{"id":21713,"date":"2021-07-25T05:08:05","date_gmt":"2021-07-25T11:08:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.thorntonweather.com\/blog\/?p=21713"},"modified":"2021-07-26T05:11:50","modified_gmt":"2021-07-26T11:11:50","slug":"july-25-to-july-31-this-week-in-denver-weather-history-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thorntonweather.com\/blog\/weather-history\/july-25-to-july-31-this-week-in-denver-weather-history-2\/","title":{"rendered":"July 25 to July 31: This week in Denver weather history"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thorntonweather.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/This-Week-in-Denver-Weather-History.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-20209\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thorntonweather.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/This-Week-in-Denver-Weather-History-590x331.jpg\" alt=\"This Week in Denver Weather History\" width=\"590\" height=\"331\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thorntonweather.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/This-Week-in-Denver-Weather-History-590x331.jpg 590w, https:\/\/www.thorntonweather.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/This-Week-in-Denver-Weather-History-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.thorntonweather.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/This-Week-in-Denver-Weather-History-450x253.jpg 450w, https:\/\/www.thorntonweather.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/This-Week-in-Denver-Weather-History-768x431.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.thorntonweather.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/This-Week-in-Denver-Weather-History.jpg 849w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 590px) 100vw, 590px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Colorado\u2019s unofficial severe weather season is during the months of May and June.\u00a0 However, as we look back in Denver weather history, we see that July can oftentimes hold its own.\u00a0 Many occurrences of flooding, scorching heat, and even tornadoes have been recorded.\u00a0 Most notably, this week marks the 24th anniversary of the Big Thompson Flood \u2013 Colorado\u2019s deadliest weather disaster ever.<\/p>\n<p>7-25<\/p>\n<p>In 1934\u2026a streak of 15 consecutive days of 90 degrees ranked 5th on the list of hot streaks.\u00a0 The record of 24 consecutive days was established in the summer of 2008.<\/p>\n<p>13-5<\/p>\n<p>In 2008\u2026a streak of 24 consecutive days of 90 degrees shattered the previous record of 18 consecutive days established in 1901 and 1874.\u00a0\u00a0 Ironically\u2026no new single day record high temperatures were set in the month of July. In August however\u2026a record of 104 degrees was set on the 1st\u2026and another record of 103 degrees was set on the 2nd. In addition\u2026a record low min of 70 degrees was set on August 2nd.<\/p>\n<p>18-2<\/p>\n<p>In 1987\u2026a streak of 16 consecutive days of 90 degrees ranked 4th on the list of hot streaks.\u00a0 The record of 24 consecutive days was established in the summer of 2008.<\/p>\n<p>20-25<\/p>\n<p>In 1965\u2026heavy showers and thunderstorms doused metro Denver with significant rain each day.\u00a0 Rainfall for the six days totaled 5.16 inches at Stapleton International Airport. Massive rainfall occurred on the 20th\u202621st\u2026and 25th\u2026 Flooding streets and basements and causing streams to overflow.\u00a0 The heaviest rainfall\u20262.05 inches\u2026at Stapleton International Airport occurred on the 25th.<\/p>\n<p>24-25<\/p>\n<p>In 2003\u2026maximum temperature of 100 degrees on the 24th was a record high for the date.\u00a0 Low temperature of 73 degrees on the 25th was a record high minimum for the date.<\/p>\n<p>25<\/p>\n<p>In 1875\u2026brief heavy rain and hail lasted only 5 minutes\u2026 But the 1\/4 inch diameter hail covered the ground to a depth of 1\/2 inch and made the streets look like there had been snowfall.\u00a0 There was much crop damage\u2026especially to corn\u2026and some sheep were killed.\u00a0 Precipitation totaled 0.51 inch in the city.<\/p>\n<p><span id=\"more-2853\"><\/span>In 1896\u2026a heavy thunderstorm produced sustained northwest winds to 45 mph with gusts to 50 mph and 1.02 inches of rain.<\/p>\n<p>In 1965\u2026a cloudburst dumped 1.99 inches of rain in 30 minutes at Stapleton International Airport.\u00a0 The storm was accompanied by strong winds gusting to 70 mph.\u00a0 The heavy rain flooded numerous streets in east Denver and Aurora. One inch diameter hail accompanied a cloudburst\u20269 miles southwest of Denver.\u00a0 A funnel cloud was sighted 25 miles northwest of Denver.\u00a0 In Aurora\u2026there were unofficial reports of 2.30 inches of rain in 40 minutes and 3.30 inches of rain in 30 to 40 minutes.\u00a0 Rainfall totaled 2.05 inches at Stapleton International Airport.\u00a0 Rainfall of 2.42 inches for 24 hours on the 24th and 25th was the second greatest on record for July.<\/p>\n<p>In 1977\u2026a tornado touched down briefly in Aurora southeast of Cheery Creek Reservoir.\u00a0 No damage was reported. A funnel cloud was sighted for 4 minutes by national weather service personnel 10 miles north of Stapleton International Airport near Henderson.<\/p>\n<p>In 1991\u2026heavy rain\u2026up to half an inch in 10 minutes\u2026caused flooding in Westminster\u2026Northglenn\u2026and north Denver where a section of railroad track was washed away.\u00a0 At Stapleton International Airport\u2026heavy thunderstorm rain totaled 1.85 inches and briefly reduced the visibility to 1\/4 mile. Hail to 1\/8 inch in diameter was also measured.\u00a0 A tornado touched down briefly near Fort Lupton.\u00a0 No damage was reported.<\/p>\n<p>In 1998\u2026heavy monsoonal thunderstorm rains caused flooding and flash flooding in eastern and southern sections of metro Denver\u2026including Englewood and Aurora\u2026when about 2 to 3 inches of rain inundated the area.\u00a0 Both I-25 and I-70 were closed for 2 to 3 hours as several low lying areas became impassable due to the high waters.\u00a0 The water was estimated to be 15 feet deep in one flooded underpass along I-25.\u00a0 As a result\u2026the freeway was closed from south of 6th avenue to university blvd.\u00a0 Standing water forced the closure of I-70 at gun club road east of Denver.\u00a0 In Englewood\u2026U.S. Highway 285 was closed\u2026when high water made it impassable.\u00a0 Several cars were reportedly floating down the roadway near Sheridan Blvd.\u00a0 In Aurora\u2026the intersection at Yale Ave. And chambers rd. Was flooded by high water up to 4 feet deep when a spillway on the high line canal was breached.\u00a0 Lightning also knocked out 11 transformers across metro Denver\u2026causing several small fires and scattered power outages.\u00a0 Flood and flash flooding also occurred north of Strasburg when as much as 2.51 inches of rain fell in an hour.\u00a0 The deluge resulted in considerable flooding of local streets and County roads.\u00a0 Torrential rainfall of 2 to 3 inches in less than an hour triggered a flash flood in Virginia Canyon.\u00a0 County Road 279 between Idaho Springs and Central City was closed for two days to clear debris from mudslides.\u00a0 Several cars in Idaho Springs were washed off the road\u2026and numerous basements were flooded in town.\u00a0 Thunderstorm rainfall totaled 2.69 inches at Denver International Airport.<\/p>\n<p>In 2001\u2026lightning struck two homes in Lafayette\u2026damaging the roof and attic of one and shorting out the electrical system in another.\u00a0 Hail to 1 3\/4 inch in diameter was measured 7 miles north of Castle Rock with 3\/4 inch hail 7 miles north of Sedalia.<\/p>\n<p>In 2005\u2026heavy thunderstorm rain in the vicinity of the overland wildfire burn scar triggered a mudslide in Jamestown.\u00a0 Rocks the size of bowling balls\u2026along with silt and mud slid down the mountain into the town.\u00a0 No one was injured.\u00a0 One parked car was buried by the debris.<\/p>\n<p>In 2006\u2026heavy thunderstorm rainfall caused flash flooding 1 mile north of the town of Westcreek in southwestern Douglas County.\u00a0 Several maintenance roads were washed out by the floodwaters.<\/p>\n<p><!--more-->26<\/p>\n<p>In 1891\u2026a thunderstorm produced sustained northeast winds to 44 mph with gusts to 60 mph and 0.16 inch of rain.<\/p>\n<p>In 1894\u2026a thunderstorm produced sustained southwest winds to 36 mph with gusts to 58 mph\u2026but only 0.04 inch of rain.<\/p>\n<p>In 1910\u2026the high temperature reached 100 degrees in downtown Denver.<\/p>\n<p>In 1959\u2026a Denver man was stunned while standing by a car that was struck by lightning.\u00a0 He was treated for burns and shock at a local hospital.\u00a0 Thunderstorm winds gusted to 55 mph at Stapleton Airport.<\/p>\n<p>In 1983\u2026two heavy thunderstorms hit the northern and western suburbs.\u00a0 The first drenched Northglenn with an inch of rain in 30 minutes.\u00a0 The second storm dumped an inch or more of rain in Idaho Springs and Evergreen.\u00a0 The heaviest rainfall\u2026 2.90 inches in an hour\u2026caused minor street flooding in Golden.<\/p>\n<p>In 1984\u2026heavy early morning thunderstorms drenched the foothills southwest of Denver.\u00a0 Rainfall to 1 1\/2 inches in just 30 minutes occurred between Evergreen and Conifer.\u00a0 In nearby Turkey Creek Canyon\u20261.80 inches of rain was recorded in 35 minutes.<\/p>\n<p>In 1985\u2026a long rope-like white tornado touched down 5 miles east of Erie and stayed on the ground\u2026mainly over an open field\u2026for 18 minutes.\u00a0 However\u2026the twister damaged a few cars on I-25 and injured 3 people from broken glass.\u00a0 The storm flipped over a van\u2026blew out car windows\u2026and ripped a highway sign.\u00a0 It also blew an outbuilding off its foundation.\u00a0 A tornado also touched down briefly 8 miles north of Bennett.\u00a0 No damage was reported from this storm.<\/p>\n<p>In 1988\u2026a 9-year-old girl was slightly injured by lightning in Parker.<\/p>\n<p>In 2003\u2026a severe thunderstorm in and south of Franktown produced hail as large as 1.75 inches in diameter.<\/p>\n<p>26-27<\/p>\n<p>In 1885\u2026heavy cloudbursts on the palmer divide south of Denver caused flooding on Cherry Creek in the city overnight.\u00a0 The high water washed away street and railroad bridges and a few houses.\u00a0 The flood waters completely inundated the rail yards in lower downtown.\u00a0 This was the worst flood on Cherry Creek since May 19-20\u20261864\u2026but the damage was mitigated by stream improvements and fewer structures near the channel.\u00a0 There was also no simultaneous flood on the South Platte River to slow the flow of water through the city.\u00a0 Rainfall in the city was only 0.08 inch on the 26th.<\/p>\n<p>27<\/p>\n<p>In 1897\u2026an apparent dry microburst produced sustained west winds to 48 mph with gusts to 60 mph and a trace of rain.<\/p>\n<p>In 1901\u2026a thunderstorm produced north winds to 38 mph with gusts to 41 mph and rainfall of only 0.01 inch in downtown Denver.\u00a0 This was the only measurable rainfall of the month\u2026 Making this the driest July on record.<\/p>\n<p>In 1953\u2026an unconfirmed tornado in south Lakewood touched down briefly and abruptly dissipated.\u00a0 No damage was reported from the twister.<\/p>\n<p>In 1955\u2026the public sighted a funnel cloud estimated at 500 feet above the ground near the western edge of Lowry Field. Wind estimates up to 60 mph were reported in the vicinity.<\/p>\n<p>In 1956\u2026a severe thunderstorm produced 3\/4 inch diameter hail and wind gusts to 48 mph at Stapleton Airport where rain fall totaled 1.08 inches.<\/p>\n<p>In 1965\u2026a tornado was sighted 21 miles south of Denver in Douglas County.\u00a0 No damage was reported.<\/p>\n<p>In 1977\u2026a thunderstorm wind gust to 51 mph was recorded at Stapleton International Airport.\u00a0 A funnel cloud was sighted by an aircraft east of Parker.<\/p>\n<p>In 1982\u2026heavy rain doused Boulder with 1 1\/2 to 3 inches of rain over a short period of time\u2026causing extensive street flooding.<\/p>\n<p>In 1984\u2026strong thunderstorms drenched several areas. Rainfall of 1.04 inches occurred in just 20 minutes at Boulder.\u00a0 Downpours also hit Aurora and northeast Denver\u2026 Delaying flights at Stapleton International Airport for an hour.\u00a0 Up to 3\/4 inch of rain fell in central Aurora in 15 minutes.<\/p>\n<p>In 1989\u2026lightning hit a home in Littleton\u2026setting a bed on fire.\u00a0 Damage was confined to the bedroom.<\/p>\n<p>In 1994\u2026lightning struck a furniture store in Boulder\u2026 Igniting a fire which caused major damage to the building and contents.<\/p>\n<p>In 1997\u2026lightning sparked a fire\u2026causing extensive damage to a home in Watkins.\u00a0 Heavy rain caused Lena Gulch to surge 2 feet over its banks in Golden.\u00a0 The fire department had to rescue a man when his van stalled in high waters. High waters from swollen creeks and streams washed out bridges and several sections of road in southeast Aurora. A 200-to-300 foot section of road was washed away where Piccadilly Street dips across coal creek.\u00a0 Three youths had to be rescued when they became stranded by rapidly rising water in another normally dry creek bed.<\/p>\n<p>In 1999\u2026lightning was suspected of igniting a fire which caused substantial damage to a farm in Hudson.\u00a0 The blaze destroyed a 10-foot by 60-foot metal pole barn\u2026a pick-up truck\u2026a SUV\u2026a boat and trailer\u20263 four wheeler vehicles\u2026 And other farm equipment.<\/p>\n<p>In 2007\u2026a man was struck and killed by lightning while jogging at Matthews Winters Park in Morrison.<\/p>\n<p>27-31<\/p>\n<p>In 1956\u202696 percent of the total precipitation for the month of July occurred over the last five days of the month. Heavy thunderstorms produced 4.00 inches of rainfall at Stapleton Airport.\u00a0 This amount of precipitation in 5 days or less had been exceeded only 3 times in previous record. The last time had been in December of 1913 as snow. Considerable property damage occurred across metro Denver from flooding.<\/p>\n<p>28<\/p>\n<p>In 1882\u2026intense thunderstorm lightning struck a number of places in the city\u2026but no significant damage was reported.<\/p>\n<p>In 1910\u2026heavy thunderstorm rainfall totaled 2.21 inches in downtown Denver.\u00a0 Rainfall was 1.11 inches in an hour during the early afternoon.<\/p>\n<p>In 1922\u2026heavy rainfall to the south of Denver caused Cherry Creek to rise to the top of the retaining walls in the city. The creek did not flood; however\u2026the large volume of water discharged into the South Platte River did inundate a few blocks of Globeville.\u00a0 Flooding also occurred along Bayou Creek near Franktown to the south of the city.<\/p>\n<p>In 1923\u2026thunderstorm winds were sustained to 38 mph with gusts to 52 mph.<\/p>\n<p>In 1957\u2026iridescent cirrocumulus clouds of unusual formation and brilliant color\u2026oriented from southwest to northeast over metro Denver\u2026were sighted by U.S. Weather Bureau observers at Stapleton Airport shortly after noon.<\/p>\n<p>In 1966\u2026heavy rains from a severe thunderstorm caused flash flooding on deer creek\u2026southwest of Littleton.\u00a0 A child was injured when washed from a car caught in the flood waters. The flooding damaged property along the creek.\u00a0 Strong winds damaged several houses in suburban Littleton.<\/p>\n<p>In 1970\u2026a microburst wind gust to 52 mph was recorded at Stapleton International Airport.<\/p>\n<p>In 1974\u2026a tornado was sighted just east of Buckley Field in Aurora.\u00a0 No damage was reported.<\/p>\n<p>In 1982\u2026up to 2.50 inches of rain drenched an area just southwest of Denver in 30 minutes.\u00a0 This was the second day of heavy rain across portions of metro Denver.<\/p>\n<p>In 1984\u20261.25 inches of rain fell in 45 minutes in Arvada. Minor flooding occurred on bear creek after a small dam broke.<\/p>\n<p>In 1989\u2026lightning killed two men in Arvada.\u00a0 They were taking wash from a clothesline when a bolt hit the older man\u202639\u2026 Killing him instantly.\u00a0 The bolt then traveled along the line\u2026which was stretched between 2 tall trees\u2026and hit his 26-year-old brother who died the next day.<\/p>\n<p>In 1996\u2026several weak tornadoes developed along a thunderstorm outflow boundary that moved into southern weld\u2026northern Jefferson\u2026and Adams counties.\u00a0 The tornadoes sighted near Bennett\u2026Barr Lake\u2026and in Arvada caused little damage. Strong thunderstorm winds downed several trees in the city of Denver and toppled several trees 7 miles west of Arvada where shingles were blown off several houses.\u00a0 Thunderstorm wind gusts reached 58 mph in Broomfield.<\/p>\n<p>In 1997\u2026a weak tornado touched down briefly in Parker\u2026 Damaging a greenhouse.\u00a0 Twenty pieces of the fiberglass roof were ripped away.\u00a0 Heavy rainfall in the foothills washed out some culverts in the pine and conifer areas. Heavy rainfall spread over the plains with 4 to 7 inches reportedly falling near Hudson.\u00a0 Several County roads were washed out between fort lupton and Hudson.\u00a0 Several basements in the area were flooded up to the ceiling. Standing water\u2026up to 3 feet deep\u2026was reported in some backyards.\u00a0 Later in the evening\u2026a flash flood killed 5 people and injured 40 others in two mobile home parks in Fort Collins.\u00a0 The torrential rainfall also caused extensive damage on the Colorado State University campus. Thunderstorm rainfall totaled 0.80 inch at Denver International Airport and 1.09 inches at the site of the former Stapleton International Airport.<\/p>\n<p>In 1999\u2026heavy rainfall\u2026up to 3 inches an hour\u2026triggered a massive rock and mudslide along I-70 near Bakerville. The slide area was about 200 feet wide and 20 feet deep. Several other smaller slides were also reported along the highway.\u00a0 As a result\u2026I-70 was closed for nearly 25 hours in both directions until the debris could be cleared from the roadway.\u00a0 The blockage of I-70 was one of the longest in the history of the highway in Colorado. A severe thunderstorm produced a wind gust to 64 mph at Denver International Airport.\u00a0 The storm also produced 1.56 inches of rain and briefly reduced the visibility to 1\/4 mile.<\/p>\n<p>In 2004\u2026a severe thunderstorm produced hail as large as 1 inch in diameter in Thornton.<\/p>\n<p>In 2010&#8230;a wet microburst produced very heavy rain and torrential hail in Boulder County&#8230;in the vicinities of Caribou&#8230;Nederland and Eldora. Flash flooding washed out sections of County Roads 126 and 128 near Caribou. Several large boulders had fallen across the roadways. Considerable flooding was reported in Nederland. Water was also observed running across County Road 130&#8230;between Eldora and Nederland. The hail had accumulated up to 8 inches deep near Eldora. Several vehicles were stuck in the ice&#8230;forcing the temporary closure of CR130 and the Lake Eldora Ski Road until snowplows could clear away the hail. Lightning strikes caused minor damage to two local businesses in Nederland. At Denver International Airport&#8230;a thunderstorm produced 0.30 inches of rain along with a peak wind gust to 38 mph.<\/p>\n<p>In 2012&#8230;a tornado touched down briefly at the southeast corner of Mt. Evans near Lincoln Lake. The estimated elevation where this tornado touched down was near 12500 feet. This would make this tornado one of the highest ever observed in the U.S.<\/p>\n<p>In 2014&#8230;two weak landspouts touched down; one near Ft. Lupton and the other on the southwest side of the Rocky Mountain Arsenal Wildlife Refuge. No damage was reported. A strong thunderstorm wind capsized a boat in Barr Lake. All three occupants made it to shore with no injuries.<\/p>\n<p>In 2016&#8230;severe thunderstorms in western Adams and east central Jefferson Counties produced large hail near Lakewood&#8230;Golden and South Glenn. The hail ranged from quarter to ping pong ball size.<\/p>\n<p>28-30<\/p>\n<p>In 1889\u2026dense smoke from forest fires in the mountains obscured the sun over the city for three days.<\/p>\n<p>In 1971\u2026a vigorous cold front late on the 28th produced northeast wind gusts to 39 mph and record breaking cold temperatures on the 29th and 30th.\u00a0 The temperature dipped to 47 degrees on the 29th and 43 degrees on the 30th\u2026 Setting record minimums for the dates.\u00a0 Upslope cloudiness along with rain and fog early on the 29th helped set a record low maximum temperature of 58 degrees for the date.<\/p>\n<p>29<\/p>\n<p>In 1878\u2026a total eclipse of the sun was observed at 2:20 pm. From before to during the eclipse\u2026the temperature in the sun fell from 114 degrees to 82 degrees\u2026while the shade temperature fell from 89 degrees to 83 degrees.<\/p>\n<p>In 1880\u2026heavy thunderstorm rain and hail flooded streets and ditches.\u00a0 In 25 minutes\u20260.76 inch of rain fell on the city along with large hail to 3\/4 inch in diameter.\u00a0 There were no strong winds with the storm.<\/p>\n<p>In 1890\u2026a thunderstorm produced sustained west winds to 48 mph with gusts to 60 mph\u2026but only 0.01 inch of rain.<\/p>\n<p>In 1956\u2026heavy rain and hail fell over west and north Denver.<\/p>\n<p>In 1964\u2026hail to 3\/4 inch in diameter fell at Lowry Airfield.<\/p>\n<p>In 1978\u2026a small tornado was sighted just east of Parker.\u00a0 No damage was reported.<\/p>\n<p>In 1989\u2026heavy rain drenched all areas of the Front Range\u2026 Both in the foothills and adjacent plains.\u00a0 Amounts of 1 to 3 inches were general over the area.\u00a0 Damage was confined to a few minor road washouts and some street\u2026basement\u2026and crop flooding.\u00a0 Thunderstorm rainfall totaled 1.44 inches at Stapleton International Airport where north winds gusted to 43 mph.\u00a0 Lightning struck a 250 thousand dollar home near Nederland and started a fire which destroyed all of it except two garages.\u00a0 Lightning started a fire in a home in Evergreen.\u00a0 It reached the house by hitting a tree\u2026then traveling through a metal clothesline strung between the tree and the building.<\/p>\n<p>In 1995\u2026thunderstorm winds gusted to 59 mph in Brighton. Thunderstorm winds from the south-southeast gusted to 41 mph at Denver International Airport.\u00a0 High temperature of 99 degrees was a new record maximum for the date in Denver.<\/p>\n<p>In 1997\u2026heavy rain caused flooding in an apartment building in Westminster.\u00a0 Several residents had to be evacuated from their apartments.\u00a0 A woman in Aspen Park received minor injuries\u2026when lightning passed through an office window and struck her.\u00a0 She suffered temporary blindness for about 15 minutes.<\/p>\n<p>In 2003\u2026hail as large as 1 inch in diameter pelted conifer\u2026 Highlands Ranch\u2026and Franktown.<\/p>\n<p>29-30<\/p>\n<p>In 1997\u2026heavy rain caused flooding and flash flooding in central portions of Adams and Arapahoe counties.\u00a0 Two homes were extensively damaged when water flooded the basements and adjacent pasture area in Strasburg.\u00a0 Water 4 to 5 feet deep had pooled in the lower lying areas of the town.\u00a0 A portion of Quincy Road was closed in Arapahoe County when 4 feet of water covered the roadway. Rainfall totaled 3.06 inches at Denver International Airport\u2026establishing a new record for 24-hour rainfall in July.\u00a0 The previous record was 2.42 inches set in 1965 on the 24th and 25th.<\/p>\n<p>30<\/p>\n<p>In 1879\u2026lightning struck a brick kiln in north Denver. Three men were knocked senseless\u2026but all recovered. Rainfall in the city was only 0.09 inch.<\/p>\n<p>In 1881\u2026a thunderstorm dumped heavy rain and hail on the city\u2026causing street flooding and much damage.\u00a0 A heavy torrent of rain fell with 1.10 inches measured in just 20 minutes.\u00a0 Storm total rainfall was 1.60 inches.\u00a0 The rain turned streets into running streams.\u00a0 Wood street crossings were torn up and washed away.\u00a0 The storm caused great damage by flooding many cellars where goods were stored.\u00a0 The brick yards suffered severe damage when the heavy rainfall destroyed many unfired bricks.<\/p>\n<p>In 1913\u2026northeast winds were sustained to 41 mph with gusts to 48 mph.<\/p>\n<p>In 1939\u2026a thunderstorm produced 0.08 inch of rainfall.\u00a0 This was the only measurable precipitation of the month\u2026making the month the second driest July on record.<\/p>\n<p>In 1961\u2026heavy rain and lightning disrupted power lines and caused flooding in Denver.\u00a0 Thunderstorm rains totaled 1.60 inches at 11th and Lincoln in central Denver.<\/p>\n<p>In 1972\u2026the temperature climbed to a high of 100 degrees at Stapleton International Airport.<\/p>\n<p>In 1983\u2026hail 3\/4 to 1 inch in diameter fell in central and southeast Denver and in Littleton.\u00a0 Rainfall of 1.50 inches occurred in just 30 minutes in Littleton.\u00a0 There was some street flooding in both cities with wind gusts up to 55 mph.<\/p>\n<p>In 1984\u2026central Aurora was hit by a downpour that produced 1.80 inches of rain and sent water 2 to 3 feet deep into some streets.\u00a0 Before the rain stopped later in the evening\u2026 The storm had dropped as much as 2.80 inches of moisture on the city.\u00a0 Thunderstorm rainfall totaled only 0.82 inch at Stapleton International Airport.<\/p>\n<p>In 1985\u2026a tornado was spotted in open country 10 miles southwest of Bennett.\u00a0 No damage was reported.\u00a0 One inch hail was reported in south Lakewood.<\/p>\n<p>In 1997\u2026one man was killed and his girlfriend critically injured when they were struck by lightning on the Kennedy Golf Course in southeast Denver.\u00a0 Both were struck in the head when they took refuge under a tree during a downpour. Lightning struck a home in unincorporated Arapahoe County east of Buckley Field.\u00a0 The fire started in the electrical panel boxes\u2026causing extensive damage to the home.\u00a0 Heavy rain and hail triggered a flash flood in Boulder\u2026which sent water through a window of the financial aid office on the University of Colorado campus.\u00a0 In addition\u2026ceiling tiles\u2026carpets\u2026and dressing rooms were damaged at the Coors Events Center when a pipe draining rainwater broke during the downpour.\u00a0 In all\u202610 buildings on the campus received water damage estimated at 100 thousand dollars.\u00a0 Hail as large as 1.25 inches in diameter accompanied the heavy rain in Boulder.\u00a0 Thunderstorm rainfall totaled 2.71 inches at Denver International Airport where west winds gusted to 41 mph.\u00a0 This was the greatest calendar day official precipitation ever recorded in July.<\/p>\n<p>In 1998\u2026heavy rain\u2026up to 3 inches in an hour\u2026caused flash flooding problems from Castle Rock to Parker.\u00a0 I-25 north of Castle Rock was closed as high waters covered sections of the highway.\u00a0 Some cars were left floating in the flood waters.<\/p>\n<p>In 2001\u2026a severe thunderstorm produced a wind gust to 70 mph at a wind sensor on the northeast corner of Denver International Airport.<\/p>\n<p>In 2004\u2026a severe thunderstorm produced wind gusts to 71 mph in Evergreen.<\/p>\n<p>In 2005\u2026the temperature climbed to a high of 101 degrees at Denver International Airport.\u00a0 This was a new record maximum temperature for the date.\u00a0 In addition\u2026this was the 7th day of the month with a high temperature of 100 degrees or more\u2026which set a new Denver record for the most 100 degree days in a month\u2026for a season\u2026and in a year.<\/p>\n<p>31<\/p>\n<p>In 1873\u2026the all-time lowest recorded temperature in July\u2026 42 degrees\u2026occurred.\u00a0 The same temperature also occurred on July 4\u20261903.<\/p>\n<p>In 1874\u2026during the late afternoon rain and hail fell for 5 minutes followed by brief heavy rain.\u00a0 Pieces of solid ice of irregular shape fell upon the roof of the station. The hail stones measured 1 1\/2 inches in diameter. Precipitation (rain and melted hail) was only 0.16 inch.<\/p>\n<p>In 1889\u2026the high temperature climbed to 100 degrees in downtown Denver.<\/p>\n<p>In 1919\u2026heavy thunderstorm rainfall totaled 2.59 inches in downtown Denver during the evening.\u00a0 Rainfall was 1.90 inches in an hour\u2026a new record at that time.<\/p>\n<p>In 1961\u2026over an inch of rain in a short period of time caused flooding of streets and basements in Denver.\u00a0 Rainfall totaled 1.30 inches at 11th and Lincoln in central Denver.<\/p>\n<p>In 1964\u2026the temperature reached 91 degrees in Denver\u2026making this the 27th day of the month that the temperature reached 90 degrees or more.\u00a0 This is the all time record for 90 degree days in a month in Denver.<\/p>\n<p>In 1972\u2026one inch diameter hail fell in Hudson northeast of Denver.<\/p>\n<p>In 1976\u2026during the evening hours extremely heavy thunderstorm rains produced flash flooding in Big Thompson Canyon which killed 144 people between Estes Park and Loveland.\u00a0 No significant weather occurred in metro Denver at the time.<\/p>\n<p>In 1987\u20261 inch diameter hail fell in Lakewood and 3\/4 inch hail fell near Louisville.\u00a0 Southeast Boulder County was drenched with 1.25 inches of rain in just 20 minutes.<\/p>\n<p>In 1993\u2026thunderstorm winds damaged a chimney of a home near Parker.<\/p>\n<p>In 1996\u2026a weak tornado (f0) was sighted 12 miles east of Denver International Airport.\u00a0 No damage was reported.<\/p>\n<p>In 1998\u2026heavy monsoonal thunderstorm rain triggered a mud slide in Blackhawk.\u00a0 The mudslide blocked Main St. And caused an estimated half million dollars in damage to a casino.\u00a0 Heavy thunderstorm rain\u2026up to 3 inches in an hour\u2026caused a flash flood along buffalo creek.\u00a0 Portions of County road 126 just south of the town of buffalo creek were washed out.\u00a0 The flood waters nearly washed away the bridge as mud and debris slammed into the structure.\u00a0 Hail to 1 3\/4 inches in diameter fell near Idaho Springs.<\/p>\n<p>In 2004\u2026severe thunderstorm winds toppled a 65-foot blue spruce tree in Parker.\u00a0 The tree landed on a home damaging the roof and gutters.\u00a0 The downed tree poked dozens of holes into the shingles.<\/p>\n<p>In 2013&#8230;severe thunderstorm winds&#8230;with gusts estimated to 80 mph&#8230;downed power poles which caused scattered outages in and around Byers&#8230;Bennett and Strasburg. Some property damage was also observed. Near Byers&#8230;aluminum siding and roofing was peeled off sheds. Large hail&#8230;up to one inch in diameter&#8230;was reported north of Bennett. At Denver International Airport&#8230; a peak wind gust to 40 mph was observed from the northeast.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Colorado\u2019s unofficial severe weather season is during the months of May and June.\u00a0 However, as we look back in Denver weather history, we see that July can oftentimes hold its own.\u00a0 Many occurrences of flooding, scorching heat, and even tornadoes have been recorded.\u00a0 Most notably, this week marks the 24th anniversary of the Big Thompson &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thorntonweather.com\/blog\/weather-history\/july-25-to-july-31-this-week-in-denver-weather-history-2\/\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">July 25 to July 31: This week in Denver weather history<\/span> <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/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":[81,106,62,34,741],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thorntonweather.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21713"}],"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=21713"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.thorntonweather.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21713\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":21714,"href":"https:\/\/www.thorntonweather.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21713\/revisions\/21714"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thorntonweather.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=21713"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thorntonweather.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=21713"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thorntonweather.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=21713"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}