Public Information Statement Issued by NWS Denver/Boulder, CO
000
NOUS45 KBOU 070859
PNSBOU
COZ030>051-072300-
PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER/BOULDER CO
259 AM MDT TUE MAY 7 2013
...TODAY IN METRO DENVER WEATHER HISTORY...
4-8 IN 1969...HEAVY RAINS CAUSED FLOODING ON BOULDER CREEK
IN BOULDER...WHICH RESULTED IN ONE DEATH ON THE 7TH.
FLOODING ALSO OCCURRED ON BEAR CREEK IN SHERIDAN AND
ON THE SOUTH PLATTE RIVER IN DENVER. RAIN OVER MOST
OF THE EASTERN FOOTHILLS STARTED LATE ON THE 4TH AND
CONTINUED WITH ONLY BRIEF INTERRUPTIONS IN MANY AREAS
UNTIL THE MORNING OF THE 8TH. VERY HIGH RATES OF
RAINFALL OCCURRED ON THE 6TH AND 7TH WITH THE GREATEST
INTENSITIES IN A BAND ALONG THE FOOTHILLS FROM ABOUT 25
MILES SOUTHWEST OF DENVER NORTHWARD TO ESTES PARK. STORM
TOTALS BY BOTH OFFICIAL AND UNOFFICIAL MEASUREMENTS
EXCEEDED 10 INCHES OVER MUCH OF THIS AREA AND WERE OVER 12
INCHES IN SOME LOCALITIES. HEAVY SNOW FELL IN THE HIGHER
MOUNTAINS AND IN THE FOOTHILLS LATER IN THE PERIOD. THE
SATURATION OF THE SOIL RESULTED IN NUMEROUS ROCK AND LAND
SLIDES...AND THE HEAVY RUN-OFF CAUSED SEVERE DAMAGE ALONG
MANY STREAMS AND FLOODING ON THE SOUTH PLATTE RIVER. MANY
FOOTHILL COMMUNITIES WERE ISOLATED AS HIGHWAYS WERE BLOCKED
AND COMMUNICATIONS DISRUPTED. ROADS WERE SEVERELY DAMAGED
OVER A WIDE AREA...AND A LARGE NUMBER OF BRIDGES WASHED OUT.
MANY ROADS WERE CLOSED DUE TO THE DANGER FROM FALLING
ROCKS. A BUILDING IN GEORGETOWN COLLAPSED FROM THE WEIGHT
OF HEAVY WET SNOW. IN BOULDER...A MAN DROWNED WHEN CAUGHT
BY THE FLOODING WATERS OF BOULDER CREEK...AND A PATROLMAN WAS
INJURED. RAINFALL TOTALED 7.60 INCHES IN BOULDER WITH
9.34 INCHES RECORDED AT THE PUBLIC SERVICE COMPANY ELECTRIC
PLANT IN BOULDER CANYON. IN MORRISON...RAINFALL TOTALED
11.27 INCHES IN 4 DAYS. HEAVY RAINFALL TOTALED 4.68 INCHES
AT STAPLETON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT OVER 3 DAYS FROM THE 5TH
THROUGH THE 7TH. RAINFALL OF 3.14 INCHES WAS RECORDED IN 24
HOURS ON THE 6TH AND 7TH. DOWNSTREAM FLOODING CONTINUED
ALONG THE SOUTH PLATTE RIVER UNTIL THE 12TH WHEN THE FLOOD
CREST REACHED THE NEBRASKA LINE.
6-7 IN 1873...SNOWFALL TOTALED 8.9 INCHES IN DOWNTOWN DENVER.
MOST OF THE SNOW FELL ON THE 6TH.
7 IN 1904...WEST WINDS WERE SUSTAINED TO 48 MPH WITH GUSTS TO
60 MPH. A SHOWER PRODUCED 0.16 INCH OF RAIN.
IN 1953...A MICROBURST CAUSED A BRIEF WIND GUST TO 58 MPH AT
STAPLETON AIRPORT.
IN 1958...3/4 INCH DIAMETER HAIL FELL OVER SOUTH METRO DENVER...
10 MILES SOUTHWEST OF STAPLETON AIRPORT.
IN 1977...BASEBALL SIZE HAIL DAMAGED WINDOWS IN WHEAT RIDGE.
HAIL WAS 4 INCHES DEEP ON THE GROUND IN ARVADA. HAIL 3/4
TO 1 INCH DIAMETER FELL IN WESTMINSTER AND KITTREDGE.
IN 1990...A FAST MOVING COLD FRONT PRODUCED WIND GUSTS OF 40
TO 60 MPH. BRIGHTON REPORTED A WIND GUST TO 57 MPH...WHILE
NORTH WIND GUSTS TO 44 MPH WERE MEASURED AT STAPLETON
INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT.
IN 1995...SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS STRUCK AURORA. HAIL PILED 4 TO
5 INCHES DEEP IN THE VICINITY OF QUINCY RESERVOIR IN SOUTH
AURORA. LIGHTNING STRUCK AN AURORA POLICE COMMUNICATIONS
TOWER CAUSING SIGNIFICANT MALFUNCTION TO THE PRIMARY
SYSTEM. MINOR DAMAGE WAS SUSTAINED WHEN LIGHTNING STRUCK
AN APARTMENT BUILDING. HAIL...UP TO 1 1/4 INCHES IN
DIAMETER...WHILE SOFT AND SLUSHY...ACCUMULATED UP TO 6 INCHES
DEEP IN 15 MINUTES. MANY STREETS WERE CLOSED FOR AN HOUR
OR MORE DUE TO FLOODING CAUSED BY HEAVY RAIN AND MELTING
HAIL STONES. SOME TREES WERE STRIPPED OF THEIR LEAVES.
HAIL AS LARGE AS 1/2 INCH DIAMETER WAS MEASURED AT DENVER
INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT WHERE A FUNNEL CLOUD WAS SIGHTED.
IN 2003...A TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN BRIEFLY NEAR BENNETT...BUT
DID NO REPORTED DAMAGE.
IN 2005...SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCED 3/4 INCH HAIL NEAR
BRIGHTON AND A THUNDERSTORM WIND GUST TO 60 MPH NEAR
FORT LUPTON.
7-8 IN 1958...RAINFALL TOTALED 2.50 INCHES AT STAPLETON AIRPORT.
$$