{"id":16443,"date":"2016-05-15T03:13:12","date_gmt":"2016-05-15T09:13:12","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.thorntonweather.com\/blog\/?p=16443"},"modified":"2017-05-22T05:26:31","modified_gmt":"2017-05-22T11:26:31","slug":"may-15-to-may-21-this-week-in-denver-weather-history-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thorntonweather.com\/blog\/weather-history\/may-15-to-may-21-this-week-in-denver-weather-history-2\/","title":{"rendered":"May 15 to May 21: This Week in Denver Weather History"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"This<\/a>
May 15 to May 21: This Week in Denver Weather History<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Springtime in Denver brings a variety of weather and flooding becomes a very real threat. In our look back at this week in Denver weather history we see many such events including one in 1864 that killed 19 people and destroyed the Rocky Mountain News building.<\/p>\n

From the National Weather Service:<\/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

15<\/p>\n

In 1894\u2026southwest winds were sustained to 38 mph with gusts to 50 mph.<\/p>\n

In 1910\u2026an apparent cold front produced sustained northeast winds to 48 mph.<\/p>\n

In 1986\u2026a thunderstorm dumped an inch of rain in an hour over the eastern part of Aurora. Total rainfall from the storm was 1.62 inches.<\/p>\n

In 1989\u2026a 47 year old man\u2026a Lakewood police officer\u2026was struck and injured by lightning. Small hail piled up 3 to 4 inches deep near Golden. There was reported street flooding from heavy thunderstorm rains over western metro Denver. Rainfall totaled 0.76 inch at Stapleton International Airport.<\/p>\n

In 1990\u2026a thunderstorm produced a wind gust to 69 mph at Jefferson County Airport in Broomfield. Thunderstorm winds gusting to 49 mph at Stapleton International Airport produced some blowing dust.<\/p>\n

In 1991\u2026a funnel cloud was sighted near Morrison. Later\u2026 Hail up to 2 inches deep covered U.S. Highway 285 at South Turkey Creek Road in west metro Denver. Baseball size hail was reported on the east side of Littleton. Dime size hail was reported in Boulder.<\/p>\n

In 1993\u2026lightning started a fire which damaged a home in Boulder. No one was injured.<\/p>\n

In 1997\u2026a wind gust to 58 mph was recorded at the site of the former Stapleton International Airport. A street sign was blown down at the Havana Street exit along I-70.<\/p>\n

In 1999\u2026lightning ignited a small fire in a 3-story structure in sunshine canyon above Boulder. The fire was quickly extinguished and caused only minor damage.<\/p>\n

In 2003\u2026thunderstorms produced very heavy rainfall and localized flash flooding in the foothills of central Boulder County. Rainfall ranged from 1.5 to 2.5 inches in less than 2 hours. Water ranging in depth from 6 to 9 inches covered State Highway 119 in Boulder Canyon. Dirt and rocks also washed over the roadway. Some basements were flooded in the sugarloaf area. Rockslides were also reported at Boulder falls\u2026Lefthand Canyon\u2026and Fourmile Canyon.<\/p>\n

<\/span>15-16<\/p>\n

In 1957\u2026heavy snowfall totaled 8.8 inches at Stapleton Airport. The greatest amount on the ground was 3 inches.<\/p>\n

In 1986\u2026a spring storm dumped 1 to 2 inches of rain over metro Denver\u2026but 2.71 inches fell at Buckley Field in Aurora. Rainfall only totaled 0.84 inch at Stapleton International Airport. Snow fell in the foothills with 7 inches recorded in Coal Creek Canyon southwest of Boulder.<\/p>\n

16<\/p>\n

In 1875\u2026a heavy hail storm turned into heavy rain during the afternoon. Rainfall totaled 0.86 inch in just 37 minutes\u2026while the temperature dropped 22 degrees in 22 minutes. Precipitation totaled 0.90 inch.<\/p>\n

In 1894\u2026west winds were sustained to 48 mph with gusts to 56 mph.<\/p>\n

In 1949\u2026a tornado was observed for 16 minutes\u202620 miles to the southeast of Stapleton Airport. The tornado moved 5 miles to the northeast before dissipating. No damage was reported.<\/p>\n

In 1963\u2026intense lightning started several forest fires in the foothills southwest of Denver near Deckers and Cheeseman Lake. Little precipitation fell from the storms to alleviate the unusual dry conditions so early in the season.<\/p>\n

In 1978\u2026thunderstorm winds caused damage in southeast Aurora. Winds of 60 to 80 mph blew down numerous fences and damaged several homes under construction. High winds tore docks loose at Cheery Creek Reservoir\u2026sinking 3 or 4 boats and damaging about 15 others. At Stapleton International Airport where winds gusted to 60 mph\u2026a 727 jet suffered 15 hundred dollars damage when wind toppled a runway light onto it. The public reported an unconfirmed tornado 7 miles south-southwest of Stapleton International Airport.<\/p>\n

In 1990\u2026a line of thunderstorms moving across metro Denver uprooted a large ash tree\u2026which fell and blocked the outside doors to a Denver elementary school\u2026briefly trapping the students inside. Thunderstorm wind gusts to 69 mph were reported at Jefferson County Airport. Northwest winds gusted to 44 mph at Stapleton International Airport.<\/p>\n

In 1991\u2026two tornadoes touched down briefly in Castle Rock\u2026 But no injuries or damage were recorded. Heavy thunderstorm rains of 0.50 to 1.10 inches in a couple of hours caused Lena Gulch near Golden to flood. No damage was reported.<\/p>\n

In 1996\u2026dry microburst winds of unknown strength overturned a trailer and damaged storage sheds in Strasburg east of Denver.<\/p>\n

16-17 In 1981\u2026a heavy rain storm dumped 1 to 2 1\/2 inches of rain across metro Denver. Rainfall totaled 1.27 inches at Stapleton International Airport where north winds gusted to 38 mph on 17th.<\/p>\n

In 1983\u2026a very strong late spring storm dumped heavy snow over the Front Range. Strong winds with the storm produced blizzard conditions at times. Sustained winds were 20 to 40 mph with a peak gust to 55 mph at Stapleton International Airport. The foothills received 1 to 2 feet of snow with 4 to 12 inches along the foothills. Howling winds whipped the snow into drifts several feet deep\u2026closing schools and highways. Stapleton International Airport was forced to reduce flight operations\u2026closing 2 of 4 runways and stranding hundreds of travelers. Most of the damage and inconvenience caused by the storm was in power outages\u2026 Which occurred when wind and heavy wet snow caused hundreds of power poles to snap and topple. About 20 square miles of Denver were blacked out. Precipitation from the storm totaled 1 to 3 inches. At Stapleton International Airport\u2026 Snowfall totaled 7.1 inches with a maximum snow depth on the ground of only 2 inches due to melting. The high temperature of 40 degrees on the 17th was a record low maximum for the date. Due to the heavy moisture content of the storm\u2026widespread street flooding occurred on the 18th when much of the snow melted under the warm May sun and temperatures climbed to a high of 57 degrees.<\/p>\n

In 1995\u2026significant moisture and upslope flow caused flooding across metro Denver. Moderate to heavy rains\u2026 Which began on the evening of the 16th\u2026developed in the foothills and spread eastward over metro Denver throughout the night. The heavy rains brought many creeks and small streams to bankfull or slightly over. Locations along the foothills received between 3 and 4 inches of rainfall from the storm. Boulder received 3.60 inches of rainfall for the 24-hour period\u2026causing minor street flooding near small streams. To the northwest of Boulder\u2026a bridge which crossed Fourmile Creek was washed out. Numerous rock and mudslides occurred in foothills canyons\u2026closing portions of U.S. Highways 6 and 40 and State Highway 119 for a few hours at a time. Rocks were piled 6 feet deep on a stretch of State Highway 119 along with Boulders as large as cars on U.S. Highway 6. A parking lot near a creek in Golden caved in leaving a hole the size of an 18-wheeler. Rushing water washed out a 50-foot stretch of a road in Westminster. Rainfall totaled 1.75 inches at Denver International Airport\u2026but only 1.42 inches at the site of the former Stapleton International Airport.<\/p>\n

17<\/p>\n

In 1903\u2026southwest winds were sustained to 42 mph with gusts to 45 mph from an apparent microburst which produced only a trace of rain.<\/p>\n

In 1960\u2026hail to 3\/4 inch diameter was measured in Thornton. Golf ball size hail fell in Arvada.<\/p>\n

In 1972\u2026microburst winds gusted to 51 mph at Stapleton International Airport.<\/p>\n

In 1975\u2026hail 1\/2 to 3\/4 inch in diameter fell over western metro Denver.<\/p>\n

In 1978\u2026a small tornado touched down in south Aurora damaging 40 homes\u20266 to a considerable extent. One garage was demolished and blown across the street. Parts of roofs were completely blown away. Several 2\u00d74-inch boards were blown into the sides of houses. Another small tornado in Parker damaged two airplanes. Other funnel clouds were sighted over Northglenn and near Golden.<\/p>\n

In 1985\u2026a thunderstorm produced a total of 1.50 inches of rain in Brighton where 0.72 inches fell in 40 minutes. Small hail covered the ground\u2026and there was some street and basement flooding.<\/p>\n

In 1987\u2026small hail piled up 4 inches deep in southwest Aurora. There was also widespread street flooding and a few power outages. Hail as large as 3\/4 inch in diameter fell at Castle Rock.<\/p>\n

In 2000\u2026high winds occurred along and east of the Front Range foothills\u2026as a deep surface low pressure center formed over the northeast plains of Colorado. An amusement park in north Boulder received about 25 thousand dollars in property damage. Peak wind reports included: 88 mph at the national wind technology center\u202684 mph in Boulder\u2026and 80 mph at the National Center for Atmospheric Research Mesa Laboratory. A powder keg of severe weather\u2026including tornadoes and thunderstorms producing large hail\u2026damaging winds and heavy rain\u2026occurred over the plains to the northeast of Denver. The only severe weather reported across metro Denver was 1 inch diameter hail in Littleton.<\/p>\n

18<\/p>\n

In 1864\u2026heavy rains combined with melting snow to cause much flooding on north clear creek in Blackhawk. Many bridges on the road to Denver were washed away by the high water on clear creek.<\/p>\n

In 1893\u2026northwest winds were sustained to 56 mph with an extreme velocity to 60 mph.<\/p>\n

In 1960\u2026large hail to 1 inch in diameter damaged roofs and cars in metro Denver. Heavy snow and rain in the foothills caused rock and landslides\u2026which blocked some highways. There was widespread minor damage from lightning. Hail as large as 1 1\/8 inch in diameter was measured at Stapleton Airport where winds gusted to 44 mph.<\/p>\n

In 1975\u2026a tornado touched down briefly just south of Buckley Field in Aurora. A few minutes later the same tornado touched down in open country 8 miles northeast of Stapleton International Airport. No damage was reported.<\/p>\n

In 1985\u20263\/4 inch hail fell just southeast of Aurora.<\/p>\n

In 1988\u2026lightning started a fire at a home in the foothills west of Boulder\u2026causing 50 thousand dollars in damage.<\/p>\n

In 1995\u2026strong thunderstorms rumbled across metro Denver dropping mainly pea to marble size hail. However\u2026hail stones as large as 1 1\/4 inches in diameter fell in Wheat Ridge and downtown Denver. Hail piled up to 2 inches deep in Wheat Ridge and northwest Denver.<\/p>\n

In 1996\u2026the Buffalo Creek Wildfire started and spread rapidly on strong southwest winds at 20 to 30 mph. Dry weather conditions contributed to the spread of the fire\u2026 Which burned nearly 12 thousand acres and destroyed 12 structures including some houses.<\/p>\n

In 2001\u2026a 19-year-old man was struck and killed by lightning as he was walking along the shoulder of U.S. Highway 36 in Westminster.<\/p>\n

In 2003\u2026hail to 3\/4 inch in diameter was measured at Denver International Airport.<\/p>\n

In 2010\u2026a small tornado touched down near firestone but did no damage.<\/p>\n

18-19<\/p>\n

In 2011…a severe thunderstorm in central Adams County\u00a0produced large hail and heavy rainfall on the 18th. Large\u00a0hail from 1 inch to 1 3\/4 inches in diameter…was reported\u00a0in Commerce City…2 miles south-southeast of Federal\u00a0Heights…Northglenn… and 2 miles south of Thornton. In\u00a0Commerce City…the storm uprooted trees and knocked out\u00a0power lines. A carport was lifted off the ground and\u00a0struck the power lines overhead. Heavy rain…from 1.0 to\u00a01.5 inches fell in less than 2 hours in Commerce City and\u00a0near Brighton. The combination of hail and strong winds\u00a0broke windows in Northglenn. In the foothills…moderate to\u00a0heavy snow showers developed overnight. Storm totals\u00a0included: 10.5 inches at Gold Hill…9.5 inches… 3 miles\u00a0west of Jamestown; 9 inches at Lake Eldora; with 6 inches…11 miles southwest of Gilpin and 4 miles east-northeast of\u00a0Nederland. At Denver International Airport…total rainfall\u00a0over the 2-day period totaled 1.71 inches. In addition…a\u00a0peak wind gust to 37 mph was recorded on the 18th.<\/p>\n

18-20<\/p>\n

In 1915\u20263.9 inches of snow fell in the city. The estimated amount of snow that melted as it fell was 6.2 inches which would have totaled an estimated 10.1 inches of snowfall. Precipitation totaled 1.03 inches. North winds were sustained to 32 mph on the 18th. Low temperatures dipped to 25 degrees on both the 18th and 20th\u2026establishing record minimums for both dates.<\/p>\n

In 1988\u2026prolonged heavy rainfall drenched metro Denver. The event began when heavy thunderstorms on the 18th caused some street flooding and power outages\u2026followed by steady rain on the 19th and 20th. Rain amounts across metro Denver totaled 3 to 4 inches. Rainfall totaled 3.71 inches at Stapleton International Airport where north winds gusted to 39 mph on the 20th. Four to eight inches of snow fell in the foothills above 7 thousand feet.<\/p>\n

19<\/p>\n

In 1927\u2026southeast winds were sustained to 40 mph with gusts to 44 mph.<\/p>\n

In 1956\u2026a thunderstorm wind gust to 54 mph was recorded at Stapleton International Airport.<\/p>\n

In 1969\u2026hail stones to 1 inch in diameter were measured in Arvada and Aurora. Some minor damage was reported. Pea to marble size hail fell in Westminster.<\/p>\n

In 1972\u2026a tornado was reported by aircraft about 5 to 10 miles east of Parker.<\/p>\n

In 1988\u2026lightning started a fire at a house in the Denver suburb of greenwood village\u2026causing 2 thousand dollars in damage.<\/p>\n

In 1991\u2026strong thunderstorms over east metro Denver produced wind gusts of 56 to 60 mph. The strong winds downed power lines\u2026trees\u2026and fences at some locations in Aurora. Thunderstorm outflow winds gusted to 60 mph at Stapleton International Airport.<\/p>\n

In 1994\u2026severe thunderstorms rumbled across metro Denver. The storms produced wind gusts averaging 65 mph and hail up to dime size. Wind gusts to 77 mph were recorded in Brighton. Numerous trees and power poles were downed by the winds. One power pole fell onto spectators at a high school graduation ceremony in Commerce City\u2026injuring 6 people. In Fort Lupton\u2026trees fell onto 2 parked cars\u2026 Knocking out the windshields. Hail to 3\/4 inch in diameter was reported in Littleton. A thunderstorm wind gust to 52 mph was recorded at Stapleton International Airport.<\/p>\n

In 1995\u2026a slow moving tornado\u2026which was mainly discernible by its dust and debris cloud\u2026was spotted 2 miles northeast of Denver International Airport or about 10 miles northwest of Bennett. No damage was reported.<\/p>\n

In 2007\u2026lightning struck a 33-ft statue of Jesus at Mother Cabrini shrine\u2026in the foothills west of Golden. The blast broke off one of the statue\u2019s arms and a hand\u2026and also damaged a foot. It cost an estimated $200000 to repair.<\/p>\n

In 2009\u2026lightning struck the roof of a residence in Highlands Ranch. The home was not a total loss\u2026but the fire caused extensive damage.<\/p>\n

In 2010\u2026a thunderstorm produced hail up to 7\/8 inch in diameter in Thornton.<\/p>\n

19-20<\/p>\n

In 1864\u2026a devastating major flash flood occurred on the normally dry and sandy Cherry Creek in Denver. The flood was caused by heavy thunderstorm rainfall and hail over the palmer ridge to the south of the city in both the Cherry Creek and Plum Creek basins. Nineteen deaths occurred along the South Platte River and Cherry Creek in Denver. The torrent swept cattle and sheep along with large trees and houses before it washing out several bridges\u2026and moving large structures from their foundations. All city records were destroyed when city hall washed away. The Rocky Mountain News building\u2026built on stilts in the middle of the creek\u2026was totally destroyed by the raging waters\u2026which were as deep as 5 feet on the morning of the 20th. Once the flood waters receded\u2026much sand and gravel was left behind. Property damage from the flood was estimated at nearly one million dollars. This was the first major flood of record in the city.<\/p>\n

20<\/p>\n

In 1874\u2026after a light late afternoon shower\u20263 rainbows were visible in the eastern sky. The two upper bows were of the usual colors. The lower bow had a deep violet center with a faint yellow and white rim.<\/p>\n

In 1892\u2026apparent post-frontal north winds were sustained to 40 mph with gusts to 48 mph. A trace of snow was the last snowfall of the season.<\/p>\n

In 1899\u2026snow pellets from 1\/4 to 3\/8 inch in diameter fell from a thundershower during the late afternoon. West winds were sustained to 42 mph with gusts as high as 48 mph.<\/p>\n

In 1904\u2026southeast winds were sustained to 40 mph with an extreme velocity of 42 mph produced by a thunderstorm.<\/p>\n

In 1961\u2026a tornado tore through central Douglas County\u20261 1\/2 miles north of Castle Rock. The storm struck 2 ranches and the property of a drilling company. A car on the highway was lifted off the road and slammed into a truck\u2026injuring the two occupants.<\/p>\n

In 1983\u2026heavy rain fell in Aurora with 1.00 to 1.50 inches of precipitation. Local flooding occurred in Lakewood.<\/p>\n

In 1990\u20261 inch diameter hail fell at Buckley Field in Aurora. Minor damage was reported to autos\u2026buildings and signs.<\/p>\n

In 1995\u2026hail as large as 3\/4 inch in diameter fell near Bennett where a funnel cloud was sighted.<\/p>\n

In 2001\u2026damaging winds developed behind a vigorous cold front that moved south from Wyoming into metro Denver. High winds\u2026gusting to 58 mph at Denver International Airport\u2026downed trees and power lines and kicked up blowing dust\u2026dirt\u2026and debris\u2026reducing the visibility to near zero at times. The poor visibility caused a multi-vehicle accident along U.S. Highway 85 north of Fort Lupton. Six people were treated for minor injuries. Several vehicles\u2026 Including semi-trailers\u2026were blown off I-70 east of Denver. About 32 thousand Xcel energy customers in metro Denver were without electricity for up to 2 hours. At least a dozen incoming flights at Denver International Airport were diverted to other airports. All departing flights were grounded for at least an hour. At southwest plaza\u2026shoppers were evacuated as rocks holding a tarp on a portion of a roof under repair toppled into the mall. After the passage of the cold front\u2026temperatures plunged from the lower 70\u2019s to the mid 30\u2019s in one hour as light snow developed. Heavy snow developed in the foothills during the evening. Peak wind reports included 68 mph near Parker and 63 mph near Sedalia. Snowfall totals included: 7 inches near Blackhawk\u2026 At Ken Caryl Ranch\u2026and near Sedalia; 6 inches in Coal Creek Canyon\u2026at Eldorado Springs\u2026and atop Lookout Mountain; 5 inches at Chief Hosa\u2026in Louisville\u2026Rollinsville\u2026and wheat ridge; and 4 inches in Aurora\u2026Bailey\u2026Parker\u2026Castle Rock and near Morrison. Low temperature of 31 degrees during the early morning of the 21st equaled the record low for the date last set in 1931.<\/p>\n

In 2004\u2026severe thunderstorms produced hail as large as 1.25 inches near Ft. Lupton and hail to 1.50 inches 10 miles north of Ft. Lupton.<\/p>\n

In 2014…severe thunderstorm produced hail… from 1 to 1 1\/4\u00a0inches in diameter…across parts of Aurora…Denver… Englewood and Lakewood.<\/p>\n

20-21<\/p>\n

In 1891\u2026heavy rain was mixed with snow at times and totaled 2.02 inches in the city. Snowfall was 1.0 inch. Northeast winds gusted to 28 mph on the 20th.<\/p>\n

20-22<\/p>\n

In 1959\u2026a three-day rain caused some flooding in metro Denver where rain totaled 1.68 inches at Stapleton Airport. Showers\u2026accompanied by hail near Brighton\u2026caused some damage to truck crops. Heavy snow in the foothills caused damage to power and telephone lines.<\/p>\n

20-27<\/p>\n

In 2002\u2026lightning sparked a wildfire near Deckers. Extremely dry conditions and very strong winds the following day allowed the fire\u2026known as the Schoonover\u2026to consume 3850 acres before it could be contained. Thirteen structures were destroyed\u2026including 4 homes\u2026resulting in 2.2 million dollars in damage.<\/p>\n

21<\/p>\n

In 1874\u2026an extensive fire at Central City in the mountains to the west of Denver produced large columns of smoke that were visible from the city. In the afternoon\u2026the smoke and fire produced a dark inky black convective cloud\u2026which spread over the city and produced brief strong and gusty winds along with a few sprinkles of rain.<\/p>\n

In 1880\u2026west winds increased to a sustained velocity of 40 mph during the afternoon.<\/p>\n

In 1893\u2026north winds were sustained to 48 mph.<\/p>\n

In 1914\u2026a severe thunderstorm was attended by hail\u2026excessive rainfall which totaled 1.94 inches\u2026and an unusual amount of vivid lightning. The heavy rainfall of 0.83 inch in 15 minutes produced flooding\u2026which caused considerable damage to bottom lands in eastern and southern parts of the city. Many garden tracts and cellars were flooded. Southwest winds were sustained to 29 mph with gusts to 34 mph.<\/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 10th. Precipitation totaled 4.95 inches for the month.<\/p>\n

In 1952\u2026a tornado produced a high column of dust and dirt over northwest Denver. No damage was reported.<\/p>\n

In 1988\u2026a microburst wind gust to 52 mph was recorded at Stapleton International Airport.<\/p>\n

In 2002\u2026very strong winds occurred over metro Denver and northeastern Colorado as a developing surface low pressure center intensified. Trees and branches snapped\u2026downing power lines across parts of metro Denver. About 20 thousand residents lost electricity. The strong winds produced much blowing dust and dirt especially to the northeast of metro Denver. Winds gusted to 61 mph at Parker. South winds gusted to 58 mph at Denver International Airport.<\/p>\n

In 2006\u2026a large dust devil formed near Quincy Reservoir in south Aurora. The tall column resembling a tornado or smoke plume extended upward into small high-based cumulus clouds and was visible for miles across southern Aurora and eastern centennial. No damage was reported.<\/p>\n

In 2014…severe thunderstorms occurred in and around metro\u00a0Denver. The storms produced large hail…from quarter to\u00a0golfball size. Frontier Airlines canceled 16 flights…when\u00a0several planes sustained hail damage. Forty flights at Denver\u00a0International Airport were either delayed or canceled. Some\u00a0homes in Green Valley Ranch…east of Denver… were damaged by\u00a0hail. Several vehicles were also damaged. Five short lived\u00a0tornadoes touched down near Bennett and Byers but no damage\u00a0was reported. The storms also produced heavy rain and strong\u00a0damaging winds. The wind downed trees and power lines east of\u00a0Denver. The heavy rain and hail…up to 6 inches deep in\u00a0spots…caused street flooding around the metro area. The\u00a0hailstorm at Dicks Sporting Goods Park knocked out power to the stadium where the 4A and 5A girls soccer championship\u00a0games were about to be played. The inclement weather snarled\u00a0traffic on Interstate 70…Pena Boulevard… U.S. 85 and\u00a0elsewhere due to the flooded roads. In some areas…snow plows\u00a0were called out to clear the hail. Parts of Tower Road and\u00a0Peoria Street…and other roads in Commerce City… were closed\u00a0through the late evening hours…because of standing water.\u00a0Several vehicles stalled in standing water where water pooled\u00a0in the underpasses. At Denver International Airport…1.2\u00a0inches of water was observed…along with a wind gust to 42\u00a0mph from the northwest.<\/p>\n

21-22<\/p>\n

In 1878\u2026overnight heavy rains of cloudburst intensity on the Palmer Divide to the south of the city caused flash flooding on Cherry Creek in Denver\u2026which resulted in 2 deaths. A wall of water swept through the city between 2:00 am and 3:00 am on the morning of the 22nd. The flood was so sudden and unexpected that homes along the creek in the city were submerged in water knee deep before the slumbering occupants knew anything about it. By daybreak the banks on both sides of the creek were lined by residents viewing the destruction caused by the raging waters in such a short time. Seven bridges across the creek were destroyed in the city. Damage to private and city property was estimated between 30 and 50 thousand dollars. Quite a number of cattle and sheep were killed along the reach of the creek. Only 0.01 inch of rain fell in the city on the 21st with a trace of rain on the 22nd. Flash flooding also occurred on Kiowa Creek near Bennett on the night of the 21st when the flood waters washed out the Kansas Pacific Railroad bridge. An east bound freight train plunged into the turbulent waters killing the three crewmen. The locomotive was completely buried in the sand and never found to this day!<\/p>\n

21-23<\/p>\n

In 1876\u2026snow changed to heavy rain over the city\u2026resulting in widespread flooding along Cherry Creek and the South Platte River\u2026nearly as great as the flash flood of May 19-20\u20261864. However\u2026damage was greater because the city had grown much larger and there were more bridges for the flood waters to destroy. Precipitation in the city totaled 6.70 inches from 10:00 pm on the 21st through 3:00 am on the 23rd. The greatest precipitation ever recorded in Denver in 24 hours\u20266.53 inches\u2026occurred on the 21st and 22nd. Small buildings and bridges along Cherry Creek were washed away by the flood waters. Bridges over the South Platte River were damaged. The city irrigation ditch was damaged and rendered unfit for service. Strong winds at speeds of 30 to 40 mph drove the heavy rain through brick walls 12 to 16 inches thick. Many sheep and cattle were either killed by lightning or drowned\u2026including some 100 head of cattle in Jefferson County alone. There was immense damage to railroad tracks\u2026especially the Kansas Pacific line to the east of the city. The Colorado central suffered estimated damage of 10 to 15 thousand dollars. In addition\u2026the heavy rain caused extensive flooding on Soda and Bear Creeks in the foothills. Flooding along Boulder Creek inundated farm and pasture land in the Boulder Valley and damaged a few bridges. Rail travel had to be suspended in the area for several days.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Springtime in Denver brings a variety of weather and flooding becomes a very real threat. In our look back at this week in Denver weather history we see many such events including one in 1864 that killed 19 people and destroyed the Rocky Mountain News building. From the National Weather Service: 14-15 In 1977\u2026high winds … Continue reading May 15 to May 21: 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\/16443"}],"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=16443"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.thorntonweather.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16443\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":16444,"href":"https:\/\/www.thorntonweather.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16443\/revisions\/16444"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thorntonweather.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16443"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thorntonweather.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=16443"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thorntonweather.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=16443"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}