Public Information Statement
Issued by NWS Denver/Boulder, CO

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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.

$$


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