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Public Information Statement
National Weather Service Denver/Boulder CO
259 AM MDT FRI MAY 31 2024

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

26-31 In 1995...from the 26th through the 31st...a cool period
        with light morning showers and moderate to heavy
        afternoon showers and thunderstorms pushed rivers
        already swollen from mountain snow melt over their banks
        causing minor flooding.  Streams and rivers such as the
        South Platte and Boulder Creek flooded meadowlands...bike
        paths...roads near streams...and other low lying areas.
        No significant property damage was reported and crop
        damage was unknown.  Rainfall totaled 1.79 inches at the
        site of the former Stapleton International Airport and
        only 1.51 inches at Denver International Airport.
29-1  In 1894...from the 29th to the 1st of the month...heavy
        rain combined with snowmelt runoff caused widespread
        flooding over the South Platte River basin.
        Rainfall was heaviest in the foothills where 5 to 8
        inches were measured over the 4 days.  Heavy rainfall
        west of Boulder flooded mining towns and damaged mining
        properties.  In the canyons above Boulder...railroads
        and roads were washed out along with many bridges.  The
        floodwaters spread into central Boulder and covered a
        wide area from University Hill north to near Mapleton
        Hill to a maximum depth of 8 feet.  Many houses were
        swept away...and every bridge in Boulder was destroyed.
        A few people...trapped in their homes by the floodwaters...
        had to be rescued.  However...the gradual rise of the flood
        waters resulted in only one death.  Boulder Creek spread to
        a width of nearly one mile in the pasture land to the east
        of Boulder.  Extensive flooding on Left Hand Creek north
        of Boulder washed away railroad and wagon bridges.  The
        heavy cloudbursts caused flooding on Bear Creek...which
        washed away bridges...railroad tracks...and structures and
        destroyed the canyon roadway.  Morrison sustained the
        heaviest flood damage on Bear Creek.  In Denver...rainfall
        totaled only 1.50 inches on the 30th and 31st...but the
        heavy rainfall on upstream tributaries of the South Platte
        River caused the river to rise as much as 10 feet above the
        low water mark in the city...which caused some flooding of
        pasture land downstream to a depth of 6 feet near Brighton.
30-31 In 1935...from the 30th to the 31st...heavy thunderstorm rains
        overnight caused flash flooding east of the city on both
        Kiowa and Bijou creeks...resulting in a total of 9 deaths.
        Most of the damage was on Kiowa Creek where there were more
        structures.  The water rose rapidly during the storm...
        ripping houses and stores from their foundations and
        sweeping them downstream. Precipitation in Denver totaled
        only 0.01 inch.  Hail fell in the city for a short time. The
        hail was very small and caused no damage.
      In 1983...from the 30th to the 31st...a late storm of rain and
        snow hit the Front Range.  Over an inch of rain fell at some
        spots...and above 7 thousand feet...1 to 5 inches of snow
        whitened the ground.  Some snow flakes even fell in the
        western suburbs of metro Denver on the night of the 30th.
      In 2002...from the 30th to the 31st...unseasonably warm weather
        at the end of the month resulted in 3 temperature records.
        High temperature of 91 degrees on the 30th equaled the
        record maximum for the date.  Low temperature of 61 degrees
        on the 31st was a record high minimum for the date.  High
        temperature of 93 degrees on the 31st was a record maximum
        for the date.
31    In 1917...rainfall totaled 0.55 inch and was mixed briefly
        with snow around midday. Only a trace of snow fell. Cold
        temperatures during the day resulted in a high of 44 degrees
        and a low of 35 degrees. The month closed as the coldest May
        on record with a mean temperature of only 48.7 degrees...
        about 8 degrees below normal.  The cold temperatures during
        the month had a marked effect on shade trees and shrubs in
        the city. Elms were just starting to leaf.  Leaves on
        cottonwoods and maples were only half formed.  Lilacs were
        just blooming...and snowball clusters would not bloom for days.
      In 1959...the public reported a tornado briefly touching the
        ground 10 miles south of Stapleton Airport.  No damage
        was reported.
      In 1984...a thunderstorm microburst produced a wind gust to 67
        mph...7 miles east of Boulder.
      In 1991...hail to golf ball size pummeled southern and
        southeastern sections of metro Denver and continued on east
        to Watkins.  Several houses and cars were damaged.  Later...
        thunderstorms dumped heavy rain across the City of Denver...
        causing street flooding in an area just south of downtown
        and just northwest of downtown.  Water was up to 10 inches
        deep over northwest Denver.  A brief tornado touched down in
        Castle Rock where 3/4 inch diameter hail also fell.
      In 1993...thunderstorms dropped dime size hail in Commerce
        City.
      In 1994...lightning struck an apartment in Louisville and
        damaged electronic equipment...including a computer.
      In 2006...a severe thunderstorm produced 1 inch diameter
        hail near Boulder.
      In 2022...moderate to heavy snowfall impacted the Front Range
        mountains and foothills. Above 8 thousand feet...storm totals
        generally ranged from 4 to 9 inches...with locally higher
        amounts. The big winner in the event was near Blue Valley south
        of Idaho Springs...which picked up 16 inches of snow. Several
        brief road closures occurred along Westbound I-70...from Floyd
        Hill to Silverthorne. Along the urban corridor and in the
        foothills below 8 thousand feet...much needed rainfall up to 1.5
        inches was observed.  The official rainfall measurement at
        Denver International Airport was 0.71 inch.

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