{"id":16417,"date":"2016-05-08T08:05:10","date_gmt":"2016-05-08T14:05:10","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.thorntonweather.com\/blog\/?p=16417"},"modified":"2016-05-15T10:13:26","modified_gmt":"2016-05-15T16:13:26","slug":"may-8-to-may-11-this-week-in-denver-weather-history","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thorntonweather.com\/blog\/weather-history\/may-8-to-may-11-this-week-in-denver-weather-history\/","title":{"rendered":"May 8 to May 11: This week in Denver weather history"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"This<\/a>
May 8 to May 11: This week in Denver weather history<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Think we are done with snow for the season? That may be the case this year but it isn\u2019t always so. Looking back at this week in Denver history we do see snowfall has occurred along with more typical spring weather including heavy rains that led to flooding.<\/p>\n

From the National Weather Service:<\/p>\n

4-8<\/p>\n

In 1969\u2026heavy rains caused flooding on Boulder creek in Boulder\u2026which resulted in one death on the 7th. Flooding also occurred on Bear Creek in Sheridan and on the South Platte River in Denver. Rain over most of the eastern foothills started late on the 4th and continued with only brief interruptions in many areas until the morning of the 8th. Very high rates of rainfall occurred on the 6th and 7th with the greatest intensities in a band along the foothills from about 25 miles southwest of Denver northward to Estes Park. Storm totals by both official and unofficial measurements exceeded 10 inches over much of this area and were over 12 inches in some localities. Heavy snow fell in the higher mountains and in the foothills later in the period. The saturation of the soil resulted in numerous rock and land slides\u2026and the heavy run-off caused severe damage along many streams and flooding on the South Platte River. Many foothill communities were isolated as highways were blocked and communications disrupted. Roads were severely damaged over a wide area\u2026and a large number of bridges washed out. Many roads were closed due to the danger from falling rocks. A building in Georgetown collapsed from the weight of heavy wet snow. In Boulder\u2026a man drowned when caught by the flooding waters of Boulder Creek\u2026and a patrolman was injured. Rainfall totaled 7.60 inches in Boulder with 9.34 inches recorded at the Public Service Company electric plant in Boulder Canyon. In Morrison\u2026rainfall totaled 11.27 inches in 4 days. Heavy rainfall totaled 4.68 inches at Stapleton International Airport over 3 days from the 5th through the 7th. Rainfall of 3.14 inches was recorded in 24 hours on the 6th and 7th. Downstream flooding continued along the South Platte River until the 12th when the flood crest reached the Nebraska line.<\/p>\n

7-8<\/p>\n

In 1958\u2026rainfall totaled 2.50 inches at Stapleton Airport.<\/p>\n

8<\/p>\n

In 1873\u2026a very light rain fell until 5:00 am\u2026when it turned into light snow and sleet and was accompanied by brisk northeast winds. The snow froze as it fell\u2026 Breaking the telegraph lines in many places. Precipitation totaled only 0.14 inch in the city.<\/p>\n

In 1883\u2026a severe rain and hailstorm struck the city. In 25 minutes the hail was 5 inches deep in the vicinity of the weather office in downtown Denver and reported as deep as 10 to 12 inches in other parts of the city. Gutters were blocked by the hail\u2026and many cellars were flooded. Precipitation from the storm was 1.90 inches with the total for the day recorded at 2.02 inches. The size of the hail was not recorded.<\/p>\n

In 1988\u2026a wind gust to 68 mph was recorded at Echo Lake. Northwest winds gusted to 35 mph at Stapleton Airport.<\/p>\n

In 1995\u2026high winds of unknown strength blew a camper shell from the back of a pickup truck near Fort Lupton. North winds gusted to 49 mph at Denver International Airport.<\/p>\n

In 1996\u20261 to 2 inch diameter hail was measured in Lochbuie northeast of Denver. Bean size hail fell in Brighton. The large hail fell from severe thunderstorms to the northeast of metro Denver.<\/p>\n

In 2003\u2026tornadoes touched down briefly near Brighton\u2026 Watkins\u2026and Strasburg\u2026but did no reported damage. Hail to 3\/4 inch in diameter was measured near Hudson.<\/p>\n

<\/span>8-9<\/p>\n

In 1957\u2026intense heavy rain caused flash flooding on toll gate creek in Aurora where 3 people were killed in a car. Up to 4 inches of rain fell in 5 hours in the Toll Gate Creek basin. The rain also caused flash flooding on sand creek in Aurora and Denver. Rainfall totaled 3.29 inches at Stapleton Airport with most of the rain\u20262.34 inches\u2026 Occurring on the 9th.<\/p>\n

8-10<\/p>\n

In 1979\u20264.3 inches of snow fell at Stapleton International Airport where northwest winds gusted to 30 mph on the 8th. Most of the snowfall\u20262.3 inches\u2026occurred on the 9th. High temperature of only 35 degrees on the 9th equaled the record low maximum for the date.<\/p>\n

9<\/p>\n

In 1875\u2026a heavy windstorm swept across the city for most of the day. West-northwest winds averaged a sustained speed of 31 mph between 6:00 am and 3:00 pm. The peak wind was sustained to 45 mph at 9:50 am.<\/p>\n

In 1918\u2026post-frontal winds were sustained to 40 mph with gusts as high as 43 mph. Only a trace of rain fell.<\/p>\n

In 1941\u2026a tornado was noted at 2:20 pm to the northeast of downtown and was followed by another similar shaped cloud or dust roll estimated 3 miles behind. Thick dust followed with heavy gusts of wind. The temperature fell 15 degrees in 10 minutes following the twister. The mild tornado did little damage except to unprotected frame structures. Winds were sustained to 50 mph with the passing of the tornado at Stapleton Airport. It was visible to observers for 10 minutes and was lost from sight as it traveled east into huge rolls of dust. Hail and rain followed with a few hailstones as large as 1\/2 inch in diameter downtown. No damage was reported from the hail. Thunderstorm winds sustained to 31 mph produced blowing dust downtown. Precipitation was only 0.07 inch.<\/p>\n

In 1983\u2026streams swollen by recent rain and snowmelt caused an earthen dam to collapse\u2026washing out portions of State Highway 67 near Deckers in southern Douglas County.<\/p>\n

In 1992\u2026three boys\u2026ages 11\u202612\u2026and 16\u2026were struck by lightning while taking cover under a large tree during a thunderstorm in Jefferson County\u2026just 7 miles northwest of Denver. The three were seriously injured.<\/p>\n

9-10<\/p>\n

In 1889\u2026heavy rainfall totaled 2.15 inches in downtown Denver. The cold rain was mixed with snow at times overnight. Temperatures on the 10th ranged from a high of 38 degrees to a low of 32 degrees with north winds sustained to 22 mph.<\/p>\n

In 2003\u2026a late spring snowstorm hammered the mountains\u2026 Eastern foothills\u2026and urban corridor. The heaviest snowfall occurred north of interstate 70. The heavy wet snow caused damage to trees throughout metro Denver and downed power lines. About 40 thousand people along the urban corridor were without power. Storm total snowfall amounts included: 11.5 inches in Louisville\u2026 8 inches in Boulder and Broomfield; 7 inches in Thornton\u2026Broomfield\u2026at Denver International Airport\u2026 And at the site of the former Stapleton International Airport; and 6 inches 4 miles east of Denver. Snowfall ranged from 4 to 9 inches across extreme southern weld County. In the foothills\u202615 inches of snow fell near Jamestown\u20269 inches at Rollinsville and Rawah\u2026with 8 inches at Chief Hosa and atop Lookout Mountain. The snow was accompanied by thunder on the afternoon of the 9th at Denver International Airport where west winds gusted to 25 mph on the 9th and north winds gusted to 22 mph on the 10th.<\/p>\n

10<\/p>\n

In 1875\u2026a windstorm sand-blasted the city from 10:00 am until midnight. Northwest winds sustained to 60 mph brought clouds of sand\u2026which caused high damage to unfinished buildings.<\/p>\n

In 1912\u2026a vigorous cold front produced strong north winds and rain. North winds were sustained to 48 mph with gusts as high as 60 mph. Rainfall totaled 1.10 inch.<\/p>\n

In 1935\u2026no precipitation occurred\u2026making this one of only two days without precipitation during the entire month. The other day was the 21st. Precipitation totaled 4.95 inches for the month.<\/p>\n

In 1956\u2026northwest winds gusted to 53 mph at Stapleton Airport where the visibility was briefly reduced to 1\/2 mile in blowing dust.<\/p>\n

In 1974\u2026strong winds caused 30 thousand dollars in damage to a building under construction in Lakewood. Microburst winds gusted to 46 mph at Stapleton International Airport.<\/p>\n

In 1988\u2026lightning struck a house in Boulder\u2026setting it afire. The house\u2026valued at 170 thousand dollars\u2026was a total loss.<\/p>\n

In 1989\u2026golf ball size hail fell over southeast Denver near the junction of I-25 and I-225. Hail to 3\/4 inch in diameter fell over southeast Aurora. Only 3\/8 inch hail fell at Stapleton International Airport.<\/p>\n

In 1991\u2026high winds up to 63 mph raked the eastern foothills. Winds estimated to 50 mph tore a roof from a home in Lafayette. A tower at Jefferson County stadium in west metro Denver was blown over by the high winds. No injuries were reported. Southeast winds gusting to 48 mph at Stapleton International Airport produced some blowing dust. The temperature climbed to a high of 86 degrees\u2026 Equaling the record maximum for the date.<\/p>\n

In 2005\u2026severe thunderstorms produced hail as large as 2 inches in diameter in and near Longmont.
\n10-11 in 1918\u2026post-frontal snowfall totaled 4.7 inches in downtown Denver. Northwest winds gusted to 19 mph on the 10th.<\/p>\n

In 1923\u2026winds were strong and gusty on both days. Northwest winds were sustained to 40 mph with gusts to 44 mph on the 10th. North winds were sustained to 39 mph with gusts to 46 mph behind an apparent cold front on the 11th.<\/p>\n

10-12<\/p>\n

In 2011…a spring snowstorm brought heavy snow to the Front Range Foothills and Palmer Divide. Storm totals included: 18 inches…4 miles south-southeast of Pinecliffe; 16 inches in Coal Creek Canyon; 15 inches…4 miles west-southwest of\u00a0Eldorado Springs; 13 inches at Gold Hill…12 inches…4 miles west-southwest of Conifer and 4 miles northwest of Elizabeth; 11.5 inches…6 miles southwest of Evergreen and 4 miles east-northeast of Nederland; 11 inches…3 miles east of Jamestown and 10.5 inches…3 miles east of Franktown and 3 miles south of Golden and 10 inches…10 miles north of Elizabeth. At Denver International Airport…1 inch of snowfall was observed.<\/p>\n

11<\/p>\n

In 1879\u2026an apparent cold front during the afternoon produced sustained north winds as high as 60 mph and great clouds of blowing dust. The dust filled the air until the thunderstorm rain began\u2026which produced 1.46 inches of rainfall. The rain ended during the evening.<\/p>\n

In 1900\u2026southwest winds were sustained to 40 mph with gusts to 46 mph.<\/p>\n

In 1958\u2026a microburst caused a brief wind gust to 55 mph at Stapleton Airport.<\/p>\n

In 1963\u2026south-southwest winds gusted to 48 mph at Stapleton Airport. Winds May have been stronger over west Denver where some buildings were damaged.<\/p>\n

In 1998\u2026large hail fell over south metro Denver. Hail as large as 1 1\/4 inches in diameter was measured in Parker with 1 inch hail recorded in Littleton and 4 miles south of Lakewood in Jefferson County. Hail to 3\/4 inch diameter was measured in Douglas County\u202611 miles west- northwest of Parker.<\/p>\n

11-12<\/p>\n

In 2014…A strong storm system moved from southwest Colorado and produced heavy snow in and near the Front Range Foothills and metro Denver.\u00a0 The snow was heaviest in the foothills where up to 2 1\/2 feet of snow was observed. In the foothills…storm totals included: 30 inches near Pinecliffe; 29 inches…8 miles northeast of Four Corners; 28 inches near Pingree Park; 27 inches near Allenspark; 20.5 inches near Idaho Springs; 19.5 inches at Gold Hill; 19 inches near Genesee; 18 inches near Blackhawk; 17 inches at Aspen Springs; 16.5 inches near Ward; 13.5 inches at Bergen Park; with 11 inches at Evergreen.\u00a0 Along Urban Corridor and Palmer Divide…stormtotals included: 10.5 inches at Eldorado Springs; 10 inches at Ken Caryl; 9 inches at Superior; 8 inches near Morrison; 7.5 inches in Broomfield and Highlands Ranch; 7 inches in Denver…near Franktown…Golden…Lakewood and Highlands Ranch; 6 inches…5 miles northeast of Westminster…7 miles south of Lyons and near Parker; with 5.5 inches at Aurora. At Denver International Airport…1.1 inches of snowfall was observed…along with 0.9 inches of water.<\/p>\n

12<\/p>\n

In 1875\u2026two forest fires on the eastern slope of the foothills were visible from the city.<\/p>\n

In 1904\u2026north winds were sustained to 40 mph with gusts to 48 mph.<\/p>\n

In 1950\u2026brilliant and complete primary and secondary rainbows arching across the sky were observed from Stapleton Airport.<\/p>\n

In 1951\u2026a wind gust to 51 mph was recorded at Stapleton Airport.<\/p>\n

In 1984\u2026winds gusted to 69 mph in Boulder. Northwest winds gusted to 47 mph at Stapleton International Airport.<\/p>\n

In 1987\u2026a small weak tornado touched down for about 2 minutes in southeast Denver. The twister hit a car dealership\u2026blowing about a dozen windows out of cars and shattering four skylights on the building. Some tin roofing was blown off a patio a block and a half away. The tornado also downed a power pole. Damage at the dealership was estimated at 10 thousand dollars. A man was slightly injured by lightning in northwest Aurora.<\/p>\n

In 1995\u2026several funnel clouds were sighted near Parker. One of the funnels produced a short-lived debris cloud on the ground in an open field. No damage was reported.<\/p>\n

12-13<\/p>\n

In 1907\u2026the temperature warmed to a high of 73 degrees on the 12th\u2026before a cold front produced a thunderstorm\u2026 Northeast winds sustained to 40 mph\u2026and rain changing to light snow overnight. Snowfall totaled only 2 inches\u2026but the high temperature on the 13th was only 39 degrees.<\/p>\n

In 1961\u2026a storm that covered metro Denver with rain and snow started as thunderstorms on the evening of the 12th. Hail to 1 1\/2 inches in diameter was reported 10 miles northwest of Stapleton Airport. Rain continued overnight and changed to snow on the 13th. Snowfall totaled 6.4 inches and precipitation (rain and melted snow) 1.96 inches at Stapleton Airport where north winds gusted to 39 mph. The rain and heavy wet snow caused icing damage to utility lines. Heavy snow occurred in the foothills.<\/p>\n

In 1982\u2026a major storm dumped 1.50 to 3.50 inches of rain across northeast Colorado and deposited prodigious amounts of snow in the foothills. Coal Creek Canyon southwest of Boulder was buried under 46 inches of snow with 39 inches at Nederland. The heavy wet snow downed many power lines in the foothills. In Thornton\u2026the roof of a school was damaged by water from the heavy rain. At Stapleton International Airport\u20261.49 inches of rain were measured over the two day period. The heavy rain ended a severe and prolonged drought.<\/p>\n

In 2004\u2026a winter storm produced heavy snow in excess of a foot in the foothills above 6 thousand feet while heavy rain fell across the city. The heaviest snow occurred in the high country of Boulder County. Storm total snowfall was 14.5 inches near Jamestown. Rainfall totaled 0.81 inch at Denver International Airport with 0.94 inch recorded at Denver Stapleton. A trace of snow was recorded at both locations. East winds gusted to 24 mph at Denver International Airport on the 12th.<\/p>\n

13<\/p>\n

In 1905\u2026a thunderstorm produced hail during the late afternoon. Precipitation totaled 0.57 inch.<\/p>\n

13-14<\/p>\n

In 1912\u2026heavy snowfall totaled 12.4 inches over the city. Most of the snow\u20269.9 inches\u2026fell on the 13th\u2026which was the greatest 24 hour snowfall in May at the time. This was the last snowfall of the season. The low temperature dipped to 27 degrees on the morning of the 14th.<\/p>\n

In 1989\u2026a spring storm brought heavy rain and snow to the foothills. Metro Denver was soaked with 1 to 2 inches of rain. Rainfall totaled 1.26 inches at Stapleton International Airport. In the foothills\u2026Echo Lake received 20 inches of snow. A 30-ton Boulder slid onto I-70 east of the Eisenhower Tunnel\u2026closing the freeway for 2 hours.<\/p>\n

14<\/p>\n

In 1910\u2026a thunderstorm produced strong winds during the afternoon. Northwest winds were sustained to 42 mph.<\/p>\n

In 1913\u2026light moist snow and light hail fell during short intervals\u2026although no thunder was heard. The trace of snowfall was the only snow of the month. Precipitation\u2026 Mostly rain\u2026totaled 0.44 inch.<\/p>\n

In 1984\u2026a pilot reported a tornado 16 miles east of Stapleton International Airport. No damage was reported. A thunderstorm produced a 58 mph wind gust in Brighton. Thunderstorm winds gusted to 48 mph at Stapleton International Airport.<\/p>\n

In 1989\u2026lightning struck a home in Evergreen\u2026setting it afire.<\/p>\n

In 1992\u2026strong thunderstorm winds of unknown velocity\u2026 Knocked over and damaged the infield tote board at Arapahoe park racetrack just southeast of Aurora. Damage was estimated at 200 thousand dollars. No injuries were reported. Lightning started two house fires\u2026causing 35 hundred dollars in damage in Adams County just 9 miles north-northwest of Denver.<\/p>\n

In 1994\u2026a sudden wind gust\u2026estimated at 40 mph\u2026blew a portion of the roof off a shopping center in Lafayette. The roof also damaged two parked cars in an adjacent lot.<\/p>\n

In 2001\u2026a construction worker in Castle Rock received minor injuries when lightning struck close-by.<\/p>\n

In 2002\u2026a microburst wind gust to 53 mph was recorded at Denver International Airport.<\/p>\n

In 2007\u2026severe thunderstorms producing large hail\u2026very heavy rain\u2026and tornadoes impacted the urban corridor and adjacent plains. Heavy rain associated with a severe thunderstorm caused flooding along a small tributary draining into the South Platte River. The incident took place at 13th and Decatur St\u2026.near Invesco Field. The floodwaters inundated the bike trail adjacent to the creek. A woman with her child sought refuge under a bridge and became trapped by the high water. The woman slipped and the stroller containing the child was swept into the swift current. The child drowned. Rainfall totaled 0.42 inches at Denver International Airport. Elsewhere\u2026golfball hail was reported near Hudson. Hail\u2026up to one inch in diameter\u2026was observed in Boulder and Lyons. Thunderstorm wind gusts estimated to 70 mph were reported near Buckley Air Force Base\u2026with a peak wind gust to 37 mph observed at Denver International Airport. A small tornado touched down near Ft. Lupton but did no damage.<\/p>\n

14-15<\/p>\n

In 1977\u2026high winds up to 100 mph felled hundreds of trees in Gilpin County and caused extensive damage to telephone and power lines. Lumber and steel tanks were blown around in Boulder canyon. West winds gusted to 46 mph at Stapleton International Airport on the 15th.<\/p>\n

14-18<\/p>\n

In 1996\u2026a period of unusually warm weather resulted in 4 record maximum temperatures in 5 days. The record high temperatures were 87 degrees on the 14th\u202689 degrees on the 15th\u2026and 93 degrees on both the 16th and 18th. The temperature climbed to only 81 degrees on the 17th which was not a record.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Think we are done with snow for the season? That may be the case this year but it isn\u2019t always so. Looking back at this week in Denver history we do see snowfall has occurred along with more typical spring weather including heavy rains that led to flooding. From the National Weather Service: 4-8 In … Continue reading May 8 to May 11: 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":[81,106,62,387,741],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thorntonweather.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16417"}],"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=16417"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.thorntonweather.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16417\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":16418,"href":"https:\/\/www.thorntonweather.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16417\/revisions\/16418"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thorntonweather.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16417"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thorntonweather.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=16417"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thorntonweather.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=16417"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}