{"id":21521,"date":"2021-04-28T05:03:13","date_gmt":"2021-04-28T11:03:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.thorntonweather.com\/blog\/?p=21521"},"modified":"2021-04-29T04:59:18","modified_gmt":"2021-04-29T10:59:18","slug":"april-25-to-may-1-this-week-in-denver-weather-history-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thorntonweather.com\/blog\/weather-history\/april-25-to-may-1-this-week-in-denver-weather-history-2\/","title":{"rendered":"April 25 to May 1: This week in Denver weather history"},"content":{"rendered":"

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

Snow continues to be a big part of the weather we can expect this time of year as we peer back in the Denver weather history books.\u00a0 However, we also see more and more occurrences of spring severe weather including hail, damaging winds, dangerous lightning and even a tornado.<\/p>\n

23-25<\/p>\n

In 1935\u2026heavy wet snow fell across metro Denver.\u00a0 The storm started as rain on the 23rd and changed to snow early on the morning of the 24th.\u00a0 There was continuous precipitation for a period of 48 hours.\u00a0 Snowfall totaled 19.0 inches over the city and 20.0 inches at Denver municipal airport.\u00a0 However\u2026 Due to warm temperatures in the 30\u2019s\u2026much of the snow melted as it fell and did not seriously disrupt traffic. The greatest snow accumulation on the ground downtown was 12 inches\u2026but it quickly melted.\u00a0 The highest sustained wind speed recorded during the storm was 28 mph from the north on the 23rd.\u00a0 The storm contained 3.16 inches of moisture.<\/p>\n

24-25<\/p>\n

In 1890\u2026rain changed to snow and totaled 7.0 inches in downtown Denver.<\/p>\n

In 1931\u2026heavy snowfall totaled 9.3 inches over downtown Denver.\u00a0 Winds were light during the storm.<\/p>\n

In 1996\u2026the second wind storm in less than a week developed east of the continental divide and spread over metro Denver.\u00a0 High winds gusted from 60 to 90 mph.\u00a0 Several power lines and poles were downed.\u00a0 Some of the stronger wind gusts included:\u00a0 91 mph atop Squaw Mountain west of Denver\u202690 mph atop Table Mesa near Boulder\u202685 mph in Golden Gate Canyon\u2026and 82 mph at Wondervu.\u00a0 Northwest winds gusted to 41 mph at Denver International Airport on the 25th.<\/p>\n

24-26<\/p>\n

In 1924\u2026post-frontal rain changed to snow\u2026which became heavy and totaled 10.2 inches over downtown Denver.\u00a0 The greatest amount of snow on the ground was 6.0 inches on the 25th due to melting.\u00a0 North winds were sustained to 38 mph with gusts to 42 mph on the 24th.<\/p>\n

25<\/p>\n

In 1902\u2026northeast winds were sustained to 42 mph with gusts to 48 mph.<\/p>\n

In 1908\u2026north winds were sustained to 40 mph behind an apparent cold front.\u00a0 Snowfall was 0.5 inch.<\/p>\n

In 1928\u2026rain changed to snow\u2026which became heavy and totaled 7.4 inches in downtown Denver.\u00a0 Due to melting\u2026the maximum snow depth on the ground was 4.0 inches at 6:00 pm.\u00a0 This was the last snow of the season.\u00a0 Southeast winds were sustained to 19 mph with gusts to 20 mph.<\/p>\n

In 1976\u2026a south wind gust to 54 mph was recorded at Stapleton International Airport.\u00a0 The high winds toppled a 70-foot high cottonwood tree onto the rear of house and a neighboring residence in central Denver.<\/p>\n

In 1989\u2026lightning caused heavy damage to a radio transmitter in Parker\u2026knocking a Denver area radio station off the air for 3 hours.<\/p>\n

In 1994\u2026weather spotters reported dime-size hail at the intersection of U.S. Highway 287 and C470 in Jefferson County.\u00a0 Marble-size hail covered the ground near Golden to a depth of 1 inch.\u00a0 Pea-size hail was reported covering the ground to a depth of 3 inches in Arvada.<\/p>\n

In 2016…a severe thunderstorm produced hail up to one inch in diameter near Castle Rock.<\/p>\n

<\/span>25-26<\/p>\n

In 1985\u2026a spring storm brought much rain and snow to metro Denver.\u00a0 The foothills were buried with 15 inches of snow at conifer and 12 inches at Evergreen.\u00a0 At lower elevations\u2026 An inch or more of rain fell in Denver and Boulder.\u00a0 The heavy precipitation caused brief power outages in the Denver area.\u00a0 Precipitation totaled 1.06 inches at Stapleton International Airport\u2026including only 0.7 inch of snowfall.<\/p>\n

25-27<\/p>\n

In 1877\u2026snow ended around 7:00 am on the morning of the 27th\u2026 After falling continuously for 48 hours and totaling an estimated 13 inches in the city.\u00a0 The storm\u2026likely accompanied by strong winds\u2026caused trains to be delayed for 2 to 3 days.\u00a0 One or two roofs of small buildings were crushed by the weight of the snow\u2026and many tree branches were broken in the city.\u00a0 There were a number of reports of livestock losses.\u00a0 One stockman lost 17 horses and several cattle from the snow and cold.\u00a0 Precipitation totaled 1.30 inches from the storm.<\/p>\n

26<\/p>\n

In 1965\u2026while only 0.40 inch of rain fell at Stapleton International Airport\u2026some communities in the foothills west of Denver reported over 30 inches of snow from the storm.<\/p>\n

In 1972\u2026a spring snow storm accompanied by thunder dumped 15.8 inches of heavy wet snow on metro Denver.\u00a0 Strong northwest winds gusting to 35 mph produced blowing snow. The storm was quite intense and greatly hampered travel. High winds caused drifts 10 to 15 feet deep in some areas\u2026 Blocking roads and stranding hundreds of motorists.\u00a0 An estimated 500 to 600 people were stranded in the Castle Rock area.\u00a0 Rescue service was provided by heavy army equipment from Fort Carson.\u00a0 Power lines were downed\u2026power poles were toppled\u2026and a number of steel towers carrying high voltage power lines were downed.\u00a0 Some areas northeast of Denver were without power for a week.\u00a0 A large number of cattle and sheep were killed by the storm.\u00a0 The greatest snow depth on the ground at Stapleton International Airport was 12 inches.\u00a0 Warm temperatures following the storm quickly melted the snow.<\/p>\n

In 1995\u2026the third major snow storm of the month dumped heavy snow in and near the Front Range foothills.\u00a0 Six to 12 inches of heavy wet snow fell in the western metro suburbs with the heaviest amounts above 6 thousand feet.\u00a0 Both Boulder and Golden measured 10 inches of snow.\u00a0 Only 2.4 inches of snowfall were measured at the site of the former Stapleton International Airport.\u00a0 North winds gusted 28 mph at Denver International Airport.<\/p>\n

In 1998\u2026the last in a series of April storms blanketed the foothills with heavy snow.\u00a0 Snowfall amounts included:\u00a0 17 inches near Blackhawk\u202615 inches at Idaho Springs\u202614 inches at Georgetown\u202611 inches near Conifer and Morrison. Only a trace of snow fell at the site of the former Stapleton International Airport.\u00a0 North winds gusted to 28 mph at Denver International Airport.<\/p>\n

26-27<\/p>\n

In 1906\u2026rain changed to heavy snow overnight and totaled 7.0 inches over downtown Denver.\u00a0 North winds were sustained to 16 mph on both days.\u00a0 Precipitation totaled 2.16 inches.<\/p>\n

In 1932\u2026the temperature remained below freezing for more than 30 consecutive hours.\u00a0 For about 4 of those hours the temperature hovered around 24 to 25 degrees.\u00a0 At this time some early cherry trees were in bloom and apple and lilac blossoms were beginning to open.\u00a0 The leaves of many plants were partly unfurled and vegetation in general was correspondingly advanced due to the warm weather from the 11th to the 22nd.\u00a0 However\u2026there was little apparent injury to foliage and blossoms\u2026but some of the early cherry and apple blossoms were injured.\u00a0 Rain changed to snow on the 26th and continued intermittently through the 27th.\u00a0 Snowfall totaled only 2.0 inches and northeast winds gusted to 22 mph on the 26th.<\/p>\n

In 1964\u2026strong winds caused damage to buildings\u2026trees\u2026and power lines.\u00a0 Sustained winds of 37 mph with gusts of 50 to 60 mph were recorded in metro Denver.\u00a0 West-northwest winds gusted to 44 mph at Stapleton International Airport on the 26th.<\/p>\n

27<\/p>\n

In 1955\u2026west winds at 43 mph with gusts as high as 55 mph were recorded at Stapleton Airport where blowing dust briefly reduced the visibility to 3\/8 mile.<\/p>\n

In 1966\u2026a northwest wind gust to 51 mph was recorded at Stapleton International Airport.<\/p>\n

27-28<\/p>\n

In 1919\u2026rainfall totaled 2.03 inches for the two days\u2026 Along with a trace of snowfall.\u00a0 Northwest winds were sustained to 24 mph with gusts to 26 mph on the 27th.<\/p>\n

In 1975\u2026high winds gusting to 85 mph severely damaged a mobile home in Boulder and caused other minor damage. West winds gusted to 46 mph at Stapleton International Airport on the 28th.<\/p>\n

In 1996\u2026heavy snow fell over portions of the Front Range foothills west of Denver.\u00a0 Snowfall amounts ranged from 4 to 7 inches.\u00a0 Only 0.3 inch of snow fell at the site of the former Stapleton International Airport.\u00a0 North winds gusted to 41 mph at Denver International Airport on the 27th.<\/p>\n

28<\/p>\n

In 1894\u2026southwest winds were sustained to 35 mph with gusts as high as 60 mph.<\/p>\n

In 1896\u2026apparent post-frontal Bora winds from the northwest were sustained to 43 mph with gusts as high as 56 mph. Rainfall totaled 0.22 inch.<\/p>\n

In 1990\u2026high winds raked the northeastern plains and eastern foothills from Boulder north.\u00a0 Wind gusts to 70 mph were recorded in Boulder.\u00a0 West winds gusted to 41 mph at Stapleton International Airport.<\/p>\n

In 2001\u2026a 21-year-old man was struck by lightning along the shoulder of I-225 near Parker road.\u00a0 His brother\u2019s car had broken down and he stopped to help.\u00a0 The bolt briefly stopped the man\u2019s heart and caused the right side of his body to go numb.<\/p>\n

In 2003\u2026severe thunderstorms produced large hail across southern metro Denver.\u00a0 Hail to 1 3\/4 inches in diameter fell in Englewood and 2 miles east of centennial airport. Hail as large as 1 1\/2 inches in diameter fell in Aurora near Cherry Creek.\u00a0 Other large hail reports included 1 inch hail near Bennett\u2026and 7\/8 inch hail in greenwood village and at centennial airport.<\/p>\n

28-29<\/p>\n

In 1950\u2026snowfall totaled 6.3 inches at Stapleton Airport\u2026but only 3.5 inches over downtown Denver.<\/p>\n

In 1960\u2026heavy snow fell at Stapleton Airport where 8.6 inches of snow were measured.\u00a0 North winds gusted to 38 mph.\u00a0 Most of the snow\u20266.9 inches\u2026fell on the 29th.<\/p>\n

In 2017…a late spring storm brought heavy snow to areas in and near the Front Range Foothills and Palmer Divide. Storm totals included: 25 inches near Genesee…19 inches at Evergreen…18 inches near Nederland…16.5 inches near Idledale…16 inches near Pinecliffe…15 inches at Kittredge…14 inches at Ken Caryl and near Roxborough State Park…12.5 inches near Elizabeth…12 inches in Eldorado Springs…11 inches near Brookvale and 12 miles northwest of Golden…with 10.5 inches at Lone Tree. Heavier snow occurred over the western and southern suburbs of Denver. Storm totals included: 10 inches in Littleton…8 inches at Centennial…3 miles southeast of Denver and near Greenwood Village…7 inches near Wheat Ridge…6 inches in Arvada and Castle Pines…with 5 inches in Boulder. Across the northern part of Denver…lesser amounts of 1 to 4 inches were reported. At Denver International Airport…2.4 inches of snowfall was observed.<\/p>\n

29<\/p>\n

In 1898\u2026apparent thunderstorm winds were sustained from the southwest to 58 mph with gusts to 66 mph.<\/p>\n

In 1909\u2026north winds were sustained to 44 mph behind an apparent cold front.\u00a0 These were the strongest measured winds of the month that year.<\/p>\n

In 1962\u2026heavy snowfall totaled 6.4 inches at Stapleton Airport where northeast winds gusted to only 17 mph. Snow fell all day\u2026but the most on the ground was only 1 inch due to melting.<\/p>\n

In 1991\u2026two men were struck by lightning while golfing in cherry hills just south of Denver.\u00a0 The two received only minor burns.\u00a0 Shortly afterward\u2026lightning struck a home in cherry hills village several times\u2026leaving numerous holes in the roof.\u00a0 No injuries were reported.<\/p>\n

In 1993\u2026localized strong winds occurred at Jefferson County Airport near Broomfield where gusts to 63 mph were recorded. The strong winds were the result of a probable microburst.<\/p>\n

In 2000\u2026several severe thunderstorms producing large hail and destructive winds rumbled across northern metro Denver. Thunderstorm wind gusts reached 81 mph near Hudson with hail as large as 3\/4 inch in diameter at Longmont.\u00a0 Several homes and vehicles sustained damage.\u00a0 The strong winds uprooted trees and downed utility poles\u2026causing scattered outages.\u00a0 Lightning sparked a house fire in Boulder.\u00a0 The fire damaged a portion of the roof and a bedroom on the third floor.\u00a0 Thunderstorm winds gusted to 53 mph at Denver International Airport.<\/p>\n

In 2003\u2026lightning struck a chimney at a residence in Hiwan in Evergreen\u2026sending stones flying as far as 150 feet. Electrical equipment in some nearby homes also failed. Damage to the residence\u2026in addition to electrical equipment\u2026was estimated at 100 thousand dollars. Severe thunderstorms produced large hail to 1 inch in diameter near Hudson and Sedalia and to 3\/4 inch near Parker.\u00a0 Hail as large as 1 3\/4 inches was measured 9 miles north of Sedalia.<\/p>\n

In 2014…high winds occured east of Interstate 25. Peak wind gusts included: 71 mph just north of Strasburg; 68 mph at Denver International Airport; 62 mph near Elizabeth; 58 mph at Front Range Airport in Watkins and 11 miles east of Parker.<\/p>\n

29-30<\/p>\n

In 1964\u2026several weeks of dry weather and windy conditions across the great plains to the east caused noticeable suspended dust to invade metro Denver.\u00a0 At Stapleton International Airport east winds gusted to 28 mph and visibility was reduced to 5 miles.<\/p>\n

In 1989\u2026a late season snowstorm dropped 2 to 4 inches of snow across metro Denver with 6 to 12 inches in the foothills.\u00a0 Snowfall totaled 3.9 inches at Stapleton International Airport where northeast winds gusted to 23 mph and the greatest snow depth on the ground was 2 inches due to melting.<\/p>\n

In 1991\u2026a Pacific storm dumped heavy wet snow across metro Denver.\u00a0 The foothills were hit the hardest where snowfall amounts ranged from 16 inches at Evergreen to 5 inches at Idaho Springs.\u00a0 Lower elevations of metro Denver received 5 to 9 inches of snowfall with 5 inches in Boulder and 7.0 inches at Stapleton International Airport where northeast winds gusted to 25 mph.\u00a0 The weight of the snow caused power lines to fall and tree limbs to snap\u2026producing power outages in parts of Denver\u2026Aurora\u2026and Westminster.<\/p>\n

In 1999\u2026heavy snow fell overnight in the foothills above 7500 feet elevation.\u00a0 Snowfall totals included:\u00a0 13 inches near Rollinsville\u202610 inches near Evergreen\u20268 inches at Blackhawk and Nederland\u2026and 7 inches at Conifer.\u00a0 Only rain fell across the city with 2.13 inches recorded at Denver International Airport.<\/p>\n

29-2<\/p>\n

In 1954\u2026a major storm dumped 10.1 inches of snowfall at Stapleton Airport.\u00a0 Most of the snow\u20267.5 inches\u2026fell on the 29th and 30th.\u00a0 The maximum snow depth on the ground was 5 inches on the 30th due to melting.\u00a0 No strong winds accompanied the storm.<\/p>\n

30<\/p>\n

In 1896\u2026northwest winds were sustained to 55 mph with gusts as high as 64 mph in the city.<\/p>\n

In 1960\u2026the minimum temperature dipped to 22 degrees at Stapleton Airport.\u00a0 The sub-freezing cold damaged fruit trees and some other crops in the area.<\/p>\n

In 1967\u2026west winds gusted to 51 mph at Stapleton International Airport.\u00a0 Winds were strong and gusty across all of metro Denver.<\/p>\n

In 1972\u2026hail 1\/2 to 3\/4 inches in diameter fell at Stapleton International Airport.\u00a0 Northwest winds gusted to 35 mph.<\/p>\n

In 1980\u2026a cold air funnel touched down several times near Louisville.<\/p>\n

In 1983\u2026mothball-size hail fell in Wheat Ridge.<\/p>\n

In 1992\u2026the all-time highest recorded temperature in April\u2026 90 degrees\u2026occurred.\u00a0 This is also the earliest 90 degree reading for the season.\u00a0 In addition\u2026the temperature dipped to a low of only 56 degrees\u2026setting a record high minimum for the date.<\/p>\n

In 1995\u2026hail\u2026up to 3\/4 inch in diameter\u2026fell at Denver International Airport.\u00a0 The hail was soft\u2026lasted for only 8 to 10 minutes\u2026and caused no damage.<\/p>\n

In 2002\u2026drought conditions started to have an effect on greater metro Denver.\u00a0 April\u2026normally the third snowiest month of the year in Denver averaging just over 9 inches of snow\u2026ended with only a trace of snow\u2026ranking the month\u2026 Along with previous Aprils\u2026the 2nd least snowiest on record.\u00a0 The month ended with only 0.23 inch of liquid precipitation making the month the 3rd driest on record. Mountain snowpack was less than half of normal for this time of year.\u00a0 A statewide drought emergency was declared by the governor.<\/p>\n

In 2003\u2026a small tornado touched down 10 miles east of Hudson\u2026 But did no damage.\u00a0 Hail as large as 3\/4 inch in diameter fell in Aurora near Cherry Creek.<\/p>\n

In 2004\u2026post-frontal upslope flow produced light snowfall across metro Denver.\u00a0 Snowfall was 4.0 inches at Denver Stapleton\u2026while the temperature hovered in the lower 30\u2019s all day.\u00a0 The high temperature was only 33 degrees\u2026a record low maximum for the date.\u00a0 The low temperature of 30 degrees was not a record.\u00a0 North winds gusted to 20 mph at Denver International Airport.<\/p>\n

30-1<\/p>\n

In 1980\u2026to the west of Denver\u2026heavy rain changing to snow buried the foothills above 7 thousand feet in 4 to 8 inches of snow.\u00a0 Precipitation in the foothills ranged from 1 to 3 inches\u2026which caused some local flooding.\u00a0 Rain fell at lower elevations.\u00a0 Rainfall at Stapleton International Airport totaled 1.05 inches from the storm.<\/p>\n

1<\/p>\n

In 1902\u2026northwest winds were sustained to 68 mph with gusts as high as 74 mph in the city during the early morning.\u00a0 The apparent very strong Chinook winds warmed the temperature to a high of 78 degrees.<\/p>\n

In 1912\u2026south winds were sustained to 42 mph with gusts as high as 58 mph.\u00a0 South to southwest winds were strong all afternoon.<\/p>\n

In 1935\u2026a moderate duststorm blew into the city at around 2:00 pm on northwest winds sustained to 17 mph with gusts to 19 mph.\u00a0 Later in the afternoon\u2026the dust receded to the east in advance of a rainstorm from the west.<\/p>\n

In 1988\u2026very strong winds behind a vigorous cold front produced a blinding dust storm that closed I-70 east of Denver.\u00a0 Northeast winds over metro Denver peaked to 45 mph at Stapleton International Airport\u2026but only kicked up some blowing dust.\u00a0 The temperature plunged from a high of 76 degrees at midday to 36 degrees at midnight as light rain changed to light snow.<\/p>\n

In 1991\u20263\/4 inch diameter hail fell at Standley Lake in northwest metro Denver.<\/p>\n

In 1999\u2026heavy snow developed in the foothills above 7 thousand feet elevation.\u00a0 Snow totals included: 10 inches at Rollinsville\u20267 inches near Conifer\u2026and 6 inches atop Crow Hill.\u00a0 Rain fell across metro Denver.<\/p>\n

In 2015…a teenager was critically injured when he struck by lightning near Town Center Mall in Aurora. He was standing on a hill in an open field. A severe thunderstorm produced hail up to quarter size near Evergreen.<\/p>\n

1-2<\/p>\n

In 1903\u2026post-frontal rain changed to light snow overnight\u2026 But totaled only 2.0 inches.\u00a0 This was the last snow of the season.\u00a0 Northeast winds were sustained to 45 mph with gusts to 48 mph on the 1st.<\/p>\n

1-5<\/p>\n

In 1898\u2026snowfall totaled 15.5 inches in downtown Denver. Most of the snow\u20266.2 inches\u2026fell on the 3rd.\u00a0 Most of the snow melted as it fell.\u00a0 The greatest snow depth on the ground was only 2.5 inches on the 3rd at 8:00 pm. This was the only snowfall during the month.\u00a0 Northeast winds were sustained to 22 mph on the 1st.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Snow continues to be a big part of the weather we can expect this time of year as we peer back in the Denver weather history books.\u00a0 However, we also see more and more occurrences of spring severe weather including hail, damaging winds, dangerous lightning and even a tornado. 23-25 In 1935\u2026heavy wet snow fell … Continue reading April 25 to May 1: 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":[380,81,106,62,387,741],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thorntonweather.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21521"}],"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=21521"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.thorntonweather.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21521\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":21522,"href":"https:\/\/www.thorntonweather.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21521\/revisions\/21522"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thorntonweather.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=21521"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thorntonweather.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=21521"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thorntonweather.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=21521"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}