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