Tag Archives: Hailstorm

Video: Remembering Denver’s record-setting May 8, 2017 hailstorm

May 8, 2017 - Hail pounds an industrial area just northwest of downtown Denver. (Ed Dalton)
May 8, 2017 – Hail pounds an industrial area just northwest of downtown Denver. (Ed Dalton)

The weather forecast for May 8, 2017 was relatively typical for this time of year with pleasant temperatures and a sunny morning. We also wrote about the usual chance for PM thunderstorms but cautioned they could be potent saying, “Strong winds, large hail and possibly an isolated tornado will be possible.”

Little did we know just how potent they would be.

The thunderstorms that rolled through the Denver metro area that day brought monstrous hail, destroying windows, roofs, siding and vehicles.

As expected, the worst of the storms stayed south of Thornton but the areas that were hit from Golden to just north of downtown Denver were devastated. The tally to date is $2.3 billion in damage.

Fox 31 did a special on the storm last year and it makes for an interesting look back – and a reminder of the power of Mother Nature.

Ranking the top 10 Colorado weather events of the past 10 years

The March 2003 blizzard that buried Thornton in snow was ranked as the top weather event of the past 10 years. (ThorntonWeather.com)
The March 2003 blizzard that buried Thornton in snow was ranked as the top weather event of the past 10 years. (ThorntonWeather.com)

There is a lot that can be said about the weather in Colorado but ‘boring’ is not usually a term associated with it.  Anyone who has lived in the Centennial State for very long quickly experiences a weather-related event that will give them memories for a lifetime. 

From major snowstorms and blizzards to tornadoes, wildfires, scorching heat and damaging hail storms Colorado weather can and does bring it all to the table.  The Denver office of the National Weather Service has released a list of what local meteorologists rank as the top 10 weather events of the past 10 years.

For some it may be a blizzard that buried the Mile High City in a heavy blanket of snow and brought everything to a standstill.  Others will remember the heavy smoke from fires burning in the mountains destroying hundreds of thousands of acres.  The tragedy tornadoes bring to Colorado in terms of destruction and loss of life may be what others remember.

Over the past 10 years many memorable weather events have occurred that fully display the sheer variety of weather Colorado receives.  A team of meteorologists serving Colorado analyzed these events and ranked them based on meteorological intensity and their human and economic impact.

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