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NOUS45 KBOU 170859
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COZ030>051-172300-

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER/BOULDER CO
259 AM MDT FRI MAY 17 2013

...TODAY IN METRO DENVER WEATHER HISTORY...

14-18 IN 1996...A PERIOD OF UNUSUALLY WARM WEATHER RESULTED IN
        4 RECORD MAXIMUM TEMPERATURES IN 5 DAYS.  THE RECORD HIGH
        TEMPERATURES WERE 87 DEGREES ON THE 14TH...89 DEGREES ON
        THE 15TH...AND 93 DEGREES ON BOTH THE 16TH AND 18TH.  THE
        TEMPERATURE CLIMBED TO ONLY 81 DEGREES ON THE 17TH WHICH
        WAS NOT A RECORD.
16-17 IN 1981...A HEAVY RAIN STORM DUMPED 1 TO 2 1/2 INCHES OF RAIN
        ACROSS METRO DENVER.  RAINFALL TOTALED 1.27 INCHES AT
        STAPLETON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT WHERE NORTH WINDS GUSTED
        TO 38 MPH ON 17TH.
      IN 1983...A VERY STRONG LATE SPRING STORM DUMPED HEAVY SNOW
        OVER THE FRONT RANGE.  STRONG WINDS WITH THE STORM PRODUCED
        BLIZZARD CONDITIONS AT TIMES.  SUSTAINED WINDS WERE 20 TO
        40 MPH WITH A PEAK GUST TO 55 MPH AT STAPLETON INTERNATIONAL
        AIRPORT.  THE FOOTHILLS RECEIVED 1 TO 2 FEET OF SNOW
        WITH 4 TO 12 INCHES ALONG THE FOOTHILLS.  HOWLING WINDS
        WHIPPED THE SNOW INTO DRIFTS SEVERAL FEET DEEP...CLOSING
        SCHOOLS AND HIGHWAYS.  STAPLETON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT WAS
        FORCED TO REDUCE FLIGHT OPERATIONS...CLOSING 2 OF 4 RUNWAYS
        AND STRANDING HUNDREDS OF TRAVELERS.  MOST OF THE DAMAGE
        AND INCONVENIENCE CAUSED BY THE STORM WAS IN POWER OUTAGES...
        WHICH OCCURRED WHEN WIND AND HEAVY WET SNOW CAUSED HUNDREDS
        OF POWER POLES TO SNAP AND TOPPLE.  ABOUT 20 SQUARE MILES
        OF DENVER WERE BLACKED OUT.  PRECIPITATION FROM THE STORM
        TOTALED 1 TO 3 INCHES.  AT STAPLETON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT...
        SNOWFALL TOTALED 7.1 INCHES WITH A MAXIMUM SNOW DEPTH ON
        THE GROUND OF ONLY 2 INCHES DUE TO MELTING.  THE HIGH
        TEMPERATURE OF 40 DEGREES ON THE 17TH WAS A RECORD LOW
        MAXIMUM FOR THE DATE.  DUE TO THE HEAVY MOISTURE CONTENT
        OF THE STORM...WIDESPREAD STREET FLOODING OCCURRED ON THE
        18TH WHEN MUCH OF THE SNOW MELTED UNDER THE WARM MAY SUN
        AND TEMPERATURES CLIMBED TO A HIGH OF 57 DEGREES.
      IN 1995...SIGNIFICANT MOISTURE AND UPSLOPE FLOW CAUSED
        FLOODING ACROSS METRO DENVER.  MODERATE TO HEAVY RAINS...
        WHICH BEGAN ON THE EVENING OF THE 16TH...DEVELOPED IN THE
        FOOTHILLS AND SPREAD EASTWARD OVER METRO DENVER THROUGHOUT
        THE NIGHT.  THE HEAVY RAINS BROUGHT MANY CREEKS AND SMALL
        STREAMS TO BANKFULL OR SLIGHTLY OVER.  LOCATIONS ALONG THE
        FOOTHILLS RECEIVED BETWEEN 3 AND 4 INCHES OF RAINFALL FROM
        THE STORM.  BOULDER RECEIVED 3.60 INCHES OF RAINFALL FOR
        THE 24-HOUR PERIOD...CAUSING MINOR STREET FLOODING NEAR
        SMALL STREAMS.  TO THE NORTHWEST OF BOULDER...A BRIDGE WHICH
        CROSSED FOURMILE CREEK WAS WASHED OUT.  NUMEROUS ROCK AND
        MUDSLIDES OCCURRED IN FOOTHILLS CANYONS...CLOSING PORTIONS
        OF U.S. HIGHWAYS 6 AND 40 AND STATE HIGHWAY 119 FOR A FEW
        HOURS AT A TIME.  ROCKS WERE PILED 6 FEET DEEP ON A STRETCH
        OF STATE HIGHWAY 119 ALONG WITH BOULDERS AS LARGE AS CARS ON
        U.S. HIGHWAY 6.  A PARKING LOT NEAR A CREEK IN GOLDEN CAVED
        IN LEAVING A HOLE THE SIZE OF AN 18-WHEELER.  RUSHING WATER
        WASHED OUT A 50-FOOT STRETCH OF A ROAD IN WESTMINSTER.
        RAINFALL TOTALED 1.75 INCHES AT DENVER INTERNATIONAL
        AIRPORT...BUT ONLY 1.42 INCHES AT THE SITE OF THE FORMER
        STAPLETON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT.
17    IN 1903...SOUTHWEST WINDS WERE SUSTAINED TO 42 MPH WITH GUSTS
        TO 45 MPH FROM AN APPARENT MICROBURST WHICH PRODUCED ONLY
        A TRACE OF RAIN.
      IN 1960...HAIL TO 3/4 INCH DIAMETER WAS MEASURED IN THORNTON.
        GOLF BALL SIZE HAIL FELL IN ARVADA.
      IN 1972...MICROBURST WINDS GUSTED TO 51 MPH AT STAPLETON
        INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT.
      IN 1975...HAIL 1/2 TO 3/4 INCH IN DIAMETER FELL OVER WESTERN
        METRO DENVER.
      IN 1978...A SMALL TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN IN SOUTH AURORA
        DAMAGING 40 HOMES...6 TO A CONSIDERABLE EXTENT.  ONE GARAGE
        WAS DEMOLISHED AND BLOWN ACROSS THE STREET.  PARTS OF ROOFS
        WERE COMPLETELY BLOWN AWAY.  SEVERAL 2X4-INCH BOARDS WERE
        BLOWN INTO THE SIDES OF HOUSES.  ANOTHER SMALL TORNADO IN
        PARKER DAMAGED TWO AIRPLANES.  OTHER FUNNEL CLOUDS WERE
        SIGHTED OVER NORTHGLENN AND NEAR GOLDEN.
      IN 1985...A THUNDERSTORM PRODUCED A TOTAL OF 1.50 INCHES OF
        RAIN IN BRIGHTON WHERE 0.72 INCHES FELL IN 40 MINUTES.
        SMALL HAIL COVERED THE GROUND...AND THERE WAS SOME STREET
        AND BASEMENT FLOODING.
      IN 1987...SMALL HAIL PILED UP 4 INCHES DEEP IN SOUTHWEST
        AURORA.  THERE WAS ALSO WIDESPREAD STREET FLOODING AND A
        FEW POWER OUTAGES.  HAIL AS LARGE AS 3/4 INCH IN DIAMETER
        FELL AT CASTLE ROCK.
      IN 2000...HIGH WINDS OCCURRED ALONG AND EAST OF THE FRONT RANGE
        FOOTHILLS...AS A DEEP SURFACE LOW PRESSURE CENTER FORMED OVER
        THE NORTHEAST PLAINS OF COLORADO.  AN AMUSEMENT PARK IN
        NORTH BOULDER RECEIVED ABOUT 25 THOUSAND DOLLARS IN PROPERTY
        DAMAGE.  PEAK WIND REPORTS INCLUDED:  88 MPH AT THE NATIONAL
        WIND TECHNOLOGY CENTER...84 MPH IN BOULDER...AND 80 MPH AT THE
        NATIONAL CENTER FOR ATMOSPHERIC RESEARCH MESA LABORATORY.
        A POWDER KEG OF SEVERE WEATHER...INCLUDING TORNADOES AND
        THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCING LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS AND
        HEAVY RAIN...OCCURRED OVER THE PLAINS TO THE NORTHEAST OF
        DENVER.  THE ONLY SEVERE WEATHER REPORTED ACROSS METRO
        DENVER WAS 1 INCH DIAMETER HAIL IN LITTLETON.

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