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Public Information Statement
National Weather Service Denver/Boulder CO
259 AM MDT WED APR 17 2024

...Today in metro Denver weather history...

13-17 In 2001...a huge dust storm over southern and inner Mongolia
        during April 3rd through the 6th lifted desert dust into
        the jet stream.  This dust cloud moved over metro Denver
        on the 13th and persisted through the 17th.  The cloud
        created widespread haze...giving the sky a milkish cast
        due to the scattering of incoming solar radiation.
15-17 In 1922...from the 15th to the 17th...heavy snowfall totaled
        9.0 inches in downtown Denver.  Most of the snow...6.0 inches...
        fell on the 16th.  This was the third major snowstorm in a
        week.  Northwest winds were sustained to 43 mph with gusts
        to 47 mph on the 15th.
      In 2016...a powerful spring snowstorm brought heavy...wet snow
        to areas in and near the Front Range Foothills and Palmer
        Divide.  Storm totals generally ranged from 2 to 4 feet in
        the foothills with 1 to 2 feet in the mountain west of
        Denver and along the Palmer Divide. Along the I-25 Corridor
        storm totals ranged from 6 to 20 inches...with highest
        amounts across the western and southern suburbs. Some of
        those totals included: 16 inches in Aurora and Superior...15
        inches at the National Weather Service Office in Boulder...
        14.5 inches in Broomfield...13.5 inches in Westminster...
        officially 12.1 inches at Denver International Airport...12
        inches in Louisville...11.5 inches in Arvada...11 inches near
        Englewood...and 10.5 inches near Wheat Ridge. At Denver
        International Airport...there were 852 flight cancellations...
        most of which occurred on the 16th. The heavy wet snowfall
        broke trees limbs and caused scattered power outages. Over
        five thousand customers were without power on the 16th...and
        over two thousand on the 17th. Xcel Energy brought in extra
        crews from surrounding states to help restore power and
        minimize outage times through the storm. Numerous but mostly
        temporary road closures from 1 to 5 hours occurred throughout
        the storm. This included portions of I-70 east and west of
        Denver...Highway 103 from Idaho Springs to Evergreen and
        Highway 119 through Black Hawk.
16-17 In 1944...from the 16th to the 17th...heavy snowfall totaled
        7.5 inches in downtown Denver.  Northwest winds were
        sustained to 18 mph on the 16th.
16-18 In 2009...from the 16th to the 18th...a potent spring storm
        brought heavy snow to locations in and near the Front Range
        Foothills.  A deep easterly upslope produced nearly 5 feet
        of snow in parts of the foothills.  The heavy snow resulted
        in the closure of Interstate 70...from Golden west to Vail...
        for approximately 16 hours.  The heavy snow snapped power
        lines in Evergreen and Nederland.  The ensuing outages
        affected 14200 residents.  In the Front Range Foothills...
        storm totals included:  56 inches...3 miles south of
        Rollinsville; 54 inches...3 miles southeast of Pinecliffe;
        43 inches at Aspen Springs...42 inches at Evergreen...38
        inches near Conifer...37 inches at St. Mary`s Glacier...and
        34 inches near Nederland. Along the Urban Corridor and
        Palmer Divide...the heaviest snow occurred above 5500 feet
        on the 17th.  Storm totals included:  22 inches...8.5 miles
        southwest of Franktown; 18 inches...10 miles south-southeast
        of Buckley Air Force Base; 17 inches near Cherry Creek and
        7 miles south of Sedalia...16 inches...6.5 miles southwest of
        Castle Rock; 15 inches near Beverly Hills...12 inches near
        Highlands Ranch and Lafayette...with 11 inches in Broomfield.
        Elsewhere storm totals ranged from 4 to 10 inches.
        Only 2.6 inches of snow was observed at Denver International
        Airport. The 24-hr precipitation for the day however was
        1.16 inches...which established a new record for April 17th.
17    In 1889...northwest winds were sustained to 48 mph.
      In 1899...apparent post-frontal north winds were sustained
        to 42 mph with gusts as high as 48 mph.
      In 1935...light dust moved over the city behind an apparent
        dry cold front...which produced northeast winds to 19 mph
        with gusts to 20 mph.
      In 1978...winds estimated to 70 mph occurred in Morrison.
        Northwest winds gusted to 49 mph at Stapleton International
        Airport.
      In 2000...strong pre-frontal winds and widely scattered
        thunderstorms caused high winds to develop across northern
        metro Denver and portions of the northeast plains.  Peak
        wind gusts included 75 mph at Louisville.  South winds
        gusted to only 28 mph at Denver International Airport.
      In 2002...strong southwest winds in advance of a cold front
        gusted to 52 mph at Denver International Airport.
      In 2003...severe thunderstorms produced 1 inch diameter hail
        7 miles east of Brighton.  Strong thunderstorm winds blew
        out an auto windshield near Denver International Airport
        where south winds gusted to 48 mph.
17-18 In 1878...the wind blew violently all day on the 17th with
        a maximum sustained velocity of 40 mph.  Dust hung over
        the city like a cloud.  The relative humidity was zero
        nearly all day.  A terrific gale blew overnight.  There
        was much damage to buildings...signs...fences...etc.  Some
        wind gusts were so strong as to jar buildings to their
        foundations.  The station anemometer recorded sustained
        winds to 50 mph with higher gusts before it was damaged
        by the winds.  The winds moderated during the day on the
        18th and ended at sunset.
      In 1894...post-frontal rain changed to snow on the 17th
        around sunrise and continued through 9:00 AM on the 18th.
        Snowfall totaled 10.5 inches...but most of the snow melted
        as it fell.  The high temperature warmed to only 35 degrees
        on the 17th after a high of 76 on the 16th.  Northeast
        winds were sustained to 30 mph with gusts to 32 mph on
        the 17th.
      In 1998...from the 17th to the 18th...more spring snow fell
        across metro Denver and in the foothills.  Snowfall totals
        included:  11 inches at Golden Gate Canyon...10 inches at
        Highlands Ranch...9 inches at Elizabeth...8 inches at
        Broomfield and Morrison...and 7 inches at Chief Hosa...
        Evergreen...Littleton...and Sedalia. Snowfall totaled only
        3.2 inches at the site of the former Stapleton
        International Airport.  North winds gusted to 22 mph at
        Denver International Airport.
17-19 In 1920...snow fell across the city continuously for 57 hours...
        from the early morning of the 17th until 11:40 AM on the
        19th.  The heavy wet snowfall totaled 18.2 inches with the
        greatest accumulation on the ground of 12 inches.  Winds
        during the storm were strong with sustained speeds in
        excess of 27 mph for over 40 consecutive hours...which
        created near-blizzard conditions.  The highest recorded
        wind speeds were 44 mph with gusts to 50 mph from the
        north on the 17th and 39 mph with gusts to 48 mph from
        the northwest on the 18th.  The strong winds piled the
        snow into high drifts which stopped all Denver traffic.
        Railroads were blocked with only one train entering the
        city on the 19th.  All interurban trains were blocked...as
        were the 13 trolley lines.  Thus...many workers were unable
        to get home at night and filled all of the downtown hotels
        to capacity.  No grocery or fuel deliveries were possible...
        except milk and coal to hospitals and to families with
        babies.  No lives were lost in the city...but several people
        perished in surrounding districts.  Stock losses were heavy
        on the plains.  Temperatures during the storm were in the
        20`s.

$$