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Public Information Statement
National Weather Service Denver/Boulder CO
259 AM MDT FRI MAY 24 2024

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

18-26 In 2023...smoke and haze from massive wildfires in Canada
        significantly impacted air quality and visibility across
        Denver and the rest of northeast Colorado.
20-27 In 2002...lightning sparked a wildfire near Deckers the
        continued from the 20th to the 27th.  Extremely dry
        conditions and very strong winds the following day allowed
        the fire...known as the Schoonover...to consume 3850 acres
        before it could be contained.  Thirteen structures were
        destroyed...including 4 homes...resulting in 2.2 million
        dollars in damage.
23-24 In 2002...from the 23rd to the 24th...a Pacific storm system
        brought much needed snow to the mountains and foothills
        with a mix of rain and snow on the plains.  The most snow
        fell from central Jefferson County northward.  Snow totals
        included:  13 inches in Coal Creek Canyon...11 inches near
        Evergreen and atop Gold Hill...10 inches near Blackhawk and
        Conifer and atop Crow Hill...9 inches near Rollinsville...and
        8 inches near Genesee and Golden.  Rain was mixed with snow
        across the city.  Precipitation totaled 0.61 inch at Denver
        International Airport.  Snowfall was less than an inch at
        the site of the former Stapleton International Airport. The
        storm brought unseasonably cold air to metro Denver.  Three
        temperature records were set.  Low temperature of 31 degrees
        on the 23rd was a record minimum for the date...as was the
        low of 32 degrees on the 24th.  The high temperature of
        only 48 degrees equaled the record low maximum for the date.
24    In 1953...a microburst caused a brief wind gust to 55 mph at
        Stapleton Airport.
      In 1957...walnut size hail...1 1/2 inches in diameter...fell in
        east Denver.  Only 1/4 inch hail was measured at Stapleton
        Airport.
      In 1958...rainfall totaled 1 to 2 inches across metro Denver.
        Rainfall was only 0.37 inches at Stapleton Airport.
      In 1974...a tornado was observed briefly near Watkins.  No
        damage was reported.
      In 1980...strong gusty winds of at least 60 mph damaged
        buildings in parts of Denver.  Several buildings were
        unroofed in Sheridan.  The flying debris damaged other
        structures.  Strong microburst winds gusted to 52 mph
        at Stapleton International Airport.
      In 1991...a tornado touched down briefly in open country near
        Bennett.  No damage was reported.
      In 1994...weather spotters reported 2 funnel clouds over
        Aurora and a short-lived waterspout on Cherry Creek
        Reservoir.
      In 1997...hail to 1 inch in diameter fell in Broomfield
        with 3/4 inch hail measured in Boulder.
      In 1998...a tornado struck a wooden hangar at the Aurora
        Airpark.  The hangar collapsed...damaging a car and a
        single engine plane parked inside.  An adjacent steel
        hangar sustained only minor damage.  The tornado moved
        northeast...hopped I-70...and touched down again in an
        open field.  Earlier...a weak tornado touched down
        briefly in an open field 10 miles southeast of Buckley
        Field.
      In 2003...severe thunderstorms produced large hail over
        northern and southern metro Denver.  Hail as large as
        2 3/4 inches in diameter was measured 10 miles northwest
        of Hudson and to 2 inches in diameter 10 miles northeast
        of Fort Lupton.  One inch diameter hail fell in Fort
        Lupton.  Hail to 1 inch in diameter fell near Parker
        and to 3/4 inch near Franktown.
      In 2004...severe thunderstorms moved across northwest and
        north metro Denver.  Hail as large as 1 inch in diameter
        fell in Broomfield and Thornton with 3/4 inch hail
        measured near Arvada and Hudson and in the city of
        Denver.
      In 2005...severe thunderstorms produced hail as large as
        1 inch in diameter in Arvada and the City of Denver.
      In 2014...a severe thunderstorm in Lakewood produced hail...
        up to 1 inch in diameter.
      In 2016...a long-lived supercell formed over south Denver
        and tracked across northeast Adams and continued to
        produce severe weather as into moved into Yuma County.
        The length of its path was approximately 121 miles.
        The storm produced hail up to 1.5 inches in diameter in
        southeast Denver. As it moved across northeast Adams
        County...several power poles were sheared off at the base
        by straight-line winds to 80 mph southwest of Leader.
        The damage path became more extensive as the storm moved
        into the northeast plains of Colorado. At Denver
        International Airport...1.15 inches of precipitation
        fell which set a new daily precipitation record. The
        storm produced heavier rainfall on one to two inches
        east of Denver...with over 4 inches in central Arapahoe
        County.
24-26 In 1996...from the 24th to the 26th...a late spring storm
        dumped 4 to 10 inches of snow over the Front Range
        foothills.  Conifer picked up 10 inches of new snow;
        Aspen Springs...9 inches; and Central City...8 inches.
        The sticky...heavy snow clung to power lines and pulled
        tree branches down...causing power outages to about
        1200 homes in the Conifer area.  It took
        up to 6 hours to restore power to some residences.
        Lightning struck a telephone data cabinet in Conifer on
        the 25th...which knocked out phone service to about 1500
        customers.  Widespread rain fell across metro Denver...
        where rainfall totaled 2.07 inches at the site of the
        former Stapleton International Airport and 1.66 inches at
        Denver International Airport where north winds gusted to
        24 mph on the 26th.
      In 2010...from the 24th to the 26th...high winds preceding a
        cold front...swept across the Front Range Foothills and
        Urban Corridor.  In Aurora...the wind damaged the roof of
        Rangeview High School.  In Conifer and Denver...the wind
        downed trees and power lines and caused several brief
        outages.  The downed power lines also caused several cars
        to catch fire in the vicinity of 1590 Cook St. in Denver.
        Peak wind gusts included:  82 mph at Highlands Ranch...67
        mph...4 miles east of Franktown and Longmont; 65 mph in
        Boulder...64 mph in Centennial and Denver International
        Airport...62 mph near Parker and 60 mph in Arvada.

$$