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Public Information Statement
National Weather Service Denver/Boulder CO
259 AM MDT TUE JUN 18 2024

...Today in metro Denver weather history...

17-18 In 1964...from the 17th to the 18th...high winds at speeds of
        50 to 60 mph with gusts as high as 75 mph caused damage to
        homes...power lines...and trees in Boulder.  Non-convective
        west winds gusting to 46 mph caused some blowing dust at
        Stapleton International Airport on the 17th.
18    In 1875...a windstorm produced sustained winds to 45 mph
        during the morning hours.  Numerous forest fires along
        the base of the mountains were visible from the city.
      In 1886...northwest winds sustained to 40 mph were the
        strongest of the month that year.
      In 1987...severe thunderstorms produced lightning...large hail...
        a tornado...heavy rain...and strong winds across metro Denver.
        Rainfall totaled 2.50 inches in an hour in Wheat Ridge...
        causing minor flooding.  I-25 was flooded in north-central
        Denver...snarling traffic.  Hail 7/8 inch in diameter fell in
        Louisville with 1 1/2 inch hail near Golden and 1 to 1 3/4
        inch hail in and near Castle Rock.  A tornado touched down
        briefly in Castle Rock.  No damage was reported.  Lightning
        started a small fire that burned half a cabin near
        Evergreen.
      In 1994...a funnel cloud was sighted over Aurora; hail to
        1 3/4 inch diameter fell near Brighton; and hail over an
        inch in diameter fell over Aurora...southeast Denver...
        Louisville...and Boulder.  Lightning struck a home in
        Henderson 9 miles north of Denver and knocked a hole in
        the roof...which caused the ceiling to collapse.  Hail to
        1 1/4 inch diameter was measured at Stapleton International
        Airport.
      In 2002...the Hayman Wildfire in the foothills to the southwest
        of Denver intensified...and the winds aloft carried the smoke
        plume directly over metro Denver...again creating a dense haze
        of smoke which blocked the sun.  Surface visibilities were
        again reduced to as low as 1 1/4 miles at Denver
        International Airport.
      In 2004...severe thunderstorms produced hail to 3/4 inch in
        diameter near Morrison...in Littleton...near Conifer...near
        Castle Rock...and in Aurora near Cherry Creek.
      In 2013...a landspout tornado touched down at DIA. The tornado
        sent 10 thousand travelers on the concourse...on planes and in
        the terminal scrambling to get into tornado shelters. The
        tornado formed just to the south of Runway 35R and then moved
        slowly northwest between Runway 35R and 35L...and moved to
        within one third of a mile of Concourses A and B before
        dissipating. The tornado moved extremely close if not over the
        ASOS (Automated Surface Observation System) and another low
        level wind shear sensor at DIA. The ASOS weather observing
        system reported a 97 mph wind gust...while the wind shear sensor
        reported a wind gust to 109 mph at the same time  indicative
        of an EF1 tornado. There was only minor damage noted to the
        equipment. Nine flights were diverted elsewhere during a
        tornado warning. Severe thunderstorms also produced large hail
        up to 1 inch in diameter in Adams and Weld Counties.
      In 2014...a severe thunderstorm produced large hail up to quarter
        size near Buckley Air Force Base.  At Denver International
        Airport...a peak wind gust to 55 mph was observed from the
        southwest...along with 0.37 inches of water.
      In 2015...a severe thunderstorm produced hail...from 1 to 1 3/4
        inches in diameter...near Lafayette...Louisville and Superior.

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