Public Information Statement Issued by NWS Denver/Boulder, CO
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NOUS45 KBOU 230959
PNSBOU
COZ030>051-232300-
Public Information Statement
National Weather Service Denver/Boulder CO
259 AM MST FRI FEB 23 2024
...Today in metro Denver weather history...
22-23 In 1985...a snowstorm struck the eastern foothills with 8 to
15 inches of new snow. Three to 7 inches of new snow fell
across metro Denver and parts of I-70 were closed at times.
Snowfall totaled only 3.3 inches at Stapleton International
Airport where northeast wind gusts to 29 mph were recorded.
In 1992...a snow storm dumped heavy snow in the Front Range
foothills. Conifer received 12 inches of new snow with 7.5
inches at Aspen Springs. Snow only dusted the plains and
metro Denver...but winds were strong with a gust to 43 mph
from the north at Stapleton International Airport where
snowfall totaled only 0.3 inch. This was the only
measurable snowfall of the month...equaling the record
for the least snowiest February first set in 1970. Rare
thunder for February accompanied the snow during the early
morning hours of the 23rd.
In 1999...strong chinook winds developed on a very localized
scale overnight in and near the foothills of northern
Jefferson and southern Boulder counties. Peak wind reports
included: 82 mph at the Rocky Flats Environmental Test
Facility...80 mph at the National Center for Atmospheric
Research Mesa Lab in Boulder...77 mph near Nederland...and
75 mph atop the Gamow Tower on the University of Colorado
campus in Boulder.
In 2012...a strong upper level jet stream produced high winds
along the Front Range. In Boulder...the strong winds snapped
power poles and toppled trees. As a result...about 7
thousand Xcel Energy customers were without power for
several hours. The high winds overturned a tractor-trailer
on Foothills Highway overpass...north of Valmont Road. The
driver suffered minor injuries. A parked car was totaled
when it was crushed by a fallen tree near the University of
Boulder. The strong winds were also responsible for two
Boulder County wildfires which consumed a total of 65 acres.
Colorado Department of Transportation officials closed U.S.
36 at McCaslin Boulevard in both directions after the wind
caused damage to the pedestrian overpass. Metal siding from
the overpass fell into highway; fortunately there were no
injuries. In total...electrical outages affected 46 thousand
customers along the Front Range. Damage to roofs...siding...
garage doors and fences was also reported. Peak wind gusts
included: 93 mph near Lyons; 88 mph at NCAR Mesa Lab; 85
mph...2 miles southwest of Rocky Flats; 82 mph...5 miles
northwest of Boulder; 81 mph...2 miles north of Longmont...4
miles east-northeast of Nederland...the National Wind
Technology Center and near Wondervu; 80 mph at the junction
of Highways 72 and 93; 79 mph at the Boulder Municipal
Airport; 78 mph...6 miles northwest of Boulder; 77 mph at
Rocky Mountain Municipal Airport; 76 mph atop Berthoud Pass;
75 mph near Aspen Springs; 70 mph at Longmont Municipal
Airport; 64 mph at Erie Municipal Airport. At Denver
International Airport...peak wind gusts of 53 mph on the
22nd and 55 mph on the 23rd were observed.
In 2019...bands of intense snowfall with rates up to 3 inches
per hour...struck Denver during the evening commute. The
heaviest snowfall occurred south of a line extending from
Arvada to Denver International Airport. The heavy snow
snarled traffic and left many stranded at the airport. At
Denver International Airport...8.3 inches of snowfall was
observed. Storm totals elsewhere included: 9 inches in
Aurora...8.5 inches near Centennial; 8 inches near Cherry
Creek Reservoir and Littleton...7.5 inches at Centennial
Airport...Commerce City...Highlands Ranch and Lone Tree; 7
inches near Arapahoe Park; 6.5 inches near Buckley AFB...
Englewood and Strasburg; 6 inches near Deer Trail...Kiowa
and Parker; with 3 to 5 inches in Arvada and Wheat Ridge.
22-29 In 1960...heavy snowfall of 6.1 inches at Stapleton Airport on
the 22nd and 23rd marked the beginning of a protracted cold
spell which lasted until the end of the month. The cloudy...
cold weather was accompanied by occasional light snow or
flurries and fog. New record low temperatures for the dates
were set on the 24th thru the 29th with the lowest
temperature of 11 degrees below zero on the 28th. The
seven consecutive days of low temperatures of zero or below
had been exceeded in duration only 4 times previously. New
low maximum temperatures for the dates were set on the 23rd...
24th...and the 26th thru the 29th with the lowest maximum
temperature of 8 degrees recorded on the 26th.
23 In 1904...west winds sustained to 42 mph with gusts as high as
60 mph warmed the temperature to a high of 63 degrees.
In 1907...a thunderstorm...relatively rare in February...was
observed over the city. The chance of occurrence is
around once every ten years.
In 1977...while 60 to 100 mph winds produced a huge dust
storm over much of eastern Colorado...only an experimental
windmill at the Rocky Flats nuclear plant was destroyed in
the Denver area. Winds at Rocky Flats were clocked to 90
mph. Northwest winds gusted to 46 mph at Stapleton
International Airport.
In 1986...wind gusts to 79 mph were clocked at Echo Lake in
the foothills west of Denver.
In 1992...a rare February thunderstorm occurred. This was
only the 5th time since 1891 that thunder has been heard
in February.
In 1994...periodic high winds occurred over the higher
elevations of the Front Range eastern foothills. The
strongest wind gusts reached 87 mph atop Squaw Mountain
near Idaho Springs. Southwest winds gusted to only 25
mph at Stapleton International Airport.
In 1996...high winds gusting as high as 76 mph were reported
along the Front Range foothills and adjacent urban corridor.
Wind gusts to 70 mph were reported atop Table Mesa near
Boulder and to 63 mph in Broomfield. West winds gusted to
38 mph at Denver International Airport.
In 2012...bands of moderate to heavy snow...associated with a
strong upper level jet...formed over the southern Front
Range Foothills...Palmer Divide and southern Denver suburbs.
Storm totals included: 10 inches...2 miles west-northwest of
Highlands Ranch and Kiowa; 9.5 inches near Castle Rock and
Littleton; 8 inches at Aspen Springs and Marston Reservoir;
7.5 inches at Evergreen and Louviers; 7 inches...5 miles
south-southwest of Arapahoe Park; with 4 to 6 inches
elsewhere. Officially...Denver International Airport
observed 1.9 inches of snowfall.
23-24 In 1935...northwest winds sustained to 37 mph with gusts as
high as 47 mph produced considerable blowing dust behind
a cold front on the 23rd. The dust was dampened by 7.0
inches of snowfall over downtown Denver from the late
evening of the 23rd through the evening of the 24th.
In 1997...heavy snow fell in the foothills. Snowfall totals
included 8 inches at Sunshine Canyon northwest of Boulder...
and 6 inches at Morrison. Snowfall totaled only 2.4 inches
at the site of the former Stapleton International Airport.
East winds gusted to only 22 mph at Denver International
Airport on the 23rd.
23-25 In 1912...a severe winter storm dumped 14.2 inches of snowfall
over downtown Denver. Snow fell continuously from 9:40 AM
on the 23rd until 9:15 PM on the 25th with most of the snow...
9.2 inches...on the 24th. Temperatures were mostly in the
20`s. Northeast winds were sustained to 20 mph on the 24th.
$$