Frightening weather does not seem to be in the cards for our Halloween or the immediate future. That however is not always the case as we look back at this week in Denver weather history.
28-31
In 1929…rain changed to snow on the afternoon of the 28th and continued until midday on the 30th followed by intermittent light snow which continued through the 31st. Snowfall over the four days totaled 16.2 inches in the city. Most of the snow…8.5 inches…fell on the 29th with 6.1 inches on the 30th. Temperatures hovered in 20’s during most of the storm.
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In 1889…the first snowfall of the season totaled 14.0 inches over the three days in downtown Denver. Snowfall was 8.0 inches on the 29th and 5.0 inches on the 31st. North to northeast winds gusted to 30 mph on the 29th.
In 1950…a warm spell resulted in five daily temperature records. Record highs of 84…80…and 79 degrees occurred on the 29th…30th…and 31st…respectively. Low temperature of 49 degrees on the 30th was the record high minimum for the date.
In 1991…the second surge of cold arctic air in a matter of days plunged metro Denver into the deep freeze. While low temperatures remained above zero…high temperatures were only in the 20’s. Three temperature records were set: record lows of 7 degrees on the 30th and 10 degrees on the 31st and a record low maximum of only 21 degrees on the 30th. Snowfall was light with only 1.9 inches recorded at Stapleton International Airport where east winds gusted to 23 mph.
In 2002…snowfall totaled 4.3 inches at the site of the former Stapleton International Airport. North winds gusted to 32 mph on the 29th behind a cold front…which plunged temperatures well below seasonal normals. High temperatures of 18 degrees on the 30th and 19 degrees on the 31st were record low maximums for each date. Low temperatures dipped to 12 degrees on the 30th and 15 degrees on the 31st.
29-1
In 1972…heavy snowfall totaled 15.5 inches at Stapleton International Airport. However…the heaviest snow occurred on Halloween night when 7 inches fell on trick-or-treaters during a short 3-hour period. I-25 was closed south of Denver. North winds gusting to 29 mph caused some blowing snow on the 1st. The snow started late on the 29th and ended during the mid afternoon on the 1st. The greatest snow depth on the ground at Stapleton International Airport was 13 inches on the 1st.
31
In 1997…high winds buffeted the foothills and adjacent areas of metro Denver. West winds gusted to 70 mph in Broomfield and to 40 mph at Denver International Airport. The strongest winds occurred in the mountains west of Denver and in the foothills north of Denver.
In 2001…high winds developed in the foothills. Peak wind gusts were measured to 74 mph at the National Center for Atmospheric Research on the mesa in Boulder and to 72 mph near Rollinsville. West winds gusting as high as 53 mph warmed the temperature to a high of 71 degrees at Denver International Airport.
31-1
In 1951…6.4 inches of snowfall were measured at Stapleton Airport.
In 1989…a Halloween storm dropped 3 to 6 inches of snow on metro Denver with the adjacent foothills receiving 5 to 10 inches. Snowfall totaled 4.5 inches at Stapleton International Airport…where north winds gusted to 31 mph on the 31st. Most of the snow fell on the evening of the 31st…but the storm left icy streets throughout metro Denver on the morning of the 1st…making it a “spooky” commute for many motorists.
In 2004…heavy snow fell in and near the foothills of Jefferson and Douglas counties. Storm total snowfall included: 14.5 inches in Aspen Park…10 inches at Roxborough State Park and near Sedalia…8 inches near Bergen Park…and 7 inches in Highlands Ranch. Snowfall totaled only 3.2 inches in the Denver Stapleton area. Post-frontal northeast winds gusted to 41 mph at Denver International Airport.
1
In 1896…northwest Chinook winds sustained to 40 mph with gusts to 46 mph warmed the temperature to a high of 60 degrees in the city.
In 1973…wind gusts to 92 mph were recorded in Boulder. West winds gusted to 41 mph at Stapleton International Airport where the Chinook winds warmed the temperature to a high of 70 degrees.
In 1989…a 39-year-old Lakewood man in a motorized wheelchair was found dead of exposure early in the morning after an overnight snowfall dumped 3 to 6 inches of snow across metro Denver.
1-2
In 1892…snowfall totaled 5.0 inches in downtown Denver. This was the only snow of the month.
In 1956…heavy snowfall totaled 7.0 inches at Stapleton Airport. The storm was accompanied by much blowing and drifting snow. North winds gusted to 47 mph.
In 1991…the storm system which hit the Front Range at the end of October finished the job during the start of November. Six inches of new snow were recorded at both Rollinsville and Morrison…while 2.9 inches of snow fell at Stapleton International Airport where northeast winds gusted to 17 mph. The temperature climbed to a high of only 19 degrees on the 2nd…setting a record low maximum for the date.
In 1995…a winter storm dropped 5 to 8 inches of snow in the Front Range foothills. The exception was at Golden Gate Canyon where a foot of new snow was measured. Icy roads…fog…and blowing snow along I-70 in the foothills west of Denver caused dozens of accidents. One man was killed when he lost control of his vehicle and was ejected when his truck hit a median and rolled over. At least 20 other accidents involved minor injuries. Only 1.0 inch of snow fell at the site of the former Stapleton International Airport where some freezing rain also fell.
2
In 1939…a trace of snow fell over downtown Denver. This snow…along with a trace of snow on the 9th…was the only snow of the month…ranking it…along with other months…the second least snowiest November on record.
In 1967…post-cold frontal heavy snowfall totaled 6.2 inches at Stapleton International Airport where north winds gusted to 29 mph…briefly reducing the visibility to 1/8 mile.
In 1992…the first major snowfall of the season dumped 4.6 inches of snow at Stapleton International Airport where north winds gusted to 26 mph. Heavier amounts of snow fell in and near the foothills with 8 inches at Conifer… Empire…and Bailey…6 inches at Rollinsville and Golden Gate Canyon…and 4 inches at Morrison and Wheat Ridge.
In 2011…a storm system brought another around of moderate to heavy snow to the region. Areas in and near the Front Range Foothills and Palmer Divide were hit the hardest. Gusty winds also produced blizzard conditions at times along the Palmer Divide. In addition…the snow and blowing snow forced several school closures in Douglas and Weld Counties. Snow drifts…from 1 to 3 feet deep were reported in the northern portion of Douglas and Elbert Counties. Storm totals included: 14 inches…4 miles south of Boulder and 12.5 miles northwest of Golden…13 inches… 5 miles east-southeast of Aspen Springs; 12 inches near Allenspark and Parker; 11 inches…6 miles southwest of Castle Rock…Genessee…9 miles north-northeast of Elizabeth…10 inches…10 miles south-southeast of Buckley AFB. At the National Weather Service in Boulder… 7.9 inches of snow was recorded…with 4.5 inches observed at Denver International Airport.
2-3
In 1974…heavy snowfall totaled 6.1 inches at Stapleton International Airport where north winds gusted to 23 mph on the 3rd. Most of the snow fell on the 3rd. Maximum snow depth on the ground was 5 inches.
In 1990…a winter storm dumped 3 to 8 inches of heavy wet snow across metro Denver. In the foothills snow amounts ranged from 4 to 10 inches. Slushy snow and ice-covered roads snarled traffic. The snow…ice…and poor visibilities were blamed for numerous traffic accidents. Low clouds… Fog…and snow delayed air traffic at Stapleton International Airport for at least 90 minutes on the afternoon of the 2nd. Snowfall totaled 5.4 inches at Stapleton International Airport where north winds gusted to 21 mph.
2-5
In 1946…a major snow storm dumped 30.4 inches of heavy snowfall downtown and 31.0 inches at Stapleton Airport. The winter storm closed schools and disrupted all forms of transportation in the city. The greatest depth of snow on the ground was 28 inches at the airport. The duration of the snowfall…from 4:22 am on the 2nd to 3:08 am on the 5th… A total of 70 hours and 46 minutes…is the second longest period of continuous precipitation on record and the second heaviest snowfall of record at the time in Denver. The 17.7 inches of snowfall on the 2nd and 3rd was the greatest 24- hour snowfall ever recorded during the month of November. Buses and street cars had a difficult time…and many cars were abandoned along roadsides and streets for several days. Secondary roads in rural areas were blocked for 2 to 3 weeks. Several buildings in the city collapsed or were damaged from the weight of the heavy snow. Football games were canceled. Livestock losses were high over eastern Colorado. The precipitation from this storm alone exceeded the greatest amount ever recorded in Denver during the entire month of November previously. The precipitation recorded downtown was 2.03 inches…and the previous record for the entire month of November was 1.95 inches in 1922. North winds were sustained to 26 mph on the 2nd.
3
In 1940…the longest period without snow…200 days…ended on this date with the first snow of the season…a trace…on November 4…1940. The last snow of the previous season… Also a trace…occurred on April 17…1940.
In 1959…a rare thunderstorm in November occurred around sunrise. Rainfall measured only 0.02 inch at Stapleton Airport.
In 1993…periodic high winds buffeted the foothills west of Denver. Wind gusts to 90 mph were recorded at Rollinsville in the foothills southwest of Boulder…while gusts to 85 mph were observed atop Squaw Mountain near Idaho Springs. West winds gusted to 37 mph at Stapleton International Airport.
In 1996…a rare November thunderstorm during the early evening produced 0.10 inch of rain at Denver International Airport and only 0.06 inch of rain at the site of the former Stapleton International Airport.
In 2005…strong winds developed over the urban corridor. While the damaging winds were in the Fort Collins area… High winds also developed to the south of Denver in Douglas County. Peak wind reports included 70 mph at Franktown…65 mph in Castle Rock…and 61 mph in Sedalia. West winds gusting as high as 47 mph warmed the temperature to a high of 69 degrees at Denver International Airport. Winds were strong and gusty for most of the daytime hours across metro Denver.
3-4
In 1994…a fast moving snow storm dumped 8 to 9 inches of snow on Boulder…Broomfield…and Lafayette. Snowfall totaled only 1.8 inches at Stapleton International Airport where on the 3rd east winds gusted to 20 mph and some freezing drizzle fell.
4
In 1940…a trace of snow fell in downtown Denver. This marked the start of the shortest snow season on record… 167 days…through April 19…1941…when 0.4 inch of snow fell.
In 1959…high winds caused damage in many areas of the eastern plains. In Denver…winds averaged 40 mph with gusts to 70 mph. Some damage was reported to utility lines…signs…and vehicles. Northeast winds were sustained to 30 mph at Stapleton Airport.
4-5
In 1933…the first measurable snow of the season totaled only 2.5 inches. This was the only measurable snow of the month. Northwest winds were sustained to 27 mph on the 4th.
In 1951…heavy snowfall of 5.7 inches was measured at Stapleton Airport where northwest winds gusted to 32 mph.
5
In 1896…west Chinook winds sustained to 44 mph with gusts to 46 mph warmed the temperature to a high of 56 degrees in the city.
In 1919…a rare November thunderstorm produced a mixture of rain and snow during the evening. Precipitation totaled only 0.14 inch with only a trace of snow. Northeast winds were sustained to 39 mph with gusts to 44 mph.
In 1948…a west-northwest wind gust to 50 mph was recorded at Stapleton Airport.
In 1994…winds gusted to 76 mph on the summit of Squaw Mountain…5 miles south of Idaho Springs.
In 2000…snow fell in the foothills west of Denver and across the southern suburbs. Snow totals included 6 inches near Evergreen…11 miles southwest of Morrison… And 7 miles south of tiny town and 5 inches in Aurora and Parker. Snowfall totaled 5.5 inches at the site of the former Stapleton International Airport. Northeast winds gusted to 26 mph at Denver International Airport where the visibility was reduced to 1/4 mile in heavy snow at times.
5-6
In 1938…heavy snowfall totaled 7.5 inches over downtown Denver. North winds were sustained to 16 mph with gusts to 19 mph on the 5th.
5-7
In 1918…rain was mixed with and changed to snow…which became heavy and totaled 8.1 inches in downtown Denver. North winds were sustained to 21 mph with gusts to 23 mph.
6
In 1962…west winds gusted to 55 mph…briefly reducing the visibility to 1 1/2 miles in blowing dust at Stapleton Airport. The strong winds blew all day.
In 1989…high winds to 62 mph were recorded in Boulder. Northwest winds gusted to 33 mph at Stapleton International Airport.
In 1991…strong westerly Chinook winds blew into metro Denver with gusts to 88 mph recorded at Rollinsville and to 51 mph in Boulder. Later…northeast winds with gusts of 30 to 40 mph were common across all of metro Denver behind a cold front…which produced only 0.2 inch of snowfall at Stapleton International Airport.
The weather during the month of November in Denver metro area can offer just about anything. While it is normally a quiet month, it can be prone to extremes.
