National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office

• Home
• Site Map
• News
• Organization
• Search for: NWS All NOAA 

000
NOUS45 KBOU 220859
PNSBOU
COZ030>051-222300-

Public Information Statement
National Weather Service Denver/Boulder CO
259 AM MDT MON APR 22 2019

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

19-22 In 1933...a major storm dumped 16.8 inches of snowfall over
        downtown Denver when rain changed to snow during the early
        morning of the 20th and continued through midday of the
        22nd.  Most of the snow fell on the 21st.  Due to melting...
        the most snow on the ground was 10.5 inches at 6:00 PM on the
        21st.  Before the snow started...a strong cold front on the
        evening of the 19th produced north winds sustained to 35 mph
        with gusts to 37 mph.  The strong winds deposited a thin
        layer of dust on the city.  North to northwest winds were
        sustained to 31 mph with gusts to 35 mph on the 20th and to
        29 mph with gusts to 32 mph on the 21st.
20-22 In 1957...strong and gusty south to southeast winds raked
        metro Denver each day.  The strongest wind gust of 55 mph
        occurred on the 21st when blowing dust briefly reduced the
        visibility to 3/4 mile at Stapleton Airport.
20-23 In 1989...unusually warm weather resulted in several daily
        temperature records being broken in Denver.  The high
        temperature of 89 degrees on the 21st exceeded the record
        maximum for the month at that time.  Daily record high
        temperatures were either exceeded or equaled with 83
        degrees on the 20th...88 degrees on the 22nd...and 85
        degrees on the 23rd.  The low temperature of 55 degrees
        on the 22nd equaled the record high minimum for the date.
21-22 In 1910...north winds were sustained to 45 mph behind a cold
        front.  Rainfall totaled 0.63 inch.
      In 1923...snowfall of 2.0 inches in the city was the only
        snow of the month and the last measurable snow of the
        season.  Northwest winds were sustained to 25 mph on
        the 21st.
      In 1952...heavy snowfall totaled 7.6 inches at Stapleton
        Airport.  The storm was accompanied by north winds gusting
        to 33 mph.
      In 2001...the second major snow storm in 11 days moved into
        metro Denver with blizzard conditions developing again
        across the plains to the northeast of Denver.  Snowfall
        amounts ranged up to 9 inches in metro Denver with up to
        23 inches in the foothills.  Northwest winds were sustained
        at 20 to 30 mph with gusts as high as 36 mph at Denver
        International Airport which was again shut down for nearly
        an hour by power outages on the 22nd.  The outages affected
        lighting in the concourses...train operations...de-icing and
        refueling operations...flight information displays...and
        security screenings.  Navigational aids were also affected...
        resulting in the cancellation of 58 arriving and departing
        flights which stranded about 5000 passengers.  Across metro
        Denver storm totals included:  9 inches at Eldorado Springs;
        7 inches in Boulder; 6 inches at Ken Caryl...Northglenn and
        near Sedalia; and 5 inches in Arvada and Morrison.  Only
        1.7 inches of snow were measured at the site of the former
        Stapleton International Airport.  In the foothills snow
        totals included:  23 inches near Fritz Peak south of
        Rollinsville...17 inches near Jamestown...16 inches near
        Blackhawk...14 inches in Coal Creek Canyon...13 inches at
        Idaho Springs and near Nederland...11 inches at Aspen
        Springs...and 10 inches near Bergen Park.
21-23 In 1999...a spring snowstorm dumped heavy snowfall over metro
        Denver and in the foothills.  Nearly 3 feet of snow fell
        in the foothills with over a foot in the city.  The heavy
        wet snow downed power lines in Douglas and Elbert counties.
        Scattered outages were reported at Parker...Franktown...
        Sedalia...and Castle Rock.  Some residents were without
        electricity for as long as 20 hours.  The inclement weather
        was blamed...at least in part...for several traffic accidents
        along the I-25 corridor between Denver and Castle Rock.
        Snowfall totals included:  32 inches at Idaho Springs; 31
        inches on Crowhill; 29 inches near Evergreen; 26 inches at
        Chief Hosa and Coal Creek Canyon; 25 inches at Bailey; 24
        inches at Floyd Hill; 23 inches at Conifer...Genesee...Golden
        Gate Canyon...North Turkey Creek...and Pine Junction; 13
        inches at Broomfield and near Sedalia;  12 inches in
        Boulder; 11 inches at Louisville and Parker; and 9 inches
        at the site of the former Stapleton International Airport.
      In 2004...heavy snow fell across metro Denver...when low level
        upslope conditions developed against the foothills and
        Palmer Divide.  Snowfall totals included:  18 inches in the
        foothills southwest of Boulder...17 inches at Intercanyon and
        near Conifer...10 inches near Blackhawk and Parker...9 inches
        at Castle Rock and near Sedalia...7 inches in Centennial...
        Littleton...and near Lone Tree.  Elsewhere across metro
        Denver...snowfall generally ranged from 2 to 5 inches.
        Snowfall was 4.7 inches at Denver Stapleton.  Northwest
        winds gusted to 35 mph at Denver International Airport
        on the 21st.
22    In 1896...southwest winds were sustained to 39 mph with gusts
        as high 56 mph.  The apparent chinook winds warmed the
        temperature to a high of 78 degrees.
      In 1904...west winds sustained to 40 mph with gusts to 48 mph
        warmed the temperature to a high of 69 degrees.
      In 1925...southeast winds sustained to 42 mph with gusts
        to 46 mph warmed the temperature to a high of 76 degrees.
      In 1958...west-northwest winds gusted to 48 mph at Stapleton
        Airport.
22-23 In 1885...the worst snow storm since station records began in
        1872 dumped a total of 24.0 inches of snowfall on the city.
        The 23.0 inches of snow recorded on the 22nd and 23rd was
        the greatest 24-hour snowfall ever recorded during the
        month of April.  Streets were impassable...roofs caved in...
        telegraph and telephone wires were downed...railroads were
        blocked and trains delayed...and most business came to a
        complete standstill.  Estimated losses were reported to
        50 thousand dollars.  The total snowfall was partly
        estimated due to melting.  Precipitation from the storm
        totaled 2.79 inches.
      In 1915...post-frontal rain during the day and overnight
        totaled 2.00 inches.  Most of the rain fell on the 22nd.
      In 1945...6.7 inches of snow fell over downtown Denver.  This
        was the third major snow in a little over 3 weeks...which
        made this month the 4th snowiest on record.  Northeast winds
        were sustained to 25 mph and light hail fell on the 22nd.
      In 2013...a spring storm brought heavy snow to the mountains...
        with period of moderate to heavy snow to portions of the
        Front Range Foothills and Urban Corridor. In the mountains
        and foothills...storm totals included: 18 inches at Niwot
        Ridge SNOTEL; 16.5 inches near Ward; 13 inches at Arapahoe
        Basin and Roach SNOTEL...12 inches near Blackhawk; 11.5
        inches near Nederland; 11 inches near Allenspark and at
        Loveland Ski Area; 10 inches near Idaho Springs and
        Pinecliffe; with 9.5 inches and near Silverthorne. Along
        the Urban Corridor storm totals included: 7.5 inches near
        Morrison; 7 inches at the National Weather Service Office
        in Boulder and Niwot; 6.5 inches near Arapahoe Park and
        Superior; with 6 inches at Lafayette and Lakewood.  At
        Denver International Airport...4.7 inches of new snowfall
        was observed.
22-24 In 2010...a potent spring storm brought heavy...wet snow to
        areas in and near the Front Range Foothills and widespread
        rainfall across the adjacent plains.  In the Front Range
        Foothills and North-Central Mountains east of the
        Continental Divide...storm totals ranged from 15 to 30
        inches.  Storm totals included:  29.5 inches...3 miles
        southeast of Pinecliffe; 27 inches...8 miles northeast
        of Four Corners; 23 inches at Willow Creek; 22.5 inches...
        13 miles northwest of Golden; 21 inches at Never Summer;
        17 inches at Eldorado Springs; 16.5 inches...3 miles west
        of Jamestown.  Denver International Airport reported just
        a trace of snowfall...but measured 2.01 inches of rainfall
        for the duration of the storm. In addition...a peak wind
        gust to 54 mph from the northwest was observed at the
        airport on the 23rd

$$