{"id":16091,"date":"2016-01-31T12:32:59","date_gmt":"2016-01-31T19:32:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.thorntonweather.com\/blog\/?p=16091"},"modified":"2016-02-08T05:59:22","modified_gmt":"2016-02-08T12:59:22","slug":"january-31-to-february-6-this-week-in-denver-weather-history-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thorntonweather.com\/blog\/weather-history\/january-31-to-february-6-this-week-in-denver-weather-history-2\/","title":{"rendered":"January 31 to February 6: This week in Denver weather history"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"This<\/a>
January 31 to February 6: This week in Denver weather history<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Winds can be a blessing and a curse this time of year.\u00a0 Chinook winds can help warm what is otherwise a normally chilly season.\u00a0 They can also cause a great deal of damage as they pick up speed as they come roaring across the Front Range.\u00a0 While we have been lucky thus far this year and not had damaging wind events, looking back at this week in Denver weather history one can\u2019t help but think that maybe it is just a matter of time before they strike.<\/p>\n

26-1<\/p>\n

In 1888\u2026a protracted warm spell lasted a week.\u00a0 Maximum temperatures ranged from 62 degrees on the 29th to an all time record high for the month of 76 degrees on the 27th.\u00a0 Daily record high temperatures of 76\u202669\u2026and 71 occurred on the 27th\u202628th\u2026and 30th respectively. Record high minimum temperatures of 47 and 34 occurred on the 26th and 27th.<\/p>\n

27-31<\/p>\n

In 1951\u2026a major storm dumped 10.1 inches of snowfall at Stapleton Airport.\u00a0 Most of the snow\u20268.3 inches\u2026fell on the 29th.\u00a0 Cold arctic air accompanied the snow.\u00a0 Several temperature records were set\u2026including record low maximum temperatures of 4 on the 28th and 4 below zero on the 29th and record low temperatures of 12 below zero on the 29th and 24 below zero on the 31st.\u00a0 Temperatures were below zero for 45 consecutive hours.<\/p>\n

29-31<\/p>\n

In 1883\u2026a major winter storm dumped 19.3 inches of snow on downtown Denver.\u00a0 Most of the snow\u202612.2 inches\u2026fell on the 31st.\u00a0 This was the heaviest snowfall to hit the city in years.\u00a0 Temperatures plunged from a high of 52 degrees on the 29th to a low of 13 degrees on the 31st. Precipitation from the storm totaled 2.23 inches.\u00a0 The 1.22 inches of precipitation on the 31st was the greatest calendar day and 24 hour precipitation ever recorded in the city during the month of January.<\/p>\n

30-31<\/p>\n

In 1908\u2026an apparent strong cold front plunged temperatures 45 degrees in 24 hours from 47 degrees at noon on the 30th to only 2 degrees at noon on the 31st.\u00a0 North winds were sustained to 30 mph on the 30th.\u00a0 Snowfall was only 0.8 inch on the 31st.<\/p>\n

In 1965\u2026a major storm dumped 10.4 inches of snow over metro Denver.\u00a0 After 5 inches of snow fell in Boulder\u2026 Strong Chinook winds developed\u2026warming the temperature 25 degrees in 90 minutes.\u00a0 Wind gusts to 97 mph were recorded on Table Mountain in Boulder.\u00a0 Winds gusts to 53 mph were measured in downtown Boulder where some damage occurred.\u00a0 Minor wind damage also occurred in western suburbs of Denver.\u00a0 West winds gusted to 51 mph at Stapleton International Airport on the 31st.<\/p>\n

In 2005\u2026a winter storm brought heavy snow to the Front Range foothills.\u00a0 Storm totals included:\u00a0 17 inches at Aspen Springs\u202613 inches 7 miles southwest of Boulder and at Lake Eldora\u202612.5 inches near Blackhawk\u202611.5 inches at Rollinsville and near Nederland\u202611 inches near Evergreen and Golden and at Gross Reservoir\u2026and 10 inches at Cabin Creek.\u00a0 Lesser amounts of snow fell over the city.\u00a0 Only 1.9 inches of snow were measured overnight at Denver Stapleton.\u00a0 North winds gusted to 30 mph at Denver International Airport\u2026where freezing fog during the early morning of the 30th reduced the surface visibility to as low as 1\/8 mile.\u00a0 Light rainfall\u2026 Rare in January\u2026totaled 0.06 inch at Denver Stapleton on the early morning of the 30th.<\/p>\n

30-7<\/p>\n

In 1985\u2026a cold front on the 29th produced a protracted cold spell as arctic air remained entrenched across metro Denver. While the only daily temperature record set was a low maximum reading of 2 degrees on February 3rd\u2026minimum temperatures plunged well below zero on 9 consecutive days. The coldest readings were 15 degrees below zero on January 31st and 14 degrees below zero on February 5th.<\/p>\n

<\/span>31<\/p>\n

In 1876\u2026hurricane force winds caused some damage in Boulder.<\/p>\n

In 1951\u2026the low temperature plunged to 24 degrees below zero.<\/p>\n

In 1933\u2026snowfall was 0.2 inch in downtown Denver.\u00a0 This was the only measurable snowfall of the month and resulted in 0.01 inch of melted snow\u2026the only measurable precipitation of the month.<\/p>\n

In 1964\u2026high winds blew down a sidewalk cover where a building was under construction\u2026injuring a young woman. Three men were injured when a brick wall at a construction site toppled on them.\u00a0 All were treated for face\u2026leg\u2026and neck injuries.\u00a0 A west-northwest wind gust to 47 mph was recorded at Stapleton International Airport.<\/p>\n

In 1969\u2026high winds struck Boulder with gusts to 115 mph recorded at the National Center for Atmospheric Research and 83 mph in downtown Boulder.\u00a0 Schools were closed because of danger from flying debris.\u00a0 Some damage and minor injuries occurred.\u00a0 Northwest winds gusted to 35 mph at Stapleton International Airport.<\/p>\n

In 1985\u2026bitterly cold weather froze pipes and cars and forced some schools to close across metro Denver.\u00a0 Minimum temperatures dipped to as low as 15 below to 20 below zero across metro Denver.\u00a0 The low temperature was 15 below zero at Stapleton International Airport.
\n31-1<\/p>\n

In 1963\u2026high winds struck metro Denver.\u00a0 The strong Chinook winds reached 101 mph in Littleton\u202680 mph in Denver\u2026and 90 mph at Rocky Flats.\u00a0 Among the hardest hit areas were Boulder where buildings under construction were blown down\u2026porches and roofs blown off buildings\u2026and power lines damaged.\u00a0 Damage totaled 100 thousand dollars in Boulder alone.<\/p>\n

In other areas\u2026utility lines were damaged and many signs\u2026antennas\u2026and road markers were blown down.\u00a0 At Stapleton Airport\u2026west winds gusted to 44 mph on the 31st and 66 mph on the 1st.\u00a0 The Chinook winds warmed maximum temperatures to 65 degrees on the 31st and to 70 degrees on the 1st.<\/p>\n

31-8<\/p>\n

In 1963\u2026warm weather that began with the strong Chinook winds on the 31st and 1st continued through the 8th. Maximum temperatures through the period ranged from 52 degrees on the 2nd to 76 degrees on the 5th\u2026which was a new record high for that date.<\/p>\n

31-12<\/p>\n

In 1899\u2026a protracted cold spell lasted almost two weeks. Low temperatures plunged below zero on all days but February 9th with a reading of 6 degrees.\u00a0 The coldest low temperature of 22 degrees below zero on February 6th was a record low for the date.\u00a0 Low temperatures of 20 degrees below zero occurred on both February 11th and 12th\u2026 But only the 11th remains as the record minimum for the date.\u00a0 High temperature of only 5 degrees below zero on February 11th was a record low maximum for the date.\u00a0 High temperatures climbed to only zero degrees on both February 2nd and 3rd\u2026but were not records.<\/p>\n

Intermittent light snow or flurries fell during the period.\u00a0 The most snowfall\u20262.0 inches\u2026occurred on February 2nd.<\/p>\n

1<\/p>\n

In 1904\u2026northwest winds were sustained to 51 mph with gusts to 60 mph.\u00a0 The Chinook winds warmed the temperature to a high of 55 degrees.<\/p>\n

In 1907\u2026west winds sustained to 42 mph warmed the temperature to a high of 59 degrees.<\/p>\n

In 1932\u2026the temperature rose from a low of 8 degrees at 7:00 am to the high of 58 degrees at 2:30 pm.\u00a0 The biggest jump occurred from 16 degrees at 8:00 am to 42 degrees at 9:10 am.<\/p>\n

In 1951\u2026the lowest recorded temperature in February\u202625 degrees below zero\u2026occurred.\u00a0 The same temperature was also reached on February 8\u20261936.<\/p>\n

In 1963\u2026west-southwest winds gusted to 66 mph at Stapleton Airport where the strong Chinook winds warmed the temperature to a maximum of 70 degrees.<\/p>\n

In 1970\u2026snowfall of 0.3 inch contained only 0.01 inch of melted snow.\u00a0 This was the only measurable snow and precipitation for the month\u2026making it the driest and least snowiest February on record.\u00a0 Snowfall also was only 0.3 inch on February 22-23\u20261992\u2026equaling the least snowiest February.<\/p>\n

In 1980\u2026high winds occurred in the foothills.\u00a0 Wind gusts to 75 mph were reported at Wondervu.\u00a0 Northwest winds gusted to 32 mph at Stapleton International Airport.<\/p>\n

In 1995\u2026a short blast of early morning winds near the foothills produced a gust to 64 mph at Rocky Flats in northern Jefferson County.\u00a0 Winds gusting to 59 mph in Lakewood downed a few tree branches in residential areas. West winds gusted to 37 mph at Stapleton International Airport where the warm winds kept the temperature from falling below 43 degrees\u2026setting a new record high minimum for the date.\u00a0 The temperature climbed to a non-record high of 63 degrees.<\/p>\n

1-2<\/p>\n

In 1934\u2026light Chinook winds warmed temperatures to record levels on both days.\u00a0 Record maximum temperatures reached 73 degrees on the 1st and 74 degrees on the 2nd. West winds were sustained to 18 mph on the 1st.<\/p>\n

1-3<\/p>\n

In 1996\u2026cold arctic air plunged temperatures below zero for more than 35 consecutive hours from late on the 1st until sunrise on the 3rd.\u00a0 The temperature warmed to only 1 degree below zero on the 2nd after a record low of 16 degrees below zero.<\/p>\n

1-4<\/p>\n

In 2011…a frigid arctic airmass settled into Front Range urban corridor. At Denver International Airport… Overnight low temperatures…from the 1st to the 3rd… Were 13 below zero…17 below zero and zero respectively. The icy temperatures caused pipes to crack and burst following the freeze. In Loveland…firefighters responded to more than a dozen water pipe breaks…most in fire sprinkler systems at businesses…apartments and assisted care facilities. At CU Earth Science Library in Boulder…more than 1000 books and several costumes for an upcoming production were damaged. At the county courts administration building in Jefferson County…a steady stream of water from a crack on the 5th floor… Went unnoticed on the 3rd and flooded all the floors of the administration wing overnight. As a result…much of the office equipment…furniture and carpet sustained water damage. A burst sprinkler line caused minor damage at the Platte Valley Medical Center in Brighton. The icy temperatures forced to closure of several school districts as well.<\/p>\n

1-5<\/p>\n

In 1985\u2026the most bitter cold spell of the winter season brought sub-zero temperatures to metro Denver.\u00a0 Daily low temperature records were broken at Denver.\u00a0 The usual cold weather problems struck including stalled vehicles\u2026jammed traffic lights\u2026and frozen water and sewer lines.\u00a0 At Stapleton International Airport\u2026the high temperature was only 2 degrees above zero on the 1st\u2026setting a record low maximum for the date.\u00a0 Low temperatures reached 13 below zero on the 1st\u202612 below on the third\u2026and 14 below on the 5th.<\/p>\n

1-6<\/p>\n

In 1989\u2026one of the century\u2019s worst doses of winter weather ravaged the entire state.\u00a0 Bitterly frigid weather moved into metro Denver on the 1st as snow buried many sections of the state.<\/p>\n

In metro Denver where 3 to 6 inches of snow fell\u2026blowing snow and resultant poor visibilities caused a 46-car pile-up on I-25 in the middle of the city on the 4th.\u00a0 During the period\u20262 to 3 hour delays were common at Stapleton International Airport where snowfall from the storm totaled 4.3 inches and northeast winds gusted to 30 mph on the 1st.<\/p>\n

Intense cold accompanied the storm. Temperatures in Denver stayed below zero continuously for the best part of 3 days (3rd\u20264th\u20265th)\u2026for a total of 69 hours.\u00a0 This is the fourth longest sub-zero period on record.\u00a0 Wind chill temperatures reached 50 degrees below zero.\u00a0 The mercury dipped to 24 degrees below zero on the 5th\u2026setting a record for the date.\u00a0 This was the city\u2019s coldest temperature in over 26 years.\u00a0 Low temperatures dipped below zero on 8 consecutive days (2nd-9th).\u00a0 High temperature of 9 degrees below zero on the 4th was a record low maximum for the date\u2026as was the high of 5 degrees on the 5th.\u00a0 Extensive damage occurred when pipes and water lines froze and broke.\u00a0 Thousands of cars failed to start. On the 3rd\u2026a 57-year-old woman died of hypothermia in an Arvada park.\u00a0 Eighteen high school students were treated for hypothermia after a 2-hour ride through Jefferson County in an unheated bus.\u00a0 At least 2 cases of frostbite were reported; there were undoubtedly many more.<\/p>\n

1-9<\/p>\n

In 1883\u2026a protracted cold period occurred when low temperatures dipped below zero for 9 consecutive days. Low temperatures ranged from 22 degrees below zero on the 4th to 2 degrees below zero on the 1st and 6th.\u00a0 High temperatures ranged from 10 below zero on the 3rd to 23 on the 9th.\u00a0 Several temperature records were set that still stand today.\u00a0 Record lows of 18 below and 22 below zero occurred on the 3rd and 4th.\u00a0 Record low maximum readings of 2 below and 10 below zero occurred on the 2nd and 3rd.\u00a0 The high of only 10 below zero on the 3rd is the coldest maximum temperature ever recorded in Denver.<\/p>\n

2<\/p>\n

In 1890\u2026west winds were sustained to 44 mph with an extreme velocity of 45 mph.\u00a0 The Chinook winds warmed the temperature to a high of 66 degrees.<\/p>\n

In 1970\u2026high winds caused scattered damage along the foothills from Golden north.\u00a0 A garage in Boulder was demolished.\u00a0 Broken windows and roof damage were reported in Golden.\u00a0 Wind gusts from 60 to 100 mph were recorded in Boulder.<\/p>\n

In 1990\u2026a narrow band of heavy snow fell in the foothills southwest of Denver.\u00a0 Up to 6 inches piled up at Waterton Canyon with 5 inches around the town of Deermont\u2026both along the South Platte River in Jefferson County.\u00a0 Snowfall was only 1.6 inches at Stapleton International Airport where north winds gusted to 30 mph.<\/p>\n

In 1995\u2026the second morning in a row of strong winds raged in the foothills and adjacent lower elevations.\u00a0 Winds gusted between 70 and 85 mph in the foothills and 45 to 50 mph on the plains.\u00a0 A tree was blown onto high voltage power lines in a west Denver suburb.\u00a0 The fence that the wire landed on caught fire\u2026but did no damage to the surrounding structures.\u00a0 A southwest Denver man was injured when a wind gust blew him and the front door he was holding off a porch.\u00a0 West winds gusted to 45 mph at Stapleton International Airport.\u00a0 The strongest winds occurred in Georgetown where a gust to 100 mph overturned a pick-up truck camper on I-70.\u00a0 The driver sustained only minor injuries.<\/p>\n

In 2001\u2026high winds developed briefly in the Front Range foothills.\u00a0 A spotter at Georgetown lake measured a peak wind gust to 90 mph.<\/p>\n

In 2008\u2026lightning struck a home in Englewood during an electrically charged snowstorm.\u00a0 A gas meter at the home was hit by lightning and burst into flames.\u00a0 The unusual thunderstorm produced a combination of snow and graupel. The graupel was up to one half inch in diameter.\u00a0 Total snow accumulations ranged from 1 to 4 inches across the southern Denver suburbs.\u00a0 Snowfall was only 0.6 inch at the former Stapleton International Airport.<\/p>\n

2-3<\/p>\n

In 1894\u20266.2 inches of heavy snowfall were measured over downtown Denver.\u00a0 East winds gusted to 25 mph on the 2nd.<\/p>\n

In 1999\u2026a powerful Chinook windstorm struck the foothills and adjacent plains.\u00a0 Several locations registered wind gusts in excess of 100 mph\u2026including: 127 mph atop sugarloaf mountain\u2026120 mph at Lafayette\u2026119 mph at Wondervu\u2026104 mph at coal creek\u2026103 mph at the Rocky Flats Environmental Test Facility and 100 mph in Louisville.\u00a0 The damage associated with the windstorm was extensive.\u00a0 Thirty 70-foot-tall power poles were damaged\u2026 Including several that supported high voltage lines transmitting electricity directly from generating plants. The combination of downed power poles\u2026power lines\u2026and trees resulted in outages for about 10 thousand residents. In Lafayette\u2026power poles were sheared off for a mile and a quarter.\u00a0 The power outages primarily affected residents in Boulder\u2026Broomfield\u2026Lafayette\u2026Louisville\u2026 And Fort Lupton. In addition to the outages\u2026high winds ripped apart several roofs in Boulder\u2026including the roof of the Boulder County jail.\u00a0 At Jefferson County Airport\u2026 Several planes were overturned and some hangars damaged or destroyed.\u00a0 Damage to the airport alone was estimated at 100 thousand dollars. In southern Jefferson County\u2026 Localized ground blizzards reduced visibilities in blowing snow to less than 20 feet along U.S. Highway 285\u2026resulting in several accidents. In Pine Junction a downed tree damaged a nearby residence\u2026when it crashed onto the roof. In Bailey\u2026a downed tree crushed a vehicle parked in the resident\u2019s driveway.\u00a0 Total damage estimates for the windstorm reached 3 million dollars\u2026making it the fourth costliest on record at the time in Colorado.\u00a0 Other peak wind gusts include:\u00a0 97 mph at Boulder\u202693 mph at the National Center for Atmospheric Research Mesa Lab in Boulder\u2026 88 mph at Nederland\u202686 mph at Aspen Springs\u2026and 83 mph at Blue Mountain near Coal Creek Canyon.\u00a0 West to northwest winds gusted as high as 46 mph at Denver International Airport.<\/p>\n

2-4<\/p>\n

In 2012…a slow moving and powerful storm system brought heavy snow to areas in and near the Front Range foothills and Palmer Divide…with blizzard conditions over the northeast plains of Colorado. In the Front Range foothills…the snow piled up to over 4 feet in some areas. Across the Palmer Divide…the combination of snow and gusty winds resulted in road closures with snow drifts ranging from 2 to 5 feet in depth. Northerly winds 15 to 25 mph were common with gusts to 40 mph. Several snowfall records were also set in Denver. At Denver International Airport…12.5 inches of snow feet on the 3rd shattered the previous record of 7.5 inches for the date. It also set a new daily record for the entire month of February. A new 3-day record was also established for Denver. The 3-day storm total from February 2nd to the 4th was 15.9 inches… Which broke the previous record of 14.1 inches in 1912. Denver International Airport canceled more than six hundred flights. In addition…snow and blowing snow produced near zero visibilities…forcing officials to close the westbound lanes of Interstate 70…between the Kansas state line and Denver… As well as the eastbound lanes from Denver to Limon. Other road closures included State Highway 86…between Kiowa and I-70. Across the urban corridor storm totals included: 22 inches in Broomfield; 21 inches at Lafayette…Louisville and Westminster; 20 inches at Northglenn; 19 inches at the National Weather Service in Boulder…Castle Rock… Centennial and Parker; 18 inches in Arvada…16.5 inches in Erie… 13.5 inches near Longmont; 11 inches in Lyons and 10 inches in Frederick. Storm totals in the mountains and foothills included: 51 inches at Coal Creek Canyon…45.5 inches… 4.6 miles northeast of Ward; 44.5 inches…3 miles west of Jamestown; 38 inches… 3 miles north of Blackhawk; 37 inches…3 miles west-southwest of Conifer and 4 miles east-northeast of Nederland; 35.5 inches… 3.6 miles west-northwest of Boulder; 34 inches…5.2 miles east- southeast of Aspen Springs; 33 inches near Evergreen…32 inches at Genesee; 31 inches…10.3 miles west of Bellvue and Eldora Mountain Ski Resort; 24 inches at Echo Mountain Ski Resort; 21 inches at Niwot Ridge SNOTEL; and 19 inches at Gross Reservoir. Along the Palmer Divide storm totals included: 26 inches…14 miles east-northeast of Kiowa; 25 inches…10 miles south- southwest of Buckley Air Force Base…and 8 miles southeast of Watkins; 20 inches near Strasburg; 12 inches near Elizabeth.<\/p>\n

3<\/p>\n

In 1883\u2026the lowest daily maximum temperature ever recorded in Denver\u202610 degrees below zero\u2026occurred.<\/p>\n

In 1885\u2026a windstorm occurred from late morning through the late afternoon.\u00a0 Northwest winds were sustained to 45 mph in the city.<\/p>\n

In 1888\u2026a trace of light rain fell in downtown Denver. Rain is relatively rare this early in the month.<\/p>\n

In 1924\u2026northwest winds were sustained to 48 mph.\u00a0 These were the strongest winds of the month that year.<\/p>\n

In 1932\u2026a major storm dumped 7.5 inches of snow in downtown Denver where northwest winds gusted to 23 mph. Boulder received 9 inches of snow from the storm.<\/p>\n

3-4<\/p>\n

In 1906\u2026northeast winds were sustained to 43 mph behind a cold front on the 3rd.\u00a0 The front plunged temperatures from a high of 62 degrees on the 3rd to a low of 24 degrees\u2026which was also the high reading on the 4th. The low temperature on the 4th was only 3 degrees. Snowfall was only 0.6 inch on the 4th.<\/p>\n

In 1970\u2026a wind gust to 115 mph was recorded in Boulder at the National Center for Atmospheric Research.\u00a0 Sustained winds of 35 mph with gusts as high as 62 mph were measured in downtown Boulder.\u00a0 Northwest winds gusted to 47 mph at Stapleton International Airport on the 3rd.<\/p>\n

3-5<\/p>\n

In 1982\u2026a cold surge of arctic air brought light snow and sub-zero temperatures to metro Denver.\u00a0 Temperatures plunged to 6 below zero at midnight on the 3rd and never warmed above zero on the 4th as snow flurries continued. High temperature on the 4th of 1 below zero was a record low maximum.\u00a0 The temperature dipped to a record low of 15 below zero on the 5th.<\/p>\n

4<\/p>\n

In 1883\u2026the temperature plunged to a low of 22 degrees below zero.<\/p>\n

In 1885\u2026a windstorm occurred in the city during the afternoon and early evening.\u00a0 West winds sustained to 64 mph blew down several trees\u2026chimneys\u2026awnings\u2026 And sheds.\u00a0 Stronger winds in the foothills blew a train from the track at Georgetown\u2026injuring several passengers.<\/p>\n

In 1890\u2026the highest recorded temperature in February\u2026 77 degrees\u2026occurred.\u00a0 This temperature was equaled on February 28\u20262006.<\/p>\n

In 1898\u2026west winds were sustained to 53 mph with gusts to 60 mph.<\/p>\n

In 1915\u2026very strong northwest winds whipped downtown Denver nearly all day.\u00a0 There were 13 consecutive hours with maximum sustained velocities ranging from 27 to 44 mph.\u00a0 An extreme velocity to 46 mph was recorded.<\/p>\n

In 1952\u2026a northwest wind gust to 48 mph was recorded at Stapleton Airport.\u00a0 Severe winds were reported west and north of Denver.<\/p>\n

In 1995\u2026high winds developed in the foothills west and northwest of Denver.\u00a0 A gust to 97 mph was recorded on Squaw Mountain.\u00a0 Winds were clocked to 83 mph at Rollinsville.\u00a0 Wind gusts between 50 and 70 mph were common.\u00a0 North winds gusted to only 31 mph at Stapleton International Airport.<\/p>\n

4-5<\/p>\n

In 1932\u2026wind gusts estimated at 70 mph occurred in Boulder. A 60 mph wind gust was recorded to the east of Boulder in Valmont.\u00a0 Damage was minor.<\/p>\n

In 1959\u2026heavy snowfall totaled 5.8 inches at Stapleton Airport where northwest winds gusted to 30 mph on the 4th.<\/p>\n

In 2001\u2026high winds developed for a brief time overnight. Winds gusted to 75 mph atop the Gamow Tower on the University of Colorado campus in Boulder.\u00a0 Northwest winds gusting to 37 mph warmed the temperature to a high of 57 degrees at Denver International Airport.<\/p>\n

4-6<\/p>\n

In 1986\u202610 inches of snow fell in Boulder\u2026in the foothill town of Wondervu southwest of Boulder\u2026and at Evergreen west of Denver.\u00a0 Snowfall totaled 2.4 inches at Stapleton International Airport\u2026where north winds gusted to 20 mph on the 6th.<\/p>\n

5<\/p>\n

In 1885\u2026west winds were sustained to 42 mph in the city near daybreak.<\/p>\n

In 1902\u2026northwest winds sustained to 48 mph with gusts to 53 mph warmed the temperature to a high of 53 degrees.<\/p>\n

In 2006\u2026high winds developed briefly along the foothills\u2026 Extending from Golden to near Boulder.\u00a0 Peak wind reports included 92 mph at the National Wind Technology Center on Rocky Flats with a gust to 84 mph in Golden.\u00a0 North winds gusted to 43 mph at Denver International Airport.<\/p>\n

In 2011…heavy snow fell in the foothills of Douglas… Jefferson and Park counties. Storm totals included: 19 inches…3 miles southwest of Conifer; 17.5 inches… 4 miles south-southeast of Pinecliffe; 14 inches…5 miles east-southeast of Aspen Park; 12.5 inches…7 miles southwest of Boulder and at Genesee; 12 inches at Strontia Springs dam…10.5 inches at Roxborough State Park; and 10 inches…3 miles east-southeast of Tiny Town. In the western and southern Denver suburbs and Palmer Divide…storm totals included: 9 inches near Louviers and 3 miles south-southeast of Morrison; 8 inches at Ralston Reservoir…7 inches in Lakewood… 6.5 inches…2 miles southeast of Highlands Ranch and 6 inches in Englewood. Snowfall totaled 1.2 inches at Denver International Airport.<\/p>\n

5-6<\/p>\n

In 2003\u2026heavy snow fell in the foothills.\u00a0 Snowfall totals included:\u00a0 17 inches at Genesee; 16 inches at Lookout Mountain; 11 inches at Chief Hosa near Indian Hills\u2026and 7 miles southwest of Boulder; 10.5 inches atop Gold Hill; and 10 inches at Intercanyon and near Conifer.\u00a0 Only 2.2 inches of snowfall were measured in the city at the site of the former Stapleton International Airport.<\/p>\n

5-11<\/p>\n

In 1978\u2026the 5th marked the start of a record 7 consecutive days of dense fog at Stapleton International Airport.\u00a0 The heavy fog reduced the visibility to 1\/4 mile or less for a period of time on each of these days.\u00a0 Light snow and\/or freezing drizzle occurred on most days.\u00a0 Fog reducing visibility to less than 7 miles was recorded at Stapleton International Airport on 11 consecutive days through the 15th.\u00a0 During the period 5-14\u2026the cold thick fog deposited heavy rime ice up to 5 inches thick on power lines and poles over a wide area of eastern Colorado\u2026causing a major electrical power outage disaster.<\/p>\n

6<\/p>\n

In 1899\u2026the temperature dipped to a low of 22 degrees below zero.<\/p>\n

6-7<\/p>\n

In 1929\u20265.0 inches of snow fell in downtown Denver behind a Canadian cold front.\u00a0 Temperatures plunged\u2026but no records were set.\u00a0 Low readings dipped to 3 degrees below zero on the 6th and 9 degrees below zero on the 7th.\u00a0 Highs climbed to 5 degrees on the 6th and to only 1 degree below zero on the 7th.<\/p>\n

In 1933\u2026post-frontal light snowfall totaled 3.0 inches over downtown Denver.\u00a0 Northeast winds were sustained to 28 mph with gusts to 32 mph on the 6th.\u00a0 The very cold air mass plunged temperatures from a high of 60 degrees on the 5th to lows of 10 degrees below zero on the 6th and 16 degrees below on the 7th.\u00a0 High temperature of only 4 degrees below zero on the 7th was a record low maximum for the date.<\/p>\n

6-10<\/p>\n

In 1933\u20263:00 pm on the 6th marked the start of a protracted cold period through 8:00 am on the 10th when the temperature was below zero for 86 out of 88 hours.\u00a0 The cold period was interrupted on the 8th at 9:00 am when the temperature was 1 degree above zero and at 10:00 am when the temperature was 8 degrees above zero.\u00a0 Four temperature records were set. High temperatures of 4 degrees below zero on the 7th\u20268 degrees on the 8th\u2026and 5 degrees below zero on the 9th were record low maximums for those dates.\u00a0 The only record low temperature record was 14 degrees below zero on the 10th. The lowest temperature reached during the period was 16 degrees below zero on both the 7th and 8th\u2026which were not records.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Winds can be a blessing and a curse this time of year.\u00a0 Chinook winds can help warm what is otherwise a normally chilly season.\u00a0 They can also cause a great deal of damage as they pick up speed as they come roaring across the Front Range.\u00a0 While we have been lucky thus far this year … Continue reading January 31 to February 6: This week in Denver weather history<\/span> →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[63],"tags":[81,106,62,223,197,741],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thorntonweather.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16091"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thorntonweather.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thorntonweather.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thorntonweather.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thorntonweather.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=16091"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.thorntonweather.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16091\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":16092,"href":"https:\/\/www.thorntonweather.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16091\/revisions\/16092"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thorntonweather.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16091"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thorntonweather.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=16091"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thorntonweather.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=16091"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}