{"id":23542,"date":"2023-10-18T04:47:44","date_gmt":"2023-10-18T10:47:44","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.thorntonweather.com\/blog\/?p=23542"},"modified":"2023-10-19T04:57:02","modified_gmt":"2023-10-19T10:57:02","slug":"october-15-to-october-21-this-week-in-denver-weather-history-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thorntonweather.com\/blog\/weather-history\/october-15-to-october-21-this-week-in-denver-weather-history-2\/","title":{"rendered":"October 15 to October 21: This week in Denver weather history"},"content":{"rendered":"

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

Snow and wind are two common conditions we see this time of year and our look back at this week in Denver weather history certainly has those type of events. Also notable is a surprising October hail storm in 1998 that went into the books as one of the costliest in history.<\/p>\n

From the National Weather Service:<\/p>\n

13-16<\/p>\n

In 1873\u2026smoke from several large forest fires in the mountains made the air very hazy in the city.<\/p>\n

15<\/p>\n

In 1871\u2026a terrible wind occurred during a snow storm in the foothills above Boulder. Damage was minor.<\/p>\n

In 1878\u2026high winds reached sustained speeds of 60 mph at times.<\/p>\n

In 1911\u2026post-frontal northwest winds were sustained to 41 mph with gusts to 43 mph.<\/p>\n

In 1948\u2026strong winds struck the Boulder area. Winds averaged 50 mph at Valmont just east of Boulder. Wind gusts in excess of 60 mph were recorded at the Boulder airport. Wind gusts to 40 mph briefly reduced the visibility to 1 1\/2 miles in blowing dust at Stapleton Airport.<\/p>\n

In 1980\u2026a rare October tornado touched down in Boulder\u2026 Damaging a vocational training building and throwing three nearby cars together damaging them extensively. A mile and half away several camper vehicles were thrown 200 feet. The storm also produced 1 inch diameter hail in the Boulder area.<\/p>\n

15-16<\/p>\n

In 1928\u2026a thunderstorm produced hail shortly after midnight on the 15th. Rain changed to snow by evening. Through the afternoon of the 16th\u2026the heavy snowfall totaled 7.3 inches in the city. North winds were sustained to 23 mph on the 15th.<\/p>\n

In 1984\u2026the heaviest October snowstorm in several years hit eastern Colorado with a vengeance. The storm was known as the \u201cBronco Blizzard\u201d since it occurred during a nationally televised Monday Night Football game in Denver. One to two feet of snow fell near the foothills in west metro Denver with 2 to 3 feet in the foothills. Wind gusts up to 55 mph whipped the snow into drifts as high as 4 feet. The storm closed schools\u2026roads\u2026and airports. I-70 was closed both east and west of Denver. I-25 was closed south to Colorado Springs. Flights were delayed for several hours at Stapleton International Airport. Power outages were widespread. Snowfall totaled 9.2 inches at Stapleton International Airport where north winds gusting as high as 40 mph caused frequent surface visibilities of 1\/4 to 1\/2 mile in moderate to heavy snow and blowing snow overnight. The high temperature of only 35 degrees on the 15th was a record low maximum for the date.<\/p>\n

15-17<\/p>\n

In 1989\u2026an autumn snowstorm hit metro Denver with 2 to 6 inches of snow. Snowfall totaled 4.4 inches at Stapleton International Airport where the maximum snow depth on the ground was only 3 inches due to melting and north winds gusted to 25 mph on the 15th. The heavy wet snow caused leafy branches to sag onto power lines\u2026resulting in a number of power outages. Five thousand homes were blacked out in Boulder on the 16th. Up to a foot of snow fell in the higher foothills with 19 inches recorded at Echo Lake.<\/p>\n

16<\/p>\n

In 1878\u2026high winds reached sustained speeds of 60 mph.<\/p>\n

In 1998\u2026one of the costliest hail storms to ever hit metro Denver caused an estimated total of 87.8 million dollars in damage to homes\u2026commercial buildings\u2026and motor vehicles. At the time the storm was ranked as the 7th costliest ever. The hailstorm\u2026rare for so late in the season\u2026began over portions of Arvada\u2026Wheat Ridge\u2026and northwest Denver where mostly pea sized hail accumulated up to a depth of 6 inches near I-70. Several accidents were attributed\u2026 At least in part\u2026to the hailstorm. Snowplows had to be called out to clear several city streets. The storm intensified as it moved to the east\u2026into the Denver and Aurora areas. Large hail\u2026up to 2.00 inches in diameter pounded east and southeast metro Denver. Two inch diameter hail fell in the city of Denver and at Buckley Field. Hail as large as 1 1\/2 inches was measured in south Denver with 1 inch diameter hail in northern Aurora.<\/p>\n

In 1999\u2026upslope conditions produced snow across metro Denver with heavy amounts in the nearby foothills. Snowfall totals included: 9 inches at Eldorado Springs; 8 inches at Genesee\u2026 Golden Gate Canyon\u2026Littleton and near Morrison; 7 inches near Nederland; and 6 inches in Louisville. Snowfall totaled 3.6 inches at the site of the former Stapleton International Airport.<\/p>\n

16-17<\/p>\n

In 1990\u2026strong downslope winds raked the eastern foothills. Wind gusts from 60 to 75 mph were common. Strong winds in metro Denver resulted in wave damage to a dock used to moor several private sail boats at Cheery Creek Reservoir. Damage was confined to the dock and two anchor cables. A northwest wind gust to 43 mph was recorded at Stapleton International Airport.<\/p>\n

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

In 1878\u2026strong winds reached sustained speeds of 48 mph.<\/p>\n

In 1988\u2026a wind gust to 62 mph was recorded in central Boulder. The strong winds caused a few brief power outages. An old smoldering brush fire in the foothills west of Boulder was re-ignited by the wind gusts.<\/p>\n

In 1994\u2026winds gusted to 85 mph atop Squaw Mountain\u20265 miles south of Idaho Springs.<\/p>\n

In 2006\u2026a potent storm system brought heavy snowfall to the mountains and eastern foothills. Snowfall totals in the foothills included: 14 inches at Blackhawk\u202613.5 inches near Idaho Springs\u202613 inches at cabin creek\u202612.5 inches at Aspen Springs and Echo Lake\u202611.5 inches at Georgetown and Rollinsville\u202610.5 inches near Jamestown\u2026and 10 inches at grant and Lake Eldora. Lesser snow amounts\u2026from 4 to 9 inches\u2026were recorded elsewhere in the foothills. Snowfall totaled only 3.5 inches in the Denver Stapleton area. At Denver International Airport\u2026north winds gusted to 31 mph.<\/p>\n

In 2012\u2026A brief but powerful windstorm associated with a fast moving cold front across the Urban Corridor and adjacent plains during in the evening. Peak wind gusts ranging from 58 to 71 mph downed trees and power lines which damaged homes and vehicles. Several temporary structures were also damaged. Approximately fifty thousand were left without power in the Denver\u2026Fort Collins and Greeley areas. Some schools were closed the following day until power could be restored. Around the Denver area\u2026peak wind gusts included: 69 mph in Golden\u202664 mph at Littleton\u202662 mph at Buckley AFB and in Denver\u2026near the intersection of Walnut St. and Interstate 25\u2026and Longmont; 59 mph at Centennial Airport\u202658 mph at Denver City Park\u2026 Highlands Ranch. \u00a0At Denver International Airport\u2026a peak wind gust to 35 mph was observed from the northwest.<\/p>\n

17-19<\/p>\n

In 1908\u2026a moist\u2026heavy\u2026wet snowfall totaled 13.0 inches in downtown Denver over the 3 days. Rain from early morning on the 17th changed to snow by late afternoon and continued through the late morning of the 19th. Due to temperatures in the 30\u2019s and melting\u2026the most snow on the ground was only 5.0 inches at 6:00 pm on the 18th. Northwest to northeast winds were sustained between 12 and 20 mph during the storm. Precipitation totaled 1.82 inches.<\/p>\n

<\/span>18<\/p>\n

In 1875\u2026the haze was so dense that the mountains were not visible from downtown Denver for most of the day.<\/p>\n

In 1937\u2026a vigorous cold front produced north winds sustained to 32 mph with gusts to 41 mph. Rain and snow totaled 0.16 inch. Post-frontal snowfall of 0.8 inch was the only snowfall of the month.<\/p>\n

In 1960\u2026post-frontal upslope rain changed to snow. Snowfall was 2.2 inches at Stapleton Airport where precipitation (rain and melted snow) totaled 1.58 inches.<\/p>\n

In 1971\u2026wind gusts to 48 mph were recorded in downtown Boulder. West winds gusted to 30 mph at Stapleton International Airport.<\/p>\n

In 1999\u2026heavy snow developed in the foothills west of metro Denver with lesser amounts across the city. Snowfall totals included: 7 inches near Nederland\u20266 inches in Boulder\u2026and 5 inches at Chief Hosa. Only 1.2 inches of snow were measured at the site of the former Stapleton International Airport.<\/p>\n

18-23<\/p>\n

In 2003\u2026an extended warm spell resulted in 5 new temperature records. The high temperature of 84 degrees on the 18th equaled the record high for the date. High temperatures of 86 degrees on the 19th\u202683 degrees on the 21st\u2026and 84 degrees on the 22nd were record highs for the dates. Low temperature of 49 degrees on the 23rd was a record high minimum for the date. Low temperatures during the period were in the 40\u2019s and lower 50\u2019s.<\/p>\n

<\/span>19<\/p>\n

In 1887\u2026northwest winds sustained to 42 mph were recorded in the city.<\/p>\n

In 1982\u20263 to 6 inches of snow fell over northwest metro Denver\u2026including Boulder. Only 1.2 inches of snowfall were recorded at Stapleton International Airport where north winds gusted to 35 mph. This was the first measurable snowfall of the season.<\/p>\n

19-20<\/p>\n

In 1990\u2026an early winter storm dumped heavy snow across metro Denver. Snowfall amounts ranged from 4 to 8 inches in the foothills above 6500 feet elevation\u20264 to 7 inches in the Castle Rock area\u2026and 2 to 5 inches across most of metro Denver and Boulder. Snowfall totaled 3.6 inches at Stapleton International Airport where northwest winds gusting to 48 mph kicked up some blowing dust shortly after a cold frontal passage on the 19th. However\u2026 Temperatures were warm enough to keep most roadways wet and slushy at lower elevations.<\/p>\n

19-23<\/p>\n

In 1906\u2026heavy snowfall totaled 22.7 inches in the city over the 5 days. Rain changed to snow on the evening of the 19th\u2026and snow continued through the late afternoon of the 23rd. The heaviest amount of snowfall\u202616.0 inches\u2026fell from 8:00 pm on the 20th to 8:00 pm on the 22nd. The most snow on the ground was 13.3 inches on the evening of the 23rd. This was the first snow of the season and the only snow of the month. Winds during the storm were from the north at sustained speeds of 20 to 30 mph each day. Temperatures during the storm were generally in the 20\u2019s.<\/p>\n

20<\/p>\n

In 1878\u2026between 3:00 pm and 4:00 pm wind speeds averaged 48 mph with a maximum 1 minute sustained velocity to 96 mph at both 3:27 pm and 3:48 pm in downtown Denver. This is the highest sustained wind speed ever recorded in the city.<\/p>\n

In 1986\u2026a rare late October thunderstorm produced 3\/4 inch diameter hail at centennial airport. Hail piled up 2 1\/2 inches deep\u2026causing some street flooding in south metro Denver.<\/p>\n

In 2019…strong bora winds swept across the foothills and adjacent plains. Peak gusts included: 82 mph…3 miles southwest of Rocky Flats; 78 mph near White Ranch Open Space; 75 mph near Genesee and Georgetown; with 63 mph at Firestone. At Denver International Airport…a peak gust of 49 mph was observed from the west.<\/p>\n

20-21<\/p>\n

In 2007\u2026a storm system brought heavy snow to the southern Denver suburbs as well as the palmer divide south of Denver. Storm totals included: 7.5 inches near Castle Rock\u2026lone tree and greenwood village\u2026with 6.5 inches at Elizabeth. Snow drifts up to 2 feet deep were observed 6 miles south-southwest of Elizabeth. In the Denver Stapleton area\u20262.0 inches of snow was observed.<\/p>\n

20-22<\/p>\n

In 1936\u20265.5 inches of snow fell over downtown Denver. Most of the snow\u20264.5 inches\u2026fell on the 20th.<\/p>\n

21<\/p>\n

In 1920\u2026the rare event of snow from a thunderstorm occurred in the city during the evening. Brilliant flashes of lightning and loud peals of thunder were first noted at 7:35 pm. Light rain began falling at 8:30 pm\u2026and light moist snow began falling a few minutes later. Some soft hail was also seen falling with the rain and snow\u2026but both melted almost as fast as they fell. The hail only continued for a few minutes\u2026and the rain and snow ceased about 9:40 pm. The snowfall was the first to occur in Denver this season. The amount of precipitation at the station measured only 0.01 inch\u2026but heavier amounts were reported from other parts of the city. Snowfall was only a trace.<\/p>\n

21-22<\/p>\n

In 1978\u2026heavy rain on the 21st changed to snow by daybreak on the 22nd and continued the rest of the day. This was the first measurable snowfall of the season\u2026but totaled only 1.7 inches at Stapleton International Airport where east winds gusted to 29 mph. While only a trace of snow covered the ground\u2026precipitation totaled 1.27 inches.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Snow and wind are two common conditions we see this time of year and our look back at this week in Denver weather history certainly has those type of events. Also notable is a surprising October hail storm in 1998 that went into the books as one of the costliest in history. From the National … Continue reading October 15 to October 21: 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":[81,106,62,61,741],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thorntonweather.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23542"}],"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=23542"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.thorntonweather.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23542\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":23543,"href":"https:\/\/www.thorntonweather.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23542\/revisions\/23543"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thorntonweather.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=23542"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thorntonweather.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=23542"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thorntonweather.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=23542"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}