{"id":21568,"date":"2021-05-16T05:42:16","date_gmt":"2021-05-16T11:42:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.thorntonweather.com\/blog\/?p=21568"},"modified":"2021-05-17T05:48:32","modified_gmt":"2021-05-17T11:48:32","slug":"may-16-to-may-22-this-week-in-denver-weather-history-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thorntonweather.com\/blog\/weather-history\/may-16-to-may-22-this-week-in-denver-weather-history-2\/","title":{"rendered":"May 16 to May 22: This week in Denver weather history"},"content":{"rendered":"

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

Late spring typically brings some of the most eventful weather Denver sees throughout the year and our look back at this week in Denver weather history shows that.\u00a0 There are many typical events we would expect to see such as hail, heavy rain and flooding, and even tornadoes.\u00a0 Most notably, this week marks the two year anniversary of the Windsor tornado.\u00a0 And, for those that think the snow is done, we can see that in 1983 a snowstorm struck the city forcing the closure of Stapleton International Airport.<\/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

15-16<\/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

16<\/p>\n

In 1875\u2026a heavy hail storm turned into heavy rain during the afternoon.\u00a0 Rainfall totaled 0.86 inch in just 37 minutes\u2026while the temperature dropped 22 degrees in 22 minutes.\u00a0 Precipitation totaled 0.90 inch.<\/p>\n

In 1894\u2026west winds were sustained to 48 mph with gusts to 56 mph.<\/p>\n

In 1949\u2026a tornado was observed for 16 minutes\u202620 miles to the southeast of Stapleton Airport.\u00a0 The tornado moved 5 miles to the northeast before dissipating.\u00a0 No damage was reported.<\/p>\n

In 1963\u2026intense lightning started several forest fires in the foothills southwest of Denver near Deckers and Cheeseman Lake.\u00a0 Little precipitation fell from the storms to alleviate the unusual dry conditions so early in the season.<\/p>\n

In 1978\u2026thunderstorm winds caused damage in southeast Aurora.\u00a0 Winds of 60 to 80 mph blew down numerous fences and damaged several homes under construction.\u00a0 High winds tore docks loose at Cheery Creek Reservoir\u2026sinking 3 or 4 boats and damaging about 15 others.\u00a0 At Stapleton International Airport where winds gusted to 60 mph\u2026a 727 jet suffered 15 hundred dollars damage when wind toppled a runway light onto it.\u00a0 The public reported an unconfirmed tornado 7 miles south-southwest of Stapleton International Airport.<\/p>\n

In 1990\u2026a line of thunderstorms moving across metro Denver uprooted a large ash tree\u2026which fell and blocked the outside doors to a Denver elementary school\u2026briefly trapping the students inside.\u00a0 Thunderstorm wind gusts to 69 mph were reported at Jefferson County Airport. Northwest winds gusted to 44 mph at Stapleton International Airport.<\/p>\n

In 1991\u2026two tornadoes touched down briefly in Castle Rock\u2026 But no injuries or damage were recorded.\u00a0 Heavy thunderstorm rains of 0.50 to 1.10 inches in a couple of hours caused Lena Gulch near Golden to flood.\u00a0 No damage was reported.<\/p>\n

In 1996\u2026dry microburst winds of unknown strength overturned a trailer and damaged storage sheds in Strasburg east of Denver.<\/p>\n

<\/span>16-17<\/p>\n

In 1981\u2026a heavy rain storm dumped 1 to 2 1\/2 inches of rain across metro Denver.\u00a0 Rainfall totaled 1.27 inches at Stapleton International Airport where north winds gusted to 38 mph on 17th.<\/p>\n

In 1983\u2026a very strong late spring storm dumped heavy snow over the Front Range.\u00a0 Strong winds with the storm produced blizzard conditions at times.\u00a0 Sustained winds were 20 to 40 mph with a peak gust to 55 mph at Stapleton International Airport.\u00a0 The foothills received 1 to 2 feet of snow with 4 to 12 inches along the foothills.\u00a0 Howling winds whipped the snow into drifts several feet deep\u2026closing schools and highways.\u00a0 Stapleton International Airport was forced to reduce flight operations\u2026closing 2 of 4 runways and stranding hundreds of travelers.\u00a0 Most of the damage and inconvenience caused by the storm was in power outages\u2026 Which occurred when wind and heavy wet snow caused hundreds of power poles to snap and topple.\u00a0 About 20 square miles of Denver were blacked out.\u00a0 Precipitation from the storm totaled 1 to 3 inches.\u00a0 At Stapleton International Airport\u2026 Snowfall totaled 7.1 inches with a maximum snow depth on the ground of only 2 inches due to melting.\u00a0 The high temperature of 40 degrees on the 17th was a record low maximum for the date.\u00a0 Due to the heavy moisture content of the storm\u2026widespread street flooding occurred on the 18th when much of the snow melted under the warm May sun and temperatures climbed to a high of 57 degrees.<\/p>\n

In 1995\u2026significant moisture and upslope flow caused flooding across metro Denver.\u00a0 Moderate to heavy rains\u2026 Which began on the evening of the 16th\u2026developed in the foothills and spread eastward over metro Denver throughout the night.\u00a0 The heavy rains brought many creeks and small streams to bankfull or slightly over.\u00a0 Locations along the foothills received between 3 and 4 inches of rainfall from the storm.\u00a0 Boulder received 3.60 inches of rainfall for the 24-hour period\u2026causing minor street flooding near small streams.\u00a0 To the northwest of Boulder\u2026a bridge which crossed Fourmile Creek was washed out.\u00a0 Numerous rock and mudslides occurred in foothills canyons\u2026closing portions of U.S. Highways 6 and 40 and State Highway 119 for a few hours at a time.\u00a0 Rocks were piled 6 feet deep on a stretch of State Highway 119 along with Boulders as large as cars on U.S. Highway 6.\u00a0 A parking lot near a creek in Golden caved in leaving a hole the size of an 18-wheeler.\u00a0 Rushing water washed out a 50-foot stretch of a road in Westminster. Rainfall totaled 1.75 inches at Denver International Airport\u2026but only 1.42 inches at the site of the former Stapleton International Airport.<\/p>\n

17<\/p>\n

In 1903\u2026southwest winds were sustained to 42 mph with gusts to 45 mph from an apparent microburst which produced only a trace of rain.<\/p>\n

In 1960\u2026hail to 3\/4 inch diameter was measured in Thornton. Golf ball size hail fell in Arvada.<\/p>\n

In 1972\u2026microburst winds gusted to 51 mph at Stapleton International Airport.<\/p>\n

In 1975\u2026hail 1\/2 to 3\/4 inch in diameter fell over western metro Denver.<\/p>\n

In 1978\u2026a small tornado touched down in south Aurora damaging 40 homes\u20266 to a considerable extent.\u00a0 One garage was demolished and blown across the street.\u00a0 Parts of roofs were completely blown away.\u00a0 Several 2\u00d74-inch boards were blown into the sides of houses.\u00a0 Another small tornado in Parker damaged two airplanes.\u00a0 Other funnel clouds were sighted over Northglenn and near Golden.<\/p>\n

In 1985\u2026a thunderstorm produced a total of 1.50 inches of rain in Brighton where 0.72 inches fell in 40 minutes. Small hail covered the ground\u2026and there was some street and basement flooding.<\/p>\n

In 1987\u2026small hail piled up 4 inches deep in southwest Aurora.\u00a0 There was also widespread street flooding and a few power outages.\u00a0 Hail as large as 3\/4 inch in diameter fell at Castle Rock.<\/p>\n

In 2000\u2026high winds occurred along and east of the Front Range foothills\u2026as a deep surface low pressure center formed over the northeast plains of Colorado.\u00a0 An amusement park in north Boulder received about 25 thousand dollars in property damage.\u00a0 Peak wind reports included:\u00a0 88 mph at the national wind technology center\u202684 mph in Boulder\u2026and 80 mph at the National Center for Atmospheric Research Mesa Laboratory. A powder keg of severe weather\u2026including tornadoes and thunderstorms producing large hail\u2026damaging winds and heavy rain\u2026occurred over the plains to the northeast of Denver.\u00a0 The only severe weather reported across metro Denver was 1 inch diameter hail in Littleton.<\/p>\n

17-19<\/p>\n

In 2017…a strong spring storm dropped across the Great Basin… and then moved eastward across Colorado. Isolated but strong thunderstorms preceded the system on the 17th with hail up to nickel size near Boulder Airport and Brighton. Significant snow fell across the Front Range mountains and foothills over the next couple of days. Along the Interstate 25 Corridor… rain turned to snow on the morning of the 18th…heaviest from around Broomfield northward. The heavy wet snow snapped the limbs of fully leaved trees and caused scattered power outages. A barns collapsed in northeast Loveland. Fifty-five head of cattle were inside the collapsed barn; three were injured and later euthanized. Numerous branches and trees snapped in the foothills. Elsewhere…several scattered smaller power outages were reported. Three to nearly five inches of liquid precipitation occurred…as rain or a mix of rain and snow…fell around Greeley. Storm totals in the Front Range mountains and foothills included: 42.0 inches near Allenspark…41.5 inches near Ward…36 inches at Estes Park… 32 inches near Pinecliffe…30.5 inches northwest of Golden… 30 inches near Nederland…26 inches near Breckenridge…25 inches near Aspen Springs and Bear Lake State Park…14 inches at Aspen Springs…with 9.5 inches near Evergreen. On the west side of the Interstate 25 Corridor…storm totals included: 10 inches near Superior and Louisville…6 to 8 inches in and around Fort Collins…6 inches in Lafayette… 5 inches in Broomfield and Loveland…and 4 inches near Niwot.<\/p>\n

18<\/p>\n

In 1864\u2026heavy rains combined with melting snow to cause much flooding on north clear creek in Blackhawk.\u00a0 Many bridges on the road to Denver were washed away by the high water on clear creek.<\/p>\n

In 1893\u2026northwest winds were sustained to 56 mph with an extreme velocity to 60 mph.<\/p>\n

In 1960\u2026large hail to 1 inch in diameter damaged roofs and cars in metro Denver.\u00a0 Heavy snow and rain in the foothills caused rock and landslides\u2026which blocked some highways. There was widespread minor damage from lightning. Hail as large as 1 1\/8 inch in diameter was measured at Stapleton Airport where winds gusted to 44 mph.<\/p>\n

In 1975\u2026a tornado touched down briefly just south of Buckley Field in Aurora.\u00a0 A few minutes later the same tornado touched down in open country 8 miles northeast of Stapleton International Airport.\u00a0 No damage was reported.<\/p>\n

In 1985\u20263\/4 inch hail fell just southeast of Aurora.<\/p>\n

In 1988\u2026lightning started a fire at a home in the foothills west of Boulder\u2026causing 50 thousand dollars in damage.<\/p>\n

In 1995\u2026strong thunderstorms rumbled across metro Denver dropping mainly pea to marble size hail.\u00a0 However\u2026hail stones as large as 1 1\/4 inches in diameter fell in Wheat Ridge and downtown Denver.\u00a0 Hail piled up to 2 inches deep in Wheat Ridge and northwest Denver.<\/p>\n

In 1996\u2026the buffalo creek wildfire started and spread rapidly on strong southwest winds at 20 to 30 mph.\u00a0 Dry weather conditions contributed to the spread of the fire\u2026 Which burned nearly 12 thousand acres and destroyed 12 structures including some houses.<\/p>\n

In 2001\u2026a 19-year-old man was struck and killed by lightning as he was walking along the shoulder of U.S. Highway 36 in Westminster.<\/p>\n

In 2003\u2026hail to 3\/4 inch in diameter was measured at Denver International Airport.<\/p>\n

In 2010…a small tornado touched down near Firestone but did no damage.<\/p>\n

18-20<\/p>\n

In 1915\u20263.9 inches of snow fell in the city.\u00a0 The estimated amount of snow that melted as it fell was 6.2 inches which would have totaled an estimated 10.1 inches of snowfall. Precipitation totaled 1.03 inches.\u00a0 North winds were sustained to 32 mph on the 18th.\u00a0 Low temperatures dipped to 25 degrees on both the 18th and 20th\u2026establishing record minimums for both dates.<\/p>\n

In 1988\u2026prolonged heavy rainfall drenched metro Denver. The event began when heavy thunderstorms on the 18th caused some street flooding and power outages\u2026followed by steady rain on the 19th and 20th.\u00a0 Rain amounts across metro Denver totaled 3 to 4 inches.\u00a0 Rainfall totaled 3.71 inches at Stapleton International Airport where north winds gusted to 39 mph on the 20th.\u00a0 Four to eight inches of snow fell in the foothills above 7 thousand feet.<\/p>\n

19<\/p>\n

In 1927\u2026southeast winds were sustained to 40 mph with gusts to 44 mph.<\/p>\n

In 1956\u2026a thunderstorm wind gust to 54 mph was recorded at Stapleton International Airport.<\/p>\n

In 1969\u2026hail stones to 1 inch in diameter were measured in Arvada and Aurora.\u00a0 Some minor damage was reported. Pea to marble size hail fell in Westminster.<\/p>\n

In 1972\u2026a tornado was reported by aircraft about 5 to 10 miles east of Parker.<\/p>\n

In 1988\u2026lightning started a fire at a house in the Denver suburb of greenwood village\u2026causing 2 thousand dollars in damage.<\/p>\n

In 1991\u2026strong thunderstorms over east metro Denver produced wind gusts of 56 to 60 mph.\u00a0 The strong winds downed power lines\u2026trees\u2026and fences at some locations in Aurora. Thunderstorm outflow winds gusted to 60 mph at Stapleton International Airport.<\/p>\n

In 1994\u2026severe thunderstorms rumbled across metro Denver. The storms produced wind gusts averaging 65 mph and hail up to dime size.\u00a0 Wind gusts to 77 mph were recorded in Brighton.\u00a0 Numerous trees and power poles were downed by the winds.\u00a0 One power pole fell onto spectators at a high school graduation ceremony in Commerce City\u2026injuring 6 people.\u00a0 In Fort Lupton\u2026trees fell onto 2 parked cars\u2026 Knocking out the windshields.\u00a0 Hail to 3\/4 inch in diameter was reported in Littleton.\u00a0 A thunderstorm wind gust to 52 mph was recorded at Stapleton International Airport.<\/p>\n

In 1995\u2026a slow moving tornado\u2026which was mainly discernible by its dust and debris cloud\u2026was spotted 2 miles northeast of Denver International Airport or about 10 miles northwest of Bennett.\u00a0 No damage was reported.<\/p>\n

In 2007\u2026lightning struck a 33-ft statue of Jesus at Mother Cabrini Shrine\u2026in the foothills west of Golden.\u00a0 The blast broke off one of the statue\u2019s arms and a hand\u2026and also damaged a foot.\u00a0 It cost an estimated $200,000 to repair.<\/p>\n

In 2009…lightning struck the roof of a residence in Highlands Ranch. The home was not a total loss…but the fire caused\u00a0extensive damage.<\/p>\n

In 2010…a thunderstorm produced hail up to 7\/8 inch in diameter in Thornton.<\/p>\n

19-20<\/p>\n

In 1864\u2026a devastating major flash flood occurred on the normally dry and sandy Cherry Creek in Denver.\u00a0 The flood was caused by heavy thunderstorm rainfall and hail over the palmer ridge to the south of the city in both the Cherry Creek and plum creek basins.\u00a0 Nineteen deaths occurred along the South Platte River and Cherry Creek in Denver.\u00a0 The torrent swept cattle and sheep along with large trees and houses before it washing out several bridges\u2026and moving large structures from their foundations.\u00a0 All city records were destroyed when city hall washed away.\u00a0 The rocky mountain news building\u2026built on stilts in the middle of the creek\u2026was totally destroyed by the raging waters\u2026which were as deep as 5 feet on the morning of the 20th.\u00a0 Once the flood waters receded\u2026much sand and gravel was left behind.\u00a0 Property damage from the flood was estimated at nearly one million dollars.\u00a0 This was the first major flood of record in the city.<\/p>\n

20<\/p>\n

In 1874\u2026after a light late afternoon shower\u20263 rainbows were visible in the eastern sky.\u00a0 The two upper bows were of the usual colors.\u00a0 The lower bow had a deep violet center with a faint yellow and white rim.<\/p>\n

In 1892\u2026apparent post-frontal north winds were sustained to 40 mph with gusts to 48 mph.\u00a0 A trace of snow was the last snowfall of the season.<\/p>\n

In 1899\u2026snow pellets from 1\/4 to 3\/8 inch in diameter fell from a thundershower during the late afternoon.\u00a0 West winds were sustained to 42 mph with gusts as high as 48 mph.<\/p>\n

In 1904\u2026southeast winds were sustained to 40 mph with an extreme velocity of 42 mph produced by a thunderstorm.<\/p>\n

In 1961\u2026a tornado tore through central Douglas County\u20261 1\/2 miles north of Castle Rock.\u00a0 The storm struck 2 ranches and the property of a drilling company.\u00a0 A car on the highway was lifted off the road and slammed into a truck\u2026injuring the two occupants.<\/p>\n

In 1983\u2026heavy rain fell in Aurora with 1.00 to 1.50 inches of precipitation.\u00a0 Local flooding occurred in Lakewood.<\/p>\n

In 1990\u20261 inch diameter hail fell at Buckley Field in Aurora.\u00a0 Minor damage was reported to autos\u2026buildings and signs.<\/p>\n

In 1995\u2026hail as large as 3\/4 inch in diameter fell near Bennett where a funnel cloud was sighted.<\/p>\n

In 2001\u2026damaging winds developed behind a vigorous cold front that moved south from Wyoming into metro Denver. High winds\u2026gusting to 58 mph at Denver International Airport\u2026downed trees and power lines and kicked up blowing dust\u2026dirt\u2026and debris\u2026reducing the visibility to near zero at times.\u00a0 The poor visibility caused a multi-vehicle accident along U.S. Highway 85 north of Fort Lupton.\u00a0 Six people were treated for minor injuries.\u00a0 Several vehicles\u2026 Including semi-trailers\u2026were blown off I-70 east of Denver. About 32 thousand Xcel Energy customers in metro Denver were without electricity for up to 2 hours.\u00a0 At least a dozen incoming flights at Denver International Airport were diverted to other airports.\u00a0 All departing flights were grounded for at least an hour.\u00a0 At Southwest Plaza\u2026shoppers were evacuated as rocks holding a tarp on a portion of a roof under repair toppled into the mall.\u00a0 After the passage of the cold front\u2026temperatures plunged from the lower 70\u2019s to the mid 30\u2019s in one hour as light snow developed.\u00a0 Heavy snow developed in the foothills during the evening.\u00a0 Peak wind reports included 68 mph near Parker and 63 mph near Sedalia.\u00a0 Snowfall totals included:\u00a0 7 inches near Blackhawk\u2026 At Ken Caryl Ranch\u2026and near Sedalia; 6 inches in Coal Creek Canyon\u2026at Eldorado Springs\u2026and atop Lookout Mountain; 5 inches at Chief Hosa\u2026in Louisville\u2026Rollinsville\u2026and Wheat Ridge; and 4 inches in Aurora\u2026Bailey\u2026Parker\u2026Castle Rock and near Morrison.\u00a0 Low temperature of 31 degrees during the early morning of the 21st equaled the record low for the date last set in 1931.<\/p>\n

In 2004\u2026severe thunderstorms produced hail as large as 1.25 inches near Ft. Lupton and hail to 1.50 inches 10 miles north of Ft. Lupton.<\/p>\n

In 2014…severe thunderstorm produced hail…from 1 to 1 1\/4 inches in diameter…across parts of Aurora…Denver… Englewood and Lakewood.<\/p>\n

20-21<\/p>\n

In 1891\u2026heavy rain was mixed with snow at times and totaled 2.02 inches in the city.\u00a0 Snowfall was 1.0 inch.\u00a0 Northeast winds gusted to 28 mph on the 20th.<\/p>\n

20-22<\/p>\n

In 1959\u2026a three-day rain caused some flooding in metro Denver where rain totaled 1.68 inches at Stapleton Airport. Showers\u2026accompanied by hail near Brighton\u2026caused some damage to truck crops.\u00a0 Heavy snow in the foothills caused damage to power and telephone lines.<\/p>\n

20-27<\/p>\n

In 2002\u2026lightning sparked a wildfire near Deckers.\u00a0 Extremely dry conditions and very strong winds the following day allowed the fire\u2026known as the Schoonover\u2026to consume 3850 acres before it could be contained.\u00a0 Thirteen structures were destroyed\u2026including 4 homes\u2026resulting in 2.2 million dollars in damage.<\/p>\n

21<\/p>\n

In 1874\u2026an extensive fire at central city in the mountains to the west of Denver produced large columns of smoke that were visible from the city.\u00a0 In the afternoon\u2026the smoke and fire produced a dark inky black convective cloud\u2026which spread over the city and produced brief strong and gusty winds along with a few sprinkles of rain.<\/p>\n

In 1880\u2026west winds increased to a sustained velocity of 40 mph during the afternoon.<\/p>\n

In 1893\u2026north winds were sustained to 48 mph.<\/p>\n

In 1914\u2026a severe thunderstorm was attended by hail\u2026excessive rainfall which totaled 1.94 inches\u2026and an unusual amount of vivid lightning.\u00a0 The heavy rainfall of 0.83 inch in 15 minutes produced flooding\u2026which caused considerable damage to bottom lands in eastern and southern parts of the city. Many garden tracts and cellars were flooded.\u00a0 Southwest winds were sustained to 29 mph with gusts to 34 mph.<\/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 10th.\u00a0 Precipitation totaled 4.95 inches for the month.<\/p>\n

In 1952\u2026a tornado produced a high column of dust and dirt over northwest Denver.\u00a0 No damage was reported.<\/p>\n

In 1988\u2026a microburst wind gust to 52 mph was recorded at Stapleton International Airport.<\/p>\n

In 2002\u2026very strong winds occurred over metro Denver and northeastern Colorado as a developing surface low pressure center intensified.\u00a0 Trees and branches snapped\u2026downing power lines across parts of metro Denver.\u00a0 About 20 thousand residents lost electricity.\u00a0 The strong winds produced much blowing dust and dirt especially to the northeast of metro Denver.\u00a0 Winds gusted to 61 mph at Parker.\u00a0 South winds gusted to 58 mph at Denver International Airport.<\/p>\n

In 2006\u2026a large dust devil formed near Quincy Reservoir in south Aurora.\u00a0 The tall column resembling a tornado or smoke plume extended upward into small high-based cumulus clouds and was visible for miles across southern Aurora and eastern centennial.\u00a0 No damage was reported.<\/p>\n

In 2014…severe thunderstorms occurred in and around metro Denver. The storms produced large hail…from quarter to golfball size. Frontier Airlines canceled 16 flights…when several planes sustained hail damage. Forty flights at Denver International Airport were either delayed or canceled. Some homes in Green Valley Ranch…east of Denver…were damaged by hail. Several vehicles were also damaged. Five short lived tornadoes touched down near Bennett and Byers but no damage was reported. The storms also produced heavy rain and strong damaging winds. The wind downed trees and power lines east of Denver. The heavy rain and hail…up to 6 inches deep in spots…caused street flooding around the metro area. The hailstorm at Dick`s Sporting Goods Park knocked out power to the stadium where the 4A and 5A girls soccer championship games were about to be played. The inclement weather snarled traffic on Interstate 70…Pea Boulevard…U.S. 85 and elsewhere due to the flooded roads. In some areas…snow plows were called out to clear the hail. Parts of Tower Road and Peoria Street…and other roads in Commerce City…were closed through the late evening hours…because of standing water. Several vehicles stalled in standing water where water pooled in the underpasses. At Denver International Airport…1.2 inches of water was observed…along with a wind gust to 42 mph from the northwest.<\/p>\n

21-22<\/p>\n

In 1878\u2026overnight heavy rains of cloudburst intensity on the palmer divide to the south of the city caused flash flooding on Cherry Creek in Denver\u2026which resulted in 2 deaths.\u00a0 A wall of water swept through the city between 2:00 am and 3:00 am on the morning of the 22nd.\u00a0 The flood was so sudden and unexpected that homes along the creek in the city were submerged in water knee deep before the slumbering occupants knew anything about it.\u00a0 By daybreak the banks on both sides of the creek were lined by residents viewing the destruction caused by the raging waters in such a short time.\u00a0 Seven bridges across the creek were destroyed in the city.\u00a0 Damage to private and city property was estimated between 30 and 50 thousand dollars.\u00a0 Quite a number of cattle and sheep were killed along the reach of the creek.\u00a0 Only 0.01 inch of rain fell in the city on the 21st with a trace of rain on the 22nd.\u00a0 Flash flooding also occurred on Kiowa Creek near Bennett on the night of the 21st when the flood waters washed out the Kansas Pacific Railroad bridge.\u00a0 An east bound freight train plunged into the turbulent waters killing the three crewmen.\u00a0 The locomotive was completely buried in the sand and never found to this day!<\/p>\n

21-23<\/p>\n

In 1876\u2026snow changed to heavy rain over the city\u2026resulting in widespread flooding along Cherry Creek and the South Platte River\u2026nearly as great as the flash flood of May 19-20\u20261864.\u00a0 However\u2026damage was greater because the city had grown much larger and there were more bridges for the flood waters to destroy.\u00a0 Precipitation in the city totaled 6.70 inches from 10:00 pm on the 21st through 3:00 am on the 23rd.\u00a0 The greatest precipitation ever recorded in Denver in 24 hours\u20266.53 inches\u2026occurred on the 21st and 22nd.\u00a0 Small buildings and bridges along Cherry Creek were washed away by the flood waters.\u00a0 Bridges over the South Platte River were damaged.\u00a0 The city irrigation ditch was damaged and rendered unfit for service.\u00a0 Strong winds at speeds of 30 to 40 mph drove the heavy rain through brick walls 12 to 16 inches thick.\u00a0 Many sheep and cattle were either killed by lightning or drowned\u2026including some 100 head of cattle in Jefferson County alone.\u00a0 There was immense damage to railroad tracks\u2026especially the Kansas Pacific line to the east of the city.\u00a0 The Colorado Central suffered estimated damage of 10 to 15 thousand dollars.\u00a0 In addition\u2026the heavy rain caused extensive flooding on Soda and Bear Creeks in the foothills.\u00a0 Flooding along Boulder Creek inundated farm and pasture land in the Boulder valley and damaged a few bridges.\u00a0 Rail travel had to be suspended in the area for several days.<\/p>\n

22<\/p>\n

In 1876\u2026the most precipitation in Denver on any calendar day\u20266.50 inches\u2026occurred.<\/p>\n

In 1901\u2026northeast winds were sustained to 41 mph with gusts to 45 mph.<\/p>\n

In 1903\u2026west winds were sustained to 45 mph with gusts to 55 mph from an apparent microburst\u2026which produced a trace of rain.<\/p>\n

In 1976\u2026the public reported 3\/4 inch diameter hail and wind gusts to 53 mph near Littleton.<\/p>\n

In 1987\u2026golf ball size hail fell in the Lorretto Heights area of south metro Denver.<\/p>\n

In 1991\u2026a tornado touched down briefly in Castle Rock.\u00a0 No injuries were reported.<\/p>\n

In 1993\u2026an off duty national weather service employee reported hail up to golf ball size just west of the city of Denver in Jefferson County.\u00a0 Thunderstorm wind gusts reached 58 mph at Jefferson County Airport near Broomfield and 33 mph at Stapleton International Airport.<\/p>\n

In 1996\u2026a severe thunderstorm pummeled northwest and northern sections of metro Denver with large hail ranging in size from 3\/4 to 2 inches in diameter.\u00a0 The cities of Arvada and Westminster were the hardest hit.\u00a0 The insurance industry estimated 60 million dollars in damage to homes and personal property and 62 million dollars in damage to automobiles\u2026for a total of 122 million dollars in insured losses.\u00a0 This estimate also included the cities of Golden\u2026 Thornton\u2026and Wheat Ridge.\u00a0 This was the fourth worst hailstorm to hit metro Denver in the last 10 years.<\/p>\n

In 1998\u2026large hail fell across north metro Denver.\u00a0 Hail as large as 1 1\/2 inches in diameter was measured in Broomfield and Hudson.\u00a0 Hail to 1 1\/4 inches fell in Roggen.\u00a0 Hail to 1 inch fell in Brighton\u2026near Keenesburg\u2026 In Watkins\u2026and in the city of Denver.\u00a0 Lightning ignited a house fire in Ft. Lupton.\u00a0 A warehouse worker in Denver was injured when he was knocked off a loading dock by a lightning bolt.\u00a0 The bolt skipped off a nearby radio tower and struck him in the arm.\u00a0 He was treated for numbness in his right arm and released.<\/p>\n

In 1999\u2026severe thunderstorms produced 7\/8 inch diameter hail over the city of Denver\u2026with one inch diameter hail reported in Aurora\u2026and 3\/4 inch hail near Watkins.<\/p>\n

In 2006\u2026a lightning strike sparked a fire and damaged the roof of a recreation center in Evergreen.\u00a0 The fire spread into some brush and consumed about one quarter acre before it was extinguished.\u00a0 Severe thunderstorms produced strong wind gusts across portions of metro Denver.\u00a0 Winds gusted to 72 mph in Georgetown\u202662 mph near Parker and Bennett\u2026 60 mph in Castle Rock\u2026and 59 mph in Longmont.\u00a0 The winds caused no reportable damage.\u00a0 A thunderstorm produced southwest wind gusts to 52 mph at Denver International Airport.<\/p>\n

In 2008\u2026 an EF1 tornado touched down near Dacono.\u00a0 The tornado overturned a five-wheel trailer and injured a man sitting inside.\u00a0 It also destroyed 5 outbuildings. In addition\u2026large hail up to 1 1\/2 inches in diameter\u2026 Was reported in the vicinities of Golden and Longmont.\u00a0 The same supercell spawned an EF3 tornado that was on the ground for 45 minutes and tore a 35 mile long path through the town of Windsor.\u00a0 Hundreds of people received injuries, most minor.\u00a0 52 year old veteran Oscar Manchester was killed at a campground near Greeley and was the only fatality from the twister. By the time the storm ended, 80 homes were destroyed and 770 others were damaged.\u00a0 Cars lie on their roofs, trains weighing tens of thousands of pounds were overturned on their side, hundreds of power and telephone lines were downed.\u00a0 Splintered wood, shattered glass and twisted metal were scattered across what looked like a war zone.\u00a0 In the end, more than $193 million in damage was done making it the most expensive tornado to strike Colorado in history.<\/p>\n

In 2014…a severe thunderstorm Denver area produced nickel to quarter size hail in parts of west Denver and near Bennett. Locally heavy rainfall produced some minor street flooding in parts of metro Denver. The heavy rainfall produced localized flash flooding near Bennett. Rainfall totaled 0.54 inches at Denver International Airport.<\/p>\n

22-23<\/p>\n

In 1933\u2026high winds and gales overnight caused considerable damage in and near the city.\u00a0 Much greenhouse glass was broken\u2026which caused damage to sheltered plants.\u00a0 Great numbers of plants growing in the open were damaged or killed by wind-driven sand and soil.\u00a0 Fields were eroded by the wind and a few trees were uprooted.\u00a0 West winds were sustained to 38 mph with gusts as high as 65 mph in downtown Denver on the 22nd.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Late spring typically brings some of the most eventful weather Denver sees throughout the year and our look back at this week in Denver weather history shows that.\u00a0 There are many typical events we would expect to see such as hail, heavy rain and flooding, and even tornadoes.\u00a0 Most notably, this week marks the two … Continue reading May 16 to May 22: 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\/21568"}],"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=21568"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.thorntonweather.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21568\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":21569,"href":"https:\/\/www.thorntonweather.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21568\/revisions\/21569"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thorntonweather.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=21568"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thorntonweather.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=21568"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thorntonweather.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=21568"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}