4 inch in diameter damaged the car of a storm chaser just south of Bennett.

In 1996…a funnel cloud was sighted near Hudson where hail up to 1 3/4 inch diameter fell. Lightning struck a home in Littleton…which sparked a small fire on the roof. Thunderstorm wind gusts to 64 mph were recorded in Castle Rock.

In 2005…severe thunderstorms produced large hail across metro Denver. Hail as large as 1 inch in diameter fell near Castle Rock and Thornton. Hail to 3/4 inch was measured near Northglenn and Fort Lupton.

In 2006…severe thunderstorms raked metro Denver. Hail as large as 2 1/2 inches in diameter shattered automobile windshields in and near Boulder. Hail to 1 3/4 inches pounded areas in and near Lakewood and Morrison. Hail to 1 inch was measured in Wheat Ridge along with 7/8 inch hail in Arvada. Severe thunderstorm wind gusts estimated to 69 mph snapped power lines for a distance of one quarter mile near Castle Rock. Severe thunderstorm winds were measured to 60 mph in Sedalia. Hail as large as 1 inch in diameter fell near Evergreen and Castle Rock. Hail to 3/4 inch in diameter was reported in Louviers and near Conifer.

In 2014…damaging hail…from 1 to 2 inches in diameter… caused extensive damage to homes and automobiles over parts of Arapahoe and Douglas Counties including areas in and near:  Aurora-Cherry Creek…Buckley Air Force Base…Denver International Airport and Parker.  Officially…0.06 inches of rain fell at Denver International Airport…with a peak wind gust of 33 mph from the southeast.

In 2015…two colliding outflow boundaries merged over east Denver and northwest Aurora at the height of rush hour. The collision quickly spawned a severe thunderstorm that produced an EF1 tornado…damaging hail…torrential rain and flash flooding. The tornado touched down in east Denver and west Aurora. The tornado first touched down near Quebec and 6th Avenue. It then moved east northeast across the Lowry Campus into the west part of Aurora. The tornado then lifted near Mount Nebo Memorial Park. Some homes had minor roof damage with one former apartment building on the Lowry Campus had more significant roof damage. The tornado and intense thunderstorm winds uprooted trees…damaging vehicles and blocking roads. The storm produced torrential rain…2 to 2.5 inches…much of which fell in less than 30 minutes and resulted in flooded intersections and power outages. Flash flooding forced the evacuation of a theater at the Cherry Creek Shopping Center…where drifts of hail formed in the parking lot…and flooding set off alarms at the University of Denver`s Ritchie Center. Numerous water rescues were reported as vehicles stalled flooded intersections. Many stoplights were knocked out. The water was reportedly 3 feet deep on the South Broadway ramp to Interstate 25. The bike path along Cherry Creek was inundated with several feet of water at the height of the storm. Ironically…it was “Bike to Work Day”…which made for a long commute home for many.  The South Platte River crested above flood stage for one hour. Employees still at work were urged to stay inside but others waded across flooded intersections downtown. About 30 flights had to be diverted from Denver International Airport.  At Denver International Airport… only 0.05 inches of rain fell.  A peak wind gust to 47 mph was observed from the southeast.

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In 1873…forest fires produced a great deal of smoke in the mountains to the southwest of the city.

In 1958…an unusually cold day for summer set two temperature records for the date. Under cloudy skies with occasional drizzle…a record low maximum temperature of 55 degrees was established along with a record minimum temperature of 42 degrees.

In 1959…a waitress…working at a kitchen sink…was injured by a bolt of lightning…which struck the rear of a tavern in Denver. She was hospitalized.

In 1971…a tornado touched down briefly at a high school football field in Brighton…but caused no damage.

In 1981…3/4 inch hail pelted Wheat Ridge and hail to 1 1/4 inches fell in Louisville. A brief funnel cloud was sighted by national weather service personnel 4 miles east of Stapleton International Airport.

In 1982…a bolt of lightning struck a cabin in the foothills west of Denver. The resulting fire totally destroyed the cabin.

In 1987…golf ball size hail fell near Bennett.

In 1988…a tornado touched down 1 mile south of Watkins and was on the ground for 4 minutes. Another tornado was spotted just southeast of Barr Lake and was on the ground for 5 minutes. No damage was reported from either tornado. Lightning struck two rock climbers near Eldorado Springs. A 25-year-old man was killed…and a 21-year-old man suffered extensive injuries. Thunderstorm winds knocked over two elm trees near downtown Denver. One fell on a house destroying most of it. A nearby building was unroofed…and two cars were damaged. A truck that had been severely damaged by one of the Denver tornadoes 10 days before was hit again. Thunderstorm wind gusts to 51 mph were recorded at Stapleton International Airport.

In 1991…the temperature reached a high of 100 degrees… Setting a new record for the date.

In 1997…one inch diameter hail fell in Arvada and 1 1/2 inch hail in Boulder. Hail as large as 3/4 inches fell in Denver…Louisville…Westminster…and near Broomfield.

In 1999…thunderstorm winds gusted to 58 mph near Fort Lupton toppling an oil rig. A 37-year-old man was killed when he fell 55 feet from the derrick of the rig.

In 2001…four golfers and one construction worker received minor injuries from a nearby lightning strike on the Broadlands Golf Course in Broomfield.

In 2002…hail to 1 inch in diameter was measured in Greenwood Village.

In 2005…hail to 3/4 inch in diameter fell near Bennett and Roggen. A thunderstorm wind gust to 61 mph was recorded near Golden.

In 2009…lightning struck the Darlington Prismatic Electric Fountain in City Park’s lake. The damage was estimated to be approximately $25000.

In 2010…wind gusts associated with a dry microburst downed several trees in the vicinity of 14th and federal…and near Bayaud St. and Clarkson St. In Denver. At Denver International Airport…a peak wind gust to 45 mph was observed from the southwest.

In 2015…severe thunderstorms developed late in the afternoon and continued in the late evening hours. The storms moved over parts of Adams…Arapahoe…Douglas and Weld Counties. The largest hail occurred near Aurora and Keenseburg…with hail up to tennis ball size or 2 1/2 inches in diameter. Elsewhere…the hail size ranged from nickel to half dollar size. At Denver International Airport…just a trace of rainfall was observed.  A peak wind gust of 31 mph was also observed from the east.

Continue reading June 23 to June 29: This Week in Denver Weather History →

Late spring and early summer weather hazards abound in Colorado. Looking back at this week in Denver weather history we see many examples including wildfires, deadly lightning, damaging lightning and dangerous flooding.

From the National Weather Service:

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In 2000…two large wildfires developed in the Front Range foothills as careless campers and very dry conditions proved to be a dangerous combination. Strong winds gusting in excess of 60 mph on the 13th fanned the flames… Spreading both wildfires out of control. Winds gusted to 78 mph atop Niwot Ridge near the Continental Divide west of Boulder. The Hi Meadows wildfire…about 35 miles southwest of Denver…consumed nearly 11 thousand acres and 80 structures…mostly high priced homes. The Bobcat wildfire…located about 12 miles southwest of Fort Collins… consumed nearly 11 thousand acres and 22 structures. Late on the 16th…a strong cold front moved south over the great plains into northeastern Colorado. Low level upslope conditions developed in the wake of the front…producing 2 to 4 inches of snowfall overnight at elevations above 8 thousand feet. Firefighters were able to contain both fires shortly thereafter.

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In 1963…heavy rain and hail ravaged metro Denver. In southeast Denver…heavy rain flooded homes and streets. Hail to a depth of 4 inches on the ground stripped trees and plants and drifted to depths of 3 to 4 feet in some areas. Flood waters on the valley highway were 19 feet deep in places…trapping many cars. Many creeks were running over their banks. On the 15th…the main thunderstorm cell passed over south Denver…dumping as much as 4 inches of rain in 90 minutes. Precipitation at Stapleton Airport totaled 0.91 inch on the 15th and 1.31 inches on the 16th. A funnel cloud was sighted briefly 4 miles to the south-southeast of Stapleton Airport on the 15th. Damage from hail and flooding amounted to near a million dollars.

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In 2021…the temperature in Denver reached 100 degrees for three consecutive days: 101…100…100 respectively. Each established a new record high for the day. It was also the earliest occurrence of such a streak. A record high minimum of 68 also occurred on the 17th.

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In 1950…very heavy rain and hail storms in southwest Denver caused an estimated 750 thousand dollars in hail and flood damage. Thunderstorms produced 2.06 inches of rain at Stapleton Airport with 2.23 inches of rain measured in downtown Denver.

In 1965…a tornado…15 miles south-southeast of Denver… Touched down and damaged two houses in northern Douglas County. Three golfers at a country club and a women who lived north of Castle Rock were injured by falling structures.

In 1983…a microburst wind gust to 54 mph was recorded at Stapleton International Airport.

In 1984…a tornado touched down briefly in Parker. No damage was reported.

In 1986…lightning injured 5 people just north of the Denver city limits in Adams County. The victims were members of a drum and bugle corps and were standing near a metal scaffold. Heavy rain from the storm also caused street flooding in the metro area.

In 1991…hail to golf ball size fell at Conifer.

In 1992…a rare mid-June high wind event wreaked havoc over metro Denver when a pacific cold front moved across the Rocky Mountains. Strong winds at speeds of 40 to 50 mph were common along the Front Range foothills. Winds reaching 107 mph in the foothills west of Denver and 79 mph at Longmont…caused damage ranging from trees being toppled to large trucks being rolled over. Strong winds estimated at 75 mph rolled a 35-foot truck carrying building supplies on U.S. Highway 36 north of Boulder. The truck driver and a passenger as well as the driver of another car were slightly injured. The winds downed power lines. The gambling towns of central city and Blackhawk were without power for a couple of hours. West winds reached 43 mph at Stapleton International Airport.

In 1996…a small tornado touched down in the foothills southwest of Boulder near Pinecliffe…knocking down 50 to 100 large pine trees. A house nearby sustained damage when shingles were ripped from the roof. The tornado also picked up a 17-foot sailboat with attached trailer and carried it 25 feet into a nearby tree. In addition… Thunderstorm wind gusts to 46 mph were measured at Denver International Airport.

In 2004…hail as large as 1 inch in diameter fell near Castle Rock. Hail to 3/4 inch was measured near Bennett.

In 2005…severe thunderstorms produced hail as large as 1 inch in diameter in Centennial.

In 2011…severe thunderstorms produced and damaging across parts of metropolitan Denver. In Lakewood…a tree blew down and landed on at least five cars. At Centennial Airport…a section of a roof on a hangar was ripped off the strong winds. A peak wind gust of 46 mph was recorded at Centennial Airport and Denver International Airport in the evening.

In 2022…severe thunderstorms produced large hail across parts of Boulder and Weld counties. The hail ranged from 1 to 1 1/2 inches at Allenspark…Ft. Lupton…Hudson and Lochbuie.

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In 1965…on the afternoon and evening of the 16th…violent thunderstorms produced extremely heavy cloudbursts of rain over the palmer divide and sent a wall of water as high as 20 feet down both branches of Plum Creek into the South Platte River and through metro Denver. The heavy rainfall produced the most devastating flood in the history of Denver. Rainfall totaled 14.0 inches in 3 hours at both Larkspur and Palmer Lake with 12.0 inches recorded in Castle Rock. The flood waters caused extensive damage to roads and bridges in larkspur…Castle Rock…and Sedalia…including washing out the I-25 bridge over East Plum Creek in Castle Rock. The citizens of metro Denver received reports of the flooding to the south and had a few hours to initiate evacuation procedures along the South Platte River…greatly limiting the loss of life. By evening…the flood reached Littleton where a heroic effort was made to save nearly 150 horses at the Centennial Racetrack…which was completely inundated by the flood waters. As the flood proceeded through the city of Denver…the river became more than 1/2 mile wide and destroyed all homes…trailer courts… And businesses in its path. The waters contained debris ranging from refrigerators to old cars. As many as 26 bridges were damaged or destroyed…including the 6th Avenue freeway bridge across the South Platte. Both Public Service Company power plants were shut down by the flood. The King Soopers grocery chain bakery was inundated. About midnight… The torrent crested at 25 feet above normal with flow exceeding 40 times normal and is the record flood on the South Platte and many of its tributaries. The flood caused 230 million dollars in damage and 8 deaths along the entire South Platte River basin. The intense rain also caused flooding along Cherry Creek in Denver…on Toll Gate and Sand Creeks in east metro Denver…and on Kiowa and Bijou creeks to the east of Denver. The South Platte River flood closed nearly every major east-west highway into Denver…nearly isolating the city. The flood caused heavy damage to state and county roads in the area. Railroads were also hard hit with the main yards in lower downtown inundated. Sewerage… Water supply facilities…and irrigation works also received heavy flood damage. The flood crest did not reach Nebraska until the 20th.

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In 1915…northwest winds were sustained to 41 mph with an extreme velocity to 42 mph.

In 1967…this was the 24th consecutive day with a trace or more of precipitation from May 25th. Precipitation totaled 5.87 inches during the period…more than a third of the average yearly total.

In 1975…hail more than 2 inches in diameter fell in eastern Aurora.

In 1977…golf ball size hail was reported 3 miles east of Arapahoe County airport…now Centennial Airport. Heavy hail to 3/4 inch in diameter was reported in Littleton… Castle Rock…and Sedalia.

In 1979…a man and a girl were struck and killed by lightning while walking in a park in northwest Denver.

In 1987…3/4 inch hail fell near Boulder.

In 1991…a microburst wind gust to 59 mph kicked up some blowing dust at Stapleton International Airport.

In 1998…hail as large as 3/4 inch in diameter fell in Boulder.

In 2003…lightning struck a feeder line…knocking out the electricity to about 3000 residents in Littleton. A lightning strike caused minor damage to the roof and attic of a home in Lafayette. Another lightning strike caused minor roof damage to a residence in Louisville. Yet another lightning strike hit a home in Denver and caused a small attic fire. Hail as large as 1 inch in diameter was measured near Centennial Airport and near Greenland.

In 2009…hail up to 1 inch in diameter was measured near Longmont.

In 2015…a severe thunderstorm produced hail up to 1 1/2 inches in diameter near Arapahoe Park…and up to 1 inch in diameter near Parker.

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In 1964…high winds at speeds of 50 to 60 mph with gusts as high as 75 mph caused damage to homes…power lines…and trees in Boulder. Non-convective west winds gusting to 46 mph caused some blowing dust at Stapleton International Airport on the 17th.

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In 1875…a windstorm produced sustained winds to 45 mph during the morning hours. Numerous forest fires along the base of the mountains were visible from the city.

In 1886…northwest winds sustained to 40 mph were the strongest of the month that year.

In 1987…severe thunderstorms produced lightning…large hail… A tornado…heavy rain…and strong winds across metro Denver. Rainfall totaled 2.50 inches in an hour in Wheat Ridge… Causing minor flooding. I-25 was flooded in north-central Denver…snarling traffic. Hail 7/8 inch in diameter fell in Louisville with 1 1/2 inch hail near Golden and 1 to 1 3/4 inch hail in and near Castle Rock. A tornado touched down briefly in Castle Rock. No damage was reported. Lightning started a small fire that burned half a cabin near Evergreen.

In 1994…a funnel cloud was sighted over Aurora; hail to 1 3/4 inch diameter fell near Brighton; and hail over an inch in diameter fell over Aurora…southeast Denver… Louisville…and Boulder. Lightning struck a home in Henderson 9 miles north of Denver and knocked a hole in the roof…which caused the ceiling to collapse. Hail to 1 1/4 inch diameter was measured at Stapleton International Airport.

In 2002…the Hayman wildfire in the foothills to the southwest of Denver intensified…and the winds aloft carried the smoke plume directly over metro Denver…again creating a dense haze of smoke which blocked the sun. Surface visibilities were again reduced to as low as 1 1/4 miles at Denver International Airport.

In 2004…severe thunderstorms produced hail to 3/4 inch in diameter near Morrison…in Littleton…near Conifer…near Castle Rock…and in Aurora near Cherry Creek.

In 2013…a landspout tornado touched down at DIA. The tornado sent 10 thousand travelers on the concourse…on planes and in the terminal scrambling to get into tornado shelters. The tornado formed just to the south of Runway 35R and then moved slowly northwest between Runway 35R and 35L…and moved to within one third of a mile of Concourses A and B before dissipating. The tornado moved extremely close if not over the ASOS (Automated Surface Observation System) and another low level wind shear sensor at DIA. The ASOS weather observing system reported a 97 mph wind gust…while the wind shear sensor reported a wind gust to 109 mph at the same time indicative of an EF1 tornado. There was only minor damage noted to the equipment. Nine flights were diverted elsewhere during a tornado warning. Severe thunderstorms also produced large hail up to quarter size in Adams and Weld Counties.

In 2014…a severe thunderstorm produced large hail up to quarter size near Buckley Air Force Base. At Denver International Airport…a peak wind gust to 55 mph was observed from the southwest…along with 0.37 inches of water.

In 2015…a severe thunderstorm produced hail…from quarter to half dollar size…near Lafayette…Louisville and Superior.

Continue reading June 16 to June 22: This Week in Denver Weather History →

June means severe weather in Colorado and our look back at this week showcases that fact. Numerous, historical events have occurred during this week in the past including the disastrous Hayman fire and the infamous 1988 Denver tornadoes.

From the National Weather Service:

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In 1979…rain…at times with thunder on the 7th…fell almost continuously through the morning of the 9th. Rainfall totaled 2.28 inches at Stapleton International Airport over the 3 days. High temperature of only 49 degrees on the 8th was a record low maximum for the date.

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In 1900…an apparent cold front produced north winds to 42 mph with gusts to 47 mph.

In 1923…heavy rainfall totaled 2.18 inches in downtown Denver…where northwest winds were sustained to 27 mph. Heavy rain also fell in Boulder…causing flooding on Boulder and south Boulder creeks.

In 1939…post-frontal sustained northwest winds to 35 mph produced some blowing dust…which reduced the visibility to one mile at times during the afternoon. Dusty conditions prevailed into the early evening. The airport station reported a maximum wind of 56 mph. A few minor injuries and some damage resulted. A few trees were uprooted…some fruit was blown from trees…and a section of power lines was blown down.

In 1959…dry thunderstorm winds…estimated to near 70 mph… Toppled a 40-foot-high poplar tree…which was 4 to 5 inches in diameter…near Cherry Creek dam. The Colorado state patrol reported a possible tornado 1 mile south of the dam.

In 1960…strong gusty winds tore the roofs from 2 patios in Aurora. One of the roofs was blown over a house and landed on a car damaging its top. A house trailer was also overturned. Other minor damage was reported to roofs… Windows…and trees in Aurora. A thunderstorm wind gust to 43 mph was recorded at Stapleton Airport.

In 1963…golf ball size hail fell at Cheery Creek Reservoir.

In 1967…a small tornado damaged trees and a dwelling in south Denver. The storm touched down at the intersection of 1st Avenue and Harrison Street and moved northeast to the intersection of 3rd Avenue and Albion Street. Damage included 3 small roofs removed…15-20 large trees uprooted…one car overturned and thrown against a house… Plus other minor damage. A funnel cloud reported at the same time 10 miles north of Denver possibly touched ground. Later…funnel clouds were reported 12 miles south-southeast of Stapleton International Airport…10 miles southwest…and 5 miles north. A tornado was sighted 3 1/2 miles east of Stapleton International Airport by weather bureau personnel for a duration of 5 minutes. Heavy rain and some hail fell over much of the area.

In 1974…the start of the shortest seasonal snow free period on record…94 days…occurred with the last snow of the season…a trace…on the 8th. The first snow of the next season occurred on September 11th when a trace of snow fell at Stapleton International Airport. A funnel cloud was observed just east of Aurora and a small funnel was sighted just northeast of Stapleton International Airport.

In 1985…a thunderstorm wind gust to 62 mph was reported at Golden Gate Canyon in the foothills west of Denver.

In 1986…a thunderstorm…which dumped heavy rain and caused some street flooding across north metro Denver…produced a small tornado 5 miles east of Brighton. No damage was reported.

In 1987…strong thunderstorm wind gusts in Conifer destroyed a porch on a house; the wind gust apparently picked up the porch and dropped it on a man…killing him. The wind also damaged the roof of the house and a nearby barn. The same thunderstorm spawned a tornado…which touched down briefly just south of Lakewood. No damage was reported. Up to 3 inches of rain fell in a short time 8 miles southwest of Littleton. A few businesses in Englewood suffered minor water damage. A tornado was sighted between Watkins and Bennett. It was on the ground for 15 minutes. A weak tornado also touched down 4 miles southwest of Castle Rock. The twister tossed an aluminum shed into the air and carried it about 100 feet. A funnel cloud was sighted 15 miles east-northeast of Stapleton International Airport.

In 1988…golf ball size hail fell in Conifer along with 1.30 inches of rain. Three miles north of Louisville…1.10 inches of rain fell in 20 minutes. Ping pong ball size hail was measured in Arvada.

In 1990…3/4 inch hail fell in Castle Rock.

In 1991…hail two inches in diameter fell near Evergreen. Hail to 1 inch diameter fell in Lakewood where a funnel cloud was also sighted. One inch diameter hail was also reported in Aurora.

In 2002…high temperatures…low relative humidities…and strong gusty winds allowed the Hayman wildfire…located in the foothills to the southwest of Denver…to become the largest wildfire in the state’s history. Although the fire was initially started by a U.S. Forest Service employee…the ongoing drought and dry conditions allowed the fire to spread rapidly out of control. The wildfire consumed nearly 138 thousand acres of forest land and 133 homes before it could be contained and finally extinguished on June 30th. About 1800 households had to be evacuated during the blaze. Southwest winds aloft swept the smoke plume directly over metro Denver…creating poor air quality and blocking the sun. Much of metro Denver choked on smoke with the southern suburbs receiving the most. Smoke and ash restricted surface visibilities to a mile or less at times in the Denver and Castle Rock areas and to 2 miles at Denver International Airport.

In 2003…thunderstorm winds gusted to 51 mph at Denver International Airport. The storm produced only a trace of rain.

In 2004…severe thunderstorms produced large hail across portions of metro Denver for the second day in a row. The most extensive damage occurred across southern sections of metro Denver in Aurora…Lakewood…Littleton…and south Denver. The combined damage to homes and vehicles…not including commercial buildings…was estimated at 146.5 million dollars…making the event the 4th costliest insurance disaster in the state’s history. Hail as large as 2 1/4 inches in diameter fell near southern Aurora with hail to 1 3/4 inches in the city of Denver and in Lakewood. Hail to 1 1/2 inches fell near Morrison with 1 inch hail measured in Thornton…near Buckley Air Force Base…and near Roggen. Hail to 3/4 inch diameter fell in Littleton and near Conifer. A small tornado touched down near Bennett…but did no damage.

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In 1864…high water from melting snow combined with heavy rains over the upper reaches of the South Platte River forced the river over its banks and caused flooding of low lying areas along the river in the city. The amount of rainfall in the mountains and in the city is unknown.

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In 1943…a man was killed by lightning while using a surveying instrument at Buckley Field.

In 1969…hail stones 2 to 3 inches in diameter caused extensive damage to buildings and automobiles in an area from northeast of Boulder to Longmont. Two funnel clouds were reported near Castle Rock. A funnel cloud and 1 inch hail stones were reported 10 to 20 miles southeast of Stapleton International Airport. Hail stones to 1 3/4 inches fell 3 miles west of Littleton. Hail to 3/4 inch diameter fell over southeast Denver.

In 1988…thunderstorm winds clocked to 60 mph unroofed a porch and downed a fence at a home near Stapleton International Airport. A small tornado touched down briefly in northeast Aurora. Another small tornado touched down for 3 minutes in southeast Aurora. No damage was reported from either twister.

In 1989…a National Weather Service observer saw lightning strike 2 storage tanks at 40th and Havana…3/8 mile northeast of Stapleton International Airport. The strike temporarily knocked out some weather observing equipment at the National Weather Service.

In 1991…a tornado was sighted 2 miles south of Castle Rock. No damage was reported. The funnel cloud associated with the tornado was sighted for 5 minutes by national weather service observers at Stapleton International Airport.

In 1994…lightning struck a home in Denver…which started a fire in the attic and caused minor damage.

In 1997…lightning struck a security guard at the castle pines golf course near Castle Rock. He received only minor injuries.

In 1999…severe thunderstorms rolled off the foothills over metro Denver…producing large hail and damaging winds. Hail to 1 inch diameter fell near Evergreen with 1 3/4 inch hail measured west of Golden. Hail to 1 1/2 inches fell in Commerce City with one inch hail in Lakewood…Wheat Ridge… The city of Denver and at Denver International Airport where thunderstorm winds gusted to 58 mph. As the storms moved east…3/4 inch hail was reported in Aurora…and damaging thunderstorm winds developed between Bennett and Strasburg. Winds gusting as high as 69 mph blew half a metal roof from a shed in a Bennett lumberyard. A small barn was also leveled between Bennett and Strasburg. Winds also gusted to 58 mph near Manilla.

In 2000…a dry microburst produced a wind gust to 58 mph at Jefferson County Airport. Thunderstorm winds gusted to 55 mph at Denver International Airport.

In 2003…hail as large as 1 3/4 inches was measured at Centennial Airport and near Parker.

In 2005…hail to 7/8 inch in diameter was reported near Parker with 3/4 inch hail measured near Castle Rock.

In 2009…lightning struck an apartment complex…a veterinary hospital in Boulder and caused minor damage. Lightning also struck two oil tanks…one in Boulder and the other at Front Range airport north of Watkins. The oil tanks in both instances were set on fire and suffered extensive damage.

In 2010…a complex of severe thunderstorms hammered portions of eastern Arapahoe…eastern Douglas and western Elbert counties. The hail ranged from 1 inch to 3 inches in diameter. The largest hail was observed near Elizabeth. Areas in and around Aurora…byers…Parker and Thornton were also impacted by large hail. One weak tornado touched down near prospect valley but did no damage. At Denver International Airport…a peak wind gust to 35 mph was observed from the northwest.

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In 1882…heavy thunderstorm rains on the morning of the 10th caused a rapid rise in Dry Creek…which enters the South Platte River at Fairview in present day south Denver. This…combined with additional heavy rainfall on the 11th caused the South Platte River to overflow. Five people drowned and several houses were destroyed. Total losses in the city and suburbs was estimated at 75 thousand dollars. Total rainfall in central Denver was 2.21 inches over the 2 days.

In 2013…the high temperature of 99 degrees on the 10th broke the previous record maximum temperature of 97 for the date. Also…the minimum temperature of 68 and high temperature of 100 degrees on the 11th established a new record for highest minimum and maximum temperature for the date.

Continue reading June 9 to June 15: This Week in Denver Weather History →

June is when Colorado sees the majority of its severe weather and our look back at this week in Denver weather history highlights this fact. Many occurrences of damaging and deadly lightning, powerful winds, large hail and of course tornadoes are seen.

From the National Weather Service:

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In 2002…unusually very warm weather for so early in June resulted in two temperature records. Maximum temperatures of 96 degrees on the 1st and 93 degrees on the 2nd were record highs for each date…respectively.

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In 1977…unusually warm weather for this early in June resulted in 3 maximum temperature records being equaled at the time: 88 degrees on the 1st…90 degrees on the 2nd… And 93 degrees on the 4th. Maximum of 91 degrees on the 3rd was not a record.

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In 2012…it was the hottest June in Denver since weather records began back in 1872. The average temperature for the month was 75.0 degrees which was 7.6 degrees above normal. There were a total of seventeen 90 degree days in  the month of June. The highlight of record setting month was a stretch of five consecutive 100 degree days from the 22nd to the 26th. This was only the third time in Denver weather history in which this happened. Two of the high temperatures during the stretch peaked at 105 degrees… which set the all time record for the month of June and tied the all-time maximum temperature for Denver.

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In 1914…flooding occurred on Boulder creek when heavy rains added to heavy snowmelt runoff. Flooding damaged the water supply system from the mountains into Boulder and destroyed roads and bridges in the canyons above Boulder. The flooding in central Boulder was described as the worst since the tragic flood of May 29th through June 3rd in 1894. However…there was no reported loss of life. The flood waters also inundated pasture land to the east of the town.

In 1951…the lowest recorded temperature in June…30 degrees… Occurred. The unusually cold weather was accompanied by 0.3 inch of snowfall. Precipitation…both rain and melted snow…totaled 0.30 inch.

In 1966…microburst winds gusted to 51 mph at Stapleton International Airport.

In 1981…a severe thunderstorm roared through metro Denver… Dumping 2.00 inches of rain in as little as 20 minutes and bombing many areas with hail to 1 3/4 inches in diameter. The heavy rain caused local flooding with up to 3 feet of water in some streets in northwest metro Denver. Part of a street was washed out in Thornton. Lightning strikes started a fire and caused a power outage just north of Denver. Lightning also struck a barn which burned to the ground in Brighton. Numerous cars sustained minor hail damage. A tornado was spotted 4 miles northeast of the rocky mountain arsenal…but caused no damage.

In 1982…severe thunderstorms produced large hail across metro Denver. Hail to 3/4 inch in diameter was reported in Louisville and northeast Denver. Golf ball size hail fell near Strasburg where two tornadoes were also sighted.

In 1983…a tornado touched down 5 miles south of Bennett. It destroyed an outbuilding and did extensive damage to greyhound dog shelters. Golf ball size hail fell near the tornado…destroying some hay.

In 1985…3/4 inch hail fell in southwest metro Denver.

In 1989…large hail fell over eastern and central Denver. A few stones were as large as baseballs…and many ranged from 3/4 inch to golf ball size. The hail piled up 2 to 4 inches deep in some areas. Hail to 3/4 inch fell at Buckley Field in Aurora…and 7/8 inch hail fell just east of Aurora. A home in Louisville was struck by lightning and was 30 percent destroyed by the ensuing fire.

In 1991…strong thunderstorm winds in Arapahoe County…14 miles southeast of Stapleton International Airport…damaged the roof of a home and a radio antenna. A funnel cloud… 4 miles northeast of Stapleton International Airport…was sighted for 11 minutes by national weather service observers.

In 1993…a tornado touched down briefly in south Denver… Destroying the 4-inch thick concrete roof of a building and causing about 20 thousand dollars in damage. The twister also picked up a trash dumpster and dropped it onto a car 30 feet away…causing an estimated 3 thousand dollars in damage. Hail up to an inch in diameter fell in Aurora… Conifer…and Bennett. Two funnel clouds were spotted near Deckers. A funnel cloud was sighted for 19 minutes by National Weather Service observers to the southwest of Stapleton International Airport.

In 1994…lightning struck two homes in Denver…starting fires which caused considerable damage to both. Hail to 3/4 inch in diameter fell in Golden.

In 1995…lightning struck a house in Nederland…causing a fire that was doused by subsequent rainfall. A portion of the roof and wall was damaged. The storm also left most of Nederland without power for two hours. Lightning also struck a high chimney of an elementary school in west Denver. The jolt sprayed bricks around the school yard and parking lot. Twenty students and teachers were in the school building at the time…but all escaped without injury. A funnel cloud was sighted over Fort Lupton…and 3/4 inch hail fell in Lafayette.

In 2003…severe thunderstorms produced strong winds and large hail. Hail as large as 1 1/2 inches in diameter fell near Parker. Estimated wind gusts to 70 mph occurred near Parker and near Denver International Airport where thunderstorm wind gusts to 52 mph were recorded. Wind gusts to 60 mph were estimated near Bennett.

In 2005…a severe thunderstorm produced hail as large as 1 inch in diameter in the city of Denver. A tornado was sighted near Bennett along with 3/4 inch hail.

In 2008…severe thunderstorms produced large hail over western Arapahoe…northern Denver and southern weld counties. Hail…2 inches in diameter…was observed near Brighton; with hail to 1 1/2 inches in diameter…5 miles east of prospect. Hail to one inch in diameter was observed near Buckley Field…Frederick and Denver.

In 2012…severe thunderstorm produced damaging thunderstorm winds.  Peak wind gusts included:  82 mph near Strasburg… 61 mph at Buckley Field…60 mph near Byers and southwest Denver…58 mph near Watkins and 52 mph at Denver International Airport.  The microburst winds caused extensive tree and roof damage.  In addition…hail up to 1 inch in diameter was reported 3 miles east-southeast of Parker.

In 2019…lightning struck a home in Broomield. Minor damage to the roof was observed.

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In 1989…heavy rain drenched metro Denver with the greatest amounts recorded on the 3rd. Total rainfall ranged from 1 1/2 to 3 inches. Roads were washed out in Boulder County… And flooded basements caused water damage to houses in the Gunbarrel section of Boulder. In suburban Denver…heavy rain caused minor flooding along Lena Gulch in Jefferson County where two mobile home parks were evacuated. Rainfall totaled 1.66 inches at Stapleton International Airport.

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In 1921…heavy rainfall for nearly a week…on top of streams already swollen by mountain snowmelt…produced widespread flooding over the South Platte River basin…including the tributaries through the canyons to the west and southwest of Denver. Heavy rainfall over the 6-day period totaled 3.36 inches in Boulder…4.98 inches in Morrison…4.27 inches in Castle Rock…and 2.94 inches in the city of Denver. Rainfall amounts in the foothills were estimated between 3 and 6 inches. The narrow-gage tracks of the Colorado and southern railroad were destroyed in the Platte Canyon. From the mouth of the canyon through the city to near Brighton… The river spread from 1/2 to nearly 1 1/2 miles wide… Flooding farm and pasture land and destroying or damaging many bridges. In the city…many businesses along with as many as 500 homes were inundated…forcing their evacuation. Bridges were swept away. The high waters flooded the rail yards and stock yards in lower downtown…closing three adjacent packing houses. The heavy rains also caused flooding on Boulder creek in Boulder on the 6th.

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In 1951…a trace of snow fell at Stapleton Airport.

In 1961…torrential rains fell 10 to 30 miles north of Denver…causing flooding in the town of Frederick. The rush of water broke through and over a retaining dike sending a 5-foot wall of water into the town…flooding homes and damaging sewer lines…roads…and streets. Golf ball size hail fell in derby…west Denver…and Lakewood…causing more than one million dollars in damage.

In 1981…severe thunderstorms produced tornadoes over metro Denver. The first tornado touched down at the intersection of Alameda Ave. and Sheridan Blvd. The twister moved north along Sheridan Blvd….damaging businesses…apartment buildings…homes…and vehicles. Over ten homes were unroofed. The roof of one landed in the middle of a neighborhood park. At least 10 mobile homes were wrecked. The tornado curved to the northeast into northwest Denver… Hopping up and down in several places. Very strong winds outside the actual funnel caused 20 to 30 thousand dollars in damage in downtown Denver. The third floor of one old building was demolished. No major injuries were reported from the tornado…although several people were hurt slightly in traffic accidents on Sheridan Blvd. In the confusion caused by the storm. Damage in Lakewood alone was estimated at 200 thousand dollars. At the same time… The worst tornado to ever hit metro Denver struck Thornton. Coming from the same thunderstorm that spawned the Denver twister…the Thornton tornado tore a swath through the heart of the city. 87 homes were destroyed…110 others damaged at least moderately. In all…600 homes in a 100 block area sustained some damage. The twister also hit shopping centers…several restaurants…and other buildings. Seven of the 42 injured were considered serious. The storm was strong enough to snap lamp posts in half and drive a 6- inch slab of wood 2 feet into the ground. Damage was estimated at up to 50 million dollars. The same storm that struck Thornton produced another damaging tornado that touched down in the northwest section of Fort Lupton. This twister damaged 16 homes and numerous cars and campers. Two children were slightly injured when the car they were in was knocked about and its windows shattered by the storm. The twister also damaged two commercial buildings. Damage was very spotty…and observers said the storm hopped up and down at least 3 times. Dollar damage was estimated at 500 thousand dollars. The thunderstorm complex that produced 3 damaging tornadoes also dropped large hail which damaged many cars over northwest Denver. One to 2 inches of rain fell in less than an hour…flooding a mobile home park with 3 to 4 feet of water on the northwest edge of Denver. The high water damaged about half of the 392 homes in the park. Local flooding was also reported in other areas across metro Denver. A tornado was also sighted near Franktown…but caused no damage. A thunderstorm wind gust to 52 mph was recorded at Stapleton International Airport.

In 1982…a cold air funnel cloud touched down briefly in southwest Denver. Two tornadoes were briefly spotted near Watkins. No damage was reported from these storms. A brief funnel cloud was sighted by national weather service observers at Stapleton International Airport where 1/4 inch hail fell.

In 1984…there were several sightings of tornadoes around Parker. No damage was reported.

In 1985…a tornado just southeast of Aurora was spotted by a national weather service employee. No damage was reported. Severe thunderstorms pummeled the metro area with hail. One inch to baseball size hail was reported in south Lakewood…one inch hail in Littleton…3/4 inch to 1 inch hail in Aurora…and golf ball size hail in south Denver.

In 1989…hail up to golf ball size fell over Arvada. A golf course had to be evacuated as the hail accumulated up to 3 inches deep in some places. One inch diameter hail fell in west Denver and Westminster.

In 1993…an early morning thunderstorm produced lightning… Which caused an attic fire at a residence in Niwot northeast of Boulder. Damage was estimated at 40 thousand dollars. No one was injured.

In 1994…hail to 1 1/2 inch diameter fell just northeast of Boulder. One inch diameter hail fell in Golden. Thunderstorm wind gusts to 70 mph were recorded in erie.

In 1995…a tornado was sighted over open country near Strasburg. No damage was reported. A funnel cloud was sighted 11 miles east of Aurora where 3/4 inch hail fell.

In 2001…severe thunderstorms produced large hail over east and southeast metro Denver. Hail as large as 1 3/4 inches in diameter fell at Centennial Airport with 1 1/2 inch hail near Buckley Field…1 1/4 inch hail in Parker…1 inch hail near Elizabeth…7/8 inch hail at Cheery Creek Reservoir…and 3/4 inch hail 20 miles north of Kiowa in Elbert County.

In 2002…severe thunderstorms dumped large hail across metro Denver. Hail to 1 3/4 inches in diameter fell over southeast Denver and 4 miles north of Aurora. Hail to 1 1/4 inches pelted Parker. One inch hail was measured near Ft. Lupton…and 3/4 inch hail fell 9 miles southeast of Buckley Field…near Strasburg…and at the site of the former Stapleton International Airport.

In 2005…thunderstorms producing heavy rain and hail caused flash flooding over parts of southeast metro Denver. People became trapped in their vehicles by the high water… And numerous water rescues were required. The hardest hit areas included the vicinity of I-25 and Alameda Avenue…as well as the intersection of Yale Avenue and Quebec Street. Several basements were flooded along Eastman Place. Severe thunderstorms brought heavy rain and hail to eastern Centennial and southeastern Aurora. Up to 3 feet of standing water was reported on east orchard road where several motorists were stranded in their vehicles and needed to be rescued. Hail to 3/4 inch in diameter fell in the area. Ten vehicles were stranded on Grand Avenue…and most had to be towed once the floodwaters receded. Water was reportedly chest deep at one location on Girard Avenue. Hail as large as 3/4 inch in diameter also was reported in Littleton…near Parker…and near Buckley Air Force Base. Hail to 7/8 inch was measured near Sheridan and Cheery Creek Reservoir.

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In 1904…a thunderstorm during the early morning of the 3rd turned into widespread general rain…which continued into the early afternoon of the 4th. Rainfall totaled 2.04 inches.

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In 1878…a “waterspout” or cloudburst of rain was sighted up the South Platte canyon at around noon. The resulting high waters on the South Platte River slightly damaged a railroad bridge in the city.

In 1937…a trace of snow fell in downtown Denver where rainfall totaled 0.25 inch. Minimum temperature of 34 degrees was a record low for the date. Northeast winds were sustained to 22 mph.

In 1951…the start of the second shortest snow-free period on record…109 days…occurred with the last snow of the season…a trace…on the 3rd. The first snow of the next season occurred on September 21st when 4.2 inches of snow fell at Stapleton Airport.

In 1954…a microburst produced brief sustained winds of 40 mph with gusts as high as 64 mph at Stapleton Airport.

In 1956…the failure of the Georgetown dam caused downstream flooding on clear creek at Idaho Springs and Golden.

In 1976…funnel clouds were sighted near Brighton…Erie…and Dacono…all north of Denver. A tornado touched down briefly 1 1/2 miles east of Lafayette. Another tornado touched down briefly at Hyland Hills Golf Course in Westminster. No damage was reported.

In 1983…severe thunderstorms during the afternoon produced 3/4 inch hail in south Denver…golf ball size hail 5 miles west of Parker…1 1/4 inch hail in Littleton…1 1/2 inch hail in south Aurora.

In 2001…hail as large as 1 inch in diameter fell 17 miles north of Bennett in Adams County.

In 2005…snow was mixed with rain for nearly an hour at Denver International Airport during mid to late morning. The temperature at the time was 45 degrees. Precipitation totaled 0.36 inch for the day. Northwest winds gusted to 37 mph.

In 2008…a severe thunderstorm produced large hail…up to 1 3/4 inches in diameter in Arvada…a northwest suburb of Denver. Several vehicles were damaged. In addition…a severe thunderstorms produced hail to 1 inch in diameter… 10 miles northeast of manila…east of Denver International Airport.

In 2015…severe thunderstorms broke out across Boulder… Denver…Elbert…Jefferson and southern Larimer Counties. Two large and long lived tornadoes developed near Berthoud and near Simla. The tornado that occurred along the Boulder and Larimer county line.  It first touched about 3 miles south of Berthoud…and then tracked to the west/northwest and lifted about 6 miles southwest of Berthoud. The majority of the damage was EF1…with some areas of EF2… and a few small areas of EF3. At least 25 homes between Longmont and Berthoud were damaged; three of them destroyed. No injuries were reported as the winds tore apart homes and rolled vehicles. The EF3 rating is defined as maximum winds estimated at 135 to 140 mph. The path length was 6 miles long with a width of one quarter mile at times. Large hail from quarter to tennis tennis ball size was observed.  The largest hail occurred in northeast Boulder County. The hail damaged cars and homes; breaking windows and windshields.  In addition… numerous roads were closed along the Larimer and Boulder county line due to flash flooding. Just west of Berthoud… 3.47 inches of rain had fallen.  At Denver International Airport…only 0.01 inches of rainfall was recorded… with a peak wind gust to 35 mph from the northeast.

In 2020…severe thunderstorms produced intense wind gusts across parts of Adams and Denver counties. A peak wind gust of 64 mph was observed near Bennett…with a gust to 58 mph observed at Denver International Airport.

Continue reading June 2 to June 8: This Week in Denver Weather History →