Public Information Statement
Issued by NWS Denver/Boulder, CO
Issued by NWS Denver/Boulder, CO
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NOUS45 KBOU 130045
PNSBOU
COZ030>051-132300-
Public Information Statement
National Weather Service Denver/Boulder CO
645 PM MDT SAT JUL 12 2025
...This week in metro Denver weather history...
1-18 In 1874...a streak of 18 consecutive days of 90 degrees...from
the 1st to the 18th...tied for second with another streak
that was later set in the summer of 1901. The record of 24
consecutive days was established in the summer of 2008.
6-23 In 1901...from the 6th to the 23rd...a streak of 18 consecutive
days of 90 degrees tied for second with another streak set
in the summer of 1874. The record of 24 consecutive days was
established in the summer of 2008.
7-25 In 1934...a streak of 15 consecutive days of 90 degrees...from the
7th to the 25th...ranked 5th on the list of hot streaks. The
record of 24 consecutive days was established in the summer of
2008.
13 In 1902...west winds were sustained to 42 mph with gusts to
48 mph.
In 1910...an apparent dry microburst produced northeast winds
sustained to 41 mph.
In 1961...hail as large as 1 inch in diameter was reported
near Commerce City.
In 1982...a tornado touched down briefly south of Parker. No
damage was reported.
In 1985...thunderstorms drenched the Highlands Ranch area of
northern Douglas County with 1.50 inches of rain in just
30 minutes. Half an inch of rain fell in 15 minutes in
Littleton.
In 1986...a lightning bolt struck a church steeple in
Littleton...toppling it to the ground.
In 1989...thunderstorm winds blew down trees and bent a metal
basketball fixture just north of Castle Rock in the Surrey
Ridge area.
In 1993...1 inch diameter hail was measured in Lakewood.
In 1995...lightning struck and injured an assistant coach
during a baseball game at Highlands Ranch south of Denver.
In 1996...3/4 inch diameter hail fell in Lochbuie with 1 1/2
inch hail measured in Brighton. Thunderstorm winds gusted
to 69 mph at Bennett. The strong winds were responsible
for flipping three semi-trailer trucks onto their sides
along I-70...3 miles east of Bennett. A few cars were also
overturned.
In 2001...heavy thunderstorm rain caused flash flooding over
south metro Denver. Three inches of rain reportedly fell
near the Greenwood Village Police Department in the span
of 15 minutes. The heavy rain caused Toll Gate Creek to
overflow...flooding low lying areas along Parker Road.
Heavy rainfall also caused local flooding along streets
near the Denver Technology Center. A severe thunderstorm
dumped hail to 1 3/4 inches in diameter near Castle Rock.
In 2003...maximum temperature of 100 degrees was a record high
for the date.
In 2009...severe thunderstorms produced wind gusts to 70 mph
near Parker and Strasburg. At Denver International
Airport...west-northwest winds gusted to 40 mph.
In 2011...severe thunderstorms produced extensive damage as
they moved across the Urban Corridor. At Denver
International Airport alone...large hail up to 1 3/4 inches
in diameter...very heavy rain and wind gusts to 59 mph caused
substantial damage to 40 planes and stranded approximately
1500 passengers overnight. Frontier and United Airlines
were hardest hit as dozens of planes were taken out of
service for repairs; forcing the cancellation of at least
220 flights over the next several days. Damage to the
aircrafts alone was nearly five million dollars. In
addition...83 cars in airport parking lots were damaged...
along with some police cars and maintenance vehicles. In
Watkins...two people suffered minor injuries and 35 to 40
homes were damaged. As many as two hundred residents in a
mobile home park were left homeless by the storm...forcing
the Red Cross to open a shelter at Bennett High School.
The trailer park contained 52 mobile homes...14 recreational
vehicles...3 houses and a commercial building. Hailstones
the size of softballs cratered the north sides of the
mobile homes. Some farmers in the area said they lost as
much as 85 percent of their total wheat crop. Power lines
were also damaged which affected about 1200 customers in
Watkins. The strong winds also flipped over a tractor-
trailer rig on I-70 near Watkins Road. Insurance claims for
the Watkins...Bennett and Brighton areas was estimated to be
seventeen million dollars. The total damage estimate across
the entire Urban Corridor...was near one hundred sixty five
million dollars...and included 17200 automobile claims and
12600 homeowner claims. In addition...thunderstorms
producing very heavy rainfall...caused flash flooding in the
Four Mile Canyon burn scar west of Boulder. Three homes
reportedly had water up to the windows with water flowing
into structures at Fourmile Canyon Road and Gold Run Road.
The heavy rain caused a 4-ft surge along Fourmile Creek
through Orodell and into the entry of Boulder Creek.
Several roads were affected which restricted access to the
area. Roads were closed due to water and debris. Private
bridges and drives were washed out and several residents
were stranded and later rescued. Numerous cars were damaged
in debris flows and several structures suffered flood
damage but were not destroyed.
In 2019...a severe thunderstorm produced hail up to 1.0 inch
in diameter in Broomfield...with 7/8 inch size hail reported
in Arapahoe County near Buckley AFB.
13-5 In 2008...a streak of 24 consecutive days of 90 degrees...from
July 13th to August 5th...shattered the previous record of 18
consecutive days established in 1901 and 1874. Ironically...
no new single day record high temperatures were set in the
month of July. In August however...a record of 104 degrees
was set on the 1st...and another record of 103 degrees was
set on the 2nd. In addition...a record low min of 70 degrees
was set on August 2nd.
14 In 1878...the temperature reached a high of 100 degrees in
downtown Denver.
In 1906...a thunderstorm produced north winds sustained to
52 mph and 0.53 inch of rain in 10 minutes.
In 1912...a heavy thunderstorm cloudburst in the late afternoon
combined with a similar storm to the south of the city to
produce widespread flooding on Cherry Creek in downtown
Denver...which resulted in two deaths and several injuries.
The flooding was the worst since 1864 and covered around 3
square miles of lower downtown. Bridges along Cherry Creek
were washed out and water lapped at the floor of the Broadway
bridge over the South Platte River...causing authorities to
declare it unsafe except for pedestrians. By nightfall...
Union Depot was under 2 to 3 feet of water...and railroad and
street car traffic was stalled. Those forced from their
homes by the surging flood waters took refuge in the Denver
Auditorium. The flood waters caused great damage to the
sewerage system...parkways...bridges and residences and
commercial warehouses near Cherry Creek in the wholesale
district. Flood damage was estimated at several million
dollars. Heavy thunderstorm rainfall of 2.00 inches...of
which nearly 1.75 inch fell in 30 minutes in central Denver...
was accompanied by severe thunderstorm winds sustained to 55
mph with gusts as high as 74 mph.
In 1933...thunderstorm rainfall was only 0.01 inch...but
northwest winds sustained to 37 mph with gusts to 47 mph
produced a dust storm for about 10 minutes during the
late afternoon.
In 1967...heavy rain flooded areas of north and west metro
Denver...and high water closed street intersections in the
city. Crops were damaged...and 200 chickens drowned by
flooding northwest of Denver where farm buildings and
irrigation facilities were also damaged.
In 1969...a thunderstorm wind gust to 51 mph was recorded at
Stapleton International Airport.
In 1975...heavy rains caused locally heavy flash flooding along
Niver Creek south of Thornton and in other parts of north
metro Denver. Over 40 thousand dollars in damage to public
property was reported...and numerous homes and yards were
damaged.
In 1986...thunderstorm winds blew down a power line in west-
central Jefferson County. The storm...as it moved into
Denver...snapped tree limbs and damaged a fence near
Washington Park. Wind gusts in the area were estimated at
80 to 85 mph.
In 1990...thunderstorm wind gusts to 58 mph were recorded at
Buckley Field in Aurora. No damage was reported. Winds
gusted to 44 mph at Stapleton International Airport.
In 1993...a severe thunderstorm moved across southern sections
of metro Denver. Dime size hail fell in Lakewood...and hail
up to one inch diameter was measured at Cherry Creek
Reservoir. Later in the afternoon...hail to one inch
diameter fell in Golden and Arvada.
In 1994...hail to 1 1/4 inches in diameter fell north of
Bennett.
In 1998...dry microburst winds estimated to 70 mph snapped
tree branches up to 4 inches in diameter in Brighton
where some road signs were twisted and blown down. At
Denver International Airport...dry microburst winds gusted
to 61 mph.
In 1995...thunderstorm winds gusted to 62 mph near Strasburg.
In 2001...a severe thunderstorm dumped hail to 3/4 inch in
diameter in the foothills about 10 miles northwest of
Golden.
In 2011...severe thunderstorms in the Denver metropolitan
area produced very heavy rain...large hail and damaging
winds. The strong winds toppled a few trees and the heavy
rain caused street flooding and minor flash flooding.
Several cars were stranded at the intersection of Santa Fe
Drive and Oxford...and near Broadway and U.S. Highway 285.
A 16-yr old teenager was seriously injured when he tried
to retrieve a ball along the banks of West Toll Gate Creek.
He was pulled from the swollen creek and died several days
later. Hail up to 1 inch in diameter was reported
around the area. The thunderstorms also produced frequent
lightning. One strike sparked a fire at Aspen Academy...a
private school in Greenwood Village. Most of the damage
was confined to the roof and attic. In Englewood...a
40-ft tree was blown into a house and knocked down some
power lines. At Denver International Airport...a severe
thunderstorm produced sustained winds of 47 mph and a
peak wind gust to 68 mph.
In 2019...a Denver man was killed and his wife injured after
he was struck by lightning when they were hiking near the
Bear Peak West Ridge Trail. The man was likely hit from a
direct lightning strike to his upper body. His wife was
not directly hit...but injured by the electrical current
from the strike that hit her husband.
14-15 In 1985...from the 14th into the 15th...thunderstorms dumped
heavy rain and hail at numerous locations along the Front
Range from Denver north. Some of the heaviest rain fell
in northern and western suburbs of Denver. Up to 2.6
inches of rain drenched Arvada...and Thornton was soaked
with 2 inches in 45 minutes. At least 5 homes in Arvada
suffered extensive damage from water and mud...and many
streets and basements were flooded. In southern Jefferson
County...11 homes were struck by lightning.
15 In 1879...a terrific hailstorm occurred in the vicinity of
of Buffalo Station on the South Park Railroad in the
South Platte River canyon about 39 miles south of Denver.
Stones as large as hen`s eggs fell thick and fast and broke
nearly every pane of glass in the windows of the building.
A "waterspout" or cloudburst caused much loss of property
from flash flooding on a nearby gulch. The torrent of
water caused a deafening roar as it uprooted trees and
carried huge boulders and other debris. It struck the
house and sawmill simultaneously and carried them away
like straws...leaving little behind. The water continued
to rush down the gulch for several hours. Serious damage
was done to the South Park Railroad. The track and
roadbed were destroyed for several miles. At about the
same time...heavy rains in the vicinity of the headwaters
of Cherry Creek produced a rapid rise in the creek...which
drowned a few head of cattle and washed away two footbridges
and some fences. Only 0.10 inch of rainfall was recorded in
Denver.
In 1896...a thundestorm produced sustained southwest winds to
40 mph with gusts to 46 mph.
In 1902...the temperature reached a high of 100 degrees in
downtown Denver...which was a record maximum for the date.
In 1929...a thunderstorm did considerable damage to property
in the eastern portion of the city. Heavy hail ranging
in size from 1/4 to 3/4 inch in diameter...severe lightning...
and high winds accompanied the heavy rain. Basements were
flooded...and streets were impassable in places for several
hours due to the heavy rainfall. Lightning damaged several
telephone poles. Hail did extensive damage to gardens and
flowers. The hail was up to a foot deep in places. There
was no estimate of damage from the storm. A thunderstorm
produced only a trace of rain and east winds to 24 mph in
downtown Denver.
In 1959...thunderstorm rain totaled 0.41 inch in 8 minutes
and winds gusted to an estimated 50 mph near downtown
Aurora where half inch diameter hail was also reported.
After the storm moved to the east...complete double rainbows
were observed from the Weather Bureau office at Stapleton
Airport.
In 1962...hail pelted the area in Adams County around Henderson
and Brighton...causing extensive damage to corn...grain...
beets...and row crops. Crop damage was estimated at 250
thousand dollars.
In 1963...a man received severe burns when struck by lightning
while painting a building in south Denver.
In 1965...a State Patrolman sighted a tornado near Bennett. It
touched down over open ground...but caused no damage.
In 1967...heavy rains flooded streets and underpasses in south
Denver. Heavy rain and minor wind damage were reported in
Wheat Ridge...Aurora...Englewood...and Littleton. Basements
were flooded and power disrupted. The clouds and rain
resulted in a high temperature of only 72 degrees...which
was a record low maximum for the date.
In 1974...a severe lightning storm damaged several homes and
caused a number of power outages in both Denver and western
Arapahoe counties.
In 1975...lightning killed a girl west of Boulder.
In 1982...winds gusted to 60 mph at Stapleton International
Airport...and strong winds blew down walls at a construction
site in Aurora where a nearby tree was uprooted.
In 1985...0.79 inch of rain fell in 30 minutes at Castle
Rock. Much of the town lost power when lightning struck
the town`s transformer.
In 1992...a man was struck by lightning while horseback riding
near Castle Rock. Two people were struck by lightning near
Highlands Ranch in south metro Denver. A man was struck by
lightning while riding in the back of a pick-up truck in
Franktown. All received minor injuries. Strong
thunderstorms moved through east metro Denver...producing
large hail and flash flooding. Hail up to 1 1/4 inches in
diameter fell near Buckley Air National Guard Base.
Rainfall of 1 to 3 inches fell in Aurora in less than an
hour...leaving water up to 18 inches deep in some areas.
Thunderstorm rainfall was measured at 0.97 inch at
Stapleton International Airport...where 3/8th inch diameter
hail fell and south winds gusted to 44 mph.
In 1993...dime size hail fell in Golden. National Weather
Service observers at Stapleton International Airport
sighted a small rope-like funnel overhead for about 3
minutes before it dissipated.
In 1994...a small...short-lived tornado caused damage to a house
under construction in Parker.
In 1995...thunderstorm winds of unknown strength downed trees
and branches...damaging a porch and nearby cars in Denver.
In 1998...hail to 7/8 inch in diameter fell near Keenesburg.
In 2000...this date marked the end of a near record hot streak
for metro Denver. The high temperature at Denver
International Airport equaled or exceeded the 90-degree
mark for 17 consecutive days...from June 29th. This was
one day short of equaling the all time record. The
record of 18 consecutive days was set in two different
years...July 1st-18th...1874 and July 6th-23rd...1901.
In 2005...severe thunderstorms produced large hail over
southeast metro Denver. Hail as large as 1.75 inches
in diameter fell in southwest Aurora along with 7/8 inch
hail in Centennial. Hail to 3/4 inch in diameter was
measured near Centennial Airport and near Watkins.
In 2015...A severe thunderstorm produced a peak wind gust to
60 mph from the northwest at Denver International Airport.
In addition...0.06 inches of rainfall was also observed.
In 2016...large hail ranging in size from 1 to 2 inches in
diameter struck Aurora...Castle Rock...Centennial...Greenwood
Village and southeast Denver. The hail shattered
windshields and caused extensive damage to vehicles.
15-16 In 2006...a brief mid July hot spell resulted in two 100
plus degree high temperatures and two daily maximum
temperature records. The high temperature climbed to
101 degrees on the 15th and 103 degrees on the 16th
at Denver International Airport.
16 In 1911...thunderstorm winds were sustained to 44 mph from the
northwest.
In 1959...a thunderstorm produced 3/8 inch diameter hail and
a wind gust to 60 mph at Stapleton Airport.
In 1972...two tornadoes were sighted by the public to the
southeast of Aurora. No damage was reported.
In 1978...a thunderstorm wind gust to 52 mph was recorded at
Stapleton International Airport.
In 1980...a severe thunderstorm ripped through metro Denver...
producing torrential rain...large hail...and strong winds. In
Aurora...winds gusted to 65 mph with hail up to 1 1/2 inches
in diameter and half an inch of rain in just 10 minutes.
Stapleton International Airport was closed for an hour.
Large hail also fell in southeast Denver...Lakewood...Parker...
and Castle Rock. Up to 1 1/2 inches of rain fell in just 40
minutes. Heavy rains in Wheat Ridge flooded a shopping
center...breaking windows and doors...while causing 100
thousand dollars in damage. Some roofs and windows were
damaged throughout metro Denver. At Stapleton International
Airport where west winds gusted to 49 mph...1/4 inch hail
and 0.77 inch of rain fell.
In 1983...severe thunderstorms dumped large hail over much of
metro Denver. Hail to 3/4 inch in diameter fell in Littleton
and Northglenn...with 3/4 to 1 inch hail in Arvada...1 to 1 1/2
inch hail in extreme northwest Denver...1 3/4 inch hail in
Lakewood...1 1/2 inch hail in south Arvada and just northeast
of Aurora...and 1 5/8 inch hail on Green Mountain.
In 1994...spotters reported a brief tornado touchdown in an
open field just north of Fort Lupton. No damage or injuries
were reported.
In 2000...very moist and unstable weather conditions...along
with low level upslope flow during the late afternoon and
evening...combined to produce heavy thunderstorm rainfall...
which caused urban and small stream flooding across metro
Denver. Rainfall amounts generally ranged from 1 to 3 inches
with the heaviest rainfall occurring during the evening hours.
Two miles east of White Ranch in northern Jefferson County...
an automated rain gage measured 3.86 inches of rain. Since
the rain fell in a relatively open area...no flood damage
was reported. However...in Greenwood Village near the
intersection of Peoria and Belleview...the streets were
closed for several hours with as much as 2 feet of standing
water covering the roadways. Two campers near Mt. Evans
were injured by lightning and stranded overnight by the
inclement weather. Both received minor injuries.
In 2003...the high temperature of 101 degrees was a record
maximum temperature for the date.
In 2004...locally heavy rainfall of unknown amount caused
parts of the Virginia Canyon Road near Idaho Springs to
wash out. The road had to be closed temporarily.
In 2005...the temperature climbed to a high of 102 degrees
at Denver International Airport. This was a new record
maximum temperature for the date at the time.
16-18 In 1997...an extended hot spell resulted in 3 temperature
records being set. The maximum temperature reached 98
degrees on each of the days...setting records on the 16th
and 18th. The low temperature of 71 degrees on the 17th
was a record high minimum for the date. The high
temperature reached 100 degrees on the 17th at the site
of the former Stapleton International Airport.
17 In 1872...the U.S. Army Signal Service weather observer
recorded snowfall during the early morning hours in the
hand written daily weather journal: "Rain commenced at
1:30 A.M. changing about 3 A.M. to snow & in about half
an hour to rain again; it continued until 6 A.M." This
is the only recorded occurrence of snowfall in Denver in
July...but this report is not included in the "official"
station snowfall records...which did not begin in Denver
until January 1...1882. The low temperature on this
morning was 45 degrees...which is sufficiently cold for
the occurrence of light stratiform snowfall.
In 1918...a thunderstorm produced hail to an inch in depth
on the ground. The stones varied in size from a small
cherry stone to nearly 1/2 inch in diameter. Not much
permanent damage was done to crops. Precipitation
totaled 0.40 inch...and northeast winds were sustained
to 25 mph with gusts to 28 mph.
In 1971...the temperature reached a high of 101 degrees at
Stapleton International Airport.
In 1983...3/4 inch diameter hail fell at Lafayette...while
golf ball size hail pelted Brighton and Northglenn where
funnel clouds were also sighted.
In 1986...1 1/2 inches of rain fell in an hour and 15 minutes
in southeastern Aurora. Thunderstorm rainfall totaled
0.89 inches at Stapleton International Airport.
In 1987...a small tornado was sighted near Watkins...in the
vicinity of Front Range Airport.
In 1997...lightning ignited an oil well tank holding 10
thousand gallons of oil...16 miles northwest of Bennett.
About 200 acres of grassland burned before the fire could
be extinguished. A dry microburst produced a wind gust to
52 mph at Denver International Airport.
In 2000...an estimated 2 inches of rain fell in less than an
hour...causing two secondary roads in Buck and Miller gulches
in the Hi Meadows fire burn area to wash out. Water
also covered Jefferson County Road 68 which connects to
Bailey. Homeowners in Pine Valley Estates attempted to
divert some of the runoff by piling stacks of hay on the
hillside above their homes. Torrential rainfall...up to
3.50 inches an hour...caused flash flooding along Whiskey
Gulch near Elizabeth. Several roads were washed out and
basements flooded during the storm. Along County Road 13...
about 6 miles north-northwest of Elizabeth...rushing water
washed away a 15-foot section of the road. The floodwaters
forced debris and mud into four huge culverts...sending water
over the road. At Denver International Airport...an United
Airlines ground crew worker was struck by lightning as she
was loading a Boeing 747 jumbo jet. The woman was injured
when lightning either hit the jet or the loading equipment
that she was working near. The 25-year-old woman received
only minor injuries.
In 2006...outflow from severe thunderstorms to the southeast
of metro Denver produced southeast sustained winds to 35
mph with gusts as high as 52 mph at Denver International
Airport during the late evening.
In 2011...a deluge of heavy rain occurred in and around
Nederland when the storm dumped nearly 2 inches of rain in
30 minutes. The heavy rainfall washed out hillsides and
dirt roads. In Nederland...a culvert became blocked with
debris and forced the water to spread into a nearby
bookstore. The rainfall also damaged several residential
roads in the Sunnyside Subdivision and Navajo Road became
impassable. Several homes suffered flood damage as the
runoff from a nearby Beaver Creek jumped its banks and
flooded garages...living rooms and bedrooms of nearby
houses.
In 2016...a severe thunderstorm produced hail up to 1 inch
in diameter near Buckley Air Force Base.
18 In 1874...the temperature climbed to 90 degrees or more for the
18th consecutive day...setting a record. The record was
equaled from July 6th through the 23rd in 1901.
In 1902...a thunderstorm produced northwest winds sustained to
45 mph with gusts to 48 mph along with rain and hail.
Total precipitation was 0.53 inch.
In 1911...a shower produced north winds sustained to 44 mph.
In 1958...1 1/2 inch diameter hail fell 9 miles west-southwest
of Stapleton Airport.
In 1981...a thunderstorm bombed Evergreen with about 2 inches
of rain in 45 minutes. A heavy hailstorm left 5 to 7 inches
of hail on the ground in some places and stopped the Colorado
Open Golf Tournament at Hiwan.
In 1985...over 2 inches of rain doused the southwest suburbs
of Denver. Street flooding occurred in the Montbello area
of northeast Denver.
In 1992...nickel size hail fell across central Douglas County
near Castle Rock and Sedalia. One inch diameter hail fell
in Castle Rock.
In 1993...thunderstorm winds gusted to 60 mph at Strasburg
east of Denver.
In 2004...heavy thunderstorm rainfall caused flooding over
parts of the Virginia Canyon Road near Idaho Springs.
Several sections of the roadway were washed out. The
road was closed temporarily for repairs.
18-19 In 2003...from the 18th into the 19th...heavy rain producing
thunderstorms caused flash flooding across southern metro
Denver. Automated rain gages measured 2 to 3 inches of
rain in less than an hour. The heavy rainfall caused many
intersections and underpasses to flood...stranding motorists.
Sections of I-25 and I-225 were closed due to the high water.
18-2 In 1987...from July 18th to August 2nd...a streak of 16
consecutive days of 90 degrees ranked 4th on the list of hot
streaks. The record of 24 consecutive days was established
in the summer of 2008.
19 In 1875...recent heavy rains produced high waters on many
creeks and rivers in the area...which threatened the
destruction of property at some locations. Cherry Creek
in the city was running the highest in 10 years. Heavy
rain in the mining regions over the last 2 days resulted
in water running "everywhere" and the suspension of some
work.
In 1881...a thunderstorm passing across the city produced
lightning with no rain. A woman was seriously injured
when struck by lightning several blocks from the weather
office in downtown Denver.
In 1934...the temperature reached a high of 100 degrees in
downtown Denver.
In 1965...hail...rain...and lightning hit west metro Denver.
Hail stones as large as 1 1/2 inches in diameter accumulated
to a depth of 2 inches in Evergreen where 2.95 inches of
rain in 2 hours caused some flooding in the business section
of the town. Lightning caused some power outages.
In 1973...two funnel clouds were observed 5 miles southeast of
Littleton. The same funnel clouds were observed for 20
minutes...5 miles west and 5 miles west-southwest of Arapahoe
County Airport...now Centennial Airport.
In 1975...lightning injured a man in Denver and caused power
outages in Aurora...Lakewood...Westminster...and west Denver.
In 1984...strong thunderstorm winds gusting to 45 mph shattered
7 large plate glass windows at Stapleton International
Airport.
In 1985...a tornado touched down in the Surrey Ridge area of
northern Douglas County...just west of I-25. Ten homes were
damaged; one under construction was nearly destroyed. Two
vehicles were thrown off I-25 injuring three people. A
pick-up truck was thrown 50 feet by the twister. In
addition...a cluster of severe thunderstorms pounded all
of metro Denver with torrential rain...hail...and wind. The
heaviest rain fell in Aurora where one location reported
2.37 inches in just 40 minutes. One location in northeast
Aurora received a total of 4.30 inches from the storm.
There was extensive street and basement flooding...and a
number of roads were damaged or washed out. An Aurora boy
suffered minor injuries when he was washed into a drainage
ditch. Golf ball size hail in Aurora piled up to 5 inches
deep. An inch of rain fell in 20 minutes at Stapleton
International Airport...closing it to air traffic for an
hour. Up to 1 1/2 inches of rain fell in just 15 minutes
over central Denver with the high water closing I-25. The
water was so deep on the freeway...that one vehicle was
completely submerged and people were diving into the water
from the freeway overpass. Three homes in Littleton were
damaged by lightning. Wind blew out several windows from
a high rise apartment building in southeast Denver.
Rainfall totaled 1.51 inches at Stapleton International
Airport.
In 1997...torrential rain and damaging hail pummeled eastern
sections of metro Denver. Hail up to 1 1/4 inches in
diameter fell at the National Weather Service office on the
site of the former Stapleton International Airport. The
hail continued for about 15 minutes and accumulated to a
depth of 2 to 3 inches...causing extensive damage to cars in
the area. Heavy rainfall totaled 3.83 inches in about an
hour from the nearly stationary thunderstorm. Numerous cars
stalled along I-70...and several homes were flooded in east
Denver. The roof of a building collapsed under the weight
of the water. The next day several "fatalities" were
discovered near the National Weather Service office; two
prairie dogs were found dead along with three rabbits that
either drowned or were killed by the large hail.
In 1999...lightning struck two residences in Littleton...but
caused only minor damage. Lightning triggered a fire at a
residence in Cherry Hills Village. A small portion of the
roof and ceiling were damaged before the fire could be
extinguished.
In 2000...hail as large as 1 1/4 inches in diameter fell near
Roggen northeast of Denver.
In 2004...heavy rainfall caused flooding on the Virginia Canyon
Road near Idaho Springs...which had to be closed for repairs.
In 2006...the temperature climbed to a high of 100 degrees. The
high temperature was not a record maximum for the date.
In 2007...a severe thunderstorm produced large hail...up to 1
inch in diameter...about 6 miles north of Northglenn.
In 2016...two men at the Indian Tree Golf Course in Arvada were
struck by lightning when they sought shelter from a rapidly
developing thunderstorm under a tree. One man died from his
injuries while the other suffered minor injuries. Very heavy
rainfall was observed across central and southern parts of
Denver. The storm dropped around 1.5 inches of rainfall in 30
minutes and caused minor street flooding. Nickel size hail
was reported west of Pine in central Jefferson County.
19-23 In 2005...the high temperature climbed above 100 degrees on
each of the 5 days with readings of 101 on the 19th...105 on
the 20th...104 on the 21st...and 102 on both the 22nd and 23rd.
A new record maximum temperature for the month of July of 105
degrees was set on the 20th...which also equaled the all time
record maximum for Denver of 105 degrees first set on August
8th in 1878. Daily maximum temperature records were set on
each day...and the 5 day period equaled the record for the
most consecutive days of 100 degrees or more first set from
July 4th through 8th in 1989. The intense heat resulted in
a high use of electricity for cooling purposes. The demand
for electric power exceeded the supply and rolling black-outs...
each lasting about an hour...were scheduled across metro Denver
during the afternoons and early evenings.
$$