{"id":3045,"date":"2010-10-24T03:15:26","date_gmt":"2010-10-24T09:15:26","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.thorntonweather.com\/blog\/?p=3045"},"modified":"2010-10-24T03:15:26","modified_gmt":"2010-10-24T09:15:26","slug":"october-24-to-october-30-this-week-in-denver-weather-history","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thorntonweather.com\/blog\/weather-history\/october-24-to-october-30-this-week-in-denver-weather-history\/","title":{"rendered":"October 24 to October 30 – This week in Denver weather history"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"October
October 24 to October 30 - This week in Denver weather history<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

This year Denver is still waiting for its first snow and we have already passed the average date we see it (October 19).\u00a0 That however isn’t always the case and October can bring monster snowstorms as we see in our look back at this week in Denver weather history.<\/p>\n

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

23-24<\/p>\n

In 1887…the first measurable snowfall of the season totaled 3.1 inches.\u00a0 North winds to 20 mph were recorded on the 23rd.\u00a0 This was the only measurable snow of the month.
\n\u00a0
\nIn 1932…post-frontal snowfall from the late evening of the 23rd continued through the late afternoon of the 24th and totaled 6.2 inches.\u00a0 Southeast winds were sustained to 25 mph with gusts to 26 mph on the 23rd.\u00a0 Temperatures cooled from a high of 68 degrees on the 23rd to a low of 25 degrees on the 24th…the coldest reading of the month that year.\u00a0 Many trees that had not shed their leaves became heavily laden by the wet snow.\u00a0 Many branches were broken… And a few trees toppled under the weight of the snow.\u00a0 The landscape became one of rare beauty.<\/p>\n

24<\/p>\n

In 1956…southwest winds gusted to 56 mph and produced some blowing dust at Stapleton Airport.\u00a0 A cold front produced a thunderstorm with 1\/8 inch hail.\u00a0 Rain later changed to snow.\u00a0 Precipitation totaled only 0.11 inch and snowfall only 0.3 inch.
\n\u00a0
\nIn 1973…strong winds raked the eastern foothills…causing damage in Boulder and Jefferson counties.\u00a0 The heaviest damage occurred in the Boulder area where 20 to 25 mobile homes were hit…some power and telephone lines were blown down…and a store was damaged.\u00a0 A wind gust to 76 mph was recorded in Boulder at the National Bureau of Standards. Northwest winds gusted to 46 mph at Stapleton International Airport.<\/p>\n

24-25<\/p>\n

In 1921…rainfall totaled 0.35 inch overnight behind an apparent cold front.\u00a0 North winds were sustained to 40 mph with gusts to 46 mph on the 25th.\u00a0 Temperatures plunged from a high of 73 degrees on the 24th to a low of 39 degrees on the 25th.
\n\u00a0
\nIn 1923…rain overnight changed to snow during the morning. The heavy snowfall accumulated to 12.0 inches before ending on the morning of the 25th.\u00a0 Post-frontal north winds were sustained to 22 mph with gusts to 23 mph on the 24th.
\n\u00a0
\nIn 1997…one of the worst and deadliest blizzards of the decade developed over eastern Colorado as deep east to northeast flow associated with a vigorous upper level low pressure system over the Four Corners…combined with a strong arctic air mass over the central Great Plains. Snowfall totals across metro Denver ranged from 14 to 31 inches.\u00a0 The heaviest snowfall occurred in the foothills west and southwest of Denver where 2 to 4 feet of snow were measured.\u00a0 Sustained winds to 40 mph with gusts as high as 60 mph produced zero visibilities and extremely cold wind chill temperatures from 25 below to 40 below zero.\u00a0 Winds whipped the snow into drifts 4 to 10 feet deep.\u00a0 Several major and interstate highways were closed as travel became impossible.\u00a0 Red Cross shelters were set up for hundreds of travelers who became stranded when they had to abandon their vehicles.\u00a0 Four people died in northeastern Colorado as a result of the blizzard.\u00a0 None of the deaths were in metro Denver.\u00a0 At Denver International Airport…4 thousand travelers were stranded when the airport was forced to shut down.\u00a0 At least 120 cars were abandoned along Pena Blvd….the only arterial leading into and out of DIA.\u00a0 The blizzard cost air carriers at least 20 million dollars.\u00a0 Thousands of cattle died in the storm over northeastern Colorado…resulting in losses totaling 1.5 million dollars.\u00a0 Some of the more impressive snowfall totals included:\u00a0 51 inches at Coal Creek Canyon; 48 inches at Silver Spruce Ranch…near Ward; 42 inches at Intercanyon…in the foothills southwest of Denver; 37 inches at Sedalia; 35 inches at Aspen Springs and Conifer in the foothills west of Denver; 31 inches at Eldorado Springs… Southeast Aurora…and Englewood; and 30 inches on Table Mesa in Boulder.\u00a0 Snowfall totaled 21.9 inches at the site of the former Stapleton International Airport…setting a new 24-hour snowfall record of 19.1 inches for the month. Snowfall totaled only 14 inches at Denver International Airport where north winds gusted to 39 mph on the 24th. High temperature of only 21 degrees on the 25th equaled the record low maximum for the date first set in 1873. Low temperature of only 3 degrees on the 26th set a new record minimum for the date.<\/p>\n

25<\/p>\n

In 1925…a vigorous cold front produced north winds sustained to 42 mph with gusts to 52 mph.\u00a0 Post-frontal snowfall was only 0.4 inch during the late afternoon and early evening.
\n\u00a0
\nIn 1959…northwest winds gusted to 55 mph at Stapleton Airport.
\n\u00a0
\nIn 1997…the high temperature warmed to only 21 degrees…the record low maximum for the month.\u00a0 The same temperature also occurred on October 30…1991.<\/p>\n

25-26<\/p>\n

In 1996…4 to 6 inches of snow fell in the foothills west of Denver.\u00a0 Only 1.5 inches of snowfall were measured at the site of the former Stapleton International Airport on the 26th.\u00a0 This was the only measurable snow of the month at the site.\u00a0 The snowfall produced icy and snowpacked highways…which resulted in a 50-to 60-car pileup on I-25 south of metro Denver.\u00a0 West winds gusted to 33 mph at Denver International Airport.
\n\u00a0
\nIn 2006…a winter storm brought heavy snowfall to metro Denver and the eastern foothills.\u00a0 Total snowfall ranged from 12 to 22 inches over the higher terrain and 6 to 12 inches across metro Denver.\u00a0 Northerly winds at sustained speeds of 20 to 30 mph with gusts as high as 47 mph at Denver International Airport whipped the snow into drifts 3 to 4 feet deep.\u00a0 Many tree limbs snapped under the weight of the heavy…wet snow which also downed power lines… Leaving thousands of residents without power.\u00a0 Storm total snowfall included:\u00a0 25 inches near Aspen Springs…conifer… And Evergreen; 23.5 inches near Rollinsville; 23 inches in Idaho Springs; 22.5 inches near Blackhawk; 21.5 inches near Bailey; 19 inches near Bergen Park; 18 inches near Aspen Springs…Genesee…and Jamestown; 17 inches southwest of Boulder; 16 inches in Evergreen; and 15 inches near Georgetown and Perry Park.\u00a0 Snowfall totaled 5.3 inches in the Denver Stapleton area.\u00a0 At Denver International Aiport…rain…including a thunderstorm…changed to snow on the evening of the 25th after a high temperature of 70 degrees.<\/p>\n

25-27<\/p>\n

In 1897…a major storm dumped 13.5 inches of snowfall over downtown Denver.\u00a0 Rain changed to snow during the evening of the 25th and continued through mid-morning of the 27th. Most of the snow…12.0 inches…fell on the 26th when north winds were sustained to 36 mph and gusts were as high as 46 mph.\u00a0 Temperatures during the storm were in the 20’s and lower 30’s.\u00a0 Precipitation (rain and melted snow) totaled 1.21 inches.<\/p>\n

26<\/p>\n

In 1995…winds gusting from 100 to near 110 mph pounded the foothills northwest of Denver.\u00a0 At Nederland winds gusted to 100 mph and to 70 mph in Coal Creek Canyon.\u00a0 Atop Squaw Mountain west of Denver wind gusts to 108 mph were recorded.\u00a0 The strong winds downed some trees and caused power outages.\u00a0 West-northwest winds gusted to 47 mph at Denver International Airport.
\n26-27 in 1971…strong winds raked Boulder.\u00a0 At the National Bureau of Standards wind gusts to 62 mph were recorded…while in downtown Boulder winds peaked to 48 mph.\u00a0 At Stapleton International Airport…northwest winds gusted to 38 mph on the 26th and north winds gusted to 36 mph on the 27th.
\n\u00a0
\nIn 1976…the first measurable snow of the season turned into a major storm.\u00a0 Traffic was halted for several hours on highways to the west of Denver where 8 to 12 inches of snow fell in the foothills.\u00a0 Snowfall totaled 7.2 inches at Stapleton International Airport where north winds gusted to 30 mph.\u00a0 Most of the snow…6.3 inches…fell all day on the 26th.\u00a0 The greatest snow depth on the ground was 5 inches on the morning of the 27th.<\/p>\n

27<\/p>\n

In 1980…the first snowfall of the season totaled only 1.5 inches with 0.10 inch of moisture at Stapleton International Airport where the maximum snow depth on the ground was only 1 inch due to melting.\u00a0 This was the only measurable precipitation of the month…making it the driest October since 1962 when only 0.03 inch of precipitation was measured.
\n\u00a0
\nIn 1994…wind gusts to 70 mph were recorded atop squaw mountain…5 miles south of Idaho Springs…and at Rollinsville in the foothills southwest of Boulder. Northwest winds gusted to 28 mph at Stapleton International Airport.<\/p>\n

27-28<\/p>\n

In 1874…strong west winds in Boulder along with a reported tornado produced 150 dollars in damage.
\n\u00a0
\nIn 1913…a strong cold front produced sustained northeast winds to 35 mph with gusts as high as 38 mph on the 27th. Overnight snowfall totaled 5.8 inches.\u00a0 Temperatures plunged to a low of 17 degrees on the morning of the 28th after a high of 60 degrees on the 27th.<\/p>\n

28<\/p>\n

In 1917…post-frontal snowfall totaled 6.5 inches in the city.\u00a0 North winds sustained to 30 mph with gusts to 33 mph caused the temperature to plunge from a high of 58 degrees to a low of 9 degrees by midnight.
\n\u00a0
\nIn 1967…winds gusted to 65 mph in downtown Boulder…causing minor damage.\u00a0 South winds gusted to 32 mph at Stapleton International Airport.
\n\u00a0
\nIn 1991…the first major snow of the season hit metro Denver as a cold arctic air mass moved over the area.\u00a0 Snowfall amounts across northeast Colorado ranged from 3 to 10 inches with 4.4 inches of snowfall recorded at Stapleton International Airport where north winds gusted to 22 mph. The low temperature dipped to 13 degrees.
\n\u00a0
\nIn 1993…high winds buffeted the Front Range foothills.\u00a0 A wind gust to 83 mph was recorded atop Squaw Mountain…35 miles west of Denver…and a gust to 76 mph occurred near Rollinsville southwest of Boulder.<\/p>\n

28-29<\/p>\n

In 1993…an upper level disturbance combined with a moist upslope flow to bring heavy snow to portions of metro Denver.\u00a0 Snowfall amounts ranged from 5.4 inches at Stapleton International Airport to 14 inches in Boulder. New snowfall totaled 8 inches at Gross Reservoir in the foothills 5 miles southwest of Boulder.\u00a0 On the 28th…north winds gusted to 30 mph at Stapleton International Airport where the temperature climbed to only 25 degrees on the 29th…equaling the record low maximum for the date.<\/p>\n

28-30<\/p>\n

In 1971…a vigorous cold front plunged temperatures from a high of 70 degrees on the 27th to record low levels on the 29th and 30th.\u00a0 Snowfall totaled 3.1 inches at Stapleton International Airport where north winds gusted to 23 mph. Some freezing drizzle also fell on the 28th.\u00a0 Record daily low maximum temperatures of 32 degrees on the 28th and 25 degrees on the 29th were established along with a daily record minimum of 13 degrees on the 30th.<\/p>\n

28-31<\/p>\n

In 1929…rain changed to snow on the afternoon of the 28th and continued until midday on the 30th followed by intermittent light snow which continued through the 31st. Snowfall over the four days totaled 16.2 inches in the city.\u00a0 Most of the snow…8.5 inches…fell on the 29th with 6.1 inches on the 30th.\u00a0 Temperatures hovered in 20’s during most of the storm.<\/p>\n

29<\/p>\n

In 1917…the all-time lowest recorded temperature in October…2 degrees below zero…occurred.\u00a0 This is also the earliest below zero reading of the season.
\n\u00a0
\nIn 1939…the first measurable snow of the season totaled 5.6 inches in downtown Denver.\u00a0 Post-frontal northeast winds were sustained to 28 mph.
\n\u00a0
\nIn 1961…heavy snowfall measured 6.0 inches at Stapleton Airport where northeast winds gusted to 30 mph.
\n\u00a0
\nIn 1973…strong winds caused some damage to homes…stores… And utility lines along the foothills from metro Denver south.
\n\u00a0
\nIn 1981…high winds buffeted the Front Range foothills with gusts to 55 mph in south Boulder.
\n\u00a0
\nIn 1996…high winds gusting from 70 to around 100 mph blasted metro Denver.\u00a0 One man was killed when a strong wind gust overturned a pop-up camper onto him while he was trying to secure it.\u00a0 In addition…five people at the Rocky Flats Environmental Test Facility received minor injuries when several windshields were blown out of their cars…spraying glass onto the occupants.\u00a0 Several trees and power lines were also downed.\u00a0 Two 75-foot high pine trees were uprooted at the Mt. Olivet cemetery in Arvada.\u00a0 Property damage from the windstorm ran into the millions of dollars.\u00a0 The highest recorded wind gusts included:\u00a0 101 mph at Jefferson County Airport near Broomfield…100 mph in Golden Gate Canyon…96 mph in Coal Creek Canyon…and 87 mph at upper Table Mesa in Boulder.\u00a0 West-northwest winds gusted to 43 mph at Denver International Airport.\u00a0 Insured damage from the wind storm totaled 5.2 million dollars…the third most costly storm of record in Colorado at the time.
\n\u00a0
\nIn 2003…strong Chinook winds developed in and near the Front Range foothills.\u00a0 Winds gusting to 80 mph in Boulder downed several trees and power lines…causing damage and triggering scattered electrical outages.\u00a0 The combination of strong winds…very dry fuel conditions…and downed power lines sparked two large wildfires.\u00a0 The overland wildfire in Boulder County…near Jamestown…consumed nearly 3900 acres and destroyed 12 structures…including homes…trailers…and out-buildings.\u00a0 Preliminary damage estimates for the value of lost property was nearly one million dollars.\u00a0 In Douglas County…the Cherokee Ranch Wildfire consumed 1200 acres and destroyed 4 structures.\u00a0 The large smoke plumes from both fires were highly visible across metro Denver.\u00a0 West winds gusted to 45 mph at Denver International Airport.<\/p>\n

29-30<\/p>\n

In 1905…heavy snowfall developed on the evening of the 29th and continued through the evening of the 30th.\u00a0 Snowfall totaled 11.0 inches in downtown Denver.\u00a0 Precipitation was 1.02 inches.\u00a0 Temperatures were generally in the 20’s.
\n\u00a0
\nIn 1959…rain during most of the day on the 28th changed to snow early on the 29th and continued through most of the 30th.\u00a0 Heavy snowfall totaled 7.4 inches at Stapleton Airport.\u00a0 North-northeast winds gusted to 24 mph on the 30th.\u00a0 Some freezing drizzle also occurred on the 30th.
\n\u00a0
\nIn 1981…4 to 8 inches of new snow were recorded in the foothills west of Denver.\u00a0 Snowfall totaled only 0.4 inch at Stapleton International Airport where north winds gusted to 25 mph.<\/p>\n

29-31<\/p>\n

In 1889…the first snowfall of the season totaled 14.0 inches over the three days in downtown Denver.\u00a0 Snowfall was 8.0 inches on the 29th and 5.0 inches on the 31st.\u00a0 North to northeast winds gusted to 30 mph on the 29th.
\n\u00a0
\nIn 1950…a warm spell resulted in five daily temperature records.\u00a0 Record highs of 84…80…and 79 degrees occurred on the 29th…30th…and 31st…respectively.\u00a0 Low temperature of 49 degrees on the 30th was the record high minimum for the date.
\n\u00a0
\nIn 1991…the second surge of cold arctic air in a matter of days plunged metro Denver into the deep freeze.\u00a0 While low temperatures remained above zero…high temperatures were only in the 20’s.\u00a0 Three temperature records were set: record lows of 7 degrees on the 30th and 10 degrees on the 31st and a record low maximum of only 21 degrees on the 30th.\u00a0 Snowfall was light with only 1.9 inches recorded at Stapleton International Airport where east winds gusted to 23 mph.
\n\u00a0
\nIn 2002…snowfall totaled 4.3 inches at the site of the former Stapleton International Airport.\u00a0 North winds gusted to 32 mph on the 29th behind a cold front…which plunged temperatures well below seasonal normals.\u00a0 High temperatures of 18 degrees on the 30th and 19 degrees on the 31st were record low maximums for each date.\u00a0 Low temperatures dipped to 12 degrees on the 30th and 15 degrees on the 31st.<\/p>\n

29-1\u00a0<\/p>\n

In 1972…heavy snowfall totaled 15.5 inches at Stapleton International Airport.\u00a0 However…the heaviest snow occurred on Halloween night when 7 inches fell on trick-or-treaters during a short 3-hour period.\u00a0 I-25 was closed south of Denver.\u00a0 North winds gusting to 29 mph caused some blowing snow on the 1st.\u00a0 The snow started late on the 29th and ended during the mid afternoon on the 1st.\u00a0 The greatest snow depth on the ground at Stapleton International Airport was 13 inches on the 1st.<\/p>\n

30<\/p>\n

In 1974…a rare thunderstorm for so late in October produced hail to 3\/8 inch in diameter and 0.10 inch of rain at Stapleton International Airport.
\n\u00a0
\nIn 1991…the high temperature warmed to only 21 degrees…the all-time record low maximum for the month of October.\u00a0 The same temperature also occurred on October 25…1997.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This year Denver is still waiting for its first snow and we have already passed the average date we see it (October 19).\u00a0 That however isn’t always the case and October can bring monster snowstorms as we see in our look back at this week in Denver weather history. From the National Weather Service: 23-24 … Continue reading October 24 to October 30 – 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":[81,106,62,741],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thorntonweather.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3045"}],"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=3045"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.thorntonweather.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3045\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3046,"href":"https:\/\/www.thorntonweather.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3045\/revisions\/3046"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thorntonweather.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3045"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thorntonweather.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3045"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thorntonweather.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3045"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}