{"id":20719,"date":"2020-06-02T06:47:08","date_gmt":"2020-06-02T12:47:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.thorntonweather.com\/blog\/?p=20719"},"modified":"2020-06-02T06:47:08","modified_gmt":"2020-06-02T12:47:08","slug":"may-31-to-june-6-this-week-in-denver-weather-history-3","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thorntonweather.com\/blog\/weather-history\/may-31-to-june-6-this-week-in-denver-weather-history-3\/","title":{"rendered":"May 31 to June 6: This week in Denver weather history"},"content":{"rendered":"

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

An extremely eventful week in Denver weather history.\u00a0 Most notably for longtime Thornton and Northglenn residents is the 28 year anniversary of the infamous Thornton Tornado which struck on June 3, 1981.<\/p>\n

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

26-31<\/p>\n

In 1995\u2026a cool period with light morning showers and moderate to heavy afternoon showers and thunderstorms pushed rivers already swollen from mountain snow melt over their banks causing minor flooding.\u00a0 Streams and rivers such as the South Platte and Boulder Creek flooded meadowlands\u2026bike paths\u2026roads near streams\u2026and other low lying areas.\u00a0 No significant property damage was reported and crop damage was unknown.\u00a0 Rainfall totaled 1.79 inches at the site of the former Stapleton International Airport and only 1.51 inches at Denver International Airport.<\/p>\n

29-1<\/p>\n

In 1894\u2026heavy rain combined with snowmelt runoff caused widespread flooding over the South Platte River basin. Rainfall was heaviest in the foothills where 5 to 8 inches were measured over the 4 days.\u00a0 Heavy rainfall west of Boulder flooded mining towns and damaged mining properties.\u00a0 In the canyons above Boulder\u2026railroads and roads were washed out along with many bridges.\u00a0 The floodwaters spread into central Boulder and covered a wide area from University Hill north to near Mapleton Hill to a maximum depth of 8 feet.\u00a0 Many houses were swept away\u2026and every bridge in Boulder was destroyed. A few people\u2026trapped in their homes by the floodwaters\u2026 Had to be rescued.\u00a0 However\u2026the gradual rise of the flood waters resulted in only one death.\u00a0 Boulder Creek spread to a width of nearly one mile in the pasture land to the east of Boulder.\u00a0 Extensive flooding on Left Hand Creek north of Boulder washed away railroad and wagon bridges.\u00a0 The heavy cloudbursts caused flooding on Bear Creek\u2026which washed away bridges\u2026railroad tracks\u2026and structures and destroyed the canyon roadway.\u00a0 Morrison sustained the heaviest flood damage on bear creek.\u00a0 In Denver\u2026rainfall totaled only 1.50 inches on the 30th and 31st\u2026but the heavy rainfall on upstream tributaries of the South Platte River caused the river to rise as much as 10 feet above the low water mark in the city\u2026which caused some flooding of pasture land downstream to a depth of 6 feet near Brighton.<\/p>\n

30-31<\/p>\n

In 1935\u2026heavy thunderstorm rains overnight caused flash flooding east of the city on both Kiowa and Bijou Creeks\u2026 Resulting in a total of 9 deaths.\u00a0 Most of the damage was on Kiowa Creek where there were more structures.\u00a0 The water rose rapidly during the storm\u2026ripping houses and stores from their foundations and sweeping them downstream. Precipitation in Denver totaled only 0.01 inch.\u00a0 Hail fell in the city for a short time.\u00a0 The hail was very small and caused no damage.<\/p>\n

In 1983\u2026a late storm of rain and snow hit the Front Range. Over an inch of rain fell at some spots\u2026and above 7 thousand feet\u20261 to 5 inches of snow whitened the ground. Some snow flakes even fell in the western suburbs of metro Denver on the night of the 30th.<\/p>\n

In 2002\u2026unseasonably warm weather at the end of the month resulted in 3 temperature records.\u00a0 High temperature of 91 degrees on the 30th equaled the record maximum for the date.\u00a0 Low temperature of 61 degrees on the 31st was a record high minimum for the date.\u00a0 High temperature of 93 degrees on the 31st was a record maximum for the date.<\/p>\n

31<\/p>\n

In 1917\u2026rainfall totaled 0.55 inch and was mixed briefly with snow around midday.\u00a0 Only a trace of snow fell. Cold temperatures during the day resulted in a high of 44 degrees and a low of 35 degrees.\u00a0 The month closed as the coldest May on record with a mean temperature of only 48.7 degrees\u2026about 8 degrees below normal.\u00a0 The cold temperatures during the month had a marked effect on shade trees and shrubs in the city.\u00a0 Elms were just starting to leaf.\u00a0 Leaves on cottonwoods and maples were only half formed.\u00a0 Lilacs were just blooming\u2026and snowball clusters would not bloom for days.<\/p>\n

In 1959\u2026the public reported a tornado briefly touching the ground 10 miles south of Stapleton Airport.\u00a0 No damage was reported.<\/p>\n

In 1984\u2026a thunderstorm microburst produced a wind gust to 67 mph\u20267 miles east of Boulder.<\/p>\n

In 1991\u2026hail to golf ball size pummeled southern and southeastern sections of metro Denver and continued on east to Watkins.\u00a0 Several houses and cars were damaged.\u00a0 Later\u2026 Thunderstorms dumped heavy rain across the city of Denver\u2026 Causing street flooding in an area just south of downtown and just northwest of downtown.\u00a0 Water was up to 10 inches deep over northwest Denver.\u00a0 A brief tornado touched down in Castle Rock where 3\/4 inch diameter hail also fell.<\/p>\n

In 1993\u2026thunderstorms dropped dime size hail in Commerce City.<\/p>\n

In 1994\u2026lightning struck an apartment in Louisville and damaged electronic equipment\u2026including a computer.<\/p>\n

In 2006\u2026a severe thunderstorm produced 1 inch diameter hail near Boulder.<\/p>\n

<\/span>1<\/p>\n

In 1875\u2026a windstorm during the late afternoon and early evening produced sustained winds to 50 mph.<\/p>\n

In 1898\u2026south winds were sustained to 41 mph with gusts to 46 mph.<\/p>\n

In 1917\u2026a trace of unmelted snow fell in downtown Denver. Precipitation for the day totaled 0.08 inch\u2026half of which was estimated to be from melted snow.<\/p>\n

In 1919\u2026snowfall of 0.4 inch was measured in downtown Denver.\u00a0 This was the greatest calendar day and 24-hour snowfall ever recorded during the month of June. Precipitation (rain and melted snow) totaled 0.15 inch. Two temperature records were set.\u00a0 The low temperature of 32 degrees was a record minimum for the date.\u00a0 The high temperature of only 40 degrees was a record low maximum for the date and the month.\u00a0 North winds were sustained to 36 mph with gusts to 40 mph.<\/p>\n

In 1951\u2026a trace of snow fell at Stapleton Airport.<\/p>\n

In 1961\u2026hail as large as 1 1\/2 inches in diameter fell in west Denver with hail to 1 1\/4 inches reported in derby.<\/p>\n

In 1965\u2026a man struck by lightning in southeast Denver died shortly after being admitted to a hospital.\u00a0 Lightning damaged power lines in east and southeast Denver.<\/p>\n

In 1980\u2026strong thunderstorm winds blew in the windows of a mobile home in Northglenn.<\/p>\n

In 1990\u2026a thunderstorm produced wind gusts to 63 mph in Boulder.\u00a0 A small tornado touched down in a farmer\u2019s field between the towns of Louisville and Lafayette.\u00a0 Another tornado was spotted in an open field 3 miles west of Brighton.\u00a0 A funnel cloud was sighted near Hudson. A microburst wind gust to 55 mph was recorded at Stapleton International Airport.\u00a0 No damage was reported from any of these events.<\/p>\n

In 1991\u2026severe thunderstorms producing large hail\u2026damaging winds\u2026funnel clouds\u2026and heavy rain were widespread across metro Denver.\u00a0 Funnel clouds were reported in Lakewood\u2026 Boulder\u2026Arvada\u2026and just east of the rocky mountain arsenal.\u00a0 Hail up to golf ball size fell in Lakewood\u2026just west of Sedalia\u2026in Littleton\u2026Arvada\u2026Englewood\u2026and the city of Denver.\u00a0 A mobile home park in Jefferson County reported hail to 3 feet deep.\u00a0 Up to 1.00 inch of rain fell in 45 minutes near Boulder\u2026causing Boulder Creek to flow out of its banks.\u00a0 Rock and mud slides forced the closure of many roads in Boulder County.\u00a0 Later in the afternoon thunderstorms produced rainfall amounts of 2 to 3 inches over a couple of hours.\u00a0 Clear Creek in Golden spilled over onto U.S. Highway 6.\u00a0 Heavy rains washed away part of a bridge near Erie.\u00a0 Water was up to 18 inches deep in Westminster.\u00a0 Wind gusts to 58 mph were reported at Stapleton International Airport where 1\/4 inch hail fell\u2026 And heavy thunderstorm rainfall totaled 0.82 inches\u2026briefly reducing the visibility to 1 1\/4 miles.\u00a0 Estimates of total damage from these storms would exceed 7 million dollars.<\/p>\n

In 1994\u2026hail up to 1 inch in diameter fell over south Denver and Littleton.<\/p>\n

In 1997\u2026two short lived-tornadoes formed near Bennett\u2026but did no reported damage.<\/p>\n

In 2002\u2026strong winds from the outflow of dissipating showers developed to the east of Denver.\u00a0 Near Strasburg\u2026a spotter recorded a wind gust to 58 mph.<\/p>\n

<\/span>1-2<\/p>\n

In 2002\u2026unusually very warm weather for so early in June resulted in two temperature records.\u00a0 Maximum temperatures of 96 degrees on the 1st and 93 degrees on the 2nd were record highs for each date\u2026respectively.<\/p>\n

1-4<\/p>\n

In 1977\u2026unusually warm weather for this early in June resulted in 3 maximum temperature records being equaled at the time:\u00a0 88 degrees on the 1st\u202690 degrees on the 2nd\u2026 And 93 degrees on the 4th.\u00a0 Maximum of 91 degrees on the 3rd was not a record.<\/p>\n

1-30<\/p>\n

In 2012\u2026it was the hottest June in Denver since weather records began back in 1872. The average temperature for the month was 75.0 degrees which was 7.6 degrees above normal. There were a total of seventeen 90 degree days in the month of June. The highlight of record setting month was a stretch of five consecutive 100 degree days from the 22nd to the 26th. This was only the third time in Denver weather history in which this happened. Two of the high temperatures during the stretch peaked at 105 degrees\u2026 Which set the all-time record for the month of June and tied the all-time maximum temperature for Denver.<\/p>\n

2<\/p>\n

In 1914\u2026flooding occurred on Boulder creek when heavy rains added to heavy snowmelt runoff.\u00a0 Flooding damaged the water supply system from the mountains into Boulder and destroyed roads and bridges in the canyons above Boulder.\u00a0 The flooding in central Boulder was described as the worst since the tragic flood of May 29th through June 3rd in 1894.\u00a0 However\u2026there was no reported loss of life.\u00a0 The flood waters also inundated pasture land to the east of the town.<\/p>\n

In 1951\u2026the lowest recorded temperature in June\u202630 degrees\u2026 Occurred. The unusually cold weather was accompanied by 0.3 inch of snowfall.\u00a0 Precipitation\u2026both rain and melted snow\u2026totaled 0.30 inch.<\/p>\n

In 1966\u2026microburst winds gusted to 51 mph at Stapleton International Airport.<\/p>\n

In 1981\u2026a severe thunderstorm roared through metro Denver\u2026 Dumping 2.00 inches of rain in as little as 20 minutes and bombing many areas with hail to 1 3\/4 inches in diameter. The heavy rain caused local flooding with up to 3 feet of water in some streets in northwest metro Denver.\u00a0 Part of a street was washed out in Thornton.\u00a0 Lightning strikes started a fire and caused a power outage just north of Denver.\u00a0 Lightning also struck a barn which burned to the ground in Brighton.\u00a0 Numerous cars sustained minor hail damage.\u00a0 A tornado was spotted 4 miles northeast of the rocky mountain arsenal\u2026but caused no damage.<\/p>\n

In 1982\u2026severe thunderstorms produced large hail across metro Denver.\u00a0 Hail to 3\/4 inch in diameter was reported in Louisville and northeast Denver.\u00a0 Golf ball size hail fell near Strasburg where two tornadoes were also sighted.<\/p>\n

In 1983\u2026a tornado touched down 5 miles south of Bennett.\u00a0 It destroyed an outbuilding and did extensive damage to greyhound dog shelters.\u00a0 Golf ball size hail fell near the tornado\u2026destroying some hay.<\/p>\n

In 1985\u20263\/4 inch hail fell in southwest metro Denver.<\/p>\n

In 1989\u2026large hail fell over eastern and central Denver.\u00a0 A few stones were as large as baseballs\u2026and many ranged from 3\/4 inch to golf ball size.\u00a0 The hail piled up 2 to 4 inches deep in some areas.\u00a0 Hail to 3\/4 inch fell at Buckley Field in Aurora\u2026and 7\/8 inch hail fell just east of Aurora.\u00a0 A home in Louisville was struck by lightning and was 30 percent destroyed by the ensuing fire.<\/p>\n

In 1991\u2026strong thunderstorm winds in Arapahoe County\u202614 miles southeast of Stapleton International Airport\u2026damaged the roof of a home and a radio antenna.\u00a0 A funnel cloud\u2026 4 miles northeast of Stapleton International Airport\u2026was sighted for 11 minutes by national weather service observers.<\/p>\n

In 1993\u2026a tornado touched down briefly in south Denver\u2026 Destroying the 4-inch thick concrete roof of a building and causing about 20 thousand dollars in damage.\u00a0 The twister also picked up a trash dumpster and dropped it onto a car 30 feet away\u2026causing an estimated 3 thousand dollars in damage.\u00a0 Hail up to an inch in diameter fell in Aurora\u2026 Conifer\u2026and Bennett.\u00a0 Two funnel clouds were spotted near Deckers.\u00a0 A funnel cloud was sighted for 19 minutes by national weather service observers to the southwest of Stapleton International Airport.<\/p>\n

In 1994\u2026lightning struck two homes in Denver\u2026starting fires which caused considerable damage to both.\u00a0 Hail to 3\/4 inch in diameter fell in Golden.<\/p>\n

In 1995\u2026lightning struck a house in Nederland\u2026causing a fire that was doused by subsequent rainfall.\u00a0 A portion of the roof and wall was damaged.\u00a0 The storm also left most of Nederland without power for two hours.\u00a0 Lightning also struck a high chimney of an elementary school in west Denver.\u00a0 The jolt sprayed bricks around the school yard and parking lot.\u00a0 Twenty students and teachers were in the school building at the time\u2026but all escaped without injury.\u00a0 A funnel cloud was sighted over Fort Lupton\u2026and 3\/4 inch hail fell in Lafayette.<\/p>\n

In 2003\u2026severe thunderstorms produced strong winds and large hail.\u00a0 Hail as large as 1 1\/2 inches in diameter fell near Parker.\u00a0 Estimated wind gusts to 70 mph occurred near Parker and near Denver International Airport where thunderstorm wind gusts to 52 mph were recorded.\u00a0 Wind gusts to 60 mph were estimated near Bennett.<\/p>\n

In 2005\u2026a severe thunderstorm produced hail as large as 1 inch in diameter in the city of Denver.\u00a0 A tornado was sighted near Bennett along with 3\/4 inch hail.<\/p>\n

In 2008\u2026severe thunderstorms produced large hail over western Arapahoe\u2026northern Denver and southern Weld counties.\u00a0 Hail\u20262 inches in diameter\u2026was observed near Brighton; with hail to 1 1\/2 inches in diameter\u20265 miles east of prospect.\u00a0 Hail to one inch in diameter was observed near Buckley Field\u2026Frederick and Denver.<\/p>\n

In 2012\u2026severe thunderstorm produced damaging thunderstorm winds.\u00a0 Peak wind gusts included:\u00a0 82 mph near Strasburg\u2026 61 mph at Buckley Field\u202660 mph near byers and southwest Denver\u202658 mph near Watkins and 52 mph at Denver International Airport.\u00a0 The microburst winds caused extensive tree and roof damage.\u00a0 In addition\u2026hail up to 1 inch in diameter was reported 3 miles east-southeast of Parker.<\/p>\n

2-4<\/p>\n

In 1989\u2026heavy rain drenched metro Denver with the greatest amounts recorded on the 3rd.\u00a0 Total rainfall ranged from 1 1\/2 to 3 inches.\u00a0 Roads were washed out in Boulder County\u2026 And flooded basements caused water damage to houses in the Gunbarrel section of Boulder.\u00a0 In suburban Denver\u2026heavy rain caused minor flooding along Lena Gulch in Jefferson County where two mobile home parks were evacuated. Rainfall totaled 1.66 inches at Stapleton International Airport.<\/p>\n

2-7<\/p>\n

In 1921\u2026heavy rainfall for nearly a week\u2026on top of streams already swollen by mountain snowmelt\u2026produced widespread flooding over the South Platte River basin\u2026including the tributaries through the canyons to the west and southwest of Denver.\u00a0 Heavy rainfall over the 6-day period totaled 3.36 inches in Boulder\u20264.98 inches in Morrison\u20264.27 inches in Castle Rock\u2026and 2.94 inches in the city of Denver. Rainfall amounts in the foothills were estimated between 3 and 6 inches.\u00a0 The narrow-gauge tracks of the Colorado and Southern railroad were destroyed in the Platte Canyon.\u00a0 From the mouth of the canyon through the city to near Brighton\u2026 The river spread from 1\/2 to nearly 1 1\/2 miles wide\u2026 Flooding farm and pasture land and destroying or damaging many bridges.\u00a0 In the city\u2026many businesses along with as many as 500 homes were inundated\u2026forcing their evacuation. Bridges were swept away.\u00a0 The high waters flooded the rail yards and stock yards in lower downtown\u2026closing three adjacent packing houses.\u00a0 The heavy rains also caused flooding on Boulder creek in Boulder on the 6th.<\/p>\n

3<\/p>\n

In 1951\u2026a trace of snow fell at Stapleton Airport.<\/p>\n

In 1961\u2026torrential rains fell 10 to 30 miles north of Denver\u2026causing flooding in the town of Frederick.\u00a0 The rush of water broke through and over a retaining dike sending a 5-foot wall of water into the town\u2026flooding homes and damaging sewer lines\u2026roads\u2026and streets. Golf ball size hail fell in derby\u2026west Denver\u2026and Lakewood\u2026causing more than one million dollars in damage.<\/p>\n

In 1981\u2026severe thunderstorms produced tornadoes over metro Denver.\u00a0 The first tornado touched down at the intersection of Alameda Ave. and Sheridan Blvd.\u00a0 The twister moved north along Sheridan blvd\u2026.damaging businesses\u2026apartment buildings\u2026homes\u2026and vehicles.\u00a0 Over ten homes were unroofed.\u00a0 The roof of one landed in the middle of a neighborhood park.\u00a0 At least 10 mobile homes were wrecked. The tornado curved to the northeast into northwest Denver\u2026 Hopping up and down in several places.\u00a0 Very strong winds outside the actual funnel caused 20 to 30 thousand dollars in damage in downtown Denver.\u00a0 The third floor of one old building was demolished.\u00a0 No major injuries were reported from the tornado\u2026although several people were hurt slightly in traffic accidents on Sheridan blvd. In the confusion caused by the storm.\u00a0 Damage in Lakewood alone was estimated at 200 thousand dollars.\u00a0 At the same time\u2026 The worst tornado to ever hit metro Denver struck Thornton. Coming from the same thunderstorm that spawned the Denver twister\u2026the Thornton tornado tore a swath through the heart of the city.\u00a0 87 homes were destroyed\u2026110 others damaged at least moderately.\u00a0 In all\u2026600 homes in a 100 block area sustained some damage.\u00a0 The twister also hit shopping centers\u2026several restaurants\u2026and other buildings. Seven of the 42 injured were considered serious.\u00a0 The storm was strong enough to snap lamp posts in half and drive a 6- inch slab of wood 2 feet into the ground.\u00a0 Damage was estimated at up to 50 million dollars.\u00a0 The same storm that struck Thornton produced another damaging tornado that touched down in the northwest section of Fort Lupton.\u00a0 This twister damaged 16 homes and numerous cars and campers. Two children were slightly injured when the car they were in was knocked about and its windows shattered by the storm.\u00a0 The twister also damaged two commercial buildings.\u00a0 Damage was very spotty\u2026and observers said the storm hopped up and down at least 3 times.\u00a0 Dollar damage was estimated at 500 thousand dollars.\u00a0 The thunderstorm complex that produced 3 damaging tornadoes also dropped large hail which damaged many cars over northwest Denver.\u00a0 One to 2 inches of rain fell in less than an hour\u2026flooding a mobile home park with 3 to 4 feet of water on the northwest edge of Denver.\u00a0 The high water damaged about half of the 392 homes in the park.\u00a0 Local flooding was also reported in other areas across metro Denver.\u00a0 A tornado was also sighted near Franktown\u2026but caused no damage.\u00a0 A thunderstorm wind gust to 52 mph was recorded at Stapleton International Airport.<\/p>\n

In 1982\u2026a cold air funnel cloud touched down briefly in southwest Denver.\u00a0 Two tornadoes were briefly spotted near Watkins.\u00a0 No damage was reported from these storms.\u00a0 A brief funnel cloud was sighted by national weather service observers at Stapleton International Airport where 1\/4 inch hail fell.<\/p>\n

In 1984\u2026there were several sightings of tornadoes around Parker.\u00a0 No damage was reported.<\/p>\n

In 1985\u2026a tornado just southeast of Aurora was spotted by a national weather service employee.\u00a0 No damage was reported. Severe thunderstorms pummeled the metro area with hail. One inch to baseball size hail was reported in south Lakewood\u2026one inch hail in Littleton\u20263\/4 inch to 1 inch hail in Aurora\u2026and golf ball size hail in south Denver.<\/p>\n

In 1989\u2026hail up to golf ball size fell over Arvada.\u00a0 A golf course had to be evacuated as the hail accumulated up to 3 inches deep in some places.\u00a0 One inch diameter hail fell in west Denver and Westminster.<\/p>\n

In 1993\u2026an early morning thunderstorm produced lightning\u2026 Which caused an attic fire at a residence in Niwot northeast of Boulder.\u00a0 Damage was estimated at 40 thousand dollars.\u00a0 No one was injured.<\/p>\n

In 1994\u2026hail to 1 1\/2 inch diameter fell just northeast of Boulder.\u00a0 One inch diameter hail fell in Golden. Thunderstorm wind gusts to 70 mph were recorded in Erie.<\/p>\n

In 1995\u2026a tornado was sighted over open country near Strasburg.\u00a0 No damage was reported.\u00a0 A funnel cloud was sighted 11 miles east of Aurora where 3\/4 inch hail fell.<\/p>\n

In 2001\u2026severe thunderstorms produced large hail over east and southeast metro Denver.\u00a0 Hail as large as 1 3\/4 inches in diameter fell at centennial airport with 1 1\/2 inch hail near Buckley Field\u20261 1\/4 inch hail in Parker\u20261 inch hail near Elizabeth\u20267\/8 inch hail at Cheery Creek Reservoir\u2026and 3\/4 inch hail 20 miles north of Kiowa in Elbert County.<\/p>\n

In 2002\u2026severe thunderstorms dumped large hail across metro Denver.\u00a0 Hail to 1 3\/4 inches in diameter fell over southeast Denver and 4 miles north of Aurora.\u00a0 Hail to 1 1\/4 inches pelted Parker.\u00a0 One inch hail was measured near Ft. Lupton\u2026and 3\/4 inch hail fell 9 miles southeast of Buckley Field\u2026near Strasburg\u2026and at the site of the former Stapleton International Airport.<\/p>\n

In 2005\u2026thunderstorms producing heavy rain and hail caused flash flooding over parts of southeast metro Denver. People became trapped in their vehicles by the high water\u2026 And numerous water rescues were required.\u00a0 The hardest hit areas included the vicinity of I-25 and Alameda Avenue\u2026as well as the intersection of Yale Avenue and Quebec Street. Several basements were flooded along Eastman Place. Severe thunderstorms brought heavy rain and hail to eastern Centennial and southeastern Aurora.\u00a0 Up to 3 feet of standing water was reported on east orchard road where several motorists were stranded in their vehicles and needed to be rescued.\u00a0 Hail to 3\/4 inch in diameter fell in the area.\u00a0 Ten vehicles were stranded on Grand Avenue\u2026and most had to be towed once the floodwaters receded.\u00a0 Water was reportedly chest deep at one location on Girard Avenue. Hail as large as 3\/4 inch in diameter also was reported in Littleton\u2026near Parker\u2026and near Buckley Air Force Base. Hail to 7\/8 inch was measured near Sheridan and Cheery Creek Reservoir.<\/p>\n

3-4<\/p>\n

In 1904\u2026a thunderstorm during the early morning of the 3rd turned into widespread general rain\u2026which continued into the early afternoon of the 4th.\u00a0 Rainfall totaled 2.04 inches.<\/p>\n

4<\/p>\n

In 1878\u2026a \u201cwaterspout\u201d or cloudburst of rain was sighted up the South Platte canyon at around noon.\u00a0 The resulting high waters on the South Platte River slightly damaged a railroad bridge in the city.<\/p>\n

In 1937\u2026a trace of snow fell in downtown Denver where rainfall totaled 0.25 inch.\u00a0 Minimum temperature of 34 degrees was a record low for the date.\u00a0 Northeast winds were sustained to 22 mph.<\/p>\n

In 1951\u2026the start of the second shortest snow-free period on record\u2026109 days\u2026occurred with the last snow of the season\u2026a trace\u2026on the 3rd.\u00a0 The first snow of the next season occurred on September 21st when 4.2 inches of snow fell at Stapleton Airport.<\/p>\n

In 1954\u2026a microburst produced brief sustained winds of 40 mph with gusts as high as 64 mph at Stapleton Airport.<\/p>\n

In 1956\u2026the failure of the Georgetown dam caused downstream flooding on clear creek at Idaho Springs and Golden.<\/p>\n

In 1976\u2026funnel clouds were sighted near Brighton\u2026Erie\u2026and Dacono\u2026all north of Denver.\u00a0 A tornado touched down briefly 1 1\/2 miles east of Lafayette.\u00a0 Another tornado touched down briefly at Hyland Hills Golf Course in Westminster.\u00a0 No damage was reported.<\/p>\n

In 1983\u2026severe thunderstorms during the afternoon produced 3\/4 inch hail in south Denver\u2026golf ball size hail 5 miles west of Parker\u20261 1\/4 inch hail in Littleton\u20261 1\/2 inch hail in south Aurora.<\/p>\n

In 2001\u2026hail as large as 1 inch in diameter fell 17 miles north of Bennett in Adams County.<\/p>\n

In 2005\u2026snow was mixed with rain for nearly an hour at Denver International Airport during mid to late morning. The temperature at the time was 45 degrees.\u00a0 Precipitation totaled 0.36 inch for the day.\u00a0 Northwest winds gusted to 37 mph.<\/p>\n

In 2008\u2026a severe thunderstorm produced large hail\u2026up to 1 3\/4 inches in diameter in Arvada\u2026a northwest suburb of Denver.\u00a0 Several vehicles were damaged.\u00a0 In addition\u2026a severe thunderstorms produced hail to 1 inch in diameter\u2026 10 miles northeast of manila\u2026east of Denver International Airport.<\/p>\n

In 2015…severe thunderstorms broke out across Boulder… Denver…Elbert…Jefferson and southern Larimer Counties. Two large and long lived tornadoes developed near Berthoud and near Simla. The tornado that occurred along the Boulder and Larimer county line. It first touched about 3 miles south of Berthoud…and then tracked to the west\/northwest and lifted about 6 miles southwest of Berthoud. The majority of the damage was EF1…with some areas of EF2… and a few small areas of EF3. At least 25 homes between Longmont and Berthoud were damaged; three of them destroyed. No injuries were reported as the winds tore apart homes and rolled vehicles. The EF3 rating is defined as maximum winds estimated at 135 to 140 mph. The path length was 6 miles long with a width of one quarter mile at times. Large hail from quarter to tennis tennis ball size was observed. The largest hail occurred in northeast Boulder County. The hail damaged cars and homes; breaking windows and windshields. In addition… numerous roads were closed along the Larimer and Boulder county line due to flash flooding. Just west of Berthoud… 3.47 inches of rain had fallen. At Denver International Airport…only 0.01 inches of rainfall was recorded… with a peak wind gust to 35 mph from the northeast.<\/p>\n

4-5<\/p>\n

In 1965\u2026lightning and an 18-hour rain storm damaged streets and roads and telephone and power lines across metro Denver.\u00a0 Precipitation totaled 2.77 inches at Stapleton International Airport where the visibility was reduced to 3 miles at times from pre-frontal thunderstorms and heavy upslope rains.<\/p>\n

In 1998\u2026a late season snow storm struck the Front Range foothills.\u00a0 Up to 5 inches of snow fell in Coal Creek Canyon.\u00a0 Light snow also fell over western sections of metro Denver and briefly at Denver International Airport. Snow covered the grass at the Denver federal center in Lakewood before melting around mid-morning on the 5th. No snow fell at the site of the former Stapleton International Airport.\u00a0 Several temperature records were set.\u00a0 High temperatures of 47 degrees on the 4th and 49 degrees on the 5th were record low maximums for their respective dates.\u00a0 Minimum temperature of 34 degrees on both the 5th and 6th were record lows for those dates.<\/p>\n

5<\/p>\n

In 1864\u2026high water on the west fork of clear creek caused a small dam near empire to fail\u2026which destroyed several downstream bridges.<\/p>\n

In 1885\u2026a windstorm during the afternoon and early evening produced south to southwest winds at sustained speeds up to 42 mph.<\/p>\n

In 1937\u2026a trace of snow fell in downtown Denver.\u00a0 This was the latest snowfall of record at the time.\u00a0 Light rain and snow were mixed around mid-day.\u00a0 Precipitation totaled only 0.01 inch.\u00a0 North winds were sustained to 20 mph.<\/p>\n

In 1941\u2026hail of unknown size fell on the city.<\/p>\n

In 1961\u2026lightning struck and injured an airman outside a base classroom at Lowry Air Force Base.\u00a0 Funnel clouds were sighted near Frederick and firestone north of Denver.\u00a0 The one near Frederick briefly touched down in an open field but caused no damage.\u00a0 Heavy rain and hail hit the Fort Lupton area causing damage to crops.\u00a0 Heavy rain in Frederick added to the flood damage of the 3rd.\u00a0 A pilot reported a funnel cloud that touched down briefly and then dissipated south of Castle Rock.<\/p>\n

In 1965\u2026a lightning-caused fire destroyed a mountain home near Rollinsville.<\/p>\n

In 1988\u2026a tornado touched down 5 miles east of Lafayette near I-25 and stayed on the ground for 15 minutes.\u00a0 The twister hit a campground\u2026demolishing one trailer and damaging six others\u2026along with 4 cars.\u00a0 The rope-like funnel also blew down fences\u2026signs\u2026and electrical boxes. The twister moved a 1500-pound hay wagon 150 feet.\u00a0 Total damage to the campground was estimated at 50 thousand dollars.\u00a0 Another tornado touched down between Broomfield and Lafayette\u2026staying on the ground for about 20 minutes. The twister hit a subdivision\u2026unroofing one abandoned house and causing minor damage to a dozen others.\u00a0 A four- car garage and three barns were destroyed.\u00a0 At one location a chain link fence\u2026a satellite dish\u2026and a shed were destroyed\u2026while the deck and garage of the house were damaged.\u00a0 A grain storage tank was moved 200 feet.\u00a0 There were reports of boards being blown through walls; one came through a kitchen.<\/p>\n

In 1992\u2026lightning struck a 15-year-old boy\u2026causing minor injuries\u2026in Adams County 6 miles north-northeast of Stapleton International Airport.\u00a0 Thunderstorm winds gusted to 63 mph at Jefferson County airport near Broomfield\u2026to 58 mph at the u.s. atomic energy commission\u2019s facility at rocky flats\u2026to 58 mph in Thornton\u2026and to 48 mph at Stapleton International Airport where 1\/8 inch diameter hail fell.<\/p>\n

In 1996\u2026strong microburst winds up to 60 mph damaged several trees in Boulder\u2026snapping large branches 1 to 2 inches in diameter.<\/p>\n

In 1997\u2026a woman was struck by lightning as she was walking to her car in Nederland.\u00a0 The lightning bolt apparently struck a nearby power line and arced into her left hand. She received minor injuries.<\/p>\n

In 2014\u2026severe thunderstorms broke out across parts of Arapahoe\u2026Douglas\u2026Elbert and Jefferson counties\u2026 Impacting areas generally southwest and south of Denver. The storms produced large hail\u2026from quarter to golfball size.<\/p>\n

In 2015…severe thunderstorms produced hail up to 1 1\/2 inches in diameter in Castle Rock and hail up to 1 inches in diameter…southwest of Byers. At Denver International Airport…0.99 inches of rainfall was recorded. A peak wind gust to 35 mph from the southwest as also observed.<\/p>\n

In 2017…an intense thunderstorm produced damaging downburst winds which snapped a power pole near the interchange of Interstate 70 and US 36. A weak short-lived landspout also touched down south of I-70 near Bennett and tossed around some lawn furniture.<\/p>\n

5-6<\/p>\n

In 1977\u2026lightning caused several power outages and moderate damage to a railroad building.<\/p>\n

6<\/p>\n

In 1954\u2026thunderstorm winds at speeds of 50 mph with gusts as high as 59 mph briefly reduced the visibility to 1 mile in blowing dust at Stapleton Airport.<\/p>\n

In 1967\u2026the public reported golf ball to 1 3\/4 inch diameter hail in the city\u20263 miles west-southwest of Stapleton International Airport.\u00a0 The amount of damage was unknown. Thunderstorm winds gusted to 46 mph at Stapleton International Airport.<\/p>\n

In 1981\u2026hail to 3\/4 inch in diameter was reported in east Denver.<\/p>\n

In 1990\u2026golf ball size hail was reported near Strasburg on I-70 east of Denver.<\/p>\n

In 1991\u2026a tornado was spotted by national weather service personnel and weather spotters\u202614 to 17 miles northeast of Stapleton International Airport.\u00a0 A funnel cloud was sighted over south Aurora just east of Buckley Field\u2026and a tornado was spotted just east of Watkins.\u00a0 No damage was reported. Thunderstorms moved through Aurora and dropped hail up to 1 inch in diameter.\u00a0 The storms also produced heavy rain\u2026 Up to 1 inch in 30 minutes\u2026causing flooding of streets. Water was reported hood deep\u2026stranding motorists.\u00a0 Water covered fire hydrants at some intersections.<\/p>\n

In 1995\u2026a waterspout sighted over Standley Lake in northern Jefferson County\u2026quickly dissipated once it reached shore. A brief tornado\u2026which was momentarily visible by a dust debris cloud on the ground\u2026damaged the roof of a house in Westminster.\u00a0 A funnel cloud was sighted just south of Lafayette.\u00a0 Hail from 3\/4 to 1 1\/4 inches in diameter fell over north Boulder.\u00a0 Thunderstorm outflow produced north wind gusts to 44 mph at Denver International Airport.<\/p>\n

In 1997\u2026a tornado touched down near baseline reservoir just east of Boulder.\u00a0 The tornado struck a home\u2026tearing off part of the roof.\u00a0 A storage building nearby was nearly leveled and 5 trees were uprooted.\u00a0 The twister then moved onto baseline reservoir\u2026forming a huge waterspout.\u00a0 Several recreational vehicles and a boat dock were also damaged. A nearly stationary line of thunderstorms dumped 4.60 inches of rain on portions of Thornton.\u00a0 Extensive flooding of streets and underpasses and other low lying areas was reported.\u00a0 Several businesses were flooded and basements in the area were damaged.\u00a0 Rainfall totaled 1.02 inches at Denver International Airport and 1.24 inches at the site of the former Stapleton International Airport.\u00a0 Large hail\u2026up to 1 3\/4 inches in diameter\u2026fell over the city of Denver with 3\/4 inch hail measured in Littleton and near Henderson.<\/p>\n

In 1999\u2026high winds developed for a brief time in and near the foothills of Boulder.\u00a0 The Gamow Tower on the University of Colorado campus recorded a wind gust to 87 mph.\u00a0 Winds peaked to 71 mph atop Niwot Ridge near the continental divide west of Boulder.<\/p>\n

In 2003\u2026a small tornado touched down near Strasburg\u2026but did no damage.<\/p>\n

In 2012…severe thunderstorms broke late in the evening… striking areas hardest from Denver southward. Locations impacted by the storms included but were not limited to: Aurora…Castle Rock…Centennial…Highlands Ranch…Lone Tree… Parker and Surrey Ridge. The storms produced a barrage of large hail…damaging straight line winds…flash flooding and several short lived tornadoes. The hail ranged in size from 1 to 2 inches in diameter…and caused extensive damage to homes and automobiles. The hail inundated the roadways with several inches of hail in Douglas County. Consequently… snow plows had to be called out to clear the roadways. The combination of torrential hail and heavy rain produced flash flooding in parts of Elbert…Douglas and Arapahoe Counties…as thunderstorms brought up to 3.35 inches of rain to some areas within 90 minutes. In Aurora…Picadilly Road was closed from flooding north of 6th Avenue. A water rescue took place on South Gun Club Road in Arapahoe County…where floodwaters were rushing to depth of 3 feet. Flash flooding forced the closure of several streets and roads from Parker south to The Pinery…where the floodwaters inundated the roadway with up to 2 feet in several locations.\u00a0 At Centennial Airport…a historic B-17 Flying Fortress suffered extensive damage as hailstones as large as ping pong balls struck the aircraft. Although the airframe itself did not require repair…the fabric-covered ailerons and elevators were extensively damaged. The hail came straight down and punched holes in the fabric-covered control surfaces. The aircraft landed just hours before the storm hit to participate in a weekend tour stop.\u00a0 Lightning also struck two homes…one in Lakewood and the other in Parker. Straight line winds downed trees and power lines in Aurora. As a result…scattered electrical outages affected around five thousand residents.\u00a0 At Denver International Airport… 0.61 inches rainfall was recorded along with a peak wind gust of 41 mph.<\/p>\n

In 2016…powerful thunderstorms fired up along the Urban Corridor and produced damaging hail…strong outflow winds… heavy rain and lightning. Golf-ball size hail in Highlands Ranch caused extensive damage including broken windows on homes and windshields on vehicles. Heavy rainfall…also produced street flooding. In and around Highlands Ranch… anywhere from 2.3 to 2.8 inches of rainfall was observed… with 1 to 1.5 inches around metro Denver. At Denver International Airport…0.38 inches of rainfall was recorded.<\/p>\n

6-7<\/p>\n

In 2004\u2026a brief hot spell produced 3 temperature records. High temperatures of 95 degrees on the 6th and 98 degrees on the 7th were record maximum temperatures for the dates. Low temperature of 68 degrees on the 7th was a record high minimum for the date.<\/p>\n

In 2007\u2026an unusually strong storm system brought very strong winds to the Front Range foothills and urban corridor. Peak gusts included:\u00a0 92 mph at Boulder\u202685 mph\u20262 miles southwest of Boulder\u202683 mph\u202610 miles south of Boulder and 55 mph at Denver International Airport.\u00a0 High winds forced the closure of Mt. Evans Road and Trail Ridge Road.\u00a0 Several trees were uprooted across the urban corridor.\u00a0 In Aurora\u2026 The driver of a car was injured when some building material blew off the Fitzsimmons complex.\u00a0 The debris landed on the car and knocked the driver unconscious.\u00a0 The wind forced the cancellation of 60 flights at Denver International Airport. Xcel reported outages in Boulder\u2026Denver\u2026Lakewood and Longmont.<\/p>\n

In 2012\u2026severe thunderstorms broke late in the evening\u2026 Striking areas hardest from Denver southward. Locations impacted by the storms included but were not limited to: Aurora\u2026Castle Rock\u2026Centennial\u2026Highlands Ranch\u2026Lone Tree\u2026 Parker and Surrey Ridge. The storms produced a barrage of large hail\u2026damaging straight line winds\u2026 Flash flooding and several short lived tornadoes. The hail ranged in size from 1 to 2 inches in diameter\u2026and caused extensive damage to homes and automobiles. The hail inundated the roadways with several inches of hail in Douglas County. Consequently\u2026 Snow plows had to be called out to clear the roadways. The combination of torrential hail and heavy rain produced flash flooding in parts of Elbert\u2026Douglas and Arapahoe counties\u2026as thunderstorms brought up to 3.35 inches of rain to some areas within 90 minutes. In Aurora\u2026Picadilly Road was closed from flooding north of 6th Avenue. A water rescue took place on South Gun Club Road in Arapahoe County\u2026where floodwaters were rushing to depth of 3 feet. Flash flooding forced the closure of several streets and roads from Parker south to the Pinery\u2026where the floodwaters inundated the roadway with up to 2 feet in several locations. At Centennial Airport\u2026a historic B-17 Flying Fortress suffered extensive damage as hailstones as large as ping pong balls struck the aircraft. Although the airframe itself did not require repair\u2026the fabric-covered ailerons and elevators were extensively damaged. The hail came straight down and punched holes in the fabric-covered control surfaces. The aircraft landed just hours before the storm hit to participate in a weekend tour stop. Lightning also struck two homes\u2026one in Lakewood and the other in Parker. Straight line winds downed trees and power lines in Aurora. As a result\u2026scattered electrical outages affected around five thousand residents. At Denver International Airport\u2026 0.61 inches rainfall was recorded along with a peak wind gust of 41 mph.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

An extremely eventful week in Denver weather history.\u00a0 Most notably for longtime Thornton and Northglenn residents is the 28 year anniversary of the infamous Thornton Tornado which struck on June 3, 1981. From the National Weather Service: 26-31 In 1995\u2026a cool period with light morning showers and moderate to heavy afternoon showers and thunderstorms pushed … Continue reading May 31 to June 6: This week in Denver weather history<\/span> →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[63],"tags":[81,106,62,41,387,741],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thorntonweather.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20719"}],"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=20719"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.thorntonweather.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20719\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":20720,"href":"https:\/\/www.thorntonweather.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20719\/revisions\/20720"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thorntonweather.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=20719"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thorntonweather.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=20719"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thorntonweather.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=20719"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}