Public Information Statement Issued by NWS Denver/Boulder, CO
000
NOUS45 KBOU 030859
PNSBOU
COZ030>051-032300-
Public Information Statement
National Weather Service Denver/Boulder CO
259 AM MDT WED APR 3 2024
...Today in metro Denver weather history...
31-3 In 1979...total snowfall of 6.6 inches was measured at
Stapleton International Airport where north winds gusted
to 31 mph on the 31st. The greatest accumulation of snow
on the ground was 3 inches on the 1st.
31-4 In 1905...much rain and some snow occurred over the 5 days
behind an apparent cold front. Precipitation totaled 2.00
inches. There was a thunderstorm on the 3rd. Snowfall
totaled 3.0 inches on the 4th. North winds were sustained
to 34 mph on the 1st and 2nd and to 30 mph on the 3rd.
High temperatures during the period ranged from the upper
30`s to the lower 40`s. Low temperatures were in the upper
20`s and lower 30`s.
1-3 In 1945...snow fell across metro Denver for a total of 51
consecutive hours. While the storm was not accompanied by
excessive snow...the long duration made the event a heavy
snow producer. Snowfall totaled 10.7 inches in downtown
Denver with 9.5 inches recorded at Stapleton Airport. North
winds were sustained to 21 mph on the 1st; otherwise winds
were not strong. The air mass was very cold for April.
The high temperatures of 26 on the 2nd and 17 on the 3rd
were record low maximums for the dates. The latter was also
a record low maximum for the month. Warm weather following
the storm quickly melted the snow.
In 1973...heavy snow fell at Stapleton International Airport
where 8.7 inches were measured. Snow began late on the 1st
and continued through early morning on the 3rd. Thunder
accompanied the snow during the late morning and afternoon
of the 2nd. North winds gusted to 33 mph on the 2nd and
37 mph on the 3rd. Snow only accumulated to a depth of
5 inches on the ground due to melting.
In 1977...from the 1st to the 3rd...a foot of snow fell in
Boulder and Broomfield. The Denver-Boulder Turnpike was
closed for an hour after numerous minor traffic accidents.
At Stapleton International Airport...snowfall totaled 4.7
inches and southeast winds gusted to 32 mph on the 2nd.
The greatest depth of snow on the ground was only 3 inches
due to melting.
2-3 In 1955...from the 2nd to the 3rd...strong west to southwest
winds raked metro Denver on both days. Sustained winds as
high as 37 mph with gusts to 60 mph were recorded at
Stapleton Airport where the visibility was reduced to 1/4
mile in blowing dust.
In 1974...from the 2nd to the 3rd...a heavy snowfall of 6.7
inches was accompanied by northeast wind gusts to 33 mph
which produced some blowing snow across metro Denver. Over
eastern Colorado many highways and schools were closed due
to near-blizzard conditions from the storm.
In 1986...from the 2nd to the 3rd...the worst snow storm of the
season blasted metro Denver. Heavy snow and high winds
combined to close roads...schools...and airports. Portions
of all interstate highways out of Denver were closed at
times. The snow came after an exceptionally mild late
winter and early spring; trees and bushes had already
bloomed and leafed out. The snow and wind snapped many
of these...causing power outages. Total snowfall amounts
in metro Denver ranged from 1 to 2 feet with 2 to 3 feet
in the foothills. Snowfall totaled 12.6 inches at
Stapleton International Airport where north winds gusting
to 39 mph reduced the visibility to 1/8 mile in snow and
blowing snow. Most of the snow fell on the 3rd when
temperatures hovered around 30 degrees for most of the day.
The heavy snow halted traffic and closed businesses. A 59-
year-old man was found dead from exposure in northwest
Denver. The roof of a toy store in Northglenn collapsed.
A 100 thousand square foot section of a greenhouse roof
collapsed in Golden...destroying over a million dollars worth
of plants.
In 2000...from the 2nd to the 3rd...a combination of strong
instability and moist upslope winds allowed for a heavy...
wet spring snowstorm to develop in and near the Front
Range foothills. The heaviest snow occurred in southern
Jefferson County. Storm totals included: 14 inches near
Conifer...12 inches near Evergreen and on Floyd Hill; 11
inches near Blackhawk...Morrison...and Tiny Town; 10 inches
at Aspen Springs and Eldora Ski Area; 9 inches at Chief
Hosa; and 8 inches at both Golden Gate Canyon and
Rollinsville. Only 2.1 inches of snow fell at
the site of the former Stapleton International Airport.
North winds gusted to 36 mph at Denver International
Airport on the 2nd.
In 2014...from the 2nd to the 3rd...a storm system brought
moderate to heavy snow to the Front Range Mountains...
Foothills and Urban Corridor. Storm totals in the
mountains and foothills included: 21.5 inches...8 miles
north of Blackhawk; 15.5 inches near Rollinsville...15
inches at Aspen Springs...14.5 inches near Ward...12 inches...
6 miles southwest of Evergreen; 11 inches at Cabin Creek
and 12 miles south-southwest of Georgetown...10 inches at
Winter Park...8 inches near Conifer...Georgetown and Gross
Reservoir; 7.5 inches at Bailey and Intercanyon. In the
Urban Corridor...storm totals included: 9.5 inches near
Highlands Ranch...7 inches at Boulder...6 inches near
Castle Rock...with 5.5 inches at Lakewood and Morrison.
At Denver International Airport...3.4 inches of snowfall was
observed.
2-4 In 1934...snowfall totaled 8.2 inches in downtown Denver
from the afternoon of the 2nd through the early morning
of the 4th. Most of the snow...6.8 inches...fell on the 3rd.
Rain changed to snow behind a strong cold front on the
afternoon of the 2nd. The cold front first appeared as a
long-cigar shaped squall cloud to the north of the city.
Strong north winds at sustained speeds of 33 mph with
gusts to 43 mph produced much blowing dust and an abrupt
fall in temperature...from a high of 68 on the 2nd to a
low of 22 on the 3rd.
In 1964...from the 2nd to the 4th...a major storm dumped 10.9
inches of heavy wet snow on Stapleton International
Airport where northeast winds gusted to 35 mph. Most of
the snow...10.0 inches...fell on the 3rd.
2-5 In 1918...from the 2nd to the 5th...snowfall totaled 12.4
inches over downtown Denver. Most of the snow fell on the
3rd and 4th. Temperatures were in the 20`s and 30`s.
Northwest winds were sustained to 24 mph on the 2nd.
3 In 1872...skies were cloudy and threatening until 11:30 AM
when it commenced to rain and continued to rain until
3:00 PM...when it turned into heavy snow with a very brisk
north wind. Snow continued all night. Telegraph wires
were downed between Denver and Cheyenne...and the night
report could not be sent. Precipitation (rain and melted
snow) measured 0.82 inch.
In 1887...north winds were sustained to 43 mph.
In 1894...northwest winds were sustained to 41 mph with gusts
to 50 mph. The warm chinook winds on the 2nd became a
bora as the temperature warmed to a high of only 52 degrees.
In 1900...southeast winds were sustained to 52 mph with gusts
as high as 61 mph.
In 1945...the temperature warmed to only 17 degrees...the
all-time record low maximum for the month.
In 1968...a snow storm of unusual severity for so late in the
season caused ground blizzard conditions with near zero
visibility in snow at times and severe drifting of snow
over portions of northeastern Colorado and metro Denver.
Highways were blocked to the north of Denver and to
Colorado Springs. Rain at the start of the storm
contributed to power and communications outages. In
metro Denver...snowfall totaled 7.0 inches at Stapleton
International Airport where north winds gusted to 45 mph.
In 1978...a tornado was sighted by a National Weather
Service observer 3 miles north of Stapleton International
Airport near the Rocky Mountain Arsenal. Security police
on the Arsenal called it a large dust devil...but four
commercial airline pilots confirmed the phenomenon as a
tornado or funnel cloud.
In 1981...a snowstorm hit northeastern Colorado...dumping 6 to
12 inches of snow in the foothills and 4 to 8 inches on the
plains north of Denver. Snowfall totaled only 2.0 inches at
Stapleton International Airport where north winds gusted
to 24 mph.
In 1985...strong winds of 60 to 70 mph occurred in the
foothills. The driver of a car in Nederland was slightly
injured when the wind toppled an utility pole onto his
vehicle. Northwest winds gusted to 53 mph at Stapleton
International Airport where the visibility was briefly
reduced to 2 miles in blowing dust.
In 1989...a northwest wind gust to 51 mph was recorded at
Stapleton International Airport.
In 2011...high winds developing along the Front Range during
the early morning hours. Peak wind gusts included: 92 mph...
7 miles northwest of Berthoud; 75 mph...2 miles west of
Castle Rock; and 65 mph...2 miles west of Elbert. West
winds gusted to 49 mph at Denver International Airport.
3-4 In 2017...a storm system brought a period of locally heavy
snow to portions of the Front Range Foothills. The heaviest
snowfall occurred in and near the foothills of Clear Creek...
southern Boulder...northern Jefferson and Gilpin Counties.
Storm totals included: 16 inches at Eldorado Springs...15
inches at Echo Lake...14 inches at St. Mary`s Glacier and
Winter Park Ski Area...13.5 inches at Genesee...13 inches
near Tiny Town...12.5 inches near Allenspark and Idaho
Springs and 11 inches near Conifer. Across the rest of
the Front Range mountains and foothills...the western
suburbs of Denver and Boulder...storm totals ranged from
4 to 8 inches. At Denver Interational Airport...only 0.1
inch of snowfall was observed.
3-5 In 1996...from the 3rd to the 5th...the foothills west of
Denver received 6 to 8 inches of new snow. Only 0.8 inch
of snow fell at the site of the former Stapleton
International Airport...along with some freezing drizzle on
the 4th and 5th. North-northeast winds gusted to 30 mph
at Denver International Airport on the 3rd.
3-6 In 1898...from the 3rd to the 6th...snowfall totaled 8.7 inches
in downtown Denver over the 4 days. Northeast winds were
sustained to 48 mph with gusts as high as 60 mph on the
3rd.
In 1983...from the 3rd to the 6th...a prolonged heavy snowstorm
blanketed the area along with very cold temperatures. The
greatest amounts of snow fell in the foothills where 24 to
42 inches were measured. A foot of snow fell in Boulder. Snow
fell for 50 consecutive hours at Stapleton International
Airport on the 3rd through the 5th with a total snowfall
of 8.8 inches and a maximum accumulation on the ground of
6 inches on the 5th. In Denver...the mercury failed to rise
above freezing for 3 consecutive days...on the 4th...5th...and
6th...for the first time ever in April. Five daily
temperature records were set from the 4th through the 6th.
Record low temperatures of 12 degrees occurred on the 5th
with 7 degrees on the 6th. Record low maximum temperatures
of 25 degrees occurred on the 4th...27 degrees on the 5th...
and 28 degrees on the 6th.
$$