{"id":21552,"date":"2021-05-12T04:46:53","date_gmt":"2021-05-12T10:46:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.thorntonweather.com\/blog\/?p=21552"},"modified":"2021-05-13T05:49:10","modified_gmt":"2021-05-13T11:49:10","slug":"may-9-to-may-15-this-week-in-denver-weather-history-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thorntonweather.com\/blog\/weather-history\/may-9-to-may-15-this-week-in-denver-weather-history-2\/","title":{"rendered":"May 9 to May 15: This week in Denver weather history"},"content":{"rendered":"

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

As we get further into spring our look back at Denver weather history begins to show more typical severe weather.\u00a0 This week in Denver weather history we see plenty of hail, heavy rainfall, a tornado or two and lightning that caused serious injuries.<\/p>\n

8-9<\/p>\n

In 1957\u2026intense heavy rain caused flash flooding on toll gate creek in Aurora where 3 people were killed in a car. Up to 4 inches of rain fell in 5 hours in the Toll Gate Creek basin.\u00a0 The rain also caused flash flooding on Sand Creek in Aurora and Denver.\u00a0 Rainfall totaled 3.29 inches at Stapleton Airport with most of the rain\u20262.34 inches\u2026 Occurring on the 9th.<\/p>\n

8-10<\/p>\n

In 1979\u20264.3 inches of snow fell at Stapleton International Airport where northwest winds gusted to 30 mph on the 8th. Most of the snowfall\u20262.3 inches\u2026occurred on the 9th. High temperature of only 35 degrees on the 9th equaled the record low maximum for the date.<\/p>\n

9<\/p>\n

In 1875\u2026a heavy windstorm swept across the city for most of the day.\u00a0 West-northwest winds averaged a sustained speed of 31 mph between 6:00 am and 3:00 pm.\u00a0 The peak wind was sustained to 45 mph at 9:50 am.<\/p>\n

In 1918\u2026post-frontal winds were sustained to 40 mph with gusts as high as 43 mph.\u00a0 Only a trace of rain fell.<\/p>\n

In 1941\u2026a tornado was noted at 2:20 pm to the northeast of downtown and was followed by another similar shaped cloud or dust roll estimated 3 miles behind.\u00a0 Thick dust followed with heavy gusts of wind.\u00a0 The temperature fell 15 degrees in 10 minutes following the twister.\u00a0 The mild tornado did little damage except to unprotected frame structures.\u00a0 Winds were sustained to 50 mph with the passing of the tornado at Stapleton Airport.\u00a0 It was visible to observers for 10 minutes and was lost from sight as it traveled east into huge rolls of dust.\u00a0 Hail and rain followed with a few hailstones as large as 1\/2 inch in diameter downtown.\u00a0 No damage was reported from the hail.\u00a0 Thunderstorm winds sustained to 31 mph produced blowing dust downtown.\u00a0 Precipitation was only 0.07 inch.<\/p>\n

In 1983\u2026streams swollen by recent rain and snowmelt caused an earthen dam to collapse\u2026washing out portions of State Highway 67 near Deckers in southern Douglas County.<\/p>\n

In 1992\u2026three boys\u2026ages 11\u202612\u2026and 16\u2026were struck by lightning while taking cover under a large tree during a thunderstorm in Jefferson County\u2026just 7 miles northwest of Denver.\u00a0 The three were seriously injured.<\/p>\n

9-10<\/p>\n

In 1889\u2026heavy rainfall totaled 2.15 inches in downtown Denver.\u00a0 The cold rain was mixed with snow at times overnight.\u00a0 Temperatures on the 10th ranged from a high of 38 degrees to a low of 32 degrees with north winds sustained to 22 mph.<\/p>\n

In 2003\u2026a late spring snowstorm hammered the mountains\u2026 Eastern foothills\u2026and urban corridor.\u00a0 The heaviest snowfall occurred north of interstate 70.\u00a0 The heavy wet snow caused damage to trees throughout metro Denver and downed power lines.\u00a0 About 40 thousand people along the urban corridor were without power.\u00a0 Storm total snowfall amounts included:\u00a0 11.5 inches in Louisville\u2026 8 inches in Boulder and Broomfield; 7 inches in Thornton\u2026Broomfield\u2026at Denver International Airport\u2026 And at the site of the former Stapleton International Airport; and 6 inches 4 miles east of Denver.\u00a0 Snowfall ranged from 4 to 9 inches across extreme southern weld County.\u00a0 In the foothills\u202615 inches of snow fell near Jamestown\u20269 inches at Rollinsville and Rawah\u2026with 8 inches at Chief Hosa and atop Lookout Mountain. The snow was accompanied by thunder on the afternoon of the 9th at Denver International Airport where west winds gusted to 25 mph on the 9th and north winds gusted to 22 mph on the 10th.<\/p>\n

In 2015…from the 9th to the 10th…a strong storm system brought heavy snow to areas in and around Denver. Moderate to heavy rain showers transitioned over to snow by early in the evening on the 9th. Heavy wet snow overnight caused many trees to break under the pressure of the sudden weight. Tree damage ranged from minor to significant…with old growth trees losing large limbs and new trees sustaining fatal damage. Power outages affected about 43350 Xcel Energy customers in metro Denver. The Intermountain Rural Electric Association also reported about 1000 power outages in the Strasburg areas. In the high country…CDOT shut down Interstate 70 between the Eisenhower Tunnel and Silverthorne due to multiple crashes.<\/p>\n

10<\/p>\n

In 1875\u2026a windstorm sand-blasted the city from 10:00 am until midnight.\u00a0 Northwest winds sustained to 60 mph brought clouds of sand\u2026which caused high damage to unfinished buildings.<\/p>\n

<\/span>In 1912\u2026a vigorous cold front produced strong north winds and rain.\u00a0 North winds were sustained to 48 mph with gusts as high as 60 mph.\u00a0 Rainfall totaled 1.10 inch.<\/p>\n

In 1935\u2026no precipitation occurred\u2026making this one of only two days without precipitation during the entire month.\u00a0 The other day was the 21st.\u00a0 Precipitation totaled 4.95 inches for the month.<\/p>\n

In 1956\u2026northwest winds gusted to 53 mph at Stapleton Airport where the visibility was briefly reduced to 1\/2 mile in blowing dust.<\/p>\n

In 1974\u2026strong winds caused 30 thousand dollars in damage to a building under construction in Lakewood.\u00a0 Microburst winds gusted to 46 mph at Stapleton International Airport.<\/p>\n

In 1988\u2026lightning struck a house in Boulder\u2026setting it afire.\u00a0 The house\u2026valued at 170 thousand dollars\u2026was a total loss.<\/p>\n

In 1989\u2026golf ball size hail fell over southeast Denver near the junction of I-25 and I-225.\u00a0 Hail to 3\/4 inch in diameter fell over southeast Aurora.\u00a0 Only 3\/8 inch hail fell at Stapleton International Airport.<\/p>\n

In 1991\u2026high winds up to 63 mph raked the eastern foothills. Winds estimated to 50 mph tore a roof from a home in Lafayette.\u00a0 A tower at Jefferson County stadium in west metro Denver was blown over by the high winds.\u00a0 No injuries were reported.\u00a0 Southeast winds gusting to 48 mph at Stapleton International Airport produced some blowing dust.\u00a0 The temperature climbed to a high of 86 degrees\u2026 Equaling the record maximum for the date.<\/p>\n

In 2005\u2026severe thunderstorms produced hail as large as 2 inches in diameter in and near Longmont.<\/p>\n

10-11<\/p>\n

In 1918\u2026post-frontal snowfall totaled 4.7 inches in downtown Denver.\u00a0 Northwest winds gusted to 19 mph on the 10th.<\/p>\n

In 1923\u2026winds were strong and gusty on both days.\u00a0 Northwest winds were sustained to 40 mph with gusts to 44 mph on the 10th.\u00a0 North winds were sustained to 39 mph with gusts to 46 mph behind an apparent cold front on the 11th.<\/p>\n

10-12<\/p>\n

In 2011…from the 10th to the 12th…a spring snowstorm brought heavy snow to the Front Range Foothills and Palmer Divide. Storm totals included: 18 inches…4 miles south-southeast of Pinecliffe; 16 inches in Coal Creek Canyon; 15 inches…4 miles west-southwest of Eldorado Springs; 13 inches at Gold Hill…12 inches…4 miles west-southwest of Conifer and 4 miles northwest of Elizabeth; 11.5 inches…6 miles southwest of Evergreen and 4 miles east-northeast of Nederland; 11 inches…3 miles east of Jamestown and 10.5 inches…3 miles east of Franktown and 3 miles south of Golden and 10 inches…10 miles north of Elizabeth. At Denver International Airport… 1 inch of snowfall was observed.<\/p>\n

11<\/p>\n

In 1879\u2026an apparent cold front during the afternoon produced sustained north winds as high as 60 mph and great clouds of blowing dust.\u00a0 The dust filled the air until the thunderstorm rain began\u2026which produced 1.46 inches of rainfall.\u00a0 The rain ended during the evening.<\/p>\n

In 1900\u2026southwest winds were sustained to 40 mph with gusts to 46 mph.<\/p>\n

In 1958\u2026a microburst caused a brief wind gust to 55 mph at Stapleton Airport.<\/p>\n

In 1963\u2026south-southwest winds gusted to 48 mph at Stapleton Airport.\u00a0 Winds May have been stronger over west Denver where some buildings were damaged.<\/p>\n

In 1998\u2026large hail fell over south metro Denver.\u00a0 Hail as large as 1 1\/4 inches in diameter was measured in Parker with 1 inch hail recorded in Littleton and 4 miles south of Lakewood in Jefferson County.\u00a0 Hail to 3\/4 inch diameter was measured in Douglas County\u202611 miles west- northwest of Parker.<\/p>\n

11-12<\/p>\n

In 2014…from the 11th to the 12th…a strong storm system moved from southwest Colorado and produced heavy snow in and near the Front Range Foothills and metro Denver. The snow was heaviest in the foothills where up to 2 1\/2 feet of snow was observed. In the foothills…storm totals included: 30 inches near Pinecliffe; 29 inches… 8 miles northeast of Four Corners; 28 inches near Pingree Park; 27 inches near Allenspark; 20.5 inches near Idaho Springs; 19.5 inches at Gold Hill; 19 inches near Genesee; 18 inches near Blackhawk; 17 inches at Aspen Springs; 16.5 inches near Ward; 13.5 inches at Bergen Park; with 11 inches at Evergreen. Along Urban Corridor and Palmer Divide…storm totals included: 10.5 inches at Eldorado Springs; 10 inches at Ken Caryl; 9 inches at Superior; 8 inches near Morrison; 7.5 inches in Broomfield and Highlands Ranch; 7 inches in Denver… near Franktown…Golden…Lakewood and Highlands Ranch; 6 inches…5 miles northeast of Westminster…7 miles south of Lyons and near Parker; with 5.5 inches at Aurora. At Denver International Airport…1.1 inches of snowfall was observed… along with 0.9 inches of water.<\/p>\n

12<\/p>\n

In 1875\u2026two forest fires on the eastern slope of the foothills were visible from the city.<\/p>\n

In 1904\u2026north winds were sustained to 40 mph with gusts to 48 mph.<\/p>\n

In 1950\u2026brilliant and complete primary and secondary rainbows arching across the sky were observed from Stapleton Airport.<\/p>\n

In 1951\u2026a wind gust to 51 mph was recorded at Stapleton Airport.<\/p>\n

In 1984\u2026winds gusted to 69 mph in Boulder.\u00a0 Northwest winds gusted to 47 mph at Stapleton International Airport.<\/p>\n

In 1987\u2026a small weak tornado touched down for about 2 minutes in southeast Denver.\u00a0 The twister hit a car dealership\u2026blowing about a dozen windows out of cars and shattering four skylights on the building.\u00a0 Some tin roofing was blown off a patio a block and a half away.\u00a0 The tornado also downed a power pole.\u00a0 Damage at the dealership was estimated at 10 thousand dollars.\u00a0 A man was slightly injured by lightning in northwest Aurora.<\/p>\n

In 1995\u2026several funnel clouds were sighted near Parker. One of the funnels produced a short-lived debris cloud on the ground in an open field.\u00a0 No damage was reported.<\/p>\n

In 2015…a man suffered minor injuries when the tree he took shelter under was struck by lightning. He was jogging at City Park Golf Course when the incident occurred. The jogger was taken to the hospital for observation.<\/p>\n

12-13<\/p>\n

In 1907\u2026the temperature warmed to a high of 73 degrees on the 12th\u2026before a cold front produced a thunderstorm\u2026 Northeast winds sustained to 40 mph\u2026and rain changing to light snow overnight.\u00a0 Snowfall totaled only 2 inches\u2026but the high temperature on the 13th was only 39 degrees.<\/p>\n

In 1961\u2026a storm that covered metro Denver with rain and snow started as thunderstorms on the evening of the 12th.\u00a0 Hail to 1 1\/2 inches in diameter was reported 10 miles northwest of Stapleton Airport.\u00a0 Rain continued overnight and changed to snow on the 13th.\u00a0 Snowfall totaled 6.4 inches and precipitation (rain and melted snow) 1.96 inches at Stapleton Airport where north winds gusted to 39 mph.\u00a0 The rain and heavy wet snow caused icing damage to utility lines.\u00a0 Heavy snow occurred in the foothills.<\/p>\n

In 1982\u2026a major storm dumped 1.50 to 3.50 inches of rain across northeast Colorado and deposited prodigious amounts of snow in the foothills.\u00a0 Coal Creek Canyon southwest of Boulder was buried under 46 inches of snow with 39 inches at Nederland.\u00a0 The heavy wet snow downed many powerlines in the foothills.\u00a0 In Thornton\u2026the roof of a school was damaged by water from the heavy rain.\u00a0 At Stapleton International Airport\u20261.49 inches of rain were measured over the two day period.\u00a0 The heavy rain ended a severe and prolonged drought.<\/p>\n

In 2004\u2026a winter storm produced heavy snow in excess of a foot in the foothills above 6 thousand feet while heavy rain fell across the city.\u00a0 The heaviest snow occurred in the high country of Boulder County.\u00a0 Storm total snowfall was 14.5 inches near Jamestown.\u00a0 Rainfall totaled 0.81 inch at Denver International Airport with 0.94 inch recorded at Denver Stapleton.\u00a0 A trace of snow was recorded at both locations.\u00a0 East winds gusted to 24 mph at Denver International Airport on the 12th.<\/p>\n

13<\/p>\n

In 1905\u2026a thunderstorm produced hail during the late afternoon.\u00a0 Precipitation totaled 0.57 inch.<\/p>\n

13-14<\/p>\n

In 1912\u2026heavy snowfall totaled 12.4 inches over the city. Most of the snow\u20269.9 inches\u2026fell on the 13th\u2026which was the greatest 24 hour snowfall in May at the time.\u00a0 This was the last snowfall of the season.\u00a0 The low temperature dipped to 27 degrees on the morning of the 14th.<\/p>\n

In 1989\u2026a spring storm brought heavy rain and snow to the foothills.\u00a0 Metro Denver was soaked with 1 to 2 inches of rain.\u00a0 Rainfall totaled 1.26 inches at Stapleton International Airport.\u00a0 In the foothills\u2026Echo Lake received 20 inches of snow.\u00a0 A 30-ton Boulder slid onto I-70 east of the Eisenhower Tunnel\u2026closing the freeway for 2 hours.<\/p>\n

14<\/p>\n

In 1910\u2026a thunderstorm produced strong winds during the afternoon.\u00a0 Northwest winds were sustained to 42 mph.<\/p>\n

In 1913\u2026light moist snow and light hail fell during short intervals\u2026although no thunder was heard.\u00a0 The trace of snowfall was the only snow of the month.\u00a0 Precipitation\u2026 Mostly rain\u2026totaled 0.44 inch.<\/p>\n

In 1984\u2026a pilot reported a tornado 16 miles east of Stapleton International Airport.\u00a0 No damage was reported. A thunderstorm produced a 58 mph wind gust in Brighton. Thunderstorm winds gusted to 48 mph at Stapleton International Airport.<\/p>\n

In 1989\u2026lightning struck a home in Evergreen\u2026setting it afire.<\/p>\n

In 1992\u2026strong thunderstorm winds of unknown velocity\u2026 Knocked over and damaged the infield tote board at Arapahoe Park Racetrack just southeast of Aurora. Damage was estimated at 200 thousand dollars.\u00a0 No injuries were reported.\u00a0 Lightning started two house fires\u2026causing 35 hundred dollars in damage in Adams County just 9 miles north-northwest of Denver.<\/p>\n

In 1994\u2026a sudden wind gust\u2026estimated at 40 mph\u2026blew a portion of the roof off a shopping center in Lafayette. The roof also damaged two parked cars in an adjacent lot.<\/p>\n

In 2001\u2026a construction worker in Castle Rock received minor injuries when lightning struck close-by.<\/p>\n

In 2002\u2026a microburst wind gust to 53 mph was recorded at Denver International Airport.<\/p>\n

In 2007\u2026severe thunderstorms producing large hail\u2026very heavy rain\u2026and tornadoes impacted the urban corridor and adjacent plains.\u00a0 Heavy rain associated with a severe thunderstorm caused flooding along a small tributary draining into the South Platte River.\u00a0 The incident took place at 13th and Decatur St\u2026.near Invesco Field.\u00a0 The floodwaters inundated the bike trail adjacent to the creek. A woman with her child sought refuge under a bridge and became trapped by the high water.\u00a0 The woman slipped and the stroller containing the child was swept into the swift current.\u00a0 The child drowned.\u00a0 Rainfall totaled 0.42 inches at Denver International Airport.\u00a0 Elsewhere\u2026golf ball hail was reported near Hudson.\u00a0 Hail\u2026up to one inch in diameter\u2026was observed in Boulder and Lyons. Thunderstorm wind gusts estimated to 70 mph were reported near Buckley Air Force Base\u2026with a peak wind gust to 37 mph observed at Denver International Airport.\u00a0 A small tornado touched down near Ft. Lupton but did no damage.<\/p>\n

14-15<\/p>\n

In 1977\u2026high winds up to 100 mph felled hundreds of trees in Gilpin County and caused extensive damage to telephone and power lines.\u00a0 Lumber and steel tanks were blown around in Boulder Canyon.\u00a0 West winds gusted to 46 mph at Stapleton International Airport on the 15th.<\/p>\n

14-18<\/p>\n

In 1996\u2026a period of unusually warm weather resulted in 4 record maximum temperatures in 5 days.\u00a0 The record high temperatures were 87 degrees on the 14th\u202689 degrees on the 15th\u2026and 93 degrees on both the 16th and 18th.\u00a0 The temperature climbed to only 81 degrees on the 17th which was not a record.<\/p>\n

15<\/p>\n

In 1894\u2026southwest winds were sustained to 38 mph with gusts to 50 mph.<\/p>\n

In 1910\u2026an apparent cold front produced sustained northeast winds to 48 mph.<\/p>\n

In 1986\u2026a thunderstorm dumped an inch of rain in an hour over the eastern part of Aurora.\u00a0 Total rainfall from the storm was 1.62 inches.<\/p>\n

In 1989\u2026a 47 year old man\u2026a Lakewood police officer\u2026was struck and injured by lightning.\u00a0 Small hail piled up 3 to 4 inches deep near Golden.\u00a0 There was reported street flooding from heavy thunderstorm rains over western metro Denver.\u00a0 Rainfall totaled 0.76 inch at Stapleton International Airport.<\/p>\n

In 1990\u2026a thunderstorm produced a wind gust to 69 mph at Jefferson County Airport in Broomfield.\u00a0 Thunderstorm winds gusting to 49 mph at Stapleton International Airport produced some blowing dust.<\/p>\n

In 1991\u2026a funnel cloud was sighted near Morrison.\u00a0 Later\u2026 Hail up to 2 inches deep covered U.S. Highway 285 at South Turkey Creek Road in west metro Denver.\u00a0 Baseball size hail was reported on the east side of Littleton.\u00a0 Dime size hail was reported in Boulder.<\/p>\n

In 1993\u2026lightning started a fire which damaged a home in Boulder.\u00a0 No one was injured.<\/p>\n

In 1997\u2026a wind gust to 58 mph was recorded at the site of the former Stapleton International Airport.\u00a0 A street sign was blown down at the Havana Street exit along I-70.<\/p>\n

In 1999\u2026lightning ignited a small fire in a 3-story structure in sunshine canyon above Boulder.\u00a0 The fire was quickly extinguished and caused only minor damage.<\/p>\n

In 2003\u2026thunderstorms produced very heavy rainfall and localized flash flooding in the foothills of central Boulder County.\u00a0 Rainfall ranged from 1.5 to 2.5 inches in less than 2 hours.\u00a0 Water ranging in depth from 6 to 9 inches covered State Highway 119 in Boulder Canyon.\u00a0 Dirt and rocks also washed over the roadway.\u00a0 Some basements were flooded in the sugarloaf area.\u00a0 Rockslides were also reported at Boulder falls\u2026Lefthand Canyon\u2026and Fourmile Canyon.<\/p>\n

In 2015…Severe thunderstorms produced hail…from nickel to half dollar size…across parts of Adams…Arapahoe…Douglas and Weld Counties. Two tornadoes touched down briefly in Adams County; one tornado…rated an EF1…destroyed a storage shed north of Strasburg.<\/p>\n

15-16<\/p>\n

In 1957\u2026heavy snowfall totaled 8.8 inches at Stapleton Airport. The greatest amount on the ground was 3 inches.<\/p>\n

In 1986\u2026a spring storm dumped 1 to 2 inches of rain over metro Denver\u2026but 2.71 inches fell at Buckley Field in Aurora.\u00a0 Rainfall only totaled 0.84 inch at Stapleton International Airport.\u00a0 Snow fell in the foothills with 7 inches recorded in Coal Creek Canyon southwest of Boulder.<\/p>\n

In 2016…1.22 inches of precipitation was measured at Denver International Airport which was the greatest daily amount for the month.<\/p>\n

15-17<\/p>\n

In 1922…from the 15th to the 17th…heavy snowfall totaled 9.0 inches in downtown Denver. Most of the snow…6.0 inches… fell on the 16th. This was the third major snowstorm in a week. Northwest winds were sustained to 43 mph with gusts to 47 mph on the 15th.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

As we get further into spring our look back at Denver weather history begins to show more typical severe weather.\u00a0 This week in Denver weather history we see plenty of hail, heavy rainfall, a tornado or two and lightning that caused serious injuries. 8-9 In 1957\u2026intense heavy rain caused flash flooding on toll gate creek … Continue reading May 9 to May 15: 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":[81,106,62,387,741],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thorntonweather.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21552"}],"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=21552"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.thorntonweather.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21552\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":21553,"href":"https:\/\/www.thorntonweather.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21552\/revisions\/21553"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thorntonweather.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=21552"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thorntonweather.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=21552"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thorntonweather.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=21552"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}