Snow on Halloween? Popular belief is that we seem to have a lot of snow when the trick or treaters are out on the street.
Conventional wisdom in the Denver area is that it always seems to rain or snow on Halloween. I know as a kid it seemed like Mother Nature always put a damper on our trick or treating.
But, is there any truth to this urban legend? Or is this just one of those times where our memory doesn’t serve us quite right?
This year it certainly looks like we have nothing to worry about but the National Weather Service has been kind enough to compile weather statistics just for Halloween. As it turns out, the thought of snow and rain on Octboer 31st isn’t just in our minds!
This week in Denver weather history - October 5th to October 11th
In our weekly look back at Denver weather history, we see a wide range of weather has occurred in the past. From thunderstorms to rain to big time snowstorms, we can and have seen it all.
3-5 IN 1984…THE REMNANTS OF PACIFIC HURRICANE POLO PRODUCED
HEAVY RAIN OVER NORTHEASTERN COLORADO. MOST LOCATIONS
RECEIVED BETWEEN 1.00 TO 2.50 INCHES OF RAIN…BUT 3.45
INCHES FELL IN LITTLETON. RAINFALL TOTALED 1.73 INCHES
AT STAPLETON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT…WHERE NORTH WINDS
GUSTED TO 24 MPH.
4-5 IN 1997…UNUSUALLY WARM WEATHER RESULTED IN TWO TEMPERATURE
RECORDS. HIGH TEMPERATURE OF 87 DEGREES ON THE 4TH EXCEEDED
THE OLD RECORD SET IN 1922 BY ONE DEGREE. HIGH TEMPERATURE
OF 86 DEGREES ON THE 5TH EQUALED THE RECORD SET IN 1990 AND
PREVIOUS YEARS.
On June 3, 1981 a tornado struck Thornton in what is the worst twister to have struck the Denver metro area. Image courtesy the City of Thornton archives.
I always tell the story of me being in 6th grade at Hillcrest Elementary in Northglenn on June 3, 1981. Sitting at our desks the principal comes over the intercom and announces that all students need to get under their desks. I look outside and see that it is dark as night – at least it seemed to be to a scared 12 year old!
Not long after, a tornado touched down a few miles away along Washington Street in Thornton destroying 25 homes and injuring 53 people.
In a recent series on the history of Washington Street, the Northglenn-Thornton Sentinel revisited that day and the damage the tornado caused. It is fascinating reading whether you have lived here long enough to remember it or not.
