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Public Information Statement
National Weather Service Denver/Boulder CO
259 AM MDT SAT SEP 14 2024

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

1-30  In 2020...a worsening drought that started in the spring and
        continued through September. Outside of an early season
        snow on the 8th...the month of September was another
        unseasonably warm and dry period. The combination
        of hot...mostly dry conditions...and critically dry fuels...
        resulted in a continuation and rapid expansion of several
        massive wildfires. The Cameron Peak fire...which became the
        largest in the state`s history started on August 13th...and
        continued through September. As a result...very poor air
        quality continued to impact Denver and the entire Front
        Range.  Denver recorded the most days ever with a high
        temperature of 90 degrees or better; 75 days.  The last
        of which was 91 degrees on the 24th.  The previous
        record was 73 days set in 2012.
10-17 In 2018...the high temperature equalled or exceeded 90 degrees for
        8 consecutive days; breaking the previous streak of 7 consecutive
        days in the month of September.
10-18 In 2018...the high temperature equalled or exceeded 90 degrees for 9
        consecutive days; marking the first time such an occurrence has
        taken place in the month of September.  It also brought September
        of 2018 into a 4-way tie for most 90 degree + days in the month.
        Previous years included 2017...2005 and 1895. During the streak...4
        record high temperatures were either tied or broken...and one
        record high minumum temperatures was broken.
11-16 In 2013...a deep southerly flow over Colorado...ahead of a
        nearly stationary low pressure system over the Great Basin...
        pumped copious amounts of monsoonal moisture into the area.
        In addition...a weak stationary front stretched along the
        Front Range Foothills and Palmer Divide.  This resulted in
        a prolonged period of moderate to heavy rain across the
        Front Range Foothills...Palmer Divide...Urban Corridor. By
        the 14th...storm totals ranged from 6 to 18 inches...highest
        in the foothills of Boulder County. The headwaters then
        moved down the South Platte River and caused widespread
        flooding with record flood stages at several locations as
        it made its way downstream.  The record high flood stages
        resulted in widespread flooding along the South
        Platte River Basin. The flood damage encompassed 4500
        square miles of the Front Range...left 7 dead...forced
        thousands to evacuate...and destroyed thousands of homes
        and farms. Record amounts of rainfall generated flash
        floods that tore up roads and lines of communication...
        leaving many stranded. Nearly 19000 homes were damaged...
        and over 1500 destroyed. Colorado Department of
        Transportation estimated at least 30 state highway bridges
        were destroyed and an additional 20 seriously damaged.
        Preliminary assessments of the state`s infrastructure
        showed damage of $40 million to roads and $112 million to
        bridges. Repair costs for state and and county roads ran
        into the hundreds of millions of dollars. Miles of freight
        and passenger rail lines were washed out or submerged...
        including a section servicing Amtrak`s iconic California
        Zephyr. The town of Lyons was isolated by the flooding
        of St. Vrain Creek...and several earth dams along the
        Front Range burst or were over-topped. Floodwaters swept
        through Estes Park; damaged hundreds of buildings and
        destroyed large sections of U.S. 34 from Loveland and U.S.
        36 from Lyons to Boulder. U.S. 34 suffered the most damage...
        with 85 percent of its roadway and bridges destroyed. In
        Weld County...about nearly two thousand gas wells were
        damaged and had to be closed off as the floodwaters
        inundated entire communities. Sewage treatment plants and
        other utilities were knocked out in a number of towns.
        Governor Hickenlooper declared a disaster emergency on
        September 13th...in 11 counties across northeast Colorado
        including:  Adams...Arapahoe...Broomfield...Boulder...Denver...
        Jefferson...Larimer...Logan...Morgan...Washington and Weld. By
        the 15th...federal emergency declarations covered those
        counties as well as Clear Creek County. Projected losses
        from the flooding statewide was nearly two billion dollars
        in property damage...according to Eqecat...a catastrophe
        modeling firm.  The damage was most severe in and around
        Lyons and Boulder.  More than 11 thousand people were
        evacuated...reportedly the largest since Hurricane
        Katrina. President Obama declared a state of emergency
        for Boulder and Larimer Counties.  An additional 10
        counties were added on the 16th and included: Adams...
        Arapahoe...Broomfield...Clear Creek...Denver...Jefferson...
        Morgan...Logan...Washington and Weld Counties. The
        president also declared a major disaster specifically
        for Boulder County.  There were six fatalities
        directly attributed to flash flooding. Two 19-yr old
        teenagers died on the 11th...after they were swept
        away by floodwaters after abandoning their car on
        Lindon Drive in Boulder. In Jamestown...a 72-yr old
        man was killed when the building he was in collapsed.
        An 80-yr old Lyons resident died in the early morning
        hours of the 12th...when his truck was swept into the
        St. Vrain River near his home. Later on the 12th...a
        79-yr old Larimer County resident was killed when she
        was swept away while trying to climb to safety from
        her home in Cedar Point. A 61-yr old Cedar Point
        resident died when her home was swept down the Big
        Thompson River by the floodwaters. An 80-yr old
        Idaho Springs resident drowned in Clear Creek when
        the embankment he was standing on collapsed. In
        Boulder...some of the monthly records broken included:
        one-day all-time record: 9.08 inches which shattered
        the previous wettest day of 4.8 inches set on July 31...
        1919; one-month record of 18.16 inches...which broke
        the previous all-time monthly record of 9.59 inches set
        in May of 1995; wettest September on record which broke
        the previous record of 5.5 inches set in September of
        1940; one-year record of 34.15 inches broke the previous
        wettest year of 29.93 inches set in 1995. At Denver
        International Airport...the total precipitation for the
        month of September was 5.61 inches...which was 4.65
        inches above the normal of 0.96 inches. This is the most
        precipitation ever recorded in Denver for the month of
        September. Daily precipitation records included 1.11
        inches on the 12th and 2.01 inches on the 14th.
14    In 1912...snow fell for most of the day...but melted as it fell.
        Precipitation from melted snow was 0.46 inch.  Some sleet was
        also observed.  Total precipitation was 0.61 inch.  North
        winds were sustained to 15 mph with gusts to 17 mph.
      In 1934...a moderate dust storm blew into the city at 4:15 PM.
        North winds were sustained to 35 mph with gusts to 44 mph.
        By 5:25 PM the winds had decreased and the storm had ended.
        A trace of rain fell during the evening.
      In 1976...a tornado touched down just west of I-25 between
        Arapahoe Road and Dry Creek Road...tearing the roof from a
        house.  Nearby...a high tension wire fell on a house causing
        damage...and lightning ripped a hole in the side of a house.
        Three tornadoes were observed just east of Stapleton
        International Airport and northeast of Buckley Field.  No
        damage was reported.  Dime to quarter size hail fell in
        northeast Denver with only 1/4 inch hail at Stapleton
        International Airport.  The Colorado State Patrol reported
        golf ball size hail 4 miles west of Franktown.  A funnel
        cloud was sighted 4 miles north of Franktown.
      In 1983...a thunderstorm produced winds gusts as high as 56
        mph across metro Denver along with thick blowing dust.
        Power was knocked out in many locations.  Thunderstorm winds
        gusting to 49 mph briefly reduced the visibility to 2 miles
        in blowing dust at Stapleton International Airport.
      In 1996...a 54-year-old woman was struck by lightning near
        Franktown...as she was preparing an outdoor barbeque.  The
        woman was knocked unconscious...but received only minor
        injuries.  Thunderstorms over southern Jefferson County
        dumped heavy rain in the Buffalo Creek area.  Some minor
        roads were washed out by flash flooding...but no other
        damage was reported.  Hail ranging in size from 1/2
        to 3/4 inch in diameter fell at the site of the former
        Stapleton International Airport.
      In 2006...a microburst from a thunderstorm produced
        sustained winds to 40 mph with gusts to 53 mph at
        Denver International Airport.

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