![\"This](\"https:\/\/www.thorntonweather.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/This-Week-in-Denver-Weather-History.jpg\")
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Powerful, damaging winds, heavy snow and the first official weather observation in the Mile High City highlight this week in Denver weather history.<\/p>\n
From the National Weather Service:<\/p>\n
14-18<\/p>\n
In 1964\u2026the first measurable snowfall of the season totaled 6.0 inches at Stapleton International Airport where northeast winds gusted to 32 mph on the 14th. Most of the snow\u20264.2 inches\u2026fell on the 14th. This was the only measurable snow of the month.<\/p>\n
15-17<\/p>\n
In 1991\u2026a strong winter storm dumped heavy snow over metro Denver. Snowfall amounts totaled 15 inches at Castle Rock and Conifer\u202614 inches at Morrison and Parker\u202612 inches in southeast Aurora\u2026and 11.6 inches at Stapleton International Airport. Winds were light with the storm.<\/p>\n
16-17<\/p>\n
In 2010\u2026the combination of heavy snow and strong winds produced dangerous driving conditions in the high country. Blizzard conditions forced the closure of U.S. Highway 6 at Loveland pass and U.S. Highway 40 at Berthoud Pass. Blowing and drifting snow forced the closure of a 65-mile stretch of Interstate 70\u2026west of Idaho Springs. Peak wind gusts included: 68 mph atop Niwot Ridge\u202655 mph near Blackhawk and Gunsight\u2026and 52 mph at Berthoud Pass. Storm totals in the ski areas west of Denver ranged from 12 to 21 inches. Northwest winds gusted to 55 mph at Denver International Airport on the 16th.<\/p>\n
In 2010\u2026the combination of snow and strong winds produced dangerous driving conditions in the mountains west of Denver. Near blizzard conditions forced the closure of U.S. Highway 6 at Loveland pass and U.S. Highway 40 at Berthoud Pass. Blowing and drifting snow closed a 65-mile stretch of interstate 70\u2026between Idaho Springs and Vail Pass. Peak wind gusts included: 68 mph atop Niwot Ridge\u202662 mph at Loveland Pass\u202655 mph near Blackhawk and 52 mph at Berthoud Pass.<\/p>\n
16-18<\/p>\n
In 1921\u2026heavy snowfall totaled 6.5 inches over downtown Denver. This was the only measurable snow of the month. East winds were sustained to 14 mph on the 17th.<\/p>\n
17<\/p>\n
In 1948\u2026a dry vigorous cold front accompanied by north winds gusting to 60 mph produced extensive blowing dust\u2026which briefly reduced the visibility to 1\/2 mile at Stapleton Airport.<\/p>\n
In 1993\u2026a wind gust to 70 mph was recorded atop Squaw Mountain near Idaho Springs.<\/p>\n
In 1994\u2026winds gusted to 66 mph in Boulder and to 63 mph on Rocky Flats south of Boulder. West winds gusted to 49 mph at Stapleton International Airport.<\/p>\n
In 2000\u2026snow fell in the foothills west of Denver\u2026mainly south of the I-70 corridor. Snowfall totals included: 8.5 inches\u20267 miles south of tiny town; 6 inches at Genesee; and 5 inches\u202611 miles southwest of Morrison. Only a trace of snow was recorded at the site of the former Stapleton International Airport.<\/p>\n
In 2016…bands of moderate to heavy snow fell along the Interstate 70 Corridor as strong fast moving storm system moved across Colorado. Wet roads quickly became icy and snowpacked. A 20-vehicle crash involving semis kept both directions of I-70 closed near Evergreen for a couple of hours. Storm totals included:\u00a0 11.5 inches…4.5 miles south-southeast of Idaho Springs; 8 inches…5 miles west of Evergreen; 7.5 inches near Conifer…with 4 to 7 inches elsewhere. At Denver International Airport…1.7 inches of snowfall was observed.<\/p>\n
17-18<\/p>\n
In 1869\u2026the heaviest wind storm in 5 or 6 years raked the eastern foothills including Boulder\u2026Denver\u2026Georgetown\u2026 And Golden. Some hundreds of dollars in damage occurred in Boulder.<\/p>\n
18<\/p>\n
In 1872\u2026fresh west winds contributed to the relative humidity dipping to zero at 2:43 pm. The maximum temperature was 54 degrees.<\/p>\n
In 1907\u2026heavy snowfall totaled 6.0 inches over downtown Denver. Snow fell all day. North winds were sustained to 19 mph.<\/p>\n
In 1915\u2026northwest winds were sustained to 42 mph with gusts as high as 48 mph. It was windy most of the day.<\/p>\n
In 1996\u2026high winds struck the foothills west of Denver. Wind gusts ranged from 70 to 75 mph. A few power lines were downed\u2026but no major outages were reported.<\/p>\n
In 1998\u2026strong downslope winds developed during the morning. Wind gusts reached a peak of 72 mph at Jefferson County Airport near Broomfield. West winds gusted to 41 mph at Denver International Airport.<\/p>\n
In 1999\u2026high winds developed in and near the Front Range foothills. The strong winds downed power lines\u2026which sparked several small brush fires. In Broomfield\u2026 Scaffolding was damaged at the Wadsworth Recreation Center\u2026while flying rocks broke several windows at a local bank building. Peak wind gusts included: 91 mph atop Blue Mountain near Wondervu\u202688 mph atop the Gamow Tower on the University of Colorado campus in Boulder\u2026 83 mph at Jefferson County Airport\u202681 mph at the National Center for Atmospheric Research mesa lab above Boulder\u2026and 80 mph at Wondervu. West-northwest winds gusted to 48 mph at Denver International Airport.<\/p>\n
<\/span>18-19<\/p>\n In 1975\u2026snowfall totaled only 5.5 inches and north winds gusted to 35 mph causing some blowing snow at Stapleton International Airport\u2026while a major blizzard struck southeastern Colorado.<\/p>\n In 1985\u20264 to 7 inches of snow fell across metro Denver. Snowfall totaled 4.4 inches at Stapleton International Airport where north winds gusted to 23 mph.<\/p>\n In 1991\u2026another strong winter storm produced heavy snow over metro Denver. Snowfall totaled 9.5 inches at Stapleton International Airport with 9 inches at Parker\u2026 And 8 inches in southeast Denver\u2026Morrison\u2026and Wheat Ridge. This second storm brought the 5 day (15th-19th) snowfall total at Stapleton International Airport to 21.1 inches. The greatest depth of snow on the ground was 13 inches on the morning of the 19th. The adverse effects of the two storms were diminished by the lack of significant winds.<\/p>\n 18-20<\/p>\n In 1930\u2026a major storm dumped a total of 13.6 inches of snowfall over downtown Denver. Most of the snow\u20269.4 inches\u2026fell on the 19th when north winds were sustained to 23 mph. This was the only measurable snow of the month. Temperatures hovered in the 20\u2019s and lower 30\u2019s.<\/p>\n In 1956\u2026an intense winter storm dumped 12.8 inches of snowfall on metro Denver. Strong north-northeast winds gusting to 33 mph at Stapleton Airport frequently reduced the visibility to 1\/2 mile in snow and blowing snow on the 19th. Most of the snowfall\u202610.7 inches\u2026occurred on the 19th.<\/p>\n 19<\/p>\n In 1931\u2026the first measurable snow of the season totaled only 1.0 inch in the city.<\/p>\n In 1977\u2026near-blizzard conditions caused some traffic accident injuries across metro Denver. Only 1.3 inches of snow fell at Stapleton International Airport where northeast winds gusted to 28 mph.<\/p>\n 19-21<\/p>\n In 1979\u2026a heavy snowstorm buried most of Colorado under at least a foot of snow. Snowfall at Stapleton International Airport totaled 17.7 inches\u2026the greatest snow depth since 1946. Winds to 60 mph produced 5-foot drifts paralyzing the city as temperatures hovered in the 20\u2019s. While small airports closed\u2026Stapleton remained open\u2026but with long delays that snarled Thanksgiving holiday traffic. Schools and businesses closed and postal deliveries were delayed. Almost all major highways leading out of Denver were closed to traffic for periods of time on the 20th and 21st. Most of the snow\u202613.5 inches\u2026fell on the 20th. At Stapleton International Airport\u2026north winds gusted to 35 mph on the 20th and to 38 mph on the 21st.<\/p>\n 20<\/p>\n In 1871\u2026the first official weather observation in Denver\u2026 Was taken by Henry Fenton\u2026Observer Sergeant of the United States Army Signal Service at 5:43 am. The office was located on the 2nd floor of a building at the corner of Larimer and G streets\u2026now 16th street. The daily weather journal hand written entry for the day follows: \u201cSnow fell heavily during past night. At 5:43 am it was snowing light and continued until 8 am. Wind during snow storm gentle and a little west of south\u2026and continued there during the remainder of the day. Sky clear after 8 am. Very cold weather prevailed all day and night. Thermometer at 9:43 pm 14 degrees. Rain gauge and self-registering thermometer not in position owing to severe storm last week. Barometer falling during the morning and rising rapidly at night.\u201d<\/p>\n In 1894\u2026northwest Chinook winds sustained to 40 mph with gusts to 45 mph warmed the temperature to a high of 58 degrees in the city.<\/p>\n In 1909\u2026steady and very strong winds in Boulder caused 3 thousand dollars in damage.<\/p>\n In 1915\u2026post-frontal northeast winds sustained to 40 mph with gusts as high as 42 mph produced only a trace of snow. It was windy most of the day.<\/p>\n In 1923\u2026west winds were sustained to 42 mph with gusts to 44 mph before daybreak. The strong winds persisted in the city for only about 3 hours.<\/p>\n In 1993\u2026a wind gust to 72 mph was recorded at Table Mesa in southwest Boulder.<\/p>\n In 1994\u2026winds gusted to 77 mph atop Squaw Mountain west of Denver. West winds gusted to 40 mph at Stapleton International Airport.<\/p>\n 20-21<\/p>\n In 1898\u2026snowfall totaled 4.0 inches in downtown Denver. Northeast winds were sustained to 48 mph with gusts as high as 60 mph behind an apparent cold front on the 20th\u2026 When temperatures plunged from a high of 66 degrees to a low of 9 degrees. On the 21st the high was only 24 degrees and the low was 2 degrees.<\/p>\n In 1970\u2026a wind gust to 94 mph was recorded at gold hill in the foothills west of Boulder. Strong winds also swept across metro Denver. Wind gusts reached 59 mph in downtown Boulder\u2026while at Stapleton International Airport west- northwest winds gusted to 43 mph on the 21st. Damage was minor.<\/p>\n In 1992\u2026a large Canadian air mass moved into the state at the same time an upper level storm system approached from the west. The combination of cold air at the surface and very moist air aloft produced heavy snow across the entire state. Snowfall totaled 6.3 inches at Stapleton International Airport\u2026where north winds gusted to 23 mph on the 20th. Snow was heavier in the foothills\u2026with 14 inches at Wondervu\u202613 inches at Aspen Springs\u2026Conifer\u2026 Boulder\u2026and Gross Reservoir\u20268 inches at Rollinsville\u2026 And 10 inches at Golden Gate Canyon and Morrison.<\/p>\n In 2007\u2026a storm system brought moderate to heavy snowfall to portions of the urban corridor. Storm totals included: 7 inches\u20263 miles south-southeast of Fort Collins\u2026with 6 inches in Boulder and at Horsetooth Inlet Bay. Elsewhere\u2026 Storm totals ranged from 2 to 5 inches. Snowfall totaled 2.0 inches at the site of the former Stapleton International Airport.<\/p>\n 21<\/p>\n In 1891\u2026northwest winds were sustained to 50 mph with gusts to 60 mph.<\/p>\n In 1899\u2026a trace of snow fell in the city. This\u2026together with a trace of precipitation on the 16th and 23rd\u2026was the only precipitation of the month\u2026making the month the driest on record. The record was equaled in November of 1901 and 1949. This trace of snow along with a trace of snow on the 23rd was the only snow of the month\u2026ranking the month the 2nd least snowiest on record. This record was equaled in November of 1884\u20261901\u20261905\u20261917\u2026and 1939.<\/p>\n In 1900\u2026west winds were sustained to 46 mph with gusts to 54 mph. The Chinook winds warmed the temperature to a high of 64 degrees.<\/p>\n In 1934\u2026the latest date for the first measurable snow of the season occurred. This was not the first snow of the season\u2026 Because traces of snow had fallen earlier in September. Snowfall totaled only 1.0 inch over downtown Denver.<\/p>\n In 1962\u2026strong west-northwest Chinook winds gusted to 53 mph at Stapleton Airport.<\/p>\n In 1998\u2026an intense mountain wave allowed for high winds to develop in the foothills of Boulder County. Wind gusts as high as 77 mph were measured 3 miles east- northeast of Nederland.<\/p>\n 21-22<\/p>\n In 1905\u2026a trace of snow fell on both days in downtown Denver. This was the only snow of the month\u2026ranking the month along with other Novembers\u2026the 2nd least snowiest on record.<\/p>\n In 1999\u2026the first significant snowfall of the season struck metro Denver. Snowfall totals included: 16 inches near Bailey; 13 inches near Evergreen; 12 inches at north turkey creek\u2026Genesee\u2026near Morrison\u2026and near Sedalia; 11 inches near Conifer and in Evergreen; 10 inches in Louisville; 9 inches in Brighton\u2026Broomfield\u2026and Denver; and 8 inches at Arvada\u2026Castle Rock\u2026and Eldorado Springs. Snowfall totaled 8.4 inches at the site of the former Stapleton International Airport.<\/p>\n In 2003\u2026heavy snow fell in and near the foothills of Boulder County. Snowfall totaled 10.5 inches in Eldorado Springs. Across the city\u2026snowfall was lighter with 2.8 inches measured at the site of the former Stapleton International Airport on the 22nd. North winds gusted to 32 mph at Denver International Airport on the 22nd.<\/p>\n 21-23<\/p>\n In 1918\u2026post-frontal snowfall totaled 5.9 inches in downtown Denver. Most of the snow\u20265.3 inches\u2026fell on the 22nd. North winds were sustained to 20 mph on the 21st.<\/p>\n In 1931\u2026a major storm dumped a total of 13.2 inches of snowfall over downtown Denver. Most of the snow\u202611.4 inches\u2026fell on the 21st. A very cold air mass settled over the city after the heavy snow on the 21st. After a low temperature of zero\u2026the temperature climbed to a high of only 5 degrees on the 22nd\u2026a record low maximum for the date.<\/p>\n 21-25<\/p>\n In 1952\u2026snowfall of 6.2 inches was measured at Stapleton Airport where northeast winds gusted to 17 mph on the 21st.<\/p>\n 22<\/p>\n In 1977\u2026101 mph winds were measured in southwest Boulder. The side of a garage was blown down. West winds gusted to only 33 mph at Stapleton International Airport.<\/p>\n In 1981\u2026high winds occurred in the foothills. A peak gust to 75 mph was reported at Wondervu. West winds gusted to 23 mph at Stapleton International Airport.<\/p>\n In 1988\u2026a wind gust to 88 mph was measured at Rollinsville.<\/p>\n In 1990\u2026strong west to northwest winds\u2026on the coat tails of a mountain snow storm the day before\u2026lashed out at portions of the eastern foothills with 60 to 95 mph wind gusts. The strong winds spread over all of metro Denver. A west wind gust to 49 mph was recorded at Stapleton International Airport.<\/p>\n 22-23<\/p>\n In 1953\u2026strong winds raked Boulder causing 18 thousand dollars in damage. Wind gusts to 80 mph were recorded at Valmont and estimated to 80 mph at the Boulder airport.<\/p>\n 23<\/p>\n In 1899\u2026a trace of snow fell in the city. This\u2026together with a trace of precipitation on the 16th and 21st\u2026was the only precipitation of the month\u2026making the month the driest on record. The record was equaled in November of 1901 and 1949. This trace of snow along with a trace of snow on the 21st was the only snow of the month\u2026ranking the month the 2nd least snowiest on record. This record was equaled in November of 1884\u20261901\u20261905\u20261917\u2026and 1939.<\/p>\n In 1901\u2026northwest winds were sustained to 45 mph with gusts to 53 mph. The Chinook winds warmed the temperature to a high of 70 degrees.<\/p>\n In 1910\u2026west winds were sustained to 42 mph. The Chinook winds warmed the temperature to a high of 67 degrees.<\/p>\n In 1959\u2026west-northwest winds gusted to 56 mph\u2026briefly reducing the visibility to 3 miles in blowing dust at Stapleton Airport.<\/p>\n In 1998\u2026winds\u2026estimated as high as 58 mph\u2026caused several wood trusses installed in a police station under construction in Castle Rock to collapse. A construction worker on the roof received minor injuries when he was struck by one of the trusses. Southeast winds gusted to 38 mph at Denver International Airport.<\/p>\n 23-24<\/p>\n In 1992\u2026a pre-Thanksgiving blizzard belted metro Denver. Gusty north to northeast winds at 30 to 40 mph caused near-whiteout conditions as visibilities were often below 1\/4 mile. The strong winds drove snow into drifts of more than 4 feet. Hundreds of holiday travelers were stranded when airlines canceled flights at Stapleton International Airport where snowfall totaled 7.6 inches and north winds gusted to 37 mph. Blizzard conditions began around mid- morning on the 23rd and ended by mid-afternoon\u2026but heavy snow fell through the night. Snowfall totaled: 12 inches at Conifer\u2026Morrison\u2026and Wheat Ridge; 19 inches at Littleton; 16 inches at Castle Rock; 9 inches in Brighton; 8 inches in Aurora; and 6 inches in Parker.<\/p>\n In 1993\u2026a moist upper level disturbance dumped heavy snow over most of Colorado. Snowfall amounts averaged 5 to 8 inches across metro Denver. Snowfall totaled 4.6 inches at Stapleton International Airport where northeast winds gusted to only 20 mph on the 23rd. The very cold air mass caused the temperature to dip to a record low of 8 degrees below zero on the 24th. The temperature that day climbed to only 9 degrees\u2026also setting a record low maximum for the date.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Powerful, damaging winds, heavy snow and the first official weather observation in the Mile High City highlight this week in Denver weather history. From the National Weather Service: 14-18 In 1964\u2026the first measurable snowfall of the season totaled 6.0 inches at Stapleton International Airport where northeast winds gusted to 32 mph on the 14th. … Continue reading November 17 to November 23: This Week in Denver Weather History<\/span>