{"id":18244,"date":"2017-12-24T05:37:57","date_gmt":"2017-12-24T12:37:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.thorntonweather.com\/blog\/?p=18244"},"modified":"2017-12-24T05:37:57","modified_gmt":"2017-12-24T12:37:57","slug":"december-24-to-december-30-this-week-in-denver-weather-history","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thorntonweather.com\/blog\/weather-history\/december-24-to-december-30-this-week-in-denver-weather-history\/","title":{"rendered":"December 24 to December 30: This week in Denver weather history"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"This<\/a>
December 24 to December 30: This week in Denver weather history<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Christmas Day is normally a relatively quiet day in terms of the weather but the week between it and New Year\u2019s can be quite eventful. Among the highlights are a prolonged period of sub-zero temperatures that lasted nearly five days. Just 11 years ago a blizzard struck the region that snarled holiday travel on the air and the ground.<\/p>\n

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

17-24<\/p>\n

In 1924\u2026a prolonged cold spell occurred after mild temperatures during the first half of the month. Most low temperatures dipped below zero with the coldest reading of 15 degrees below zero occurring on the 24th. The high temperature of only 5 degrees on the 18th was a record low maximum for the date.<\/p>\n

18-24<\/p>\n

In 1998\u2026a vigorous cold front with north winds gusting as high as 38 mph at Denver International Airport on the 18th dropped temperatures from a high of 51 degrees to a low of just 6 degrees before midnight. The arctic air mass that settled over metro Denver produced intermittent light snow and a week-long protracted cold spell that caused low temperatures to plunge well below zero for 6 consecutive nights. The coldest temperature was 19 degrees below zero on the morning of the 22nd. High temperatures climbed only into the single digits on 4 consecutive days\u2026from the 19th through the 22nd. At least 15 people\u2026mostly homeless\u2026 Were treated for hypothermia at area hospitals. The bitter cold weather was responsible\u2026either directly or indirectly\u2026 For at least 5 fatalities. Three of the victims died directly from exposure. The cold weather also caused intermittent power outages. Following the cold snap\u2026 Thawing water pipes cracked and burst in several homes and businesses\u2026causing extensive damage. Only one temperature record was set. The high temperature of only 7 degrees on the 19th set a record low maximum for the date.<\/p>\n

20-25<\/p>\n

In 1983\u2026an extremely bitter cold spell occurred. The temperature remained below zero for 115 hours in Denver\u2026 The longest sub-zero period on record. The mercury dipped to 21 degrees below zero on the 21st\u2026the coldest recorded temperature in over 20 years. The cold was accompanied by winds that plunged chill factors to 50 to 70 degrees below zero. Two people froze to death in Denver; both were found outside dead of exposure. Numerous cases of frostbite were reported. Hundreds of water pipes broke from the intense cold\u2026water mains and natural gas lines also fractured\u2026and electricity consumption reached record levels. Light snow totaling 5.8 inches fell at times\u2026and holiday traffic was delayed at Stapleton International Airport for several hours. Eight daily temperature records were set at the time. The all-time record low maximum temperature for the month of 8 degrees below zero on the 21st still stands today. Other temperature records still standing include record low maximum temperatures of 5 degrees below zero on both the 22nd and 23rd and 4 degrees below zero on the 24th.<\/p>\n

22-24<\/p>\n

In 2009…A winter storm produced moderate to heavy snow across parts of the Front Range and adjacent plains. In the foothills…storm totals included: 11.5 inches near Eldorado Springs…10 inches…3 miles southeast of Pinecliffe; 9 inches at Genesee…2 miles southwest of Golden and Ken Caryl; 8 inches…3 miles west of Jamestown and White Ranch Open Space; 7 inches…4 miles east-northeast of Nederland. Across the Urban Corridor and adjacent plains…storm totals included: 9 inches…2 miles west of Parker; 8 inches at Watkins; 7 inches…2 miles west-southwest of Byers…12 miles southwest of Buckley AFB and 3 miles northeast of Parker. At Denver International Airport…6.1 inches of snowfall was observed.<\/p>\n

23-24<\/p>\n

In 1907\u2026winds nearly as strong as a hurricane raked Boulder and areas north of Denver\u2026killing one person and injuring others. Property damage was minor.<\/p>\n

In 1973\u2026a pre-Christmas blizzard\u2026the second in 5 days\u2026 Produced strong winds and dumped heavy snow across metro Denver. Nearly a foot\u202611.8 inches\u2026of snow fell at Stapleton International Airport where north winds gusting from 30 to 40 mph produced much blowing snow. The strong winds whipped the snow into 2- to 4-foot drifts\u2026closing many roads and airports. About 10 thousand people were stranded at Stapleton International Airport for up to 24 hours.<\/p>\n

In 1978\u2026wind gusts to 90 mph on the 23rd and 73 mph on the 24th were recorded in Boulder. A townhouse under construction was severely damaged by the winds. At Stapleton International Airport\u2026west winds gusted to 37 mph on the 23rd and northwest winds gusted to 35 mph on the 24th.<\/p>\n

In 1987\u2026a snowstorm assured a white Christmas for metro Denver\u2026where 4 to 8 inches fell. Amounts in the foothills ranged from 10 to 18 inches. Snowfall totaled 3.9 inches at Stapleton International Airport\u2026where north winds gusted to 32 mph on the 23rd.<\/p>\n

20-25<\/p>\n

In 1983\u2026an extremely bitter cold spell occurred. The temperature remained below zero for 115 hours in Denver\u2026 The longest sub-zero period on record. The mercury dipped to 21 degrees below zero on the 21st\u2026the coldest recorded temperature in over 20 years. The cold was accompanied by winds that plunged chill factors to 50 to 70 degrees below zero. Two people froze to death in Denver; both were found outside dead of exposure. Numerous cases of frostbite were reported. Hundreds of water pipes broke from the intense cold\u2026water mains and natural gas lines also fractured\u2026and electricity consumption reached record levels. Light snow totaling 5.8 inches fell at times\u2026and holiday traffic was delayed at Stapleton International Airport for several hours. Eight daily temperature records were set at the time. The all-time record low maximum temperature for the month of 8 degrees below zero on the 21st still stands today. Other temperature records still standing include record low maximum temperatures of 5 degrees below zero on both the 22nd and 23rd and 4 degrees below zero on the 24th.<\/p>\n

24<\/p>\n

In 1876\u2026the all-time lowest recorded temperature in December\u2026 25 degrees below zero\u2026occurred. The same temperature was also reached on December 22\u20261990.<\/p>\n

In 1907\u2026west winds were sustained to 43 mph. The Chinook winds warmed the temperature to a high of 58 degrees.<\/p>\n

In 1908\u2026west Bora winds sustained to 49 mph produced a high temperature of 42 degrees. A trace of snow fell.<\/p>\n

In 1977\u2026wind damaged temporary wooden structures at construction sites in Denver. Several trees were blown over\u2026causing damage to houses and cars. Power outages occurred in northwest Denver. Some chimneys were blown off a house in the Ken Caryl Ranch area. Wind gusts to 70 mph were reported in Boulder\u2026and northwest winds gusted to 53 mph at Stapleton International Airport.<\/p>\n

In 1982\u2026on Christmas eve\u2026 one of the worst blizzards of all time dumped 24 to 34 inches of snow across metro Denver. The heaviest official one-day snow amount in the city\u2019s history\u202623.6 inches\u2026brought traffic to a standstill and completely closed Stapleton International Airport on Christmas day. Boulder received 18 to 24 inches of snow. Two feet of snow buried Parker and Sedalia to the south of Denver. Weather conditions during the storm were brutal. Visibility at Stapleton International Airport was reduced to 1\/4 mile or less for 17 consecutive hours. Sustained winds of 25 mph or more persisted for 15 consecutive hours. Gusts over 40 mph were recorded during 12 different hours. The highest recorded wind gust was 51 mph. The howling winds blew snow into drifts 4 to 8 feet high\u2026paralyzing all modes of transportation. All highways leading out of Denver were closed. Stapleton International Airport was closed for 33 hours and operated on only a limited schedule for days afterward. Thousands of travelers were stranded and failed to reach their destinations in time for Christmas. Many wayward commuters and shoppers were forced to take refuge in shopping malls\u2026 Which remained open when workers themselves became stranded. Mall restaurants served food to the refugees. The storm prevented most people in the area from spending Christmas day with family and friends. In metro Denver\u2026three people died as a direct result of the blizzard: a 60-year-old man died of hypothermia on his screened in back porch; a 66 year old man froze to death after falling into a drift a few feet from his home; a 34- year-old man froze to death just east of Denver after abandoning his 4-wheel drive vehicle which became stuck in the snow. With the heavy snow and wind chill temperatures of 20 to 30 degrees below zero\u2026there were many injuries from frostbite and falls. Damage from the blizzard was varied and widespread. A number of roofs collapsed under the weight of the heavy snow; greenhouses received the greatest damage when the heavy snow shattered glass roofs\u2026 Allowing cold air to freeze the tender plants inside. Total damage to greenhouses and plants alone was estimated at 5 million dollars. The strong winds with the storm damaged many fences and caused numerous power outages. Last minute Christmas shoppers were literally left out in the cold and snow\u2026as the storm made travel increasingly difficult during the day. Merchants lost significant income from the last shopping day before Christmas. Overall\u2026businesses lost an estimated 500 million dollars due to the blizzard. In metro Denver\u2026seven million dollars were spent for snow removal\u2026three million dollars in the city of Denver alone. This expenditure did not prevent a subsequent snow removal controversy. Once the major streets were made passable\u2026cold late December and January temperatures prevented much melting. Icy and snowpacked side streets and parking lots became rutted\u2026 Making travel around metro Denver difficult for nearly a month after the storm. In fact\u2026snow cover of an inch or more lasted for 48 consecutive days after the storm\u2026 Through February 9\u20261983. This is the third longest period of snow cover on record in the city. The period would have been longer\u2026but no significant snow fell for more than 2 months after the storm.<\/p>\n

24-25<\/p>\n

In 1891\u2026heavy snowfall of 7.0 inches in downtown Denver provided a white Christmas. Most of the snow\u20266.5 inches\u2026 Fell on the 24th. Northwest winds were sustained to 30 mph with gusts to 40 mph on the 24th.<\/p>\n

In 1894\u2026snow began falling during the evening of the 24th\u2026 Ended during the early afternoon of the 25th\u2026and totaled 6.4 inches in downtown Denver. Northwest winds were sustained to 26 mph with gusts to 30 mph on the 24th. The maximum snow depth on the ground was 5 inches. The high temperature was only 18 degrees on the 25th after a low of 8 degrees.<\/p>\n

In 1980\u2026strong Chinook winds of 50 to 60 mph occurred in the foothills with a wind gust to 90 mph recorded at Wondervu. West winds gusted to 33 mph at Stapleton International Airport on the 25th.<\/p>\n

In 1997\u2026a relatively rare Christmas snowstorm blanketed much of northeastern Colorado. Snowfall in and near the Front Range foothills and south of metro Denver ranged from 5 to 8 inches. Elsewhere\u2026new snow accumulations were generally 1 to 3 inches. Snowfall totaled only 1.5 inches at the site of the former Stapleton International Airport. North winds gusted to 29 mph at Denver International Airport on the 24th.<\/p>\n

In 2012\u2026a winter-like weather moved into northeast Colorado on Christmas Eve as an upper level trough and a strong cold front moved through the region. At Denver International Airport\u20262.5 inches of snow fell from Christmas Eve through Christmas morning. \u00a0The high temperatures on Christmas Day only reached 16 degrees\u2026which was the coldest day of the month.<\/p>\n

25<\/p>\n

In 1873\u2026northwest winds were sustained to 36 mph during the morning and to 48 mph in the evening. The Chinook winds warmed the temperature to a high of 53 degrees.<\/p>\n

In 1883\u2026gusty very strong winds raked Boulder\u2026causing 11 hundred dollars in damage.<\/p>\n

In 1985\u2026Table Mesa in Boulder was buffeted by wind gusts to 68 mph.<\/p>\n

In 1993\u2026occasional high winds occurred over portions of the higher foothills west of Boulder and Denver. A wind gust to 87 mph was recorded on squaw mountain\u2026and a gust to 83 mph occurred at Rollinsville. Northwest winds gusted to 35 mph at Stapleton International Airport.<\/p>\n

In 2007\u2026a winter storm brought heavy snow to the Front Range of Colorado. The heaviest snow fell near the foothills of Boulder\u2026Douglas and Jefferson counties. The snow caused accidents throughout the Denver metropolitan area. Gusty winds produced snow drifts from 2 to 3.5 feet in depth. Total snowfall for the calendar day in Denver was 7.8 inches\u2026setting a new record for Christmas Day. The measurement was taken at the former Stapleton International Airport; the previous record was 6.2 inches\u2026 Set in 1894. Storm totals in the Front Range foothills included: 13.5 inches at Coal Creek Canyon; 12 inches\u20265 miles east-southeast of Aspen Park; 11 inches; 6 miles southwest of kassler; 10.5 inches at Eldorado Springs. Elsewhere\u2026storm totals ranged from 5 to 10 inches. In the urban corridor storm totals included: 9 inches near Elizabeth; 8 inches in southwest Denver\u2026Highlands Ranch\u2026Marston Reservoir and Wheat Ridge; 7.5 inches in Arvada; 7 inches in Centennial and Lakewood; 6.5 inches in Aurora and 8 miles southeast of Watkins; 6 inches in Boulder\u2026Englewood and Parker. Elsewhere\u2026storm totals ranged from 3 to 5 inches.<\/p>\n

25-26<\/p>\n

In 1904\u2026after a warm Christmas Fay with a high temperature of 50 degrees\u2026a late day cold front plunged temperatures to a low of 7 degrees\u2026produced northeast winds sustained to 40 mph with gusts to 54 mph\u2026and produced 5.2 inches of snow overnight for a late white Christmas. The maximum temperature on the 26th was only 16 degrees.<\/p>\n

In 2014\u2026a winter storm brought a rare Christmas Day snowfall to the Front Range Foothills and Urban Corridor\u2026from the afternoon of the 25th to the evening of the 26th. Storm totals included: 12.5 inches\u20264 miles west of Boulder; 12 inches\u20264 miles southwest of Eldorado Springs and 4 miles south of Golden; 11 inches at Genesee; 10 inches near Allenspark\u20265 miles west of Chatfield Reservoir\u2026 5 miles southwest of Golden and near Tiny Town; 8 inches in Lakewood and Louisville; 7.5 inches in Niwot; 7 inches in Longmont; with 6 inches in Broomfield and Frederick. At Denver International Airport\u20265.1 inches of snowfall was observed.<\/p>\n

25-31<\/p>\n

In 1980\u2026temperatures were unusually warm during the week between Christmas and New Year\u2019s. High temperatures for the week ranged from the mid-50\u2019s to the mid-70\u2019s. Four temperature records were set. Record highs occurred on the 26th with 68 degrees\u2026the 27th with 75 degrees\u2026and the 30th with 71 degrees. A record high minimum temperature of 41 degrees occurred on the 27th.<\/p>\n

26<\/p>\n

In 1877\u2026heavy snow fell during the early morning and totaled nearly 6 inches. Precipitation from melted snow was 0.58 inch. After the snowfall\u2026a number of sleighs were seen on the city streets.<\/p>\n

In 1879\u2026after a morning low of 4 degrees below zero\u2026 The temperature climbed to a high of 57 degrees in the city.<\/p>\n

In 1907\u2026west winds were sustained to 40 mph. The Chinook winds warmed the temperature to a high of 62 degrees.<\/p>\n

In 1949\u2026west winds gusted to 50 mph at Stapleton Airport.<\/p>\n

In 1998\u2026intense\u2026but localized\u2026downslope high winds developed near Wondervu in the foothills southwest of Boulder. Winds frequently gusted to 100 mph with a highest reported wind gust to 104 mph. West winds gusted to only 43 mph at Denver International Airport.<\/p>\n

26-27<\/p>\n

In 1954\u2026a major storm dumped heavy snow across metro Denver. Snowfall totaled 8.6 inches at Stapleton Airport. The storm produced the heaviest snowfall of the calendar year and was the only measurable snowfall in December.<\/p>\n

In 1987\u2026a snowstorm stalled in northeastern Colorado\u2026giving metro Denver its worst winter storm in 4 years. Total snowfall from the storm ranged from 12 to 18 inches on the east side\u20261 to 2 feet in Boulder County\u2026and 2 to 3 feet in western and southern parts of metro Denver. The largest reported snowfall was 42 inches at Intercanyon in the foothills southwest of Denver. Snowfall totaled 14.9 inches at Stapleton International Airport. Winds were light on the 26th\u2026but increased as high as 40 mph on the 27th\u2026 Creating near-blizzard conditions and forcing complete closure of Stapleton International Airport for about 8 hours. The strong winds whipped drifts to 5 feet high on the east side of town. All interstate highways leading from Denver were closed on the 27th.<\/p>\n

26-28<\/p>\n

In 1979 a heavy snow storm dumped 6 to 10 inches of snow over the metro area and 15 to 20 inches at Boulder with up to 2 feet in the foothills west of Boulder. Heavy snowfall totaled 6.0 inches at Stapleton International Airport where north winds gusted to 21 mph. Most of the snow\u2026 4.8 inches\u2026fell on the 27th.<\/p>\n

27<\/p>\n

In 1895\u2026west Chinook winds sustained to 44 mph with gusts to 48 mph warmed the temperature to a high of 52 degrees.<\/p>\n

In 1901\u2026an apparent cold front produced sustained north winds to 41 mph with gusts to 48 mph.<\/p>\n

In 1957\u2026northwest winds gusting to 52 mph produced some blowing dust across metro Denver.<\/p>\n

In 1975\u2026a northwest wind gust to 53 mph was recorded at Stapleton International Airport.<\/p>\n

In 1976\u2026a strong pacific cold front moving across metro Denver produced a northwest wind gust to 53 mph at Stapleton International Airport.<\/p>\n

In 1990\u2026high winds raked the eastern foothills with a wind gust to 84 mph clocked on Fritz Peak near Rollinsville. The strong northwest winds of 50 to 70 mph whipped newly fallen snow over higher areas into billowy clouds several hundred feet high that could be seen from most locations across metro Denver.<\/p>\n

In 1996\u2026another round of high winds developed over portions of the Front Range foothills during the morning hours. Several wind gusts from 70 to 100 mph were reported at Wondervu southwest of Boulder. West-northwest winds gusted to 38 mph at Denver International Airport.<\/p>\n

In 2005\u2026a trained weather observer in Georgetown recorded a wind gust to 94 mph. No damage was reported.<\/p>\n

In 2007\u2026a winter storm brought heavy snow to portions of the urban corridor and adjacent plains. Storm totals generally ranged from 3 to 7 inches. Locally heavier bands produced up to 10 inches of snow. In the urban corridor\u2026storm totals included: 10 inches\u202610 miles south-southeast of Buckley AFB and at Castle Pines; 9.5 inches\u20264 miles south-southeast of Aurora and Kassler; 7.5 inches\u20262 miles southeast of Highlands Ranch; 7 inches in Aurora and Sedalia; 6.5 inches in Arvada\u20264 miles east of Denver and Lafayette; 6 inches in Castle Rock and Thornton. A measurement of 5.4 inches was taken at the former Stapleton International Airport. The official total for the month was 20.9 inches; making it the 6th snowiest December on record.<\/p>\n

<\/span>27-28<\/p>\n

On 1997\u2026high winds combined with fresh snow from a previous storm caused highways to become slick from drifting snow and near whiteout conditions in localized ground blizzards. Strong winds blew snow across the runways at centennial airport\u2026which glazed over and formed areas of ice. Two planes were damaged when they slid off the runway while landing. No injuries were reported. Numerous accidents also occurred on I-25 and I-70 as ice formed under the same conditions. A rollover accident which injured 4 people on State Highway 93 near the Rocky Flats Environmental Test Facility was also attributed to the high winds. The high winds caused an office building and showroom under construction in Golden to collapse. The largest wall was 180 feet long and 28 feet high. Some high wind reports included: 86 mph at Golden Gate Canyon\u202672 mph near Conifer\u2026and 70 mph at Jefferson County Airport and the National Center for Atmospheric Research on the mesa near Boulder. West-northwest winds gusted to 53 mph at Denver International Airport on the 27th.<\/p>\n

In 1998\u2026damaging downslope winds formed in and near the foothills. Peak wind gusts ranged from 71 to 114 mph. Numerous trees were blown down in Coal Creek Canyon and near Gross Reservoir. Power lines were blown down\u2026 Resulting in scattered outages. Peak wind reports included: 114 mph at Wondervu\u202692 mph in Golden Gate Canyon\u202688 mph in Coal Creek Canyon\u2026and 79 mph 8 miles west of conifer. West winds gusted to 46 mph at Denver International Airport on the 28th.<\/p>\n

27-29<\/p>\n

In 1983\u2026a second surge of bitter cold air in less than a week was less intense. Record breaking low temperatures of 12 degrees below zero on the 28th and 15 degrees below zero on the 29th were accompanied by 3.7 inches of snowfall and northeast winds gusting to 23 mph.<\/p>\n

28<\/p>\n

In 2001\u2026brief high winds developed in the foothills west of Denver. Winds gusted to 86 mph on Fritz Peak near Rollinsville. West to northwest winds gusted to 39 mph at Denver International Airport where the temperature climbed to a high of 51 degrees.
\n28-29 in 1906\u2026a trace of snow fell on both days\u2026which along with a trace of snow on the 5th\u2026was the only snow of the month\u2026ranking the month the second least snowiest December on record.<\/p>\n

In 1970\u2026wind gusts to 87 mph were recorded at the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder. Winds gusted to only 46 mph in downtown Boulder. Damage was minor.<\/p>\n

In 2006\u2026while metro Denver residents were still digging out from the heavy snowfall and blizzard that occurred on December 20-21\u2026the second major winter storm in a week buried the city and the eastern foothills again in more deep snow. Heavy snowfall ranged from 1 to 2 1\/2 feet in the foothills and from 6 to 18 inches across the city. Another slow moving storm system centered over the Texas panhandle produced deep upslope flow over the high plains and against the Front Range mountains. The storm produced blizzard conditions over the plains mainly south of Interstate 76. Interstate 70 as well as other roads and highways was closed from Denver to the Kansas line due to snow and blizzard conditions. Greyhound was forced to cancel all bus trips from Denver. The heaviest snow fell in and near the foothills and south of Denver over the palmer divide\u2026where north winds sustained at speeds of 20 to 30 mph with gusts to 40 mph piled the snow into drifts 4 to 14 feet deep. In the city\u2026the heavy snowfall persisted for a total of 29 hours. Snowfall totals across metro Denver included: 17.5 inches at Ken Caryl; 15 inches 3 miles south-southeast of Morrison; 14 inches in Boulder and Lone Tree; 12 inches in Castle Rock and Highlands Ranch; 11 inches in Wheat Ridge; 10.5 inches in Littleton; 10 inches in Arvada\u2026Broomfield\u2026and Louviers; and 8.5 inches in Lakewood and Thornton. Officially\u2026snowfall totaled 8.0 inches at Denver Stapleton. North winds sustained to 25 mph with gusts to 32 mph produced some blowing snow at Denver International Airport. In the city\u2026this second storm increased the total snowfall for the month to 29.4 inches\u2026making the month the third snowiest on record. In the foothills the snow fell at a rate of 3 to 4 inches an hour at times. Total snowfall in the foothills included: 30 inches near Genesee; 29.5 inches 12 miles northwest of Golden; 25 inches in Evergreen and near Bergen Park; 24 inches near conifer; 23.5 inches 3 miles southwest of Golden and near gold hill; 23 inches near Jamestown; 22.5 inches in Rollinsville; 19.5 inches in Aspen Springs; 19 inches near Blackhawk; 18.5 inches at Nederland; 16 inches in Indian Hills\u2026at Intercanyon\u2026and in Eldora; 15.5 inches at Echo Lake; and 12 inches near Ralston Reservoir. The total cost of snow removal just at Denver International Airport from this storm and the previous storm was in tens of millions of dollars. The airport estimated up to 6.7 million dollars in extra costs for contractors\u2026overtime\u2026equipment\u2026de-icing chemicals\u2026and other expenses. The two storms cost the airport 4.6 million dollars in loss concession revenues. United airlines reported lost revenue of over 25 million dollars from the two storms\u2026while Frontier Airlines lost an estimated 12.1 million dollars.<\/p>\n

29<\/p>\n

In 1997\u2026high winds persisted mainly in and near the foothills. Strong cross winds gusting between 60 and 70 mph blew a rental truck off the roadway in northern Jefferson County near the Coal Creek Canyon road. West winds gusted to 33 mph at Denver International Airport.<\/p>\n

In 2005\u2026high winds were recorded across metro Denver. Peak wind gusts included 75 mph near Chatfield Reservoir and 64 mph at Denver International Airport. No damage was reported.<\/p>\n

29-30<\/p>\n

In 1898\u2026heavy snowfall totaled 6.2 inches in downtown Denver. Northeast winds were sustained to 35 mph with gusts to 40 mph on the 29th.<\/p>\n

In 1912\u2026strong winds buffeted Boulder\u2026causing hundreds of dollars damage. The winds were described as one of the most terrific in the history of the city.<\/p>\n

In 1923\u2026a cold wave caused temperatures to plunge 58 degrees in 24 hours. The temperature was 54 degrees at 2:00 pm on the 29th and only 4 degrees below zero at the same time on the 30th. The low temperature of 14 degrees on the 29th was the high temperature on the 30th. The low temperature on the 30th dipped to 10 degrees below zero. Light snowfall totaled only 0.7 inch. Northeast winds were sustained to 23 mph on the 29th.<\/p>\n

In 2008\u2026very strong Chinook winds blasted areas in and near the foothills of Boulder and Jefferson counties. The wind blew down trees and power poles\u2026downed electrical lines and fences\u2026and damaged homes and vehicles. Scattered power outages were reported along the Front Range. In metropolitan Denver alone\u202624000 Xcel customers were affected by the outages. Four planed were damaged at the Vance Brand Municipal Airport in Longmont\u2026one was heavily damaged. Insurance companies estimated up to 7 million dollars in damage. Peak wind gusts included 87 mph at the national wind technology center\u202686 mph\u20262 miles north of Longmont; 77 mph at Erie\u2026and 75 mph at Lafayette. On the 30th\u2026a peak wind gust to 47 mph was recorded at Denver International Airport.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Christmas Day is normally a relatively quiet day in terms of the weather but the week between it and New Year\u2019s can be quite eventful. Among the highlights are a prolonged period of sub-zero temperatures that lasted nearly five days. Just 11 years ago a blizzard struck the region that snarled holiday travel on the … Continue reading December 24 to December 30: 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":[81,156,106,62,741],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thorntonweather.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18244"}],"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=18244"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.thorntonweather.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18244\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":18245,"href":"https:\/\/www.thorntonweather.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18244\/revisions\/18245"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thorntonweather.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18244"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thorntonweather.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18244"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thorntonweather.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18244"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}