Public Information Statement Issued by NWS Denver/Boulder, CO
000
NOUS45 KBOU 130859
PNSBOU
COZ030>051-132300-
PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER/BOULDER CO
259 AM MDT THU JUN 13 2013
...TODAY IN METRO DENVER WEATHER HISTORY...
11-14 IN 1999...DAMAGE FROM SEVERAL HAILSTORMS IN AND NEAR METRO
DENVER TOTALED 35 MILLION DOLLARS. ABOUT 17.5 MILLION
DOLLARS WAS FROM AUTOMOBILE CLAIMS WITH ANOTHER 17.5
MILLION IN HOMEOWNER CLAIMS. THE AREAS HARDEST HIT BY THE
STORMS INCLUDED CASTLE ROCK...COMMERCE CITY...EVERGREEN...
AND GOLDEN.
12-17 IN 2000...TWO LARGE WILDFIRES DEVELOPED IN THE FRONT RANGE
FOOTHILLS AS CARELESS CAMPERS AND VERY DRY CONDITIONS
PROVED TO BE A DANGEROUS COMBINATION. STRONG WINDS
GUSTING IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH ON THE 13TH FANNED THE FLAMES...
SPREADING BOTH WILDFIRES OUT OF CONTROL. WINDS GUSTED TO
78 MPH ATOP NIWOT RIDGE NEAR THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE WEST
OF BOULDER. THE HI MEADOWS WILDFIRE...ABOUT 35 MILES
SOUTHWEST OF DENVER...CONSUMED NEARLY 11 THOUSAND ACRES AND
80 STRUCTURES...MOSTLY HIGH PRICED HOMES. THE BOBCAT
WILDFIRE...LOCATED ABOUT 12 MILES SOUTHWEST OF FORT COLLINS...
CONSUMED NEARLY 11 THOUSAND ACRES AND 22 STRUCTURES. LATE
ON THE 16TH...A STRONG COLD FRONT MOVED SOUTH OVER THE GREAT
PLAINS INTO NORTHEASTERN COLORADO. LOW LEVEL UPSLOPE
CONDITIONS DEVELOPED IN THE WAKE OF THE FRONT...PRODUCING
2 TO 4 INCHES OF SNOWFALL OVERNIGHT AT ELEVATIONS ABOVE
8 THOUSAND FEET. FIREFIGHTERS WERE ABLE TO CONTAIN BOTH
FIRES SHORTLY THEREAFTER.
13 IN 1956...A MICROBURST CAUSED A BRIEF WIND GUST TO 59 MPH AT
STAPLETON AIRPORT.
IN 1957...AN UNCONFIRMED TORNADO APPEARED TO TOUCH THE GROUND
IN THE VICINITY OF FRANKTOWN. NO DAMAGE WAS REPORTED FROM
THE TWISTER.
IN 1968...A VIOLENT GUST OF WIND...POSSIBLY ASSOCIATED WITH A
THUNDERSTORM...CAUSED 75 HUNDRED DOLLARS DAMAGE IN BOULDER.
IN 1973...HAIL...1/2 TO 3/4 INCH IN DIAMETER...FELL OVER
LAKEWOOD. FLASH FLOODING OCCURRED IN WEST DENVER FROM THE
SAME STORM.
IN 1974...A THUNDERSTORM WIND GUST TO 64 MPH WAS RECORDED AT
STAPLETON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT.
IN 1977...HAIL THE SIZE OF TABLE TENNIS BALLS...1 1/2 INCHES IN
DIAMETER...WAS REPORTED IN BOULDER.
IN 1981...LARGE HAIL TO GOLF BALL SIZE FELL IN DENVER...
NORTHGLENN...AND BRIGHTON. HAIL AS LARGE AS BASEBALLS WAS
REPORTED IN FEDERAL HEIGHTS.
IN 1984...ONE OF THE WORST HAILSTORMS EVER EXPERIENCED IN METRO
DENVER STRUCK THE NORTHWESTERN SUBURBS OF ARVADA...WHEAT
RIDGE...AND LAKEWOOD...BUT LARGE HAIL ALSO FELL IN GOLDEN...
SOUTHEAST DENVER...AND AURORA. HOMES AND OTHER BUILDINGS
SUSTAINED AROUND 200 MILLION DOLLARS IN DAMAGE. THOUSANDS
OF CARS WERE BATTERED BY GIANT HAILSTONES...AND TOTAL DAMAGE
TO VEHICLES WAS ESTIMATED AT 150 MILLION DOLLARS. IN SOME
AREAS...GOLF BALL SIZE HAIL FELL CONTINUOUSLY FOR 30 TO 40
MINUTES. SOME PLACES WERE PELTED WITH A FEW STONES AS
LARGE AS GRAPEFRUITS! ROOFS ON THOUSANDS OF STRUCTURES
WERE SEVERELY DAMAGED. UNCOUNTED CAR WINDSHIELDS WERE
BROKEN; TWO-THIRDS OF ARVADA`S POLICE CARS WERE RENDERED
INOPERABLE. TORRENTIAL RAINS...WITH AS MUCH AS 4.75 INCHES
IN LAKEWOOD CLOGGED DRAINS AND CAUSED WIDESPREAD DAMAGE
FROM FLOODING. IN SOME PLACES HAIL WAS WASHED INTO DRIFTS
SEVERAL FEET DEEP. ABOUT 20 PEOPLE WERE INJURED BY THE
GIANT HAILSTONES. ONE COUPLE WAS HOSPITALIZED. A WOMAN
DROWNED WHEN SHE WAS TRAPPED UNDER A TRAILER BY HIGH WATER.
ONLY PEA SIZE HAIL FELL AT STAPLETON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT.
IN 1988...2 INCH HAIL FELL IN PARKER. SOFT HAIL 1 INCH IN
DIAMETER FELL AT THE MOUTH OF TURKEY CREEK CANYON 5 MILES
SOUTHEAST OF MORRISON. HAIL BETWEEN 1 INCH AND 1 3/4
INCHES FELL AT BOTH BENNETT AND STRASBURG. A TORNADO
TOUCHED DOWN BRIEFLY AT STRASBURG. A BRIEF FUNNEL CLOUD
WAS SIGHTED BY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OBSERVERS 15 MILES
SOUTHWEST OF STAPLETON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT.
IN 1991...A BOULDER MAN WAS INJURED WHEN STRUCK BY LIGHTNING
WHILE IN A TENT. HE RECEIVED ONLY MINOR BURNS.
IN 1997...LIGHTNING STRUCK A HOME IN DENVER. THE EXTENT OF
THE DAMAGE WAS UNKNOWN. A HOME IN LITTLETON WAS ALSO
STRUCK. THE HOUSE CAUGHT FIRE...BUT THE EXTENT OF THE
DAMAGE WAS NOT KNOWN.
IN 1998...A STRONG MOUNTAIN WAVE PRODUCED A BRIEF PERIOD OF
HIGH WINDS ALONG THE FRONT RANGE. A SMALL BUILDING ATOP
SQUAW PASS WEST OF DENVER WAS BLOWN DOWN. TREE LIMBS
WERE DOWNED ACROSS METRO DENVER. PEAK WIND GUSTS
INCLUDED: 80 MPH ON SQUAW PASS...69 MPH AT JEFFERSON
COUNTY AIRPORT NEAR BROOMFIELD...AND 60 MPH IN WESTMINSTER
AND AT THE NATIONAL CENTER FOR ATMOSPHERIC RESEARCH IN
BOULDER. WEST-NORTHWEST WINDS GUSTED TO 51 MPH AT DENVER
INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT.
IN 2001...HIGH WINDS DEVELOPED BRIEFLY IN BOULDER COUNTY.
A PEAK WIND GUST TO 76 MPH WAS RECORDED AT THE NATIONAL
CENTER FOR ATMOSPHERIC RESEARCH ATOP THE MESA IN BOULDER.
A WIND GUST TO 72 MPH WAS RECORDED AT SOUTHERN HILLS MIDDLE
SCHOOL IN BOULDER. LIGHTNING STARTED A SMALL FIRE...WHICH
DAMAGED THE ROOF OF A HOUSE IN GREENWOOD VILLAGE.
IN 2009...SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCED HAIL UP TO ONE INCH
IN DIAMETER NEAR ARVADA AND BYERS...AS WELL AS 7 MILES
NORTH-NORTHWEST OF FRONT RANGE AIRPORT NEAR WATKINS.
13-14 IN 2006...THE HIGH TEMPERATURE OF 99 DEGREES ON THE 13TH
EQUALED THE RECORD MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE FOR THE DATE FIRST
SET IN 1994. THE HIGH TEMEPERATURE OF 102 DEGREES ON THE
14TH WAS A NEW RECORD MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE FOR THE DATE.
$$