Heavy rain, flooding, lightning, tornadoes and hail are not at all uncommon this time of year and we see plenty of those types of events in our look back at this week in Denver weather history. Probably one of the most notable events occurred in 2001 when a thunderstorms with large hail ripped through Denver International Airport causing $10 million in property damage and damaged dozens of airplanes.

From the National Weather Service:

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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 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 1 to 1 3/4 inches in diameter…near Lafayette…Louisville and Superior.

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In 1874…during the afternoon… Large columns of smoke from extensive fires in the mountain forests moved over the city from the west and southwest.

In 1875…while no precipitation was measured in the city… Rainfall over the Palmer Divide caused Cherry Creek to rise to the highest level in 10 years.

In 1977…hail up to 2 inch diameter damaged two patrol cars in Castle Rock.

In 1983 golf ball size hail fell just north of Bennett.

In 1990…lightning from a thunderstorm struck the roof of a house in south Boulder. Residents of the house were able to extinguish the ensuing fire with a garden hose…but not before several shingles had burned.

In 1992…thunderstorms produced hail up to 2 inches in diameter in central Douglas County near Castle Rock. Hail was 3 inches deep on I-25 south of Castle Rock. A funnel cloud was sighted near Parker.

In 1997…a 66-year-old man was knocked unconscious by a bolt of lightning while he was golfing at the eagle country club in Broomfield.

In 2000…dry microburst winds gusting to near 70 mph were reported across southeast Boulder and northern Jefferson counties. Peak wind gusts included: 68 mph at the national wind technology center…67 mph at Jefferson County airport… And 65 mph in Broomfield.

In 2001…severe thunderstorms produced large hail in the foothills southwest of Denver. Hail as large as 1 3/4 inch in diameter fell near conifer and Bailey.

In 2002…lightning damaged the Evergreen fire protection district radio repeater. One microwave transmitter…the main fire channel transmitter…and two solar panel controllers were destroyed. Lightning struck a garage and caused a small fire. Two vehicles parked in the garage were damaged. Hail to 3/4 inch in diameter fell near Castle Rock.

In 2004…severe thunderstorms produced hail to 3/4 inch in diameter near Castle Rock…Larkspur… And Golden.

In 2018…very large hail pummeled portions of the Front Range Urban Corridor and extended across the northeast plains of Colorado. Reports of collapsed roofs due to hail were reported…with major hail portions of the Denver metro area. The Rocky Mountain Insurance Information Association estimated the property damage from the storm totaled 276.4 million dollars…making it the 8th costliest hailstorm to strike the state to date. In Denver and the surrounding metro area…hail sizes included: 3 inch diameter in Englewood; 2 3/4 inch in Greenwood Village; 2 inch at Aurora Cherry Creek…4 miles south of Glendale and near Smoky Hill; 1 3/4 inch just east of Denver International Airport and near South Glenn; 1 1/2 inch near Niwot; and 1 inch diameter hail in Southwest Denver and 5 miles northeast of Parker.

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In 1875…smoke from several large forest fires in the mountains was visible from the city on each of these days.

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In 1888…northwest winds were sustained to 44 mph.

In 1956…a microburst caused a brief wind gust to 58 mph at Stapleton Airport.

In 1964…hail up to 1 inch in diameter was reported 1 mile north of Stapleton International Airport. A 3 minute hail storm at both Stapleton International Airport and lowry field piled small hail to one half inch deep.

In 1967…a strong thunderstorm dumped 1.95 inches of rain in less than an hour at Stapleton International Airport and produced a wind gust to 54 mph. The storm caused some flooding in east Denver and Aurora. There was widespread flooding to streets…basements… And store buildings and automobiles. Hail stones to 3/4 inch in diameter were measured at Buckley Field in Aurora. A tornado touched down just south of Littleton…damaging a barn and killing several head of cattle.

In 1985…a wind gust to 61 mph was reported at Golden Gate Canyon in the foothills west of Denver.

In 1986…a man was killed by lightning at Highlands Ranch south of Denver.

In 1987…several tornadoes were sighted across metro Denver. A tornado touched down briefly 5 miles west of Parker. A tornado was sighted just north of Chatfield Reservoir. A tornado just northwest of Watkins was on the ground for 15 minutes. A tornado near Barr Lake was taped by a television news crew. It had a double vortex and was on the ground for about 10 minutes. In addition to the 4 tornadoes…severe thunderstorms dumped large hail across metro Denver. One inch hail was reported in southeast Aurora; 3/4 inch hail fell at the Denver Technology Center…Buckley Field… And Franktown.

In 1992…several short-lived tornadoes occurred in the vicinity of Barr Lake. No injuries or damages were reported. A water spout was sighted over the southern end of Barr Lake. Funnel clouds were also sighted on the grounds of the rocky mountain arsenal by national weather service observers at Stapleton International Airport.

In 1994…hail up to dime size covered I-25 south of Denver and near Sedalia. Heavy rain caused local flooding on the interstate Highway.

In 1996…strong thunderstorm winds downed several large tree limbs in Boulder on the University of Colorado campus. A stop light in the city was also blown down.

In 1999…lightning sparked an oil tank fire near Brighton.

In 2001…large hail driven by strong thunderstorm winds raked Denver International and Front Range airports. Wind gusting to 54 mph along with hail as large 2 inches in diameter punched at least 14 thousand holes and cracks in the flat roofs of several buildings at Denver International Airport. In addition…93 planes and hundreds of cars were damaged. About 100 flights had to be cancelled…stranding 1500 travelers. The airport was completely shut down for about 20 minutes. The storm also damaged a ground avoidance radar used to track planes on the ground to prevent collisions. Damage was estimated at 10 million dollars…not counting the damage to the 93 airliners. The storm moved south and struck Watkins with hail as large as 2 1/2 inches in diameter and winds gusting to 60 mph. A least 30 private planes at Front Range airport were destroyed. The radome protecting the National Weather Service Doppler radar…which was tracking the storm…also sustained damage. The large hail…damaging winds… And heavy rain pummeled a mobile home park near Watkins. In the park…52 mobile homes… 14 recreational vehicles…3 homes… And a commercial building were damaged. Siding was riddled with holes and windows were broken. Vehicles sustained extensive damage and car windows were shattered. A handful of people were treated for minor cuts and bruises. The strong winds also flipped a tractor trailer along I-70 near Watkins. The storm caused power outages…which affected about 1200 residents. Excluding the damage at Denver International Airport…damage estimates totaled 49 million dollars…making the storm the costliest in the last 3 years and the 10th costliest since 1984. A small tornado touched down just east of Brighton… But did no damage. Hail as large as 2 inches in diameter fell near Fort Lupton with 3/4 inch hail measured in Bennett. Precipitation from the storm totaled only 0.23 inch at Denver International Airport.

In 2002…heavy rain fell near the Hayman wildfire burn area. Flash flooding washed out a 40-foot section of the access road to Cheeseman Reservoir. Some debris was washed against a gate…blocking the road. Hail to 1 1/2 inches in diameter fell near central city with 3/4 inch hail near Blackhawk.

In 2003…hail as large as 1 inch in diameter fell near Bennett and Strasburg with 3/4 inch hail measured in Denver…Golden… At Centennial Airport…and near Parker. Hail as large as 7/8 inch was reported in Arvada.

In 2004…a severe thunderstorm produced hail to 3/4 inch in diameter in and near Brighton.

In 2005…severe thunderstorms produced large hail near the palmer divide. Hail to 1 inch in diameter was measured near larkspur with 7/8 inch hail near Sedalia and 3/4 inch hail in Greenland. An apparent thunderstorm outflow produced a wind gust to 59 mph at Denver International Airport during the evening hours. Continue reading June 18 to June 24: This week in Denver weather history →

The first half of June is when Colorado’s severe weather season really kicks into high gear and our look back at this week in Denver weather history reflects that. Numerous flooding, hail, and tornadic events punctuate just how dangerous and damaging our weather can be this time of year.

From the National Weather Service:

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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 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 10^th 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.

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In 1947…a trace of snow fell over downtown Denver. Low temperature of 34 degrees was a record minimum for the date.

In 1962…hail caused extensive crop damage near Hudson northeast of Denver.

In 1970…stratiform rainfall totaled 3.16 inches at Stapleton International Airport. This was the greatest amount of precipitation ever recorded on a calendar day in June. In addition…it was the greatest amount of precipitation ever measured during any 24-hour period in June. The high temperature climbed to only 51 degrees…which was a record low maximum for the date.

In 1973…large hail from 3/4 to 1 1/2 inches in diameter fell west of Boulder.

In 1977…golf ball size hail was reported just south of Arapahoe County airport…now centennial airport. Lightning struck a home in Lakewood.

In 1988…a 30-year-old man was seriously injured by lightning while mowing his lawn in Denver.

In 1992…lightning started two house fires in the southern Denver suburbs where 3/4 inch hail fell and a funnel cloud was sighted.

In 1999…severe thunderstorms formed over the palmer divide and moved across Douglas…Elbert…and Adams counties. Hail as large as 1 inch in diameter was reported in and near Castle Rock…Sedalia…Franktown…and Aurora. Hail as large as golf balls accumulated several inches deep and caused a large section of a corrugated metal roof of a greenhouse complex to collapse near Franktown. About a third of the roof covering the 30 thousand square foot building collapsed. Thirty-five workers were trapped in the debris…but only 3 were treated for minor injuries. Hail 1 to 2 feet deep blocked the roadways and slowed the arrival of emergency vehicles. Damage to the building was estimated to be around 3 million dollars.

In 2006…a man was struck and killed by lightning as he was returning to his car after leaving the Mile High Flea Market near Henderson. Two others were knocked down…but not injured by the lightning strike. Severe thunderstorms produced large hail across the northern portion of metro Denver. Hail to 1 1/4 inches in diameter was measured in Arvada…with 1 inch diameter hail reported near Fort Lupton. Hail to 7/8 inch in diameter was recorded near Brighton…and hail…3/4 inch in diameter…fell near Keenesburg.

In 2009…large hail pummeled portions of Adams…Arapahoe… Elbert and Douglas counties. Hail up to 1 1/2 inches in diameter was measured near Parker.

In 2010…severe thunderstorms producing very large hail pummeled portions of Front Range foothills and urban corridor. The large hail ranged in size from 1 to 2 1/2 inches…caused extensive damage to home and vehicles. The hardest hit areas included: Brighton… Castle Rock…Greenland…Idledale…mountain view and Thornton. The combination of heavy rain and hail destroyed 50 thousand acres of cropland in southeast Weld County. Flash flooding forced the closure of State Highway 52…east of prospect valley. Several County roads were either flooded or completely washed out. At Denver International Airport…0.69 inches of rainfall was observed.

In 2015…thunderstorms produced flash flooding in Denver and parts of the metropolitan area. In downtown Denver… parked cars had standing water rising midway up the wheels. Denver fire crews had to rescue motorists from flooded intersections and roads. In Glendale…two lanes of northbound Colorado Blvd. at Exposition Ave. were closed due to flooding. In Aurora…water was reportedly flowing over the roads at East 6th Ave. and South Pacadilly Road. Additional flooding was reported on South Gun Club Road… between East Alameda Ave. and East Exposition Avenue… forcing the closure of the road. Flooding occurred along Plum Creek and its tributaries. Four trails in Castle Rock were closed due to flooding. Plum Creek remained above flood stage for approximately 2 1/2 hours…with moderate flooding along and east of the creek. Near Cherry Creek Dam…2.02 inches of rain fell. At Denver International Airport 0.56 inches of rainfall was recorded. A peak wind gust to 34 mph was also observed from the north.

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In 1999…damage from several hailstorms in and near metro Denver totaled 35 million dollars. About 17.5 million dollars was from automobile claims with another 17.5 million in homeowner claims. The areas hardest hit by the storms included Castle Rock…Commerce City…Evergreen… And Golden.

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In 1901…south winds were sustained to 45 mph with an extreme velocity to 47 mph.

In 1917…northwest winds were sustained to 40 mph with gusts to 45 mph.

In 1927…flooding on Little Dry Creek in Englewood resulted in two deaths.

In 1947…a trace of snow fell over downtown Denver during the early morning. This was the latest last snow of the season (trace or more). This also marked the end of the longest snow season…264 days…from the first snow…a trace…on September 22…1946. High temperature of 43 degrees was a record low maximum for the date. Minimum temperature of 33 degrees was a record low for the date.

In 1971…a funnel cloud sighted over Arvada possibly touched down at the base of the foothills. The public reported 3/4 inch to 1 inch diameter hail over the city of Denver.

In 1974…strong thunderstorm winds caused damage to power lines in metro Denver. Northwest winds gusted to 45 mph at Stapleton International Airport.

In 1975…a thunderstorm wind gust to 56 mph was recorded at Stapleton International Airport.

In 1982…three small tornadoes were sighted near Bennett. One of the twisters caused minor crop and road damage along its path. A brief tornado was sighted by national weather service observers at Stapleton International Airport.

In 1983…3/4 inch hail fell in Boulder. Golf ball to 3/4 inch size hail fell in Arvada…denting cars and house roofs. Over a thousand hail damage insurance claims were filed from the area. Golf ball size hail also fell in Northglenn and Bennett…1 to 2 inch hail in Thornton…2 1/2 inch hail in northeast of Denver. A tornado was sighted 10 miles northeast of Stapleton International Airport; it was only on the ground for 1 to 2 minutes.

In 1984…large hail pelted many parts of southern metro Denver. Fifteen aircraft were damaged by golf ball size hail at Centennial airport. Golf ball size hail was reported in south Denver…and 3/4 inch hail was measured in southeast Aurora.

In 1987…a small weak tornado touched down for about 3 minutes near the intersection of I-70 and Colorado Blvd in northeast Denver. No damage was recorded. A microburst wind gust to 53 mph was recorded at Stapleton International Airport.

In 1991…in the city of Denver…lightning struck a tree under which seven people were picnicking. One person was critically injured. The others received only minor injuries.

In 1992…golf ball size hail fell in Evergreen.

In 1994…microburst winds gusting to 53 mph kicked up some blowing dust at Stapleton International Airport.

In 1996…lightning struck a house in Parker…which sparked a fire. The bolt was strong enough to blow nails out of the drywall in one room. About 85 percent of the house was damaged. No dollar estimate of the damage was available. Lightning also struck a power line in Boulder…which left 250 customers without electricity for a short time.

In 1997…a tornado touched down near Parker…damaging some construction equipment. Hail to 2 inches in diameter was measured in Henderson. One inch diameter hail fell in the city of Denver with 3/4 inch hail measured in Lakewood.

In 1999…hail as large as 1 1/2 inches in diameter struck Hudson. A funnel cloud was sighted by ramp personnel to the east of Denver International Airport.

In 2003…lightning blew a hole in the roof of a house in Highlands Ranch. The bolt knocked several holes in the bedroom ceiling and damaged the home’s electrical system.

In 2004…lightning struck a home in Louisville…but caused only minor damage.

In 2006…a strong microburst wind gust…estimated at 69 mph… Ripped the roof off a horse barn near the intersection of Havana Street and Smith Road in Denver. A 13 year old girl was injured…when she was thrown from a horse inside the barn at the time the roof was being torn off. A thunderstorm produced a microburst wind gust to 54 mph and a trace of rainfall at Denver International Airport. A severe thunderstorm produced hail to 0.75 inch near Watkins.

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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 1956…a microburst caused a brief wind gust to 59 mph at Stapleton Airport.

In 1957…an unconfirmed tornado appeared to touch the ground in the vicinity of Franktown. No damage was reported from the twister.

In 1968…a violent gust of wind…possibly associated with a thunderstorm…caused 75 hundred dollars damage in Boulder.

In 1973…hail…1/2 to 3/4 inch in diameter…fell over Lakewood. Flash flooding occurred in west Denver from the same storm.

In 1974…a thunderstorm wind gust to 64 mph was recorded at Stapleton International Airport.

In 1977…hail the size of table tennis balls…1 1/2 inches in diameter…was reported in Boulder.

In 1981…large hail to golf ball size fell in Denver… Northglenn…and Brighton. Hail as large as baseballs was reported in federal heights.

In 1984…one of the worst hailstorms ever experienced in metro Denver struck the northwestern suburbs of Arvada…Wheat Ridge…and Lakewood…but large hail also fell in Golden… Southeast Denver…and Aurora. Homes and other buildings sustained around 200 million dollars in damage. Thousands of cars were battered by giant hailstones…and total damage to vehicles was estimated at 150 million dollars. In some areas…golf ball size hail fell continuously for 30 to 40 minutes. Some places were pelted with a few stones as large as grapefruits! Roofs on thousands of structures were severely damaged. Uncounted car windshields were broken; two-thirds of Arvada’s police cars were rendered inoperable. Torrential rains…with as much as 4.75 inches in Lakewood clogged drains and caused widespread damage from flooding. In some places hail was washed into drifts several feet deep. About 20 people were injured by the giant hailstones. One couple was hospitalized. A woman drowned when she was trapped under a trailer by high water. Only pea size hail fell at Stapleton International Airport.

In 1988…2 inch hail fell in Parker. Soft hail 1 inch in diameter fell at the mouth of turkey creek canyon 5 miles southeast of Morrison. Hail between 1 inch and 1 3/4 inches fell at both Bennett and Strasburg. A tornado touched down briefly at Strasburg. A brief funnel cloud was sighted by national weather service observers 15 miles southwest of Stapleton International Airport.

In 1991…a Boulder man was injured when struck by lightning while in a tent. He received only minor burns.

In 1997…lightning struck a home in Denver. The extent of the damage was unknown. A home in Littleton was also struck. The house caught fire…but the extent of the damage was not known.

In 1998…a strong mountain wave produced a brief period of high winds along the Front Range. A small building atop squaw pass west of Denver was blown down. Tree limbs were downed across metro Denver. Peak wind gusts included: 80 mph on Squaw Pass…69 mph at Jefferson County Airport near Broomfield…and 60 mph in Westminster and at the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder. West-northwest winds gusted to 51 mph at Denver International Airport.

In 2001…high winds developed briefly in Boulder County. A peak wind gust to 76 mph was recorded at the National Center for Atmospheric Research atop the mesa in Boulder. A wind gust to 72 mph was recorded at southern hills middle school in Boulder. Lightning started a small fire…which damaged the roof of a house in Greenwood Village.

In 2009…severe thunderstorms produced hail up to one inch in diameter near Arvada and byers…as well as 7 miles north-northwest of Front Range airport near Watkins. Continue reading June 11 to June 17: This week in Denver weather history →

The first part of June typically brings some of Denver’s most eventful weather of the year and we clearly see that in our look back at this week in Denver weather history. From many damaging hail and wind events to heavy rains that resulted in flooding and even the Southlands Mall tornado of 2009 it has been an eventful week in history.

From the National Weather Service:

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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 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 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.

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In 1965…lightning and an 18-hour rain storm damaged streets and roads and telephone and power lines across metro Denver. Precipitation totaled 2.77 inches at Stapleton International Airport where the visibility was reduced to 3 miles at times from pre-frontal thunderstorms and heavy upslope rains.

In 1998…a late season snow storm struck the Front Range foothills. Up to 5 inches of snow fell in Coal Creek Canyon. Light snow also fell over western sections of metro Denver and briefly at Denver International Airport. Snow covered the grass at the Denver federal center in Lakewood before melting around mid-morning on the 5th. No snow fell at the site of the former Stapleton International Airport. Several temperature records were set. High temperatures of 47 degrees on the 4th and 49 degrees on the 5th were record low maximums for their respective dates. Minimum temperature of 34 degrees on both the 5th and 6th were record lows for those dates.

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In 1864…high water on the west fork of clear creek caused a small dam near empire to fail…which destroyed several downstream bridges.

In 1885…a windstorm during the afternoon and early evening produced south to southwest winds at sustained speeds up to 42 mph.

In 1937…a trace of snow fell in downtown Denver. This was the latest snowfall of record at the time. Light rain and snow were mixed around mid-day. Precipitation totaled only 0.01 inch. North winds were sustained to 20 mph.

In 1941…hail of unknown size fell on the city.

In 1961…lightning struck and injured an airman outside a base classroom at Lowry Air Force Base. Funnel clouds were sighted near Frederick and firestone north of Denver. The one near Frederick briefly touched down in an open field but caused no damage. Heavy rain and hail hit the Fort Lupton area causing damage to crops. Heavy rain in Frederick added to the flood damage of the 3rd. A pilot reported a funnel cloud that touched down briefly and then dissipated south of Castle Rock.

In 1965…a lightning-caused fire destroyed a mountain home near Rollinsville.

In 1988…a tornado touched down 5 miles east of Lafayette near I-25 and stayed on the ground for 15 minutes. The twister hit a campground…demolishing one trailer and damaging six others…along with 4 cars. The rope-like funnel also blew down fences…signs…and electrical boxes. The twister moved a 1500-pound hay wagon 150 feet. Total damage to the campground was estimated at 50 thousand dollars. Another tornado touched down between Broomfield and Lafayette…staying on the ground for about 20 minutes. The twister hit a subdivision…unroofing one abandoned house and causing minor damage to a dozen others. A four- car garage and three barns were destroyed. At one location a chain link fence…a satellite dish…and a shed were destroyed…while the deck and garage of the house were damaged. A grain storage tank was moved 200 feet. There were reports of boards being blown through walls; one came through a kitchen.

In 1992…lightning struck a 15-year-old boy…causing minor injuries…in Adams County 6 miles north-northeast of Stapleton International Airport. Thunderstorm winds gusted to 63 mph at Jefferson County Airport near Broomfield…to 58 mph at the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission’s facility at Rocky Flats…to 58 mph in Thornton…and to 48 mph at Stapleton International Airport where 1/8 inch diameter hail fell.

In 1996…strong microburst winds up to 60 mph damaged several trees in Boulder…snapping large branches 1 to 2 inches in diameter.

In 1997…a woman was struck by lightning as she was walking to her car in Nederland. The lightning bolt apparently struck a nearby power line and arced into her left hand. She received minor injuries.

In 2014…severe thunderstorms broke out across parts of Arapahoe…Douglas…Elbert and Jefferson Counties… impacting areas generally southwest and south of Denver. The storms produced large hail…from quarter to golfball size.

In 2015…severe thunderstorms produced hail up to 1 1/2 inches in diameter in Castle Rock and hail up to 1 inches in diameter…southwest of Byers.  At Denver International Airport…0.99 inches of rainfall was recorded. A peak wind gust to 35 mph from the southwest as also observed.

In 2017…an intense thunderstorm produced damaging downburst winds which snapped a power pole near the interchange of Interstate 70 and US 36. A weak short-lived landspout also touched down south of I-70 near Bennett and tossed around some lawn furniture.

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In 1977…lightning caused several power outages and moderate damage to a railroad building.

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In 1954…thunderstorm winds at speeds of 50 mph with gusts as high as 59 mph briefly reduced the visibility to 1 mile in blowing dust at Stapleton Airport.

In 1967…the public reported golf ball to 1 3/4 inch diameter hail in the city…3 miles west-southwest of Stapleton International Airport. The amount of damage was unknown. Thunderstorm winds gusted to 46 mph at Stapleton International Airport.

In 1981…hail to 3/4 inch in diameter was reported in east Denver.

In 1990…golf ball size hail was reported near Strasburg on I-70 east of Denver.

In 1991…a tornado was spotted by national weather service personnel and weather spotters…14 to 17 miles northeast of Stapleton International Airport. A funnel cloud was sighted over south Aurora just east of Buckley Field…and a tornado was spotted just east of Watkins. No damage was reported. Thunderstorms moved through Aurora and dropped hail up to 1 inch in diameter. The storms also produced heavy rain… Up to 1 inch in 30 minutes…causing flooding of streets. Water was reported hood deep…stranding motorists. Water covered fire hydrants at some intersections.

In 1995…a waterspout sighted over Standley Lake in northern Jefferson County…quickly dissipated once it reached shore. A brief tornado…which was momentarily visible by a dust debris cloud on the ground…damaged the roof of a house in Westminster. A funnel cloud was sighted just south of Lafayette. Hail from 3/4 to 1 1/4 inches in diameter fell over north Boulder. Thunderstorm outflow produced north wind gusts to 44 mph at Denver International Airport.

In 1997…a tornado touched down near baseline reservoir just east of Boulder. The tornado struck a home…tearing off part of the roof. A storage building nearby was nearly leveled and 5 trees were uprooted. The twister then moved onto baseline reservoir…forming a huge waterspout. Several recreational vehicles and a boat dock were also damaged. A nearly stationary line of thunderstorms dumped 4.60 inches of rain on portions of Thornton. Extensive flooding of streets and underpasses and other low lying areas was reported. Several businesses were flooded and basements in the area were damaged. Rainfall totaled 1.02 inches at Denver International Airport and 1.24 inches at the site of the former Stapleton International Airport. Large hail…up to 1 3/4 inches in diameter…fell over the city of Denver with 3/4 inch hail measured in Littleton and near Henderson.

In 1999…high winds developed for a brief time in and near the foothills of Boulder. The Gamow Tower on the University of Colorado campus recorded a wind gust to 87 mph. Winds peaked to 71 mph atop Niwot Ridge near the continental divide west of Boulder.

In 2003…a small tornado touched down near Strasburg…but did no damage.

In 2012…severe thunderstorms broke late in the evening…striking areas hardest from Denver southward. Locations impacted by the storms included but were not limited to: Aurora…Castle Rock…Centennial…Highlands Ranch…Lone Tree…Parker and Surrey Ridge. The storms produced a barrage of
large hail…damaging straight line winds…flash flooding and several short lived tornadoes. The hail ranged in size from 1 to 2 inches in diameter…and caused extensive damage to homes and automobiles. The hail inundated the roadways with several inches of hail in Douglas County. Consequently…snow plows had to be called out to clear the roadways. The combination of torrential hail and heavy rain produced flash flooding in parts of Elbert…Douglas and Arapahoe Counties…as thunderstorms brought up to 3.35 inches of rain to some areas within 90 minutes. In Aurora…Picadilly Road was closed from flooding north of 6th Avenue. A water rescue took place on South Gun Club Road in Arapahoe County…where floodwaters were rushing to depth of 3 feet. Flash flooding forced the closure of several streets and roads from Parker south to The Pinery…where the floodwaters inundated the roadway with up to 2 feet in several locations.  At Centennial Airport…a historic B-17 Flying Fortress suffered extensive damage as hailstones as large as ping pong balls struck the aircraft. Although the airframe itself did not require repair…the fabric-covered ailerons and elevators were extensively damaged. The hail came straight down and punched holes in the fabric-covered control surfaces. The aircraft landed just hours before the storm hit to participate in a weekend tour stop.  Lightning also struck two homes…one in Lakewood and the other in Parker. Straight line winds downed trees and power lines in Aurora. As a result…scattered electrical outages affected around five thousand residents.  At Denver International Airport…0.61 inches rainfall was recorded along with a peak wind gust of 41 mph.

In 2016…powerful thunderstorms fired up along the Urban Corridor and produced damaging hail…strong outflow winds… heavy rain and lightning. Golf-ball size hail in Highlands Ranch caused extensive damage including broken windows on homes and windshields on vehicles. Heavy rainfall…also produced street flooding. In and around Highlands Ranch… anywhere from 2.3 to 2.8 inches of rainfall was observed… with 1.0 to 1.5 inches around metro Denver.  At Denver International Airport…0.38 inches of rainfall was recorded.

In 2020…a combination of an upper level trough moving northwest across the state…coupled with a strong surface pressure gradient…led to numerous reports of high wind gusts across the Denver the surrounding region. Most of the wind damage occurred with the passage of a rare derecho; a large fast-moving complex of thunderstorms with powerful straight-line winds. In addition…strong wind gusts from 59 to 71 mph not associated with the derecho… occurred prior to and following the passage of this system. By midday the derecho…moved over the mountains…and then rapidly northeast across the I-25 corridor by mid afternoon. Wind gusts from 60 to 80 mph were common with a few gusts exceeding 90 mph. The highest gust observed was 110 mph…at the Winter Park Ski area…around 12000 feet. Xcel Energy reported more than 208000 customers lost power because of the storm statewide. Widespread tree damage was reported. The intense wind toppled a billboard that crashed onto Denver bakery. Two delivery trucks parked nearby were heavily damaged. Two injuries occurred in Denver…one seriously. A man and his nine-year-old daughter were injured by a fallen tree. They were standing in front of a family member’s house when the incident occurred. The tree impaled the father through his back and he required several surgeries. His daughter sustained cuts and bruises that required stitches.  Southwest winds gusted to 78 mph at Denver International Airport…with a peak gust to 76 mph at Centennial Airport.

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In 2004…a brief hot spell produced 3 temperature records. High temperatures of 95 degrees on the 6th and 98 degrees on the 7th were record maximum temperatures for the dates. Low temperature of 68 degrees on the 7th was a record high minimum for the date.

In 2007…an unusually strong storm system brought very strong winds to the Front Range foothills and urban corridor. Peak gusts included: 92 mph at Boulder…85 mph…2 miles southwest of Boulder…83 mph…10 miles south of Boulder and 55 mph at Denver International Airport. High winds forced the closure of Mt. Evans road and Trail Ridge Road. Several trees were uprooted across the urban corridor. In Aurora… The driver of a car was injured when some building material blew off the Fitzsimmons Complex. The debris landed on the car and knocked the driver unconscious. The wind forced the cancellation of 60 flights at Denver International Airport. Xcel reported outages in Boulder…Denver…Lakewood and Longmont. Continue reading June 4 to June 10: This week in Denver weather history →

Heavy rain, flooding, lightning, tornadoes and hail are not at all uncommon this time of year and we see plenty of those types of events in our look back at this week in Denver weather history. Probably one of the most notable events occurred 10 years ago when a thunderstorms with large hail ripped through Denver International Airport causing $10 million in property damage and damaged dozens of airplanes.

From the National Weather Service:

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In 1874…during the afternoon…large columns of smoke from extensive fires in the mountain forests moved over the city from the west and southwest.

In 1875…while no precipitation was measured in the city… rainfall over the Palmer Divide caused Cherry Creek to rise to the highest level in 10 years.

In 1977…hail up to 2 inch diameter damaged two patrol cars in Castle Rock.

In 1983  golf ball size hail fell just north of Bennett.

In 1990…lightning from a thunderstorm struck the roof of a house in south Boulder.  Residents of the house were able to extinguish the ensuing fire with a garden hose…but not before several shingles had burned.

In 1992…thunderstorms produced hail up to 2 inches in diameter in central Douglas County near Castle Rock.  Hail was 3 inches deep on I-25 south of Castle Rock.  A funnel cloud was sighted near Parker.

In 1997…a 66-year-old man was knocked unconscious by a bolt of lightning while he was golfing at the Eagle Country Club in Broomfield.

In 2000…dry microburst winds gusting to near 70 mph were reported across southeast Boulder and northern Jefferson counties.  Peak wind gusts included:  68 mph at the National Wind Technology Center…67 mph at Jefferson County Airport… and 65 mph in Broomfield.

In 2001…severe thunderstorms produced large hail in the foothills southwest of Denver.  Hail as large as 1 3/4 inch in diameter fell near Conifer and Bailey.

In 2002…lightning damaged the Evergreen Fire Protection District radio repeater.  One microwave transmitter…the main fire channel transmitter…and two solar panel controllers were destroyed.  Lightning struck a garage and caused a small fire.  Two vehicles parked in the garage were damaged.  Hail to 3/4 inch in diameter fell near Castle Rock.

In 2004…severe thunderstorms produced hail to 3/4 inch in diameter near Castle Rock…Larkspur…and Golden.

In 2018…very large hail pummeled portions of the Front Range  Urban Corridor and extended across the northeast plains of  Colorado. Reports of collapsed roofs due to hail were  reported…with major hail portions of the Denver metro area.  The Rocky Mountain Insurance Information Association  estimated the property damage from the storm totaled 276.4  million dollars…making it the 8th costliest hailstorm to  strike the state to date.  In Denver and the surrounding  metro area…hail sizes included:  3 inch diameter in  Englewood; 2 3/4 inch in Greenwood Village; 2 inch at  Aurora Cherry Creek…4 miles south of Glendale and near  Smoky Hill; 1 3/4 inch just east of Denver International  Airport and near South Glenn; 1 1/2 inch near Niwot; and 1  inch diameter hail in Southwest Denver and 5 miles northeast  of Parker.

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In 1875…from the 19th to the 21st…smoke from several large forest fires in the mountains was visible from the city on each of these days.

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In 1888…northwest winds were sustained to 44 mph.

In 1956…a microburst caused a brief wind gust to 58 mph at Stapleton Airport.

In 1964…hail up to 1 inch in diameter was reported 1 mile north of Stapleton International Airport.  A 3 minute hail storm at both Stapleton International Airport and Lowry Field piled small hail to one half inch deep.

In 1967…a strong thunderstorm dumped 1.95 inches of rain in less than an hour at Stapleton International Airport and produced a wind gust to 54 mph.  The storm caused some flooding in east Denver and Aurora.  There was widespread flooding to streets…basements…and store buildings and automobiles.  Hail stones to 3/4 inch in diameter were measured at Buckley Field in Aurora.  A tornado touched down just south of Littleton…damaging a barn and killing several head of cattle.

In 1985…a wind gust to 61 mph was reported at Golden Gate Canyon in the foothills west of Denver.

In 1986…a man was killed by lightning at Highlands Ranch south of Denver.

In 1987…several tornadoes were sighted across metro Denver.  A tornado touched down briefly 5 miles west of Parker.  A tornado was sighted just north of Chatfield Reservoir.  A tornado just northwest of Watkins was on the ground for 15 minutes.  A tornado near Barr Lake was taped by a television news crew.  It had a double vortex and was on the ground for about 10 minutes.  In addition to the 4 tornadoes…severe thunderstorms dumped large hail across metro Denver.  One inch hail was reported in southeast Aurora; 3/4 inch hail fell at the Denver Technology Center…Buckley Field…and Franktown.

In 1992…several short-lived tornadoes occurred in the vicinity of Barr Lake.  No injuries or damages were reported.  A water spout was sighted over the southern end of Barr Lake.  Funnel clouds were also sighted on the grounds of the Rocky Mountain Arsenal by National Weather Service observers at Stapleton International Airport.

In 1994…hail up to dime size covered I-25 south of Denver and near Sedalia.  Heavy rain caused local flooding on the Interstate highway.

In 1996…strong thunderstorm winds downed several large tree limbs in Boulder on the University of Colorado campus.  A stop light in the city was also blown down.

In 1999…lightning sparked an oil tank fire near Brighton.

In 2001…large hail driven by strong thunderstorm winds raked Denver International and Front Range Airports.  Wind gusting to 54 mph along with hail as large 2 inches in diameter punched at least 14 thousand holes and cracks in the flat roofs of several buildings at Denver International Airport. In addition…93 planes and hundreds of cars were damaged. About 100 flights had to be cancelled…stranding 1500 travelers.  The airport was completely shut down for about 20 minutes.  The storm also damaged a ground avoidance radar used to track planes on the ground to prevent collisions. Damage was estimated at 10 million dollars…not counting the damage to the 93 airliners.  The storm moved south and struck Watkins with hail as large as 2 1/2 inches in diameter and winds gusting to 60 mph.  A least 30 private planes at Front Range Airport were destroyed.  The radome protecting the National Weather Service doppler radar…which was tracking the storm…also sustained damage.  The large hail…damaging winds…and heavy rain pummeled a mobile home park near Watkins.  In the park…52 mobile homes…14 recreational vehicles…3 homes…and a commercial building were damaged.  Siding was riddled with holes and windows were broken.  Vehicles sustained extensive damage and car windows were shattered.  A handful of people were treated for minor cuts and bruises.  The strong winds also flipped a tractor trailer along I-70 near Watkins.  The storm caused power outages…which affected about 1200 residents. Excluding the damage at Denver International Airport…damage estimates totaled 49 million dollars…making the storm the costliest in the last 3 years and the 10th costliest since 1984.  A small tornado touched down just east of Brighton… but did no damage.  Hail as large as 2 inches in diameter fell near Fort Lupton with 3/4 inch hail measured in Bennett.  Precipitation from the storm totaled only 0.23 inch at Denver International Airport.

In 2002…heavy rain fell near the Hayman Wildfire burn area. Flash flooding washed out a 40-foot section of the access road to Cheeseman Reservoir.  Some debris was washed against a gate…blocking the road.  Hail to 1 1/2 inches in diameter fell near Central City with 3/4 inch hail near Blackhawk.

In 2003…hail as large as 1 inch in diameter fell near Bennett and Strasburg with 3/4 inch hail measured in Denver…Golden… at Centennial Airport…and near Parker.  Hail as large as 7/8 inch was reported in Arvada.

In 2004…a severe thunderstorm produced hail to 3/4 inch in diameter in and near Brighton.

In 2005…severe thunderstorms produced large hail near the Palmer Divide.  Hail to 1 inch in diameter was measured near Larkspur with 7/8 inch hail near Sedalia and 3/4 inch hail in Greenland.  An apparent thunderstorm outflow produced a wind gust to 59 mph at Denver International Airport during the evening hours.

In 2010…lightning struck a home in Centennial and sparked a fire which caused extensive damage.

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In 1897…high winds raked the city overnight.  Southeast winds were sustained to 60 mph with gusts as high as 72 mph on the 20th.  Southeast winds were sustained to 57 mph with gusts to 60 mph on the 21st.

In 2007…a brief hot spell produced two temperature records. The high temperature of 97 degrees was tied on the 20th. A new record high temperature of 99 degrees was established on the 21st.

Continue reading June 19 to June 25: This Week in Denver Weather History →