Public Information Statement
Issued by NWS Denver/Boulder, CO
Issued by NWS Denver/Boulder, CO
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160 NOUS45 KBOU 100859 PNSBOU COZ030>051-102300- Public Information Statement National Weather Service Denver/Boulder CO 259 AM MDT TUE SEP 10 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. 5-13 In 2010...the Fourmile Canyon Wildfire...northwest of Boulder... broke out on the morning of the 5th. It originated from an unattended fire pit at a local residence. The wildfire quickly consumed 5 1/2 square miles or 3500 acres the first day...and forced the evacuation of over three thousand residents. Erratic 45-mph gusts sent the fire in two directions at times. Very dry weather conditions preceded the fire. The combination of strong winds...low relative humidities and dry fuels allowed the wildfire spread rapidly through the steep...heavily forested terrain. The flames were reportedly 20 to 50 feet in length. Towns within the burn area included Salina...Wallstreet and Gold Hill. The dry conditions coupled with gusty winds ranging from 45 to 64 mph persisted for several more days. Fire managers used as many as 700 firefighters and support personnel from 35 agencies and seven air tankers to battle the wildfire. A total of 6181 square acres or approximately 10 square miles were burned. The Fourmile Canyon Wildfire was the most destructive fire in Colorado history in terms of the damage to personal property. It destroyed 171 homes with an estimated cost of 217 million dollars. 9-10 In 1933...heavy rain over the Cherry Creek...Plum Creek...Big Dry Creek...and Little Dry Creek watersheds caused flooding on the South Platte River in Denver overnight. Nearly an inch of rain...0.98 inch...fell in the city. In 1944...a trace of rain fell on each day. This together with a trace of rain on the 4th and 30th was the only precipitation for the month. The total of a trace of precipitation for the month equaled the driest September on record first set in 1892. In 1994...unusually very warm weather resulted in three temperature records being equaled. High temperatures of 94 degrees on the 9th and 93 degrees on the 10th equaled record maximums for the dates. Low temperature of 63 degrees on the 9th equaled the record high minimum for the date. 10 In 1985...golf ball size hail was reported just east of Parker. In 1989...3/4 inch diameter hail fell in Littleton. Heavy rain produced local flooding in Lakewood. The heavy rain caused the wall of a house to collapse. In 1993...thunderstorm winds downed power lines...which caused a power outage in Castle Rock. 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. $$