{"id":19894,"date":"2024-08-06T05:00:28","date_gmt":"2024-08-06T11:00:28","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.thorntonweather.com\/blog\/?p=19894"},"modified":"2024-08-07T05:11:03","modified_gmt":"2024-08-07T11:11:03","slug":"august-4-to-august-10-this-week-in-denver-weather-history-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thorntonweather.com\/blog\/weather-history\/august-4-to-august-10-this-week-in-denver-weather-history-2\/","title":{"rendered":"August 4 to August 10: This Week in Denver Weather History"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"This<\/a><\/p>\n

The beginning of August typically continues our monsoon season. This leads to increased chances for thunderstorms with heavy rain and the associated hazards that come with it. Our look back at this week in Denver weather history highlights the dangers of flooding, hail and lightning and even includes reference to grasshopper swarms being blown into the city.<\/p>\n

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

3-4<\/p>\n

In 1988\u2026two inches of rain fell in 3 hours at both Morrison and Wheat Ridge. Thunderstorm rainfall totaled 0.80 inch overnight at Stapleton International Airport.<\/p>\n

4<\/p>\n

In 1889\u2026southwest winds were sustained to 42 mph with an extreme velocity to 52 mph.<\/p>\n

In 1924\u20260.01 inch of rain fell over downtown Denver. This along with the 0.01 inch of rainfall on the 10th was the only rainfall of the month\u2026the driest August on record.<\/p>\n

In 1963\u2026heavy rains in the foothills above Idaho Springs caused mud and rock slides which closed U.S. Highways 6 and 40 for a time.<\/p>\n

In 1976\u2026hail to 1 inch diameter was reported 12 miles southwest of Denver. Hail to 3\/4 inch in diameter was reported in Lakewood. Small hail\u20261\/4 to 1\/2 inch in diameter\u2026fell at Stapleton International Airport.<\/p>\n

In 1982\u2026heavy rain poured through the roof of a clothing store in Aurora\u2026causing widespread water damage. The roof was being repaired when the storm hit.<\/p>\n

In 1983\u2026hail up to one inch in diameter fell in Aurora where heavy rain produced street flooding.<\/p>\n

In 1984\u2026a Colorado state trooper was struck and injured by lightning in Northglenn.<\/p>\n

In 1989\u2026a microburst wind gust to 52 mph was recorded at Stapleton International Airport.<\/p>\n

In 1997\u2026lightning sparked a small fire in a home in Arvada\u2026 Causing minor damage. Several intersections in both Arvada and Westminster were flooded by thunderstorms producing heavy rain. Several cars were damaged by the high waters\u2026 And a number of businesses were flooded.<\/p>\n

In 1999\u2026flooding and flash flooding problems developed over metro Denver as slow moving thunderstorms dumped from 2 to 3.5 inches of rainfall in about 3 hours. Near the junction of I-25 and U.S. Highway 36\u2026up to 4 feet of water flooded an auto dealership. About 45 cars were ruined. Damage estimates to the dealership alone totaled nearly a half million dollars. Sections of I-25 and U.S. 36 near the interchange were closed due to floodwaters. Floodwaters\u2026 Up to 5 feet deep\u2026forced the evacuation of two mobile home parks in federal heights. Railroad tracks were washed out near Federal Blvd. and 64th avenue. Numerous power outages caused widespread blackouts in Thornton and Littleton. Along Massey Draw near Carr St. and Chatfield Reservoir\u20264 homes were flood damaged and portions of their backyards washed out. Widespread street flooding was also reported in Boulder where several buildings were flood damaged\u2026including the University of Colorado Memorial Center.<\/p>\n

In 2004\u2026two golfers were shocked when lightning struck the eighth green of the golf course at Castle Pines north of Castle Rock. The two men suffered only minor injuries. Heavy thunderstorm rain from the same storm caused flash flooding. Floodwaters rushed across parts of U.S. Highway 85 near the entrance to the Castle Pines Golf Club. The traffic lanes were covered with up to 6 inches of running water.<\/p>\n

In 2008\u2026lightning sparked a grassfire that consumed 300 acres on the northern edge of Green Mountain\u2026in Jefferson County. Gusty winds and very dry conditions allowed the wildfire to quickly spread and threaten several houses. Fortunately\u2026only minor damage was reported to homes due to smoke and melted siding.<\/p>\n

In 2018 a severe thunderstorm produced strong winds in and around Denver. A peak wind gust to 60 mph was observed near Firestone with a gust to 59 mph near Buckley Air Force Base. A peak wind gust to 40 mph from the southwest was observed at Denver International Airport.<\/p>\n

5<\/p>\n

In 1881\u2026the low temperature cooled to only 76 degrees\u2026the record high minimum temperature for the month.<\/p>\n

In 1889\u2026southwest winds were sustained to 42 mph.<\/p>\n

In 1918\u2026hail pelted the city\u2026but was light and caused no damage. Precipitation totaled 0.25 inch. Northwest winds were sustained to 31 mph.<\/p>\n

In 1964\u2026lightning struck two boys in Denver while playing ball. One was treated and released from the hospital\u2026but the other boy suffered second degree electrical shock and cardiac arrest and was hospitalized in critical condition for several days.<\/p>\n

In 1969\u2026two tornadoes touched down briefly in an open field southeast of Buckley Field in Aurora. No damage was reported.<\/p>\n

In 1970\u2026heavy rain in the Indian Hills area in the foothills west of Denver caused flash flooding\u2026which washed out roads and damaged other property. Hail accumulated to a 3 inch depth with stones up to golf ball size; however\u2026most of the damage was from flooding.<\/p>\n

In 1982\u20262.38 inches of rain fell in an hour in Arvada\u2026 Causing minor flooding on Ralston Creek. In Westminster\u2026 1 1\/2 inches of rain fell\u2026causing damage to streets and culverts. In addition\u2026lightning caused some minor power outages across metro Denver.<\/p>\n

In 1983\u2026very heavy thunderstorms hit the southern portion of metro Denver. Heavy rainfall\u2026as much as 2.89 inches in 38 minutes\u2026caused widespread street flooding in southeast Denver. Two feet of water covered a section of I-25. Hail up to golf ball size accompanied the storm in Littleton and Englewood\u2026along with 60 mph winds.<\/p>\n

In 1984\u2026a heavy thunderstorm drenched Littleton with up to 2.35 inches of rain in an hour\u2026along with small hail that piled up to 2 inches deep. Flood waters were up to 4 feet deep in parts of town with many basements flooded. There were some power outages caused by lightning.<\/p>\n

In 1990\u2026a thunderstorm dumped 1.25 inches of rain in 12 minutes near tower and smoky hill roads in southeast Aurora. Minor street flooding was reported in the area.<\/p>\n

In 1992\u2026a pilot reported two funnel clouds near Cheery Creek Reservoir. Both dissipated quickly. Dime size hail fell near Franktown.<\/p>\n

In 1994\u2026one inch diameter hail fell near Strasburg. No damage was reported.<\/p>\n

In 1999\u2026a dog kennel east of Denver International Airport\u2026 Was flooded when a small dam\u2026upstream in Elbert County\u2026 Was breached. The floodwaters\u2026up to 4 feet deep\u2026washed away some 6-foot fences and other small buildings. Ten of the 70 dogs boarded at the kennel drowned.<\/p>\n

In 2002\u2026a mail carrier was struck by lightning as he inserted a key into a multi-unit mailbox in Bailey. The shock knocked the man back against the mail truck. He suffered minor injuries. Lightning struck a residence in Commerce City. The resulting fire destroyed the roof of a detached garage and damaged much of its contents. Hail as large as 1 3\/4 inches in diameter pelted Pine. One inch diameter hail fell in Arvada and southwest Denver. Heavy rain triggered a mudslide along U.S. Highway 285 near Bailey. Both lanes of traffic had to be closed until debris could be removed from the highway. Several residences in the Bailey and Glenisle areas were also flooded.<\/p>\n

In 2004\u2026heavy thunderstorm rainfall caused localized flash flooding in Virginia Canyon near Idaho Springs. Sections of the Virginia Canyon Road had to be closed due to the floodwaters.<\/p>\n

In 2008\u2026a severe thunderstorm produced large hail\u2026up to 1 1\/4 inches in diameter\u2026northeast of Parker. Several automobiles were damaged.<\/p>\n

<\/span>6<\/p>\n

In 1877\u2026a severe rain\u2026hail\u2026and wind storm struck Denver. The storm produced a one minute sustained wind speed of 75 mph. Rainfall totaled 1.00 inch in 25 minutes. The hail storm damaged vegetable gardens in the city.<\/p>\n

In 1954\u2026an unconfirmed tornado was reported in Westminster. A funnel cloud was sighted in the area\u2026but it was not certain if it had touched down. No damage was reported.<\/p>\n

In 1980\u2026the temperature reached 100 degrees\u2026setting a new record high for the date.<\/p>\n

In 1982\u20263\/4 inch diameter hail was reported in north Denver. Heavy rain caused street flooding in central Denver where 4 to 5 feet of water inundated I-25\u2026closing the freeway for a while. Rainfall across metro Denver ranged up to 2.35 inches in just over an hour. An estimated 2000 basements were flooded. Only 0.01 inch of rain fell at Stapleton International Airport.<\/p>\n

In 1991\u2026heavy rain caused flooding at the junction of I-25 and I-70. Dime size hail was reported northeast of Boulder near Niwot.<\/p>\n

In 1995\u2026microburst winds gusting as high as 58 mph caused minor damage to an apartment complex in Broomfield. Some homes under construction were also damaged when the winds knocked over 2 by 4 wood beams along with some insulation and roofing materials\u2026which broke a few windows. Microburst winds also overturned a camper near Barr Lake.<\/p>\n

In 1996\u2026hail ranging in size from 1 to 1 1\/2 inches fell near Bennett.<\/p>\n

In 2001\u20263\/4 inch hail fell in the foothills near Conifer.<\/p>\n

In 2008\u2026a record daily rainfall record was set at Denver International Airport. The record of 1.29 inches in 24 hours broke the previous record of 1.10 inches set in 1929.<\/p>\n

In 2020…a severe thunderstorm developed near Byers. The wind snapped large tree branches…up to 4 inches in diameter…and produce large hail up to one inch in diameter. At Denver International Airport…a peak wind gust to 47 mph was observed from the west.<\/p>\n

7<\/p>\n

In 1948\u2026a brief west moving tornado was sighted 3 miles north-northeast of Stapleton Airport. The white funnel silhouetted against a gray cloud background was very narrow\u2026nearly vertical\u2026and estimated at nearly 5 thousand feet high. A dust cloud formed on the ground around the funnel. No damage was reported.<\/p>\n

In 1952\u2026a thunderstorm wind gust to 52 mph was recorded at Stapleton Airport.<\/p>\n

In 2014…severe thunderstorms produced large hail across western and southern parts of metro Denver. Near Centennial and Golden…hail up to quarter size was reported. Near Bennett…a peak thunderstorm wind gust to 65 mph was also reported. At Denver International Airport…a peak wind gust to 46 mph was recorded.<\/p>\n

In 2018…a severe thunderstorm produced large hail around Denver and vicinity. Hail ranging in size from 1 to 1 3\/4 inches fell near Firestone…Ft Lupton…Parker…and Smoky Hill.<\/p>\n

8<\/p>\n

In 1874\u2026swarms of grasshoppers invaded the city. Millions of them were seen cruising through the air. The insects were apparently picked up by a thunderstorm gust front and carried into the city. The grasshoppers had ravaged crops in surrounding counties for the last month.<\/p>\n

In 1878\u2026the highest temperature ever recorded in Denver\u2026105 degrees\u2026occurred at 3:20 pm. This temperature was equaled on July 20th in 2005.<\/p>\n

In 1969\u2026the temperature reached 100 degrees at Stapleton International Airport.<\/p>\n

In 1976\u2026in Thornton\u2026a 13 year old boy riding a bicycle was struck and killed by lightning.<\/p>\n

In 2000\u2026lightning struck three homes in central Arapahoe County east of Denver. Damage was estimated at 47 thousand dollars.<\/p>\n

In 2003\u2026hail to 1 inch in diameter pelted Denver. Hail to 7\/8 inch was measured in Boulder.<\/p>\n

In 2008\u2026heavy rain also caused flash flooding over south Denver and its nearby suburbs. Heavy rain\u2026from 2.5 to 4 inches\u2026fell in less than 90 minutes. Firefighters rescued 20 people as the water quickly rose along creeks\u2026flooded roadways\u2026and stranded motorists. Three people had to be rescued along Cherry Creek when the bike path flooded. In Evergreen\u2026a man suffered minor injuries when he was struck by lightning. It entered his finger\u2026traveled down his body\u2026 And exited his foot.<\/p>\n

In 2013…heavy rain caused localized flash flooding in Aurora. An undergound parking garage at an apartment complex was inundated with 3 to 4 feet of water. Flash flooding forced a road closure at East Mississippi Ave. and Alton St. Also… several people had to be rescued when three vehicles stalled in floodwaters at Alameda Ave. and Havana St. The stationary thunderstorms dumped 2.75 inches of rain in less than 45 minutes. In addition…large hail…up to one inch in diameter… was reported north of Roxbourough State Park. At Denver International Airport…just a trace of rainfall was observed.<\/p>\n

8-10<\/p>\n

In 1979\u2026heavy thunderstorm rains on each of three consecutive days dumped a total of 2.22 inches of rain at Stapleton International Airport. The heaviest rain\u2026 0.95 inches\u2026fell on the 9th. Small hail to 1\/8 inch diameter fell on the 8th.<\/p>\n

8-13<\/p>\n

In 1875\u2026clouds of grasshoppers were seen flying through the air on the prevailing winds during each day.<\/p>\n

9<\/p>\n

In 1900\u2026a thunderstorm produced west winds sustained to 47 mph with gusts to 55 mph\u2026but only 0.01 inch of rain.<\/p>\n

In 1902\u2026a thunderstorm produced no rain and north winds sustained to 52 mph with gusts to 60 mph.<\/p>\n

In 1934\u2026heavy cloudbursts in the foothills near Kittredge and at the head of Mount Vernon Creek caused flash flooding on both bear creek and Mount Vernon Creek at Morrison\u2026 Which resulted in 6 deaths and much property damage. The highway in Mount Vernon Canyon was destroyed by the flood waters.<\/p>\n

In 1981\u20263\/4 inch hail fell at Kittredge near Evergreen in Jefferson County.<\/p>\n

In 1987\u20263\/4 inch hail fell in Boulder and 9 miles northwest of Castle Rock.<\/p>\n

In 1995\u2026lightning struck a 16-year-old counselor in the back of the head while he and a friend were standing under a tree at the singing river ranch\u20267 miles west of Evergreen. He stopped breathing\u2026but his friend was able to summon help and they were able to revive him. He was hospitalized for a few days and released.<\/p>\n

In 1998\u2026brief\u2026weak tornadoes (f0) were sighted near Bennett and Roggen. No damage was reported. Hail as large as 1 inch diameter fell in Franktown with 3\/4 inch diameter hail measured near Castle Rock. Thunderstorm winds gusted to 61 mph near Roggen.<\/p>\n

9-10<\/p>\n

In 2006\u2026mid and high cloudiness overnight on both days resulted in two temperature records. The low temperature of 71 degrees on the 9th was a record high minimum for the date. The low temperature of 68 degrees on the 10th equaled the record high minimum for the date first set in 1936.<\/p>\n

10<\/p>\n

In 1924\u20260.01 inch of rain fell over downtown Denver. This along with the 0.01 inch of rainfall on the 4th was the only rainfall of the month\u2026making this the driest August on record in the city.<\/p>\n

In 1962\u2026the high temperature reached 100 degrees at Stapleton Airport.<\/p>\n

In 1970\u2026hail stones to 1 inch in diameter were reported in the Fort Lupton area.<\/p>\n

In 1972\u2026dry thunderstorm microburst winds gusting to 46 mph briefly reduced the surface visibility to 3\/4 mile in blowing dust at Stapleton International Airport.<\/p>\n

In 1978\u2026lightning struck two men in Aurora\u2026killing one and injuring the other.<\/p>\n

In 1982\u2026a tornado was sighted near Castle Rock and remained on the ground for 10 minutes. Wind gusts to 60 mph were reported in Castle Rock. No damage was reported.<\/p>\n

In 1994\u2026heavy thunderstorm rains caused flash flooding on Lena Gulch in west metro Denver. Damage was estimated at 50 thousand dollars. Lightning struck a house in Westminster\u2026causing a small attic fire.<\/p>\n

In 1996\u2026strong thunderstorm winds toppled a tent at a company picnic in Westminster. Five people received minor injuries when the tent collapsed. Two cars nearby were also damaged by flying debris. A weak tornado (f0)\u2026first sighted near Denver International Airport\u2026traveled east to near Bennett and Strasburg. No significant damage was reported.<\/p>\n

In 1998\u2026heavy rain caused flooding and flash flooding problems over southwest metro Denver. An observer in Lakewood measured 3.26 inches of rainfall in an hour. Several streets were flooded in central Lakewood. In addition\u2026a trailer park along Lena Gulch in Wheat Ridge was evacuated due to high waters. One inch diameter hail fell near Roggen.<\/p>\n

In 1999\u2026thunderstorm-producing tornadoes\u2026damaging straight line winds\u2026heavy rain\u2026and hail hammered metro Denver. In the city\u2026small hail and heavy rainfall\u2026up to 2.50 inches an hour\u2026caused a 20-foot by 50-foot section of the roof to collapse at a furniture warehouse. Damage to the warehouse was estimated at 1 million dollars. Heavy rain also flooded several underpasses with up to 3 feet of water\u2026which resulted in a number of stalled vehicles. In Fort Lupton\u2026a tornado bounced across the area. Spotty damage was reported along a 5-mile path as trees\u2026power poles\u2026and lines were downed. In addition\u2026an empty semi-trailer was overturned onto another vehicle northeast of the town. Thunderstorm winds gusted to 81 mph south of Fort Lupton.<\/p>\n

In 2004\u2026severe thunderstorms pummeled metro Denver with large hail. Hail up to 3 inches in diameter was measured 10 miles east of Castle Rock. Two inch diameter hail fell in Louisville\u202610 miles north of Hudson\u2026and 1 mile east of Brighton. Hail to 1.75 inches was reported in Englewood\u2026 1 mile south of Ft. Lupton\u2026and 8 miles east of Boulder. Hail to 1.50 inches was reported around Boulder\u2026near Broomfield\u2026and in Lafayette\u2026Thornton and greenwood village. Hail from 3\/4 to 1 inch in diameter was found in Broomfield\u2026 Brighton\u2026Castle Rock\u2026Denver and Thornton\u2026and near Longmont\u2026 Northglenn\u2026Greenwood Village\u2026Morrison\u2026and Wheat Ridge. Severe thunderstorm wind gusts were recorded to 66 mph in Parker and to 60 mph 5 miles northeast of Boulder. There were no damage estimates from the hail or wind.<\/p>\n

In 2015…heavy rain quickly flooded several intersections in Centennial and vicinity. Vehicles stalled in the flooded intersections. Two motorists had to be rescued from flooded roadways; on at University Blvd and County Line Road and the other…at Univerity Blvd and Dry Creek Rd. At Centennial Airport…a hangar partially collapsed when 2.17 inches fell in less than 45 minutes. At the Denver Broncos training facility in Dove Valley…the storm left the practice fields and parking lot flooded…and the viewing area near the field house damaged by strong winds. The fields…the team said… received 3.5 inches of rain in an hour during the storm. As a result…the practice facility was closed to the public the following day due to storm damage.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The beginning of August typically continues our monsoon season. This leads to increased chances for thunderstorms with heavy rain and the associated hazards that come with it. Our look back at this week in Denver weather history highlights the dangers of flooding, hail and lightning and even includes reference to grasshopper swarms being blown into … Continue reading August 4 to August 10: 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":[26,81,62,741],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thorntonweather.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19894"}],"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=19894"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.thorntonweather.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19894\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":24335,"href":"https:\/\/www.thorntonweather.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19894\/revisions\/24335"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thorntonweather.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=19894"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thorntonweather.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=19894"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thorntonweather.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=19894"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}