{"id":20925,"date":"2020-09-02T05:09:32","date_gmt":"2020-09-02T11:09:32","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.thorntonweather.com\/blog\/?p=20925"},"modified":"2020-09-03T04:48:28","modified_gmt":"2020-09-03T10:48:28","slug":"august-30-to-september-5-this-week-in-denver-weather-history-3","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thorntonweather.com\/blog\/weather-history\/august-30-to-september-5-this-week-in-denver-weather-history-3\/","title":{"rendered":"August 30 to September 5: This week in Denver weather history"},"content":{"rendered":"

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

As always, when looking at weather history we are reminded of the varied and sometimes dangerous weather conditions we have here in Colorado.\u00a0 Our look this week we see high temperatures soaring to 97 degrees but also we see the earliest snowfall on record.<\/p>\n

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

19-30<\/p>\n

In 1875\u2026grasshoppers appeared in great numbers at 10:00 am on the 19th.\u00a0 Thousands landed on the ground.\u00a0 The streets were literally covered with them.\u00a0 Swarms of grasshoppers were seen on each day.\u00a0 All gardens in the city were devastated\u2026and in the countryside the grasshoppers were very destructive to ripened grain.\u00a0 On the 30th the grasshoppers were so numerous as to almost darken the sun.<\/p>\n

30<\/p>\n

In 1981\u202660 mph winds were reported in Boulder.<\/p>\n

In 2004\u2026a severe thunderstorm produced hail as large as 1 inch in diameter in south Aurora near Cherry Creek.<\/p>\n

31<\/p>\n

In 1951\u2026hail as large as 1 3\/4 inches in diameter caused an estimated 300 thousand dollars damage in metro Denver. Hail as large as 1 1\/2 inches in diameter was measured at Stapleton Airport.<\/p>\n

In 1978\u2026strong thunderstorm winds tore the roof off an apartment building in Aurora\u2026downed trees\u2026and damaged windows in Denver.\u00a0 A microburst wind gust to 58 mph was recorded at Stapleton International Airport.<\/p>\n

In 1985\u2026a thunderstorm wind gust to 60 mph was clocked at Buckley Field in Aurora.<\/p>\n

In 1997\u2026hail to 1 1\/4 inches in diameter was measured in Aurora.<\/p>\n

In 2006\u2026a female postal worker was struck and injured by lightning while delivering mail in Westminster.<\/p>\n

In 2008\u2026lightning struck a home in Brighton\u2026damaging the roof and a bedroom.\u00a0 The damaged totaled 20 thousand dollars.<\/p>\n

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

In 1951\u2026large hail pounded Boulder\u2026causing thousands of dollars in damage to roofs and automobiles.\u00a0 Heavy thunderstorm rainfall flooded basements and produced widespread street flooding.<\/p>\n

In 1966\u2026severe thunderstorms caused local flooding in areas from Denver to the north and east.\u00a0 There was scattered damage from hail and lightning.\u00a0 Streets were flooded in Boulder\u2026and streets and basements were flooded in several areas of metro Denver.\u00a0 The public reported 1 inch diameter hail in Aurora and near Cheery Creek Reservoir. Thunderstorm rainfall totaled only 0.39 inch at Stapleton International Airport.<\/p>\n

In 1985\u2026severe thunderstorms dumped heavy rain and hail at many locations along the Front Range from Denver south. The southern and eastern suburbs of metro Denver were especially hard hit.\u00a0 Rainfall from 1 1\/2 to 3 inches caused extensive street flooding in Aurora where two creeks rose out of their banks.\u00a0 Two homes in the city suffered minor lightning damage.\u00a0 Almost 4 inches of rain fell in the Parker area.\u00a0 Hail up to ping-pong ball size piled up to a foot deep and closed a road in Evergreen. Hail as large as 1 3\/4 inches in diameter was reported 8 miles northeast of Deckers.\u00a0 Wind gusts to 65 mph were estimated in southeast Aurora.<\/p>\n

In 1990\u2026marble size hail piled up to 2 inches deep in the foothills community of Kittredge\u202618 miles southwest of Denver.\u00a0 As much as half an inch of rain fell in just 15 minutes and caused minor road and small stream flooding. A thunderstorm dropped pea to marble size hail and brief heavy rain near ward road and 64th avenue in Arvada. Minor street and small stream flooding was reported in the area.<\/p>\n

In 1995\u2026a strong thunderstorm microburst with only a few drops of rain produced a recorded wind gust to 85 mph at the site of the former Stapleton International Airport. The wind gust occurred at 8:30 pm MDT.\u00a0 The all-time highest recorded temperature in September\u202697 degrees\u2026 Occurred.\u00a0 The same temperature also occurred on September 5\u20261899\u2026September 4\u20261960\u2026and September 4\u2026 1995.<\/p>\n

1-5<\/p>\n

In 1995\u2026record breaking heat occurred on the first 5 days of the month when the temperature climbed into the 90\u2019s on each day.\u00a0 Record high temperatures of 97 degrees on both the 1st and 4th equaled the all-time record maximum for the month.\u00a0 High temperature of 95 degrees on the 3rd was a record for the date.\u00a0 High temperatures of 94 degrees on both the 2nd and the 5th were not records.\u00a0 The low temperature of 64 degrees on the 4th equaled the record high minimum for the date.<\/p>\n

1-7<\/p>\n

In 1978\u2026the temperature reached 90 degrees or more on seven consecutive days with the highest temperature\u202694 degrees\u2026 Recorded on both the 4th and 6th.<\/p>\n

2<\/p>\n

In 1938\u2026heavy cloudbursts in the foothills near the top of Genesee Mountain caused flash flooding on Bear Creek at Morrison.\u00a0 Nearly 8 inches of rain fell just north of Morrison in 6 hours and drowned 6 people in a car between Morrison and Kittredge.\u00a0 Damage was estimated at nearly a half million dollars.\u00a0 Flash flooding also occurred on south Boulder creek in Eldorado Springs. Rainfall totaled 4.42 inches in Eldorado Springs\u2026and rainfall was estimated to more than 6 inches in the foothills west of the town.\u00a0 Many buildings and residences were damaged in Eldorado Springs\u2026and bridges were swept away.\u00a0 The high waters forced residents from their homes as far downstream as Erie.\u00a0 This was the flood of record on south Boulder Creek.<\/p>\n

In 1973\u2026hail to 3\/4 inch diameter was reported in Boulder.<\/p>\n

In 1987\u2026lightning struck two men who were standing under a tree in downtown Denver.\u00a0 Both were seriously injured and hospitalized.<\/p>\n

In 1996\u2026lightning sparked a brush fire in the south buffer zone of the rocky flats environmental test facility.\u00a0 No structures were damaged\u2026but the fire burned about 100 acres of grassland before being contained.<\/p>\n

2-3<\/p>\n

In 1892\u2026there was a trace of rainfall each day.\u00a0 This\u2026 Together with a trace of rain on both the 7th and 8th\u2026was the only rainfall of the month\u2026making the month the driest on record.\u00a0 The monthly record was equaled in 1944.<\/p>\n

3<\/p>\n

In 1901\u2026a thunderstorm produced rain\u2026hail of unknown size\u2026 And south winds sustained to 40 mph with gusts to 43 mph.<\/p>\n

In 1961\u2026Labor Day snow storm is the earliest date of the first snow\u2026trace and measurable\u2026of the season.\u00a0 The heavy wet snow broke many limbs from trees that were still in full foliage.\u00a0 The storm produced 4.2 inches of snowfall at Stapleton Airport with nearly a foot of snow in western suburbs and in the foothills.\u00a0 Minimum temperature of 33 degrees was a record for the date and the coldest ever recorded so early in the season.<\/p>\n

In 1999\u2026severe thunderstorms dumped large hail across metro Denver.\u00a0 Hail as large as 1 inch in diameter was measured near Cherry Creek in Aurora and near Bennett.\u00a0 Hail to 3\/4 inch in diameter fell in the city of Denver.<\/p>\n

In 2002\u2026a thunderstorm produced a wind gust to 51 mph at Denver International Airport.<\/p>\n

In 2003\u2026very heavy thunderstorm rain washed out parts of the Virginia Canyon Road above Idaho Springs.\u00a0 Up to 4 feet of mud reportedly washed down the road during the storm.\u00a0 Several vehicles were trapped on the road.\u00a0 In Idaho Springs\u2026several streets\u2026including the main street\u2026 Were also buried in mud and gravel.\u00a0 Some buildings in town experienced minor flooding\u2026including the basement of the town library and the police station.
\n3-6\u00a0\u00a0 in 1909\u2026rainfall for the 4 days accumulated to 3.97 inches in Boulder\u2026while in Denver rainfall totaled 2.45 inches on the 4th\u20265th\u2026and 6th.<\/p>\n

<\/span>4<\/p>\n

In 1909\u2026apparent post-frontal heavy rainfall totaled 1.94 inches in downtown Denver.\u00a0 North winds were sustained to 19 mph.<\/p>\n

In 1944\u2026a trace of rain fell.\u00a0 This together with a trace of rain on the 9th\u202610th\u2026and 30th was the only precipitation for the month.\u00a0 The total of a trace of precipitation for the month equaled the driest September on record first set in 1892.<\/p>\n

In 1960\u2026the highest recorded temperature in September\u202697 degrees\u2026occurred.\u00a0 The same temperature also occurred on September 5\u20261899\u2026September 1\u20261995\u2026and September 4\u2026 1995.<\/p>\n

In 1989\u2026a strong thunderstorm wind gust flipped a plane taxiing on a private runway in Adams County east of Denver. Two people were slightly injured and the plane was heavily damaged.<\/p>\n

In 1992\u2026strong winds developed across metro Denver behind a pacific cold front.\u00a0 Sustained winds above 40 mph with gusts as high as 60 mph were recorded mainly in and near the foothills.\u00a0 Pre-frontal south winds gusted to 37 mph at Stapleton International Airport.<\/p>\n

In 1995\u2026two people were injured when lightning struck their home in Lakewood.\u00a0 The lightning entered the attic where it started a small fire.\u00a0 It then traveled through the walls\u2026 Exploding a mirror and spraying glass on the residents. Lightning also sparked small grass fires near Aurora\u2026Denver International Airport\u2026and Bennett.\u00a0 The highest recorded temperature in September\u202697 degrees\u2026occurred.\u00a0 The same temperature also occurred on September 5\u20261899\u2026September 4\u20261960\u2026and September 1\u20261995.<\/p>\n

In 2000\u2026thunderstorm winds gusted to 64 mph in Castle Rock.<\/p>\n

5<\/p>\n

In 1899\u2026the highest recorded temperature in September\u202697 degrees\u2026occurred.\u00a0 The same temperature was also reached on September 4\u20261960\u2026and September 1 and 4\u20261995.<\/p>\n

In 1940\u2026a severe wind and hail storm confined mostly to the west and north parts of the city occurred shortly after 4:30 pm.\u00a0 Hail stones ranged in size from 1\/4 to 1\/2 inch in diameter.\u00a0 In north Denver\u2026hail piled to a depth of 4 inches.\u00a0 Flooding occurred in one underpass\u2026which stalled 2 cars.\u00a0 One girl was injured when the weight of the hail flattened a porch on which she stood. Northeast winds were sustained to 29 mph with gusts to 32 mph in downtown Denver.<\/p>\n

In 1987\u2026a thunderstorm complex produced hail as large as 1 3\/8 inches in diameter\u20262 miles east of Buckley Field in Aurora.\u00a0 No damage was reported.<\/p>\n

5-9<\/p>\n

In 1988\u2026layers of smoke aloft from large forest fires in Yellowstone National Park completely obliterated the sun at times.\u00a0 At Stapleton International Airport\u2026surface visibility was reduced at times to 5 and 6 miles in smoke.<\/p>\n

5-13<\/p>\n

In 2010\u2026the Fourmile Canyon wildfire\u2026northwest of Boulder\u2026 Broke out on the morning of the 5th. It originated from an unattended fire pit at a local residence. The wildfire quickly consumed 5 1\/2 square miles or 3500 acres the first day\u2026and forced the evacuation of over three thousand residents. Erratic 45-mph gusts sent the fire in two directions at times. Very dry weather conditions preceded the fire. The combination of strong winds\u2026low relative humidities and dry fuels allowed the wildfire spread rapidly through the steep\u2026heavily forested terrain. The flames were reportedly 20 to 50 feet in length. Towns within the burn area included Salina\u2026Wallstreet and Gold Hill. The dry conditions coupled with gusty winds ranging from 45 to 64 mph persisted for several more days. Fire managers used as many as 700 firefighters and support personnel from 35 agencies and seven air tankers to battle the wildfire. A total of 6181 square acres or approximately 10 square miles were burned. The Fourmile Canyon wildfire was the most destructive fire in Colorado history in terms of the damage to personal property. It destroyed 171 homes with an estimated cost of 217 million dollars.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

As always, when looking at weather history we are reminded of the varied and sometimes dangerous weather conditions we have here in Colorado.\u00a0 Our look this week we see high temperatures soaring to 97 degrees but also we see the earliest snowfall on record. From the National Weather Service: 19-30 In 1875\u2026grasshoppers appeared in great … Continue reading August 30 to September 5: This week in Denver weather history<\/span> →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[63],"tags":[26,81,106,62,441,741],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thorntonweather.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20925"}],"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=20925"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.thorntonweather.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20925\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":20926,"href":"https:\/\/www.thorntonweather.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20925\/revisions\/20926"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thorntonweather.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=20925"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thorntonweather.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=20925"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thorntonweather.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=20925"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}