{"id":21456,"date":"2021-04-04T05:57:02","date_gmt":"2021-04-04T11:57:02","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.thorntonweather.com\/blog\/?p=21456"},"modified":"2021-04-04T05:57:02","modified_gmt":"2021-04-04T11:57:02","slug":"april-4-to-april-10-this-week-in-denver-weather-history-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thorntonweather.com\/blog\/weather-history\/april-4-to-april-10-this-week-in-denver-weather-history-2\/","title":{"rendered":"April 4 to April 10: This week in Denver weather history"},"content":{"rendered":"

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

As we discussed in\u00a0our April preview<\/a>, the month is Denver\u2019s third snowiest month behind March and November.\u00a0 Our look back in Denver weather history for this week clearly shows that the month can bring not only snow, but lots of it.\u00a0 If we look just at the last decade or so, we see significant snowstorms occurring in 1997, 2001, 2004 and 2005.\u00a0 Will that happen this year?\u00a0 Also notable are damaging wind events including one in 1999 that caused $20 million in damage.<\/p>\n

31-4<\/p>\n

In 1905\u2026much rain and some snow occurred over the 5 days behind an apparent cold front.\u00a0 Precipitation totaled 2.00 inches.\u00a0 There was a thunderstorm on the 3rd.\u00a0 Snowfall totaled 3.0 inches on the 4th.\u00a0 North winds were sustained to 34 mph on the 1st and 2nd and to 30 mph on the 3rd. High temperatures during the period ranged from the upper 30\u2019s to the lower 40\u2019s.\u00a0 Low temperatures were in the upper 20\u2019s and lower 30\u2019s.<\/p>\n

2-4<\/p>\n

In 1934\u2026snowfall totaled 8.2 inches in downtown Denver from the afternoon of the 2nd through the early morning of the 4th.\u00a0 Most of the snow\u20266.8 inches\u2026fell on the 3rd. Rain changed to snow behind a strong cold front on the afternoon of the 2nd.\u00a0 The cold front first appeared as a long-cigar shaped squall cloud to the north of the city. Strong north winds at sustained speeds of 33 mph with gusts to 43 mph produced much blowing dust and an abrupt fall in temperature\u2026from a high of 68 on the 2nd to a low of 22 on the 3rd.<\/p>\n

In 1964\u2026a major storm dumped 10.9 inches of heavy wet snow on Stapleton International Airport where northeast winds gusted to 35 mph.\u00a0 Most of the snow\u202610.0 inches\u2026fell on the 3rd.<\/p>\n

2-5<\/p>\n

In 1918\u2026snowfall totaled 12.4 inches over downtown Denver. Most of the snow fell on the 3rd and 4th.\u00a0 Temperatures were in the 20\u2019s and 30\u2019s.\u00a0 Northwest winds were sustained to 24 mph on the 2nd.<\/p>\n

3-4<\/p>\n

In 2017…a storm system brought a period of locally heavy snow to portions of the Front Range Foothills. The heaviest snowfall occurred in and near the foothills of Clear Creek… southern Boulder…northern Jefferson and Gilpin Counties. Storm totals included: 16 inches at Eldorado Springs…15 inches at Echo Lake…14 inches at St. Mary`s Glacier and Winter Park Ski Area…13.5 inches at Genesee…13 inches near Tiny Town…12.5 inches near Allenspark and Idaho Springs and 11 inches near Conifer. Across the rest of the Front Range mountains and foothills…the western suburbs of Denver and Boulder…storm totals ranged from 4 to 8 inches. At Denver Interational Airport…only 0.1 inch of snowfall was observed.<\/p>\n

3-5<\/p>\n

In 1996\u2026the foothills west of Denver received 6 to 8 inches of new snow.\u00a0 Only 0.8 inch of snow fell at the site of the former Stapleton International Airport\u2026along with some freezing drizzle on the 4th and 5th.\u00a0 North-northeast winds gusted to 30 mph at Denver International Airport on the 3rd.<\/p>\n

3-6<\/p>\n

In 1898\u2026snowfall totaled 8.7 inches in downtown Denver over the 4 days.\u00a0 Northeast winds were sustained to 48 mph with gusts as high as 60 mph on the 3rd.<\/p>\n

In 1983\u2026a prolonged heavy snow storm blanketed the area along with very cold temperatures.\u00a0 The greatest amounts of snow fell in the foothills where 24 to 42 inches were measured.\u00a0 A foot of snow fell in Boulder.\u00a0 Snow fell for 50 consecutive hours at Stapleton International Airport on the 3rd through the 5th with a total snowfall of 8.8 inches and a maximum accumulation on the ground of 6 inches on the 5th.\u00a0 In Denver\u2026the mercury failed to rise above freezing for 3 consecutive days\u2026on the 4th\u20265th\u2026and 6th\u2026for the first time ever in April.\u00a0 Five daily temperature records were set from the 4th through the 6th. Record low temperatures of 12 degrees occurred on the 5th with 7 degrees on the 6th.\u00a0 Record low maximum temperatures of 25 degrees occurred on the 4th\u202627 degrees on the 5th\u2026 And 28 degrees on the 6th.<\/p>\n

4<\/p>\n

In 1888\u2026southwest winds were sustained to 40 mph.<\/p>\n

In 1915\u2026Chinook winds from the northwest were sustained to 40 mph with gusts to 43 mph.\u00a0 The winds warmed the temperature from a low of 44 degrees to a high of 67 degrees.<\/p>\n

In 1935\u2026light dust enveloped the city during the day on southwest winds sustained to 23 mph with gusts to 27 mph.<\/p>\n

In 1985\u2026north winds gusted to 53 mph at Stapleton International Airport where the visibility was briefly reduced to less than a mile by blowing dust and a snow shower.<\/p>\n

In 1987\u2026microburst winds gusted to 51 mph at Stapleton International Airport.<\/p>\n

In 1997\u2026heavy snow developed over western portions of metro Denver and along the palmer divide.\u00a0 As a strong surface low pressure system intensified over the plains\u2026moist upslope flow developed across metro Denver producing strong north winds at 20 to 40 mph and some blowing snow. Snowfall totaled 12 inches at Conifer with 4 to 7 inches at Crow Hill\u2026Evergreen\u2026and Morrison.\u00a0 Thunderstorm rain changed to snow across the city with 2.0 inches of snowfall measured at the site of the former Stapleton International Airport where precipitation (rain and melted snow) totaled 0.70 inch.\u00a0 North-northwest winds gusted to 43 mph at Denver International Airport.<\/p>\n

<\/span>4-5<\/p>\n

In 1900\u2026rain changed to heavy snow and totaled 7.8 inches in downtown Denver overnight.\u00a0 A thunderstorm on the 4th produced hail.\u00a0 Precipitation totaled 1.50 inches.<\/p>\n

In 1911\u2026north to northwest winds were sustained to 42 mph on the 4th and to 41 mph on the 5th.<\/p>\n

In 2002\u2026a whitish-colored haze engulfed metro Denver on both days.\u00a0 The haze was the result of a huge wind storm that kicked up dust and sand from the Gobi desert in Mongolia and China during the latter half of March.\u00a0 Westerly winds aloft transported the dust cloud across the Pacific Ocean and over the western United States\u2026depositing some of it on Colorado.<\/p>\n

4-7<\/p>\n

In 1909\u2026post-frontal rain changed to heavy snow on the afternoon of the 4th and continued through mid-morning of the 7th.\u00a0 Total snowfall was 18.7 inches\u2026but most of the snow\u202614.0 inches\u2026fell from 6:00 pm on the 4th to 6:00 pm on the 5th.\u00a0 North to northeast winds were sustained to 32 mph on the 4th and to 30 mph on the 7th.\u00a0 Total precipitation from the storm was 1.78 inches.<\/p>\n

5<\/p>\n

In 1873\u2026a heavy rain and hail shower in the afternoon changed to snow\u2026and accumulated to 6 inches on the streets at 9:00 pm.\u00a0 Precipitation (rain and melted snow) totaled 0.56 inch.<\/p>\n

In 1925\u2026southeast winds were sustained to 46 mph with gusts to 50 mph.\u00a0 This was the strongest wind of the month that year.<\/p>\n

In 1950\u2026a well developed dust devil was observed 4 to 5 miles south-southwest of Stapleton Airport for about 8 minutes.<\/p>\n

In 1977\u2026the earliest date of the last freeze of the season occurred when the temperature dipped to a low of 31 degrees.<\/p>\n

In 1988\u2026a wind gust to 74 mph was recorded at Rollinsville. West winds gusted to 35 mph at Stapleton International Airport.<\/p>\n

In 1990\u2026a heavy\u2026wet snow fell in many areas in and along the Colorado Front Range.\u00a0 Snowfall amounts of 4 to 7 inches were common around the Boulder area with lesser amounts elsewhere.\u00a0 Only 2.0 inches of snow fell at Stapleton International Airport where north winds gusted to 28 mph.\u00a0 Icy roads contributed to numerous fender-benders and a 20-vehicle pileup near the junction of I-70 and I-25 in the city.<\/p>\n

In 2000\u2026high winds developed in the Front Range foothills\u2026 From about I-70 northward.\u00a0 Peak wind gusts included:\u00a0 83 mph at the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder\u202675 mph near Louisville\u2026and 70 mph at the national wind technology center\u2026south of Boulder.\u00a0 West winds gusted to 41 mph at Denver International Airport.<\/p>\n

In 2005\u2026a surface low pressure center deepened over eastern Colorado and produced damaging high winds across metro Denver.\u00a0 The strong wind gusts ranging from 50 to 70 mph damaged roofs and fences.\u00a0 Cross-winds blew several empty semi-trailers on their sides along I-70 and I-76 east of Denver.\u00a0 Peak north wind gusts included:\u00a0 60 mph near Bennett and Keenesburg\u202659 mph near Brighton\u2026and 53 mph at Denver International Airport.\u00a0 Over the palmer divide south of Denver\u2026the high winds combined with heavy snow to produce blizzard conditions.\u00a0 Snowfall accumulations ranged from 3 to 8 inches over eastern Douglas and western Elbert Counties.\u00a0 Snowfall totals included:\u00a0 8 inches at Sedalia\u20264 inches near Castle Rock\u2026and 3.5 inches near Franktown.<\/p>\n

5-6<\/p>\n

In 1939\u20263.0 inches of snow fell in downtown Denver.\u00a0 North winds were sustained to 34 mph on the 5th and to 26 mph on the 6th.\u00a0 The strong winds caused considerable drifting of snow.\u00a0 Several highways leading into the city were closed during the height of the storm due to poor visibility. Streets and highways became coated with ice in places. The temperature dipped to 11 degrees early on the 6th. This was the coldest reading of the month that year. Most vegetation was not far enough advanced to be injured by the cold temperatures\u2026although a few buds froze on early shrubbery.<\/p>\n

In 1949\u2026strong winds in Boulder caused limited minor damage. West-northwest winds were sustained to 24 mph with some higher gusts at Stapleton Airport.<\/p>\n

5-7<\/p>\n

In 1916\u2026rain changed to snow behind a cold front on the 5th and totaled 4.5 inches in the city.\u00a0 A thunderstorm produced snow on the 6th.\u00a0 North winds were sustained to 35 mph with gusts to 38 mph on the 7th.<\/p>\n

6<\/p>\n

In 1904\u2026northwest winds were sustained to 40 mph with gusts to 48 mph.<\/p>\n

In 1919\u2026post-frontal rain changed to snow but totaled only 0.1 inch.\u00a0 However\u2026north winds were sustained to 40 mph with gusts to 44 mph in the city.<\/p>\n

In 1954\u2026a vigorous cold front produced northeast winds at 38 mph with gusts as high as 50 mph.\u00a0 The strong winds briefly reduced visibility to 1 1\/2 miles in blowing dust at Stapleton Airport.<\/p>\n

In 1972\u2026wind gusts to 68 mph were recorded at the National Bureau of Standards in Boulder.\u00a0 Winds peaked to 54 mph in downtown Boulder.\u00a0 Minor damage was reported.\u00a0 Northwest winds gusted to 44 mph at Stapleton International Airport where the strong Chinook winds warmed the temperature to a high of 80 degrees\u2026equaling the record maximum for the date.<\/p>\n

6-7<\/p>\n

In 1872\u2026rain changed to snow overnight.\u00a0 Snow with high north winds continued all day on the 7th.\u00a0 Precipitation (rain and melted snow) totaled 0.50 inch.\u00a0 Due to problems on the lines\u2026the morning weather report was not sent by telegraph until 3:10 pm and the midnight report was not sent at all.<\/p>\n

In 1957\u2026heavy snowfall totaled 6.6 inches at Stapleton Airport where north winds gusted to 46 mph.\u00a0 This was the second heavy snow event in less than 4 days.<\/p>\n

In 1969\u2026winds gusting as high as 50 to 60 mph caused only light damage along the eastern foothills.\u00a0 The strong winds contributed to the spread of a forest fire near Boulder.\u00a0 Sustained winds of 25 mph with gusts to 53 mph were recorded in Boulder.\u00a0 Southwest winds gusted to 38 mph on the 6th and 44 mph on the 7th at Stapleton International Airport.<\/p>\n

In 1980\u2026high winds howled along the foothills each day.\u00a0 A wind gust to 72 mph was recorded in Lakewood.\u00a0 The strong winds blew a camper top off a pickup truck in Denver.\u00a0 At Stapleton International Airport\u2026west winds gusted to 41 mph on both days.<\/p>\n

In 1998\u2026a spring storm brought a mix of snow and thunder to metro Denver\u2026the foothills\u2026and palmer divide.\u00a0 Conifer and Elizabeth both measured 4 inches of new snow.\u00a0 On the 6th\u2026only 0.1 inch of snow fell at the site of the former Stapleton International Airport where thunder was heard on both days.\u00a0 Precipitation totaled 0.60 inch at Denver International Airport where west winds gusted to 43 mph on the 6th.<\/p>\n

6-8<\/p>\n

In 1973\u2026a major spring snow storm dumped 11.6 inches of snowfall over metro Denver.\u00a0 North wind gusts of 30 to 35 mph produced some blowing snow.\u00a0 Most of the heavy wet snow\u2026 10.1 inches\u2026fell on the 7th when temperatures remained in the 20\u2019s.\u00a0 Snow accumulated on the ground to a maximum depth of 9 inches.\u00a0 Low temperature of 5 degrees on the 8th was a new record minimum for the date and the lowest for so late in the season.<\/p>\n

7<\/p>\n

In 1906\u2026north winds were sustained to 48 mph in the city.<\/p>\n

In 1958\u2026strong south winds blew most of the day across metro Denver.\u00a0 A wind gust to 52 mph was recorded at Stapleton Airport.<\/p>\n

In 1962\u2026strong gusty winds associated with a cold front caused considerable damage to power lines\u2026signs\u2026 Buildings\u2026and trees across metro Denver.\u00a0 In Boulder\u2026an outdoor movie screen\u2026valued at 10 thousand dollars\u2026was wrecked.\u00a0 In Denver\u2026a youth was injured when a car was blown off a jack\u2026pinning him underneath.\u00a0 Wind gusts to 61 mph were recorded at Stapleton Airport where visibility was reduced to 1\/2 mile in blowing dust.\u00a0 Snowfall totaled 2.6 inches at Stapleton Airport.<\/p>\n

In 1971\u2026wind gusts to 69 mph were recorded at the National Bureau of Standards in Boulder.\u00a0 In downtown Boulder\u2026winds peaked to 54 mph.\u00a0 West winds gusted to 31 mph at Stapleton International Airport.<\/p>\n

In 1989\u2026high winds occurred in the foothills west of Denver. At Nederland west of Boulder\u2026high winds damaged roofs\u2026 Toppled trees\u2026and caused power outages.\u00a0 Winds estimated as high as 90 mph in Georgetown overturned campers and even semi-trailers on I-70 and damaged road signs.\u00a0 Three trailer homes were blown off their foundations and a 50-foot tree toppled onto the roof of a home\u2026causing considerable damage.\u00a0 Winds reached 94 mph at Rollinsville southwest of Boulder.\u00a0 Northwest winds gusted to 43 mph at Stapleton International Airport.<\/p>\n

7-9<\/p>\n

In 1913\u2026heavy snowfall totaled 10.9 inches in downtown Denver behind a cold front.\u00a0 Most of the snow fell on the 8th. Northeast winds were sustained to 35 mph with gusts to 38 mph on the 9th.<\/p>\n

In 1935\u2026moderate dust blew into the city around 9:00 pm on the 7th and persisted until early afternoon on the 9th. Southeast winds were sustained to around 20 mph on the 7th and 8th.\u00a0 Winds shifting to the west at sustained speeds to 20 mph cleared the dust from the air on the 9th.<\/p>\n

7-12<\/p>\n

In 1959\u2026snow falling over a 5-day period totaled 20 to 30 inches just east of the mountains\u2026while over the plains blizzard conditions closed schools and blocked highways. The second big storm in two weeks dumped 16.4 inches of snowfall on Stapleton Airport with the most\u202611.6 inches\u2026 Occurring on the 8th.\u00a0 East winds gusted to 37 mph on the 9th.\u00a0 Temperatures dipped into the single digits on the mornings of the 7th and 12th when 7 degrees were registered.\u00a0 Low temperature records for the dates were set on the 9th\u202610th\u2026and 12th.\u00a0 The cold temperatures caused streets to glaze with ice\u2026resulting in the death of a pedestrian who was struck by a car in Denver.\u00a0 Three people died from heart attacks while shoveling the heavy\u2026wet snow.<\/p>\n

8<\/p>\n

In 1885\u2026dense smoke polluted the air until noon.<\/p>\n

In 1887\u2026south winds were sustained to 42 mph.<\/p>\n

In 1890\u2026northwest winds were sustained to 48 mph with gusts as high as 60 mph.<\/p>\n

In 2005\u2026a mixture of strong pressure gradient winds coupled with thunderstorm outflow winds produced high winds across metro Denver.\u00a0 The high winds downed power lines and knocked out electricity to about 19 thousand customers on the east side of metro Denver.\u00a0 High wind reports included gusts to 68 mph in Longmont\u202661 mph near Castle Rock\u202659 mph at centennial airport\u2026and 54 mph at Denver International Airport.<\/p>\n

8-10<\/p>\n

In 1999\u2026a windstorm caused 20 million dollars in damage along the Front Range urban corridor from Fort Collins south to pueblo and to the east over the plains\u2026making the storm equal to the costliest windstorm ever\u2026which occurred in Boulder on January 17\u20261982.\u00a0 In metro Denver\u2026 Several homes were damaged as shingles were blown off roofs. Large pieces of a roof torn off a strip mall in Lakewood damaged several cars in a parking lot.\u00a0 Most of the damage to homes consisted of broken fences\u2026awnings\u2026doors\u2026and windows.\u00a0 Scores of automobiles suffered broken or cracked windshields and paint damage from flying debris.\u00a0 Multiple accidents were triggered as several tractor-trailer rigs were blown on their sides by the strong cross-winds. Blowing dust and dirt caused near zero visibilities at times.\u00a0 Both I-25 and I-76 were closed north and northeast of Denver.\u00a0 State Highway 93 was closed between Golden and Boulder.\u00a0 Several trees\u2026power poles\u2026and power lines were downed\u2026causing a number of outages as well as sparking a few small grass fires.\u00a0 Highest wind gusts reached 112 mph atop Niwot Ridge near the Continental Divide west of Boulder\u2026102 mph at Wondervu\u2026100 mph at the National Center for Atmospheric Research Mesa Lab in Boulder\u202698 mph at the National Wind Technology Center near Broomfield\u202696 mph on Rocky Flats\u202692 mph at Jefferson County Airport near Broomfield and on the University of Colorado campus in Boulder\u2026and 90 mph at Highlands Ranch in southwest metro Denver.\u00a0 Winds gusted to 48 mph at Denver International Airport.<\/p>\n

9<\/p>\n

In 1950\u2026strong southwest winds gusting to 58 mph reduced the visibility to 1 mile in blowing dust at Stapleton Airport. Scattered minor wind damage\u2026consisting of falling tree branches and damage to signs\u2026occurred across metro Denver.<\/p>\n

In 1989\u20266 to 12 inches of snow fell at many locations in the Front Range foothills.\u00a0 Boulder received 6 to 8 inches. Five inches (5.0 inches) of snow fell at Stapleton International Airport\u2026causing 2 hour flight delays. I-25 south of Denver was closed for 4 hours due to a 100- car traffic pileup.\u00a0 North winds gusted to 33 mph at Stapleton International Airport where the maximum snow depth on the ground was only 3 inches due to melting.<\/p>\n

9-10<\/p>\n

In 1900\u2026rain changed to heavy snow and totaled 6.8 inches in downtown Denver overnight.\u00a0 A thunderstorm occurred on the 9th.\u00a0 North winds were sustained to 32 mph with gusts to 38 mph on the 10th.\u00a0 Precipitation totaled 1.39 inches.<\/p>\n

In 1933\u2026post-frontal heavy snowfall totaled 9.4 inches in downtown Denver.\u00a0 East winds were sustained to 21 mph with gusts to 22 mph on the 9th.<\/p>\n

In 1944\u20267.0 inches of snow fell on downtown Denver. Northeast winds were sustained to 24 mph on the 9th.<\/p>\n

In 1977\u2026the two warmest days of the month resulted in two temperature records being set.\u00a0 High temperature of 81 degrees on the 9th set a new record maximum for the date. High temperature of 80 degrees on the 10th equaled the record maximum for the date.\u00a0 The unusually warm weather for so early in April produced a late afternoon thunderstorm on the 10th.<\/p>\n

In 1993\u2026strong downslope winds occurred along the Front Range.\u00a0 While the strongest winds were in the foothills north of Denver\u2026wind gusts to 69 mph were recorded at Jefferson County Airport in Broomfield.\u00a0 Northwest winds gusted to 39 mph at Stapleton International Airport.<\/p>\n

In 2004\u2026a spring storm brought heavy snow to metro Denver. The heaviest snow fell in the foothills and over and near higher terrain.\u00a0 Snowfall totals included:\u00a0 20 inches near Jamestown; 18 inches atop gold hill; 17 inches near Evergreen; 15 inches at Nederland and Eldora; 13 inches at Blackhawk; 11 inches at Aspen Springs; 9 inches in Louisville; 8 inches at Ken Caryl; 6 inches at Niwot\u2026 Near Sedalia\u2026and in Thornton; 5 inches in Lakewood\u2026 Lyons\u2026and Westminster.\u00a0 Snowfall was 4.4 inches at Denver Stapleton.\u00a0 Northwest winds gusted to 21 mph at Denver International Airport.<\/p>\n

In 2008\u2026a very moist storm brought heavy snow to parts of the Front Range foothills.\u00a0 Storm totals included: 12.5 inches at Aspen Springs\u202611 inches\u20264 miles west- southwest of Conifer; with 10.5 inches\u20263 miles north of central city and 6 miles southwest of Evergreen. Lesser amounts of 5 to 9 inches were observed elsewhere.\u00a0 North winds gusted to 43 mph at Denver International Airport on the 10th\u2026and 1.8 inches of snow fell at the former Stapleton International Airport.<\/p>\n

9-11<\/p>\n

In 1951\u2026heavy snowfall totaled 9.4 inches at Stapleton Airport.\u00a0 The storm was accompanied by strong northeast winds gusting to 43 mph.<\/p>\n

In 1953\u2026heavy snowfall occurred at Stapleton Airport where 7.9 inches of snow were measured.\u00a0 North winds gusted to 29 mph.<\/p>\n

In 1994\u20266 to 14 inches of heavy snow buried much of eastern Colorado\u2026closing many schools and I-70 from east of Denver to the Kansas border.\u00a0 Rain changed to snow on the 9th\u2026and snow continued through the 11th.\u00a0 Snowfall totaled 5.7 inches at Stapleton International Airport\u2026but maximum snow depth on the ground was only 3 inches on the 10th due to melting.\u00a0 East winds gusted to 26 mph on the 9th.<\/p>\n

In 1995\u2026a major spring storm dumped 8 to 16 inches of snow in the foothills west of Denver.\u00a0 Snowfall totaled 8.3 inches at the site of the former Stapleton International Airport\u2026but most of the snow melted as it fell with the maximum snow depth on the ground of only 2 inches.\u00a0 Five-to 6-inch snow accumulations occurred over southern portions of metro Denver and eastward onto the plains.\u00a0 Northeast winds gusted to 36 mph at Denver International Airport on the 10th.\u00a0 I-70 was closed for several hours east of Watkins to the Kansas border due to drifting snow and near whiteout conditions.\u00a0 High temperature of only 29 degrees on the 10th was a record low maximum for the date.<\/p>\n

9-12<\/p>\n

In 1901\u2026rain changed to snow and totaled 10.8 inches in downtown Denver over the 4 days.\u00a0 Northeast winds were sustained to 28 mph with gusts to 31 mph on the 11th. Temperatures hovered in the 30\u2019s.<\/p>\n

10<\/p>\n

In 1896\u2026southwest winds were sustained to 40 mph with gusts to 60 mph.\u00a0 The apparent Chinook winds warmed the temperature to a high of 76 degrees.<\/p>\n

In 1899\u2026northwest Chinook winds were sustained to 45 mph with gusts as high as 60 mph.\u00a0 The downslope winds warmed the temperature to a high of 73 degrees in the city.<\/p>\n

10-11<\/p>\n

In 1979\u2026a heavy snow storm produced near-blizzard conditions across eastern Colorado with 10 to 20 inches in the foothills and 4 to 8 inches over the plains.\u00a0 Winds to 35 mph combined with the snow to produce drifts at least 3 feet deep\u2026closing many roads and causing power outages. Travel was interrupted south of Denver when the storm closed both I-25 and State Highway 83.\u00a0 Snowfall totaled only 3.8 inches at Stapleton International Airport where northeast winds gusted 37 mph\u2026causing some blowing snow on the 11th.<\/p>\n

In 2001\u2026a potent spring storm dumped heavy snow over metro Denver and the adjacent foothills\u2026while a blizzard roared across the plains to the east of Denver.\u00a0 Snowfall amounts ranged up to a foot and a half across metro Denver and in the foothills.\u00a0 North to northwest winds at sustained speeds of 40 to 50 mph with gusts as high as 60 mph piled the snow into drifts of 3 to 6 feet deep.\u00a0 I-25 southbound was closed at Lincoln Avenue.\u00a0 I-70 to the east was closed at Gun Club Road.\u00a0 The combination of heavy wet snow and damaging winds resulted in widespread electrical outages. Denver International Airport was completely shut down for the first time in its brief 6-year history.\u00a0 Power surges and outages crippled the airport\u2019s massive computer systems. The airport was closed at 5:00 am and did not re-open until mid-afternoon on the 11th.\u00a0 The power outages resulted in businesses and schools closing.\u00a0 Over all of northeastern Colorado\u2026there were 220 thousand customers without power\u2026 The worst outage in Xcel Energy\u2019s history.\u00a0 Repairs totaled 1.6 million dollars.\u00a0 Across metro Denver\u2026snow totals included:\u00a0 18 inches in southeast Aurora\u202616 inches at Centennial Airport and Parker\u202614 inches at Broomfield\u2026 13 inches in Louisville\u202612 inches at Lakewood and Morrison\u2026 11 inches at Ken Caryl and Thornton\u202610 inches at the site of the former Stapleton International Airport and in Wheat Ridge\u20269 inches in Westminster\u2026and 8 inches in Littleton. Thunderstorms preceded the start of the snow on the afternoon of the 10th and were embedded in the snow storm during the early morning hours of the 11th at Denver International Airport where northwest winds gusted to 60 mph on the 11th.\u00a0 Snow storm totals in the foothills included:\u00a0 17 inches at Genesee\u202616 inches at Rollinsville\u2026 14 inches at Intercanyon\u202613 inches in Coal Creek Canyon and near Evergreen\u202611 inches at Aspen Springs and Chief Hosa\u202610 inches at Blackhawk\u2026and 9 inches atop Crow Hill.<\/p>\n

In 2005\u2026a strong spring storm produced blizzard conditions in areas to the east of Denver and south of I-76 and near- blizzard conditions across metro Denver.\u00a0 The combination of heavy snow and strong winds forced the closure of Denver International Airport\u2026stranding thousands of travelers. Long stretches of I-25\u2026I-70\u2026and I-76 were also closed due to extensive blowing and drifting snow.\u00a0 Snow amounts ranged from 1 to 2.5 feet in and near the eastern foothills and over the Palmer Divide.\u00a0 Drifts were 2 to 5 feet in depth.\u00a0 Downed power lines caused scattered electrical outages.\u00a0 Storm total snowfall amounts in and near the foothills included:\u00a0 31 inches near conifer; 27.5 inches in Aspen Springs; 25.5 inches near Sedalia and Blackhawk; 25 inches near Bergen Park and around Genesee; 24.5 inches at pine junction and Roxborough Park; 24 inches southwest of Boulder; 23.5 inches at Ken Caryl; 23 inches atop Crow Hill and near Larkspur\u2026Evergreen\u2026and Nederland; 21 inches at Eldora Ski Area; 18 inches at Eldorado Springs and near Castle Rock; 17 inches near Chatfield Reservoir and Perry Park; and 16 inches near Jamestown.\u00a0 Across the city storm total snow amounts were:\u00a0 22.5 inches in Aurora; 22 inches at Bennett; 20 inches near Arapahoe park and in Centennial\u2026 Littleton\u2026and south Denver; 17.5 inches near Bennett; 16 inches in Thornton; 15 inches in Lakewood; 14.5 inches in Wheat Ridge and near Englewood; 14 inches at Lone Tree and in Arvada; and 9.9 inches at Denver Stapleton.\u00a0 North winds were sustained from 25 to 35 mph with gusts to 46 mph at Denver International Airport on the 10th.<\/p>\n

10-12<\/p>\n

In 1997\u2026a Pacific storm produced heavy snow on the 10th and the 11th in and near the foothills with 6 to 8 inches at Louisville and Turkey Creek Canyon\u20265 inches at Morrison\u2026 And only 3.5 inches at the site of the former Stapleton International Airport.\u00a0 Northeast winds gusted to 24 mph at Denver International Airport.\u00a0 The storm also brought unseasonably cold weather with 5 new temperature records equaled or broken.\u00a0 Record low temperatures of 8 and 6 occurred on the 11th and 12th.\u00a0 Record low maximum temperatures of 20\u202619\u2026and 30 occurred on the 10th\u202611th\u2026 And 12th respectively.\u00a0 This was also only the second time on record that the temperature had failed to reach the freezing mark for 3 consecutive days in April.<\/p>\n

10-14<\/p>\n

In 1927\u2026post-frontal rain on the 10th changed to snow on the 11th and continued through the 14th.\u00a0 Snowfall totaled 8.5 inches from precipitation of 1.28 inches.\u00a0 North winds were sustained to 26 mph with gusts to 29 mph on the 13th.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

As we discussed in\u00a0our April preview, the month is Denver\u2019s third snowiest month behind March and November.\u00a0 Our look back in Denver weather history for this week clearly shows that the month can bring not only snow, but lots of it.\u00a0 If we look just at the last decade or so, we see significant snowstorms … Continue reading April 4 to April 10: This week in Denver weather history<\/span> →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[63],"tags":[380,81,106,62,741],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thorntonweather.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21456"}],"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=21456"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.thorntonweather.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21456\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":21457,"href":"https:\/\/www.thorntonweather.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21456\/revisions\/21457"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thorntonweather.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=21456"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thorntonweather.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=21456"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thorntonweather.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=21456"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}