{"id":20532,"date":"2026-03-22T05:15:51","date_gmt":"2026-03-22T11:15:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.thorntonweather.com\/blog\/?p=20532"},"modified":"2026-03-22T06:02:13","modified_gmt":"2026-03-22T12:02:13","slug":"march-22-to-march-28-this-week-in-denver-weather-history","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thorntonweather.com\/blog\/weather-history\/march-22-to-march-28-this-week-in-denver-weather-history\/","title":{"rendered":"March 22 to March 28: This week in Denver weather history"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thorntonweather.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/This-Week-in-Denver-Weather-History.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-20209\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thorntonweather.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/This-Week-in-Denver-Weather-History-590x331.jpg\" alt=\"This Week in Denver Weather History\" width=\"590\" height=\"331\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thorntonweather.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/This-Week-in-Denver-Weather-History-590x331.jpg 590w, https:\/\/www.thorntonweather.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/This-Week-in-Denver-Weather-History-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.thorntonweather.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/This-Week-in-Denver-Weather-History-450x253.jpg 450w, https:\/\/www.thorntonweather.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/This-Week-in-Denver-Weather-History-768x431.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.thorntonweather.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/This-Week-in-Denver-Weather-History.jpg 849w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 590px) 100vw, 590px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>This week in Denver weather history are a number of interesting events.\u00a0 As March comes to a close we are not yet done with winter so snow is certainly still possible but we also start seeing more Spring-like weather.\u00a0 Reminders of this include the coldest temperature ever recorded in March \u2013 11 degrees below zero.\u00a0 Conversely, over 40 years ago the highest temperature ever recorded in March of 84 degrees was recorded.<\/p>\n<p>From the National Weather Service:<\/p>\n<p>20-22<\/p>\n<p>In 1944\u2026heavy snow fell over metro Denver for a total of 36 hours. The storm dumped 18.5 inches of snowfall over downtown Denver and 12.2 inches at Stapleton Airport. Fortunately\u2026there were no strong winds with the storm. North winds to only 19 mph were recorded on the 21st.<\/p>\n<p>21-22<\/p>\n<p>In 1955\u2026wind gusts to 98 mph were recorded at Rocky Flats south of Boulder. Some damage and a few minor injuries were reported in Boulder. Northwest winds were sustained to 28 mph with gusts to 39 mph at Stapleton Airport on the 22nd.<\/p>\n<p>In 1966\u2026a vigorous cold front produced only 1.7 inches of snowfall at Stapleton International Airport\u2026but northeast winds gusted to 49 mph on the 21st. Temperatures cooled from a maximum of 66 degrees on the 21st to a minimum of 14 degrees on the 22nd. Strong winds occurred on both days.<\/p>\n<p>In 1992\u2026an arctic cold front produced upslope snow across metro Denver mainly west of I-25. Castle Rock reported 6 inches of snow with 3 inches at Evergreen. At Stapleton International Airport\u2026only 1.5 inches of snowfall were measured and northeast winds gusted to 18 mph on the 21st.<\/p>\n<p>In 2021&#8230;a storm system produced a period of moderate to heavy snowfall primarily over the southern Front Range Foothills&#8230;and Palmer Divide. Storm totals ranged from 7 to 14 inches&#8230;heaviest around Conifer. Across the western and southern Denver suburbs&#8230;storm totals ranged from 4 to 6 inches. At Denver International Airport&#8230;3.7 inches of snowfall was observed.<\/p>\n<p>22<\/p>\n<p>In 1905\u2026apparent post-frontal north winds were sustained to 49 mph.<\/p>\n<p>In 1922\u2026a vigorous cold front with north winds sustained to 41 mph brought only 0.6 inch of snowfall to the city. These were the highest winds of the month.<\/p>\n<p>In 1966\u2026high winds caused extensive blowing snow that impeded traffic and closed highways over a wide area of eastern Colorado. Wind damage was widespread\u2026but minor. North wind gusts to 47 mph were recorded at Stapleton International Airport where visibility was reduced as low as 1\/8 mile in blowing snow.<\/p>\n<p>In 1975\u2026a strong west wind gust to 51 mph was recorded at Stapleton International Airport\u2026while east of Denver the strong winds caused minor property damage and considerable blowing dust which closed several roads.<\/p>\n<p>In 1979\u2026near-blizzard conditions paralyzed the northeastern quarter of the state. Strong winds and drifting snow closed many roads\u2026including I-25 and I-70. Power outages darkened sections of metro Denver. Snow accumulations of 4 to 12 inches were measured over the plains with drifts several feet deep. Only 3.5 inches of snow were recorded at Stapleton International Airport where northeast winds gusted to 39 mph causing some blowing snow.<\/p>\n<p>In 1995\u2026strong winds associated with a fast moving pacific cold front moved from the mountains into metro Denver. Winds estimated at 60 to 75 mph picked up rocks and shattered the windows of a car in Louisville. The strong winds blew down and partially destroyed two houses under construction just north of Thornton. West winds gusted to 53 mph at Denver International Airport where the visibility was briefly reduced to 1\/2 mile in blowing dust.<\/p>\n<p>In 2016&#8230;two brief but powerful gustnadoes developed along a convergence line that formed in the suburbs just north and west of Denver. Three power poles were knocked down. In addition&#8230;a small storage shed was destroyed.<\/p>\n<p>22-23<\/p>\n<p>In 1936\u2026heavy snowfall of 7.7 inches was measured in downtown Denver. The heavy wet snowfall formed a thick coating of snow on trees and shrubs\u2026but caused little damage. North winds were sustained to 15 mph.<\/p>\n<p>In 1984\u2026around a half foot of new snow fell across metro Denver\u2026causing flight delays at Stapleton International Airport where snowfall totaled 6.0 inches and north winds gusted to 31 mph. Up to a foot of snow fell in the foothills. Icy roads produced numerous traffic accidents.<\/p>\n<p>In 2011\u2026strong bora winds developed along the Front Range following the passage of a storm system. Peak wind gusts included: 87 mph at the National Wind Technology Center; 82 mph\u20266 miles northwest of Boulder; 72 mph at Front Range airport in Broomfield; 71 mph at Longmont; and 64 mph\u20264 miles west of Lakewood. At Denver International Airport\u2026a peak wind gust of 48 mph from the west was observed on the 22nd.<\/p>\n<p>In 2013\u2026a wet early spring snowstorm brought heavy snow to parts of the Front Range foothills and urban corridor. The heaviest snowfall occurred near the Front Range foothills and palmer divide. Near blizzard conditions forced the closure of interstate 70 east of Denver. In the foothills\u2026 Storm totals included: 14.5 inches near Conifer; 14 inches just southwest of Eldorado Springs and Intercanyon; 13 inches near Indian Hills; 12.5 inches near Pinecliffe; 11.5 inches near Golden; 11 inches near Jamestown and Roxborough; 10.5 inches near Brookvale and 10 inches at Genesee. Across the urban corridor and Palmer Divide\u2026 Storm totals included: 12.5 inches\u20268 miles southeast of Watkins; 10.5 inches in Boulder\u2026Centennial and Northglenn; 9.5 inches\u2026just south of Aurora; 9 inches in Westminster; 8 inches at Lafayette; 7.5 inches near Morrison; 7 inches in Arvada\u2026Bennett\u2026Brighton; 6 inches in Highlands Ranch\u2026 Longmont\u2026Louisville and Thornton. Officially\u202611.6 inches of snow fell at DIA from the evening of the 22nd to the afternoon of the 23rd\u2026which set a new two-day snowfall record in Denver for the date. In addition\u2026a peak wind gust to 33 mph was observed from the east on the 22nd with a gust to 30 mph from the north on the 23rd.<\/p>\n<p>In 2016&#8230;a powerful blizzard developed across the Front Range of Colorado late on the 22nd and continued through much of the 23rd. The storm tracked east-southeast across Utah on the 22nd&#8230;and then into southeast Colorado by the morning of the 23rd. The storm rapidly intensified as it reached eastern Colorado&#8230;producing extremely heavy and intense snowfall with snowfall rates exceeding 3 inches per hour at times. In addition to heavy snow&#8230;strong winds gusting in excess of 50 mph east of I-25 produced widespread blizzard conditions and zero visibilities. The storm initially began with rain on the plains&#8230;but quickly changed over to snow during the early morning hours of the 23rd. Snowfall rates of 1 to 2 inches per hour were common&#8230;with several inches of snow already accumulating for the morning commute. Many roads became impassable due to the depth of fallen snow&#8230;drifting snow&#8230;and near zero visibilities during the day. During the peak of the storm&#8230; snowfall rates reached or exceeded 3 inches per hour. Widespread road closures occurred&#8230;including I-76 from northeast of Denver to the Nebraska state line&#8230;I-70 east of Denver to the Kansas state line&#8230;and much of I-25&#8230; from near Castle Rock to Colorado Springs. The Colorado Department of Transportation estimated over two thousand vehicles became trapped on I-25 near Monument Hill alone&#8230; with hundreds of stuck or abandoned cars elsewhere. Numerous power outages occurred as heavy wet snow accumulated on trees&#8230;despite the strong winds. At the peak&#8230;several hundred thousand residents along the Front Range were without power. Denver International Airport was closed for 7 hours during and just after the peak of the blizzard&#8230;with around 1300 cancelled flights. The power outages shut down the fuel farm pumps&#8230;the deicing facility&#8230;as well as train service to the concourses at the airport. Pea Boulevard&#8230;the main road to the airport&#8230;was impassable for much of the day. It was the first time since December 21&#8230;2006 that Denver International Airport had been shut down due to extreme winter weather conditions. One to 2 feet of snow fell across much of the Front Range Foothills and Urban Corridor. In the foothills of northern Jefferson County&#8230;31.5 inches of snowfall measured at Pinecliffe. Most of the snow fell within a 12-hr period from the early morning into the afternoon. A peak wind gust of 59 mph recorded at Denver International Airport. South of Denver&#8230;over the Palmer Ridge&#8230;12 to 18 inches of snow was reported&#8230;with 6 to 10 inches across the adjacent plains. The official snowfall measurement at Denver International Airport was 13.1 inches. In addition&#8230;the snow was very heavy and wet&#8230;with many areas receiving 1 to 2 inches precipitation. In the foothills&#8230;some locations received nearly 3 inches of water from this storm.<\/p>\n<p><span id=\"more-15085\"><\/span>22-24<\/p>\n<p>In 1965\u2026a vigorous cold front swept across metro Denver late on the afternoon of the 22nd with east-northeast winds gusting to 38 mph causing some blowing dust. Snowfall from the storm totaled 4.4 inches at Stapleton International Airport. Temperatures on the 22nd dropped from a maximum of 63 degrees to 18 degrees in just 10 hours and dipped to 3 degrees below zero on the morning of the 24th. Maximum temperatures warmed to only 19 degrees on the 23rd and 18 degrees on the 24th.<\/p>\n<p>23<\/p>\n<p>In 1887\u2026west winds sustained to 44 mph warmed the temperature to a high of 66 degrees.<\/p>\n<p>In 1910\u2026southwest winds were sustained to 40 mph. The Chinook winds warmed the temperature to a high of 73 degrees.<\/p>\n<p>In 1913\u2026west winds were sustained to 40 mph with a gust to 44 mph.<\/p>\n<p>In 1951\u2026a Chinook wind gust to 56 mph was recorded at Stapleton International Airport.<\/p>\n<p>In 1957\u2026strong north winds gusting to 62 mph reduced the visibility at times to 1 mile in blowing dust at Stapleton Airport as metro Denver dodged a major spring storm\u2026 Which produced heavy rain\u2026snow\u2026wind\u2026and dust over eastern Colorado on the 22nd through the 25th. Snow drifted to 15-foot depths in some areas. All traffic was blocked\u2026power lines were downed\u2026and livestock and crop losses were high.<\/p>\n<p>In 1994\u2026strong winds raked the eastern foothills. While the highest winds occurred north of metro Denver\u2026wind gusts to 74 mph were recorded atop Squaw Mountain near Idaho Springs and to 70 mph at Rocky Flats north of Golden. West wind gusts to 40 mph were recorded at Stapleton International Airport.<\/p>\n<p>In 2005\u2026lightning struck the roof of a home in paradise hills near Genesee. About 5 percent of the residence was damaged by the resulting fire.<\/p>\n<p>In 2018&#8230;intense outflow winds spread south to north across Denver International Airport and points south and east. Peak wind gusts included: 67 mph at Limon Airport&#8230;66 mph near Bennett&#8230;63 mph at Denver International Airport&#8230;62 mph at Front Range Airport&#8230;61 mph&#8230;9 miles north of Manila Village; with 58 mph at Woodlin School.<\/p>\n<p><!--more-->23-24<\/p>\n<p>In 1909\u2026post-frontal rain on the 23rd changed to heavy snow during the evening and continued through the morning of the 24th. Snowfall totaled 13.8 inches. Rain and melted snow\u2026 Totaled 2.43 inches\u2026which was the record greatest 24 hour precipitation ever recorded in March at that time. A thunderstorm of moderate intensity occurred on the 23rd in advance of the cold front. North winds were sustained to 27 mph overnight.<\/p>\n<p>In 1990\u2026several hours of freezing drizzle covered roadways with a thin layer of \u201cblack ice\u201d which caused nearly 100 traffic accidents across metro Denver. In Boulder\u2026snow and freezing rain caused numerous accidents and brief power outages. Snow in Boulder ranged from an inch east of town to 4 to 5 inches near Table Mesa. At times thunder was heard during the snow. Snowfall totaled only 0.6 inch at Stapleton International Airport where northwest winds gusted to 30 mph on the 23rd.<\/p>\n<p>In 1995\u2026high winds developed late on the 23rd and continued through the 24th. A few windows were blown out of a Denver high rise building\u2026spraying glass on the sidewalks and streets below. Southeast winds gusted to 48 mph at Denver International Airport on the 23rd.<\/p>\n<p>In 1996\u2026the third storm in 10 days brought heavy snow to the mountains\u2026foothills\u2026and metro Denver. Snowfall totaled 18 inches at Golden Gate Canyon and 10 inches at Nederland in the foothills. Across metro Denver\u2026 Snowfall ranged from 4 to 8 inches. At the site of the former Stapleton International Airport\u2026snowfall totaled 6.5 inches with most of the snow occurring on the 24th. North winds gusted to 34 mph at Denver International Airport. As the storm moved east on the 24th and 25th\u2026 Blizzard conditions developed over northeastern Colorado closing both I-70 and I-76 east of Denver.<\/p>\n<p>In 2010\u2026a powerful spring snowstorm swept across northern Colorado. The heaviest snowfall occurred in and near the Front Range foothills and deep upslope developed. The heavy\u2026wet snow clung to tree limbs and power lines\u2026which caused 36500 electrical outages throughout Denver and the surrounding metro area. Power outages also occurred in Douglas and Elbert counties. In addition\u2026approximately 5 thousand travelers were stranded at Denver International Airport due to flight cancellations and delays. Initially\u2026 The snow fell at a rate of 2 to 4 inches per hour\u2026between Boulder and Denver\u2026bringing the evening rush hour to a complete halt. Countless motorists were stuck on U.S. Highway 36 for several hours. Other road closures included I-70\u2026from Idaho Springs to Genesee and I-25 in both directions\u2026from Lincoln Avenue south to Greenland\u2026 Or about 15 miles south of Castle Rock. In and near the Front Range foothills and Palmer Ridge\u2026storm totals included: 26 inches at Coal Creek Canyon\u202623.5 inches\u20263 miles south of Evergreen; 22 inches at Aspen Springs\u202613 miles northwest of Golden and 3 miles west of Jamestown; 21.5 inches\u20263 miles north of Blackhawk\u202620 inches at Genesee; 16 inches near Nederland; 14 inches near Elizabeth and Strontia Springs dam; 13 inches at Bergen Park and 3 miles southeast of Indian Hills; 12.5 inches\u2026 3 miles southwest of Conifer; 11.5 inches at St. Mary\u2019s glacier. In Denver and the surrounding suburbs\u2026storm totals included: 15 inches at Lone Tree; 14 inches near Highlands Ranch; 13 inches near Louisville\u202612.5 inches at Aurora\u2026Commerce City\u2026Englewood and 5 miles west of Littleton; 12 inches at Erie and Greenwood Village; 11 inches at Ralston Reservoir and Westminster; 10.5 inches at the National Weather Service in Boulder\u202610 inches\u2026 4 miles northeast of Castle Rock\u2026Fredrick\u2026Lakewood\u20263 miles southeast of Morrison and 4 miles southeast of Watkins; 9.5 inches\u20263 miles southeast of Denver; 9 inches in Broomfield\u2026Lafayette\u2026Northglenn and Thornton; 8.5 inches near Federal Heights; 8 inches in Arvada\u2026 Brighton and Wheat Ridge; 6 inches\u20265 miles southwest of Hudson. Officially\u202610.8 inches of snow was measured at Denver International Airport.<\/p>\n<p>23-25<\/p>\n<p>In 1891\u2026rain changed to snow and totaled 8.8 inches in downtown Denver. Most of the snow fell on the 24th. Winds were light.<\/p>\n<p>In 1964\u2026heavy snowfall of 5.8 inches was measured at Stapleton International Airport. North-northeast winds gusted to 21 mph behind a cold front.<\/p>\n<p>24<\/p>\n<p>In 1909\u2026a major winter storm dumped 13.8 inches of snow over downtown Denver.<\/p>\n<p>In 1915\u2026a cold front produced post-frontal winds to 41 mph.<\/p>\n<p>In 1919\u2026some unusually soft but rather large hail fell with the beginning of precipitation from the first thunderstorm of the season early in the evening. Only a trace of rain was observed.<\/p>\n<p>In 1937\u2026a light to moderate dust storm began at 1:30 pm and continued until 8:30 pm. The storm reduced the visibility to 3\/4 mile at times. Northeast winds were sustained to 29 mph with gusts to 34 mph.<\/p>\n<p>In 1970\u2026a vigorous cold front produced a northeast wind gust to 60 mph at Stapleton International Airport where 3.2 inches of snow fell following the frontal passage. The strong winds caused minor damage from Denver northward\u2026and billows of blowing dust reduced visibility at times. Following the passage of the cold front\u2026the temperature dropped 25 degrees in an hour from 65 to 40 degrees.<\/p>\n<p>In 1982\u2026a strong cold front roared across metro Denver. Northeast winds gusted to 48 mph at Stapleton International Airport. The strong winds behind the front created a huge cloud of dust at least one thousand feet high\u2026which briefly reduced visibilities to less than one mile.<\/p>\n<p>In 1987\u2026near-blizzard conditions over northeastern Colorado closed both I-70 and I-76 east of Denver. While only a trace of snow fell in Denver\u2026northeast winds gusted to 37 mph.<\/p>\n<p>In 1997\u2026an early spring storm brought snow to metro Denver. The heaviest snow fell in the foothills and over the palmer divide. Snowfall at Conifer totaled 5 inches. A woman was killed when she lost control of her vehicle on snow packed and slick roads near Castle Rock. Snowfall totaled only 1.3 inches at the site of the former Stapleton International Airport. North winds gusted to 46 mph at Denver International Airport.<\/p>\n<p>24-25<\/p>\n<p>In 1904\u2026west bora winds sustained to 40 mph with gusts to 55 mph warmed the temperature to a high of 49 degrees on the 24th. Overnight\u2026a cold front produced 4.5 inches of snow. The high temperature was only 34 degrees on the 25th.<\/p>\n<p>In 1955\u2026a vigorous cold front with winds sustained to 34 mph and gusts to 39 mph briefly reduced the visibility to 2 miles in blowing dust at Stapleton Airport. Post-frontal heavy snowfall totaled 9.5 inches at Stapleton Airport where the maximum snow depth on the ground was 7 inches.<\/p>\n<p>24-26<\/p>\n<p>In 1959\u2026the second major spring storm in less than a week dumped 10 to 20 inches of wet snow across northeastern Colorado. Snowfall totaled 14.3 inches at Stapleton Airport where north winds gusted to 36 mph\u2026causing near- blizzard conditions with visibilities frequently reduced to 1\/2 mile in snow and blowing snow. Many travelers were marooned when trains\u2026planes\u2026and buses were unable to make their schedules. Utility lines were again damaged as a result of the storm.<\/p>\n<p>25<\/p>\n<p>In 1874\u2026the wind blowing in gusts from the west-northwest filled the air with dust so dense that only the houses in the immediate neighborhood of the weather station could be recognized. The brisk winds continued through the afternoon.<\/p>\n<p>In 1886\u2026heavy snowfall of 6.5 inches occurred in the city.<\/p>\n<p>In 1896\u2026northwest winds sustained to 58 mph with gusts to 65 mph warmed the temperature to a high of 70 degrees.<\/p>\n<p>In 1911\u2026west winds were sustained to 43 mph. The Chinook winds warmed the temperature to a high of 65 degrees.<\/p>\n<p>In 1925\u2026northwest winds were sustained to 41 mph with gusts to 46 mph.<\/p>\n<p>In 1950\u2026strong Chinook winds gusted to 50 mph at Stapleton Airport.<\/p>\n<p>In 1976\u20263.4 inches of snow fell at Stapleton International Airport where northeast winds gusted to 46 mph. The strong winds at 20 to 35 mph all day produced a rare \u201csnirt\u201d storm when blowing dust and dirt became mixed with snow and blowing snow reducing the visibility to as low as 1\/4 mile at Stapleton International Airport.<\/p>\n<p>In 1984\u20261 to 4 inches of new snow fell across metro Denver. Icy roads contributed to many accidents. The most hazardous conditions occurred in the foothills west of Denver. Both I-70 and U.S. 40 were closed at the height of the Sunday afternoon ski rush\u2026causing delays of many hours. Snowfall totaled only 1.0 inch at Stapleton International Airport with only a trace on the ground due to melting.<\/p>\n<p>In 1988\u2026high winds in the mountains spread over metro Denver. A wind gust to 75 mph was noted in Boulder where a traffic light was downed. Power outages were reported in Boulder County. Northwest winds to 46 mph were recorded at Stapleton International Airport.<\/p>\n<p>25-26<\/p>\n<p>In 1899\u2026a major storm dumped 13.1 inches of heavy snow over downtown Denver. Rain changed to snow around mid- morning on the 25th. Snowfall became heavy and continued until late evening on the 26th. North to northeast winds gusted to 30 mph on both days. The cold air mass plunged temperatures from a high of 55 degrees on the 25th to a low of 8 degrees on the 26th.<\/p>\n<p>In 1995\u2026a potent early spring storm produced heavy snow in the mountains\u2026but skipped over metro Denver\u2026before producing blizzard conditions and 6-foot drifts over eastern Colorado\u2026causing the closure of I-70 and other highways. Only 0.7 inch of snow fell at the site of the former Stapleton International Airport. North winds gusted to 40 mph at Denver International Airport on the 25th.<\/p>\n<p>In 2001\u2026a persistent band of moderate to heavy snow showers with a few embedded thunderstorms formed in the foothills around Estes Park and spread to the southeast across Boulder and Denver and on the plains to the east of Denver. Thunder and snow was reported at Jefferson County\u2026Centennial\u2026and Denver International Airports during the evening of the 25th. Snowfall totals included: 7 inches at Boulder and Louisville; 6 inches at Broomfield\u2026Niwot\u2026and Westminster; 5 inches at Eldorado Springs\u2026Nederland\u2026and near Strasburg. Only 2.1 inches of snow fell at the site of the former Stapleton International Airport.<\/p>\n<p>25-27<\/p>\n<p>In 1904\u2026heavy snowfall totaled 7.0 inches in downtown Denver.<\/p>\n<p>26<\/p>\n<p>In 1899\u2026a major winter storm dumped 11.3 inches of snow over downtown Denver.<\/p>\n<p>In 1910\u2026west winds were sustained to 42 mph. A snow shower produced a trace of snow.<\/p>\n<p>In 1935\u2026a severe dust storm swept across the city. The dense dust blew in on a gale from the east-northeast. The dust \u201cbank\u201d was first visible on the northeastern horizon at about 2:00 pm. It advanced toward the city as a rolling\u2026swirling\u2026yellowish-to smoke-black cloud. At 2:06 pm\u2026the cloud of dust enveloped the station. Before the storm the visibility was unlimited. At 2:08 pm\u2026the visibility was reduced to 1\/8th mile. By 2:25 pm\u2026the visibility was increasing and was above 1000 feet at 3:10 pm. Thereafter\u2026the sun appeared as a dim \u201cball of fire\u201d at times. The dust was partially gone at 8:30 pm. During the storm\u2026northeast winds were sustained to 32 mph with gusts as high as 35 mph.<\/p>\n<p>In 1971\u2026the highest recorded temperature in March\u202684 degrees\u2026occurred. This was the highest temperature recorded so early in the season. Previously\u202684 degrees had not been reached until April 21st. The temperature also exceeded the previous daily record of 75 degrees set in 1960. Strong northwest Chinook winds gusting to 37 mph at Stapleton International Airport were partially responsible for causing the extremely warm weather so early in the season.<\/p>\n<p>In 1985\u2026strong winds occurred along the foothills. A wind gust to 76 mph was recorded in Boulder. A dust storm produced by the strong winds caused a 35-car pileup on I-25 north of Denver. In Denver\u2026the high winds blew out windows in a few downtown buildings. West winds gusted to 52 mph at Stapleton International Airport.<\/p>\n<p>In 1993\u2026strong winds from high based thunderstorms blew a roof off an Englewood business onto several parked cars. The winds also caused half of a furniture warehouse roof to collapse in north Denver\u2026ripped a mechanical shed off the roof of a building in downtown Denver\u2026and downed power lines in Commerce City. Wind gusts ranging from 55 to 68 mph were recorded. At Stapleton International Airport\u2026 Where no thunder was heard\u2026a microburst wind gust to 55 mph briefly reduced the visibility to zero in blowing dust.<\/p>\n<p>In 1994\u2026heavy snow fell in the foothills west of Denver and over the palmer divide to the south of metro Denver. Snowfall totaled 11 inches at both the Eldora Ski Area and at Idaho Springs. Only 1.3 inches of snowfall were measured at Stapleton International Airport where north winds gusted to 28 mph.<\/p>\n<p>In 2006\u2026post-frontal strong winds quickly dissipated the dense morning fog across metro Denver. West to northwest winds were strong and gusty from mid-morning until sunset. West winds were sustained to 37 mph with gusts to 52 mph at Denver International Airport.<\/p>\n<p>26-27<\/p>\n<p>In 1886\u2026heavy snowfall totaled 7.1 inches in downtown Denver.<\/p>\n<p>In 1911\u2026post-frontal north winds were sustained to 48 mph on the 26th and to 47 mph on the 27th.<\/p>\n<p>In 1931\u2026a cold front brought snow and very cold weather to the city. Snowfall totaled 7.3 inches over downtown Denver with most of the snow\u20266.4 inches\u2026occurring on the 26th\u2026 When northwest winds were sustained to 38 mph with gusts to 44 mph. High temperature of 31 degrees on the 26th equaled the low temperature of the previous day as the temperature plunged to a low of 1 degree below zero. High temperature of only 15 degrees on the 27th was a record low maximum for the date. Low temperature of 2 degrees below zero on the 27th was not a record.<\/p>\n<p>In 1975\u2026a major pre-Easter blizzard\u2026the worst since the vicious storm of 1949\u2026battered northeastern Colorado and left livestock losses in millions of dollars\u2026but metro Denver escaped the main brunt of the storm and received only 5.0 inches of snowfall. North winds gusted to 38 mph at Stapleton International Airport where temperatures plunged from a high of 50 degrees to 18 degrees by midnight on the 26th.<\/p>\n<p>In 1991\u2026heavy snow fell over portions of the eastern foothills with 9 inches recorded at Lake Eldora west of Boulder. The snow spread across metro Denver\u2026but snowfall totaled only 1.7 inches at Stapleton International Airport where north to northeast winds gusting to 31 mph on both days produced some blowing snow.<\/p>\n<p>In 2018&#8230;a storm system produced a period of moderate to heavy snowfall in and near the southern Front Range Foothills and Palmer Divide. Storm totals included: 12.5 inches at Aspen Springs&#8230;12 inches near Elizabeth&#8230;11 inches at Echo Lake&#8230; 10 inches near Pinecliffe&#8230;9 inches near Floyd Hill&#8230;8 inches near Arapaho Park&#8230;Conifer and Crescent Village; 6 inches at Cheesman&#8230;Evergreen and Gross Reservoir. The official snowfall measurement at Denver International Airport was 2.1 inches.<\/p>\n<p>27<\/p>\n<p>In 1873\u2026a severe wind and sand storm damaged buildings in the city. At 11:00 am brisk west winds blew clouds and sand into the city\u2026which continued for an hour when it abated some. At 2:00 pm another terrific sand storm blew a gale from the west. The storm lasted 30 minutes\u2026but winds remained brisk the rest of the day.<\/p>\n<p>In 1884\u2026a windstorm struck the city at mid-morning and lasted until midnight. Sustained winds of 40 to 60 mph unroofed some buildings and blew others down. A few people were injured\u2026but none fatally.<\/p>\n<p>In 1896\u2026southwest winds sustained to 60 mph with gusts as high as 70 mph warmed the temperature to a high of 59 degrees.<\/p>\n<p>In 1905\u2026north winds were sustained to 40 mph.<\/p>\n<p>In 1939\u2026freezing drizzle deposited glaze as thick as 1\/4 inch from late morning through late afternoon. No damage was reported.<\/p>\n<p>In 1956\u2026strong and gusty winds raked metro Denver all day behind a pacific cold front. Wind gusts to 58 mph at Stapleton Airport briefly reduced the visibility to 1 mile in blowing dust.<\/p>\n<p>In 1987\u2026snow and wind closed many highways across eastern Colorado for the second time in less than a week. I-25 was closed south of Denver and I-70 was closed east of Denver for nearly 48 hours. Metro Denver only received around 4 inches of new snow\u2026but snow and blowing snow caused air traffic delays of up to 3 hours at Stapleton International Airport where snowfall totaled 3.5 inches and north winds at 15 to 25 mph gusted to 40 mph. Temperatures hovered in the 30\u2019s for much of the day.<\/p>\n<p>In 1997\u2026strong winds developed behind a fast moving cold front. While the highest winds were north and northeast of metro Denver\u2026northwest winds gusting to 56 mph at Denver International Airport produced widespread blowing dust\u2026which briefly reduced the visibility to 2 1\/2 miles.<\/p>\n<p>27-28<\/p>\n<p>In 1951\u2026heavy snowfall totaled 6.5 inches at Stapleton Airport where north winds gusted to 38 mph on the 27th and 41 mph on the 28th.<\/p>\n<p>In 1972\u2026heavy snowfall of 6.2 inches was measured at Stapleton International Airport\u2026where northeast winds gusted to only 21 mph.<\/p>\n<p>In 1980\u2026a major blizzard struck the northeastern Colorado plains\u2026closing both I-70 and I-76 to the east of Denver for a time. Some areas received 1 to 2 feet of snow. Drifts were 4 to 8 feet high. The storm killed many young livestock. At Stapleton International Airport\u2026snowfall totaled 6.7 inches from the storm and north winds gusted to 29 mph.<\/p>\n<p>In 2002\u2026high winds developed in the foothills west of metro Denver. Winds gusted to 81 mph near Fritz Peak\u202672 mph at Rollinsville\u2026and 70 mph at Blackhawk. West winds gusted to 51 mph on the 27th and to 45 mph on the 28th at Denver International Airport where the temperature warmed to a high of 69 degrees on the 28th.<\/p>\n<p>27-29<\/p>\n<p>In 1948\u2026high winds raked Boulder. A wind gust to 75 mph was recorded at Valmont. Sustained winds in excess of 35 mph were estimated in Boulder. Minor damage was reported.<\/p>\n<p>In 1961\u2026heavy snowfall totaled 9.5 inches at Stapleton Airport over the 3 day period. Most of the snow\u20265.3 inches\u2026fell on the 28th. Winds were generally light and gusted to only 22 mph from the north.<\/p>\n<p>28<\/p>\n<p>In 1886\u2026the lowest recorded temperature in March\u202611 degrees below zero\u2026occurred.<\/p>\n<p>In 1911\u2026a thunderstorm produced snowfall of 0.4 inch\u2026which was the only measurable snowfall of the month\u2026making the month the second least snowiest March on record.<\/p>\n<p>In 1962\u2026a vigorous cold front produced strong winds across eastern Colorado. North winds gusted to 46 mph at Stapleton Airport where visibility was briefly reduced to 3\/4 mile in blowing dust. A construction worker was injured in Aurora when he was struck by a windblown piece of plywood.<\/p>\n<p>28-29<br \/>\nIn 1891\u2026rain changed to snow and totaled 9.7 inches in the city. Northeast winds were sustained to 12 mph with gusts to 28 mph on the 28th.<\/p>\n<p>In 1910\u2026a strong cold front brought much wind\u2026rain\u2026and snow to the city. Rain on the 28th changed to snow early on the 29th. Snowfall totaled only 2.8 inches\u2026but north winds were sustained to 50 mph on the 29th. Precipitation from the storm totaled 0.96 inch.<\/p>\n<p>In 1994\u2026moist upslope winds combined with an upper level system to dump 5 to 7 inches of snow along the eastern foothills and across metro Denver. Snowfall totaled 6.3 inches at Stapleton International Airport where northeast winds gusted to 39 mph. Thirteen inches of new snow were measured at the Eldora Ski Area west of Boulder.<\/p>\n<p>28-30<\/p>\n<p>In 1949\u2026a major winter storm dumped 11.3 inches of snow over downtown Denver. Snowfall totaled 10.4 inches at Stapleton Airport. North to northeast winds were sustained to 17 mph.<\/p>\n<p>In 1985\u2026a slow moving snow storm moved across the state. Denver received only 4.0 inches of snowfall with amounts in the foothills totaling 1 to 2 feet. Still\u2026this was enough snow in Denver to cause flight delays of up to 6 hours at Stapleton International Airport on the night of the 29th. East winds gusted to 28 mph on the 28th.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>This week in Denver weather history are a number of interesting events.\u00a0 As March comes to a close we are not yet done with winter so snow is certainly still possible but we also start seeing more Spring-like weather.\u00a0 Reminders of this include the coldest temperature ever recorded in March \u2013 11 degrees below zero.\u00a0 &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thorntonweather.com\/blog\/weather-history\/march-22-to-march-28-this-week-in-denver-weather-history\/\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">March 22 to March 28: This week in Denver weather history<\/span> <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/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":[81,62,235,741],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thorntonweather.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20532"}],"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=20532"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.thorntonweather.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20532\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":25569,"href":"https:\/\/www.thorntonweather.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20532\/revisions\/25569"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thorntonweather.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=20532"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thorntonweather.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=20532"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thorntonweather.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=20532"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}