Our look back at this week in Denver weather history reminds us that severe weather can continue to strike, even during what is normally a relatively calm month.  Lightning, hail and flooding are three continuous threats as we see during our look back at history this week.

From the National Weather Service:

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. This was one day short of equaling the all time record.  The record of 18 consecutive 90 degree or above days was first set from July 1st through July 18th…1874.  The record was equaled from July 6th through July 23rd…1901.

4-5  

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.

4-8  

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.

5    

In 1908…a late evening thunderstorm produced sustained north winds to 40 mph…hail…and 0.45 inch of precipitation.
 
In 1949…a dust devil…possibly a small tornado…was observed 3 miles to the northwest of Stapleton Airport.
 
In 1973…the temperature reached 100 degrees at Stapleton International Airport.
 
In 1974…strong thunderstorm winds damaged a mobile home…a barn…two houses…and several sheds near Watkins.
 
In 1975…a thunderstorm wind gust to 53 mph was recorded at Stapleton International Airport.  Hail up to 3/4 inch in diameter fell over the northwest suburbs and in northwest Denver.
 
In 1977 three houses in Denver were struck by lightning. Some heavy damage and fire occurred.
 
In 1990…lightning caused minor damage to houses in Castle Rock…Louviers…and Littleton.
 
In 1996…lightning caused only minor damage when it struck a home in Evergreen.  Lightning from a fast moving thunderstorm blasted a large hole in the side of a house in Lakewood.  Lightning triggered a minor power outage in the Boulder area.  About 200 homes were affected.
 
In 2001…severe thunderstorm winds gusted to 60 mph at Denver International Airport and to 70 mph…7 miles southwest of the airport.
 
In 2008…microburst winds downed a large tree and some power lines near a Denver apartment complex.  Several of the tenants’ vehicles were damaged.

Continue reading July 5 to July 11 – This week in Denver weather history →

As always, an interesting week in Denver and Thornton weather history.  Various severe weather items are noteworthy, none more so than on July 2, 2006 when a teenager wearing an iPod was struck with lightning.  The music player actually contributed to the teen’s injuries by providing a direct route for the electricity into the victim’s head via the headphones.

From the National Weather Service:

21-3 

In 2002…the maximum temperature in Denver equaled or exceeded 90 degrees for 13 consecutive days…equaling the 5th longest such streak on record.  The record of 18 consecutive days was set during the summer of 1901.

28   

In 1873…there was a great deal of smoke over the city from forest fires in the mountains.
 
In 1875…smoke from forest fires in the foothills south of Denver were visible from the city.
 
In 1913…an apparent dry microburst produced southwest winds sustained to 44 mph with gusts to 48 mph in the city.
 
In 1925…a thunderstorm produced north winds sustained to 38 mph with gusts to 44 mph.
 
In 1958…a microburst caused a brief wind gust to 58 mph at Stapleton Airport.
 
In 1964…lightning struck several homes in metro Denver… Sparking fires.  Some flooding occurred in the stockyards area…at West 45th Avenue and St. Paul Street…and along Harvard Gulch.
 
In 1997…strong microburst winds of unknown speed downed several trees…signs…and at least one light pole in the Fort Lupton area.  Two trees knocked over by the storm downed power lines causing scattered outages.
 
In 2002…a thunderstorm wind gust to 60 mph was recorded in Parker.
 
In 2005…severe thunderstorms produced wind gusts to 66 mph near Longmont and to 60 mph near Niwot.  No damage was reported.  A thunderstorm produced a wind gust to 55 mph at Denver International Airport during the afternoon.

29   

In 1874…eight different fires in mountain forests were visible from the city.  All of the fires were extensive… And the volume of smoke from each was immense.  Three of these fires had been burning from the 18th with varied intensity.
 
Continue reading June 28 to July 4 – This week in Denver weather history →