Public Information Statement
Issued by NWS Denver/Boulder, CO
Issued by NWS Denver/Boulder, CO
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NOUS45 KBOU 120045
PNSBOU
COZ030>051-122300-
Public Information Statement
National Weather Service Denver/Boulder CO
645 PM MDT SAT MAY 11 2024
...This week in metro Denver weather history...
10-12 In 2011...from the 10th to the 12th...a spring snowstorm
brought heavy snow to the Front Range Foothills and
Palmer Divide. Storm totals included: 18 inches...4
miles south-southeast of Pinecliffe; 16 inches in Coal
Creek Canyon; 15 inches...4 miles west-southwest of
Eldorado Springs; 13 inches at Gold Hill...12 inches...4
miles west-southwest of Conifer and 4 miles northwest of
Elizabeth; 11.5 inches...6 miles southwest of Evergreen and
4 miles east-northeast of Nederland; 11 inches...3 miles
east of Jamestown and 10.5 inches...3 miles east of
Franktown and 3 miles south of Golden and 10 inches...10
miles north of Elizabeth. At Denver International Airport...
1 inch of snowfall was observed.
In 2023...a slow moving storm system produced a period of
moderate to heavy rainfall across the urban corridor...Palmer
Divide and adjacent plains. A 24-hr daily record of 2.92 inches
occurred at Denver International Airport on the 11th...with a
2-day total of 3.75 inches on the 11-12th...and 3-day total of
4.40 inches from the 10-12th. The prolonged period of rainfall
resulted in flooding...flash flooding and washed out roadways...
including Cherry Creek State Park and the National Wildlife
Refuge at the Rocky Mountain Arsenal. Three-day rainfall
amounts south and southeast of Denver ranged from 4.00 to
7.00 inches. In the Front Range west of Denver...above 10
thousand feet...heavy wet snowfall ranged from 1 to 2 feet.
The 3-day event propelled Denver into 4th place for rainfall
in month of May...with a total of 5.53 inches.
11-12 In 2014...from the 11th to the 12th...a strong storm system
moved from southwest Colorado and produced heavy snow in
and near the Front Range Foothills and metro Denver. The
snow was heaviest in the foothills where up to 2 1/2 feet
of snow was observed. In the foothills...storm totals
included: 30 inches near Pinecliffe; 29 inches...
8 miles northeast of Four Corners; 28 inches near Pingree
Park; 27 inches near Allenspark; 20.5 inches near Idaho
Springs; 19.5 inches at Gold Hill; 19 inches near Genesee; 18
inches near Blackhawk; 17 inches at Aspen Springs; 16.5 inches
near Ward; 13.5 inches at Bergen Park; with 11 inches at
Evergreen. Along Urban Corridor and Palmer Divide...storm
totals included: 10.5 inches at Eldorado Springs; 10 inches at
Ken Caryl; 9 inches at Superior; 8 inches near Morrison; 7.5
inches in Broomfield and Highlands Ranch; 7 inches in Denver...
near Franktown...Golden...Lakewood and Highlands Ranch; 6
inches...5 miles northeast of Westminster...7 miles south of
Lyons and near Parker; with 5.5 inches at Aurora. At Denver
International Airport...1.1 inches of snowfall was observed...
along with 0.9 inches of water.
In 2023...a slow moving storm system produced a period of
moderate to heavy rainfall across the urban corridor...Palmer
Divide and adjacent plains. A 24-hr daily record of 2.92 inches
occurred at Denver International Airport on the 11th...with a
2-day total of 3.75 inches on the 11-12th. The prolonged period
of rainfall resulted in flooding...flash flooding and washed out
roadways; including Cherry Creek State Park and the National
Wildlife Refuge at the Rocky Mountain Arsenal.
12 In 1875...two forest fires on the eastern slope of the
foothills were visible from the city.
In 1904...north winds were sustained to 40 mph with gusts
to 48 mph.
In 1950...brilliant and complete primary and secondary
rainbows arching across the sky were observed from
Stapleton Airport.
In 1951...a wind gust to 51 mph was recorded at Stapleton
Airport.
In 1984...winds gusted to 69 mph in Boulder. Northwest winds
gusted to 47 mph at Stapleton International Airport.
In 1987...a small weak tornado touched down for about 2
minutes in southeast Denver. The twister hit a car
dealership...blowing about a dozen windows out of cars and
shattering four skylights on the building. Some tin
roofing was blown off a patio a block and a half away. The
tornado also downed a power pole. Damage at the dealership
was estimated at 10 thousand dollars. A man was slightly
injured by lightning in northwest Aurora.
In 1995...several funnel clouds were sighted near Parker.
One of the funnels produced a short-lived debris cloud
on the ground in an open field. No damage was reported.
In 2015...a man suffered minor injuries when the tree he took
shelter under was struck by lightning. He was jogging at
City Park Golf Course when the incident occurred. The
jogger was taken to the hospital for observation.
12-13 In 1907...from the 12th to the 13th...the temperature warmed to
a high of 73 degrees on the 12th...before a cold front
produced a thunderstorm...northeast winds sustained to 40
mph...and rain changing to light snow overnight. Snowfall
totaled only 2 inches...but the high temperature on the 13th
was only 39 degrees.
In 1961...from the 12th to the 13th...a storm that covered
metro Denver with rain and snow started as thunderstorms
on the evening of the 12th. Hail to 1 1/2 inches in
diameter was reported 10 miles northwest of Stapleton
Airport. Rain continued overnight and changed to snow on
the 13th. Snowfall totaled 6.4 inches and precipitation
(rain and melted snow) 1.96 inches at Stapleton Airport
where north winds gusted to 39 mph. The rain and heavy
wet snow caused icing damage to utility lines. Heavy
snow occurred in the foothills.
In 1982...from the 12th to the 13th...a major storm dumped
1.50 to 3.50 inches of rain across northeast Colorado and
deposited prodigious amounts of snow in the foothills. Coal
Creek Canyon southwest of Boulder was buried under 46 inches
of snow with 39 inches at Nederland. The heavy wet snow
downed many powerlines in the foothills. In Thornton...the
roof of a school was damaged by water from the heavy rain.
At Stapleton International Airport...1.49 inches of rain
were measured over the 2-day period. The heavy rain ended
a severe and prolonged drought.
In 2004...from the 12th to the 13th...a winter storm produced
heavy snow in excess of a foot in the foothills above 6
thousand feet while heavy rain fell across the city. The
heaviest snow occurred in the high country of Boulder
County. Storm total snowfall was 14.5 inches near Jamestown.
Rainfall totaled 0.81 inch at Denver International Airport
with 0.94 inch recorded at Denver Stapleton. A trace of
snow was recorded at both locations. East winds gusted to
24 mph at Denver International Airport on the 12th.
13 In 1905...a thunderstorm produced hail during the late
afternoon. Precipitation totaled 0.57 inch.
13-14 In 1912...from the 13th to the 14th...heavy snowfall totaled
12.4 inches over the city. Most of the snow...9.9 inches...
fell on the 13th...which was the greatest 24-hour snowfall
in May at the time. This was the last snowfall of the
season. The low temperature dipped to 27 degrees on the
morning of the 14th.
In 1989...from the 13th to the 14th...a spring storm brought
heavy rain and snow to the foothills. Metro Denver was
soaked with 1 to 2 inches of rain. Rainfall totaled 1.26
inches at Stapleton International Airport. In the
foothills...Echo Lake received 20 inches of snow. A 30-ton
boulder slid onto I-70 east of the Eisenhower Tunnel...
closing the freeway for 2 hours.
14 In 1910...a thunderstorm produced strong winds during the
afternoon. Northwest winds were sustained to 42 mph.
In 1913...light moist snow and light hail fell during short
intervals...although no thunder was heard. The trace of
snowfall was the only snow of the month. Precipitation...
mostly rain...totaled 0.44 inch.
In 1984...a pilot reported a tornado 16 miles east of
Stapleton International Airport. No damage was reported.
A thunderstorm produced a 58 mph wind gust in Brighton.
Thunderstorm winds gusted to 48 mph at Stapleton
International Airport.
In 1989...lightning struck a home in Evergreen...setting it
afire.
In 1992...strong thunderstorm winds of unknown velocity...
knocked over and damaged the infield tote board at
Arapahoe Park racetrack just southeast of Aurora.
Damage was estimated at 200 thousand dollars. No
injuries were reported. Lightning started two house
fires...causing 35 hundred dollars in damage in Adams
County just 9 miles north-northwest of Denver.
In 1994...a sudden wind gust...estimated at 40 mph...blew a
portion of the roof off a shopping center in Lafayette.
The roof also damaged two parked cars in an adjacent lot.
In 2001...a construction worker in Castle Rock received minor
injuries when lightning struck close-by.
In 2002...a microburst wind gust to 53 mph was recorded at
Denver International Airport.
In 2007...severe thunderstorms producing large hail...very
heavy rain...and tornadoes impacted the Urban Corridor and
adjacent plains. Heavy rain associated with a severe
thunderstorm caused flooding along a small tributary
draining into the South Platte River. The incident took
place at 13th and Decatur St....near Invesco Field. The
floodwaters inundated the bike trail adjacent to the creek.
A woman with her child sought refuge under a bridge and
became trapped by the high water. The woman slipped and
the stroller containing the child was swept into the swift
current. The child drowned. Rainfall totaled 0.42 inches
at Denver International Airport. Elsewhere...golfball hail
was reported near Hudson. Hail...up to one inch in
diameter...was observed in Boulder and Lyons.
Thunderstorm wind gusts estimated to 70 mph were reported
near Buckley Air Force Base...with a peak wind gust to 37
mph observed at Denver International Airport. A small
tornado touched down near Ft. Lupton but did no damage.
14-15 In 1977...the 14th to the 15th...high winds up to 100 mph
felled hundreds of trees in Gilpin County and caused
extensive damage to telephone and power lines. Lumber
and steel tanks were blown around in Boulder Canyon. West
winds gusted to 46 mph at Stapleton International Airport
on the 15th.
14-18 In 1996...from the 14th to the 18th...a period of unusually
warm weather resulted in 4 record maximum temperatures in
5 days. The record high temperatures were 87 degrees on
the 14th...89 degrees on the 15th...and 93 degrees on both
the 16th and 18th. The temperature climbed to only 81
degrees on the 17th which was not a record.
15 In 1894...southwest winds were sustained to 38 mph with gusts
to 50 mph.
In 1910...an apparent cold front produced sustained northeast
winds to 48 mph.
In 1986...a thunderstorm dumped an inch of rain in an hour
over the eastern part of Aurora. Total rainfall from the
storm was 1.62 inches.
In 1989...a 47 year old man...a Lakewood police officer...was
struck and injured by lightning. Small hail piled up 3
to 4 inches deep near Golden. There was reported street
flooding from heavy thunderstorm rains over western metro
Denver. Rainfall totaled 0.76 inch at Stapleton
International Airport.
In 1990...a thunderstorm produced a wind gust to 69 mph at
Jefferson County Airport in Broomfield. Thunderstorm winds
gusting to 49 mph at Stapleton International Airport
produced some blowing dust.
In 1991...a funnel cloud was sighted near Morrison. Later...
hail up to 2 inches deep covered U.S. Highway 285 at South
Turkey Creek Road in west metro Denver. Baseball size hail
was reported on the east side of Littleton. Dime size hail
was reported in Boulder.
In 1993...lightning started a fire which damaged a home in
Boulder. No one was injured.
In 1997...a wind gust to 58 mph was recorded at the site
of the former Stapleton International Airport. A street
sign was blown down at the Havana Street exit along I-70.
In 1999...lightning ignited a small fire in a 3-story
structure in Sunshine Canyon above Boulder. The fire
was quickly extinguished and caused only minor damage.
In 2003...thunderstorms produced very heavy rainfall and
localized flash flooding in the foothills of central
Boulder County. Rainfall ranged from 1.5 to 2.5 inches
in less than 2 hours. Water ranging in depth from 6 to 9
inches covered State Highway 119 in Boulder Canyon. Dirt
and rocks also washed over the roadway. Some basements
were flooded in the Sugarloaf area. Rockslides were also
reported at Boulder Falls...Lefthand Canyon...and Fourmile
Canyon.
In 2015...Severe thunderstorms produced hail...from nickel to
half dollar size...across parts of Adams...Arapahoe...Douglas
and Weld Counties. Two tornadoes touched down briefly in
Adams County; one tornado...rated an EF1...destroyed a storage
shed north of Strasburg.
15-16 In 1957...from the 15th to the 16th...heavy snowfall totaled
8.8 inches at Stapleton Airport. The greatest amount on the
ground was 3 inches.
In 1986...from the 15th to the 16th...a spring storm dumped 1
to 2 inches of rain over metro Denver...but 2.71 inches fell
at Buckley Field in Aurora. Rainfall only totaled 0.84
inch at Stapleton International Airport. Snow fell in the
foothills with 7 inches recorded in Coal Creek Canyon
southwest of Boulder.
16 In 1875...a heavy hail storm turned into heavy rain during
the afternoon. Rainfall totaled 0.86 inch in just 37
minutes...while the temperature dropped 22 degrees in
22 minutes. Precipitation totaled 0.90 inch.
In 1894...west winds were sustained to 48 mph with gusts
to 56 mph.
In 1949...a tornado was observed for 16 minutes...20 miles to
the southeast of Stapleton Airport. The tornado moved 5
miles to the northeast before dissipating. No damage was
reported.
In 1963...intense lightning started several forest fires in
the foothills southwest of Denver near Deckers and
Cheeseman Lake. Little precipitation fell from the storms
to alleviate the unusual dry conditions so early in the
season.
In 1978...thunderstorm winds caused damage in southeast
Aurora. Winds of 60 to 80 mph blew down numerous fences and
damaged several homes under construction. High winds tore
docks loose at Cherry Creek Reservoir...sinking 3 or 4 boats
and damaging about 15 others. At Stapleton International
Airport where winds gusted to 60 mph...a 727 jet suffered
15 hundred dollars damage when wind toppled a runway light
onto it. The public reported an unconfirmed tornado 7 miles
south-southwest of Stapleton International Airport.
In 1990...a line of thunderstorms moving across metro Denver
uprooted a large ash tree...which fell and blocked the
outside doors to a Denver elementary school...briefly
trapping the students inside. Thunderstorm wind gusts to
69 mph were reported at Jefferson County Airport.
Northwest winds gusted to 44 mph at Stapleton International
Airport.
In 1991...two tornadoes touched down briefly in Castle Rock...
but no injuries or damage were recorded. Heavy
thunderstorm rains of 0.50 to 1.10 inches in a couple of
hours caused Lena Gulch near Golden to flood. No damage
was reported.
In 1996...dry microburst winds of unknown strength overturned
a trailer and damaged storage sheds in Strasburg east of
Denver.
16-17 In 1981...from the 16th to the 17th...a heavy rain storm dumped
1 to 2 1/2 inches of rain across metro Denver. Rainfall
totaled 1.27 inches at Stapleton International Airport where
north winds gusted to 38 mph on 17th.
In 1983...from the 16th to the 17th...a very strong late spring
storm dumped heavy snow over the Front Range. Strong winds
with the storm produced blizzard conditions at times.
Sustained winds were 20 to 40 mph with a peak gust to 55 mph
at Stapleton International Airport. The foothills received
1 to 2 feet of snow with 4 to 12 inches along the foothills.
Howling winds whipped the snow into drifts several feet
deep...closing schools and highways. Stapleton International
Airport was forced to reduce flight operations...closing 2 of
4 runways and stranding hundreds of travelers. Most of the
damage and inconvenience caused by the storm was in power
outages...which occurred when wind and heavy wet snow caused
hundreds of power poles to snap and topple. About 20 square
miles of Denver were blacked out. Precipitation from the
storm totaled 1 to 3 inches. At Stapleton International
Airport...snowfall totaled 7.1 inches with a maximum snow
depth on the ground of only 2 inches due to melting. The
high temperature of 40 degrees on the 17th was a record low
maximum for the date. Due to the heavy moisture content
of the storm...widespread street flooding occurred on the
18th when much of the snow melted under the warm May sun
and temperatures climbed to a high of 57 degrees.
In 1995...from the 16th to the 17th...significant moisture and
upslope flow caused flooding across metro Denver. Moderate
to heavy rains...which began on the evening of the 16th...
developed in the foothills and spread eastward over metro
Denver throughout the night. The heavy rains brought many
creeks and small streams to bankfull or slightly over.
Locations along the foothills received between 3 and 4
inches of rainfall from the storm. Boulder received 3.60
inches of rainfall for the 24-hour period...causing minor
street flooding near small streams. To the northwest of
Boulder...a bridge which crossed Fourmile Creek was washed
out. Numerous rock and mudslides occurred in foothills
canyons...closing portions of U.S. Highways 6 and 40 and
State Highway 119 for a few hours at a time. Rocks were
piled 6 feet deep on a stretch of State Highway 119 along
with boulders as large as cars on U.S. Highway 6. A
parking lot near a creek in Golden caved in leaving a
hole the size of an 18-wheeler. Rushing water washed out
a 50-foot stretch of a road in Westminster. Rainfall
totaled 1.75 inches at Denver International Airport...but
only 1.42 inches at the site of the former Stapleton
International Airport.
17 In 1903...southwest winds were sustained to 42 mph with gusts
to 45 mph from an apparent microburst which produced only
a trace of rain.
In 1960...hail to 3/4 inch diameter was measured in Thornton.
Golf ball size hail fell in Arvada.
In 1972...microburst winds gusted to 51 mph at Stapleton
International Airport.
In 1975...hail 1/2 to 3/4 inch in diameter fell over western
metro Denver.
In 1978...a small tornado touched down in south Aurora
damaging 40 homes...6 to a considerable extent. One garage
was demolished and blown across the street. Parts of roofs
were completely blown away. Several 2x4-inch boards were
blown into the sides of houses. Another small tornado in
Parker damaged two airplanes. Other funnel clouds were
sighted over Northglenn and near Golden.
In 1985...a thunderstorm produced a total of 1.50 inches of
rain in Brighton where 0.72 inches fell in 40 minutes.
Small hail covered the ground...and there was some street
and basement flooding.
In 1987...small hail piled up 4 inches deep in southwest
Aurora. There was also widespread street flooding and a
few power outages. Hail as large as 3/4 inch in diameter
fell at Castle Rock.
In 2000...high winds occurred along and east of the Front Range
foothills...as a deep surface low pressure center formed over
the northeast plains of Colorado. An amusement park in
north Boulder received about 25 thousand dollars in property
damage. Peak wind reports included: 88 mph at the National
Wind Technology Center...84 mph in Boulder...and 80 mph at the
National Center for Atmospheric Research Mesa Laboratory.
A powder keg of severe weather...including tornadoes and
thunderstorms producing large hail...damaging winds and
heavy rain...occurred over the plains to the northeast of
Denver. The only severe weather reported across metro
Denver was 1 inch diameter hail in Littleton.
17-19 In 2017...a strong spring storm dropped across the Great Basin...
and then moved eastward across Colorado. Isolated but strong
thunderstorms preceded the system on the 17th with hail up
to nickel size near Boulder Airport and Brighton. Significant
snow fell across the Front Range mountains and foothills over
the next couple of days. Along the Interstate 25 Corridor...
rain turned to snow on the morning of the 18th...heaviest from
around Broomfield northward. The heavy wet snow snapped the
limbs of fully leaved trees and caused scattered power
outages. A barns collapsed in northeast Loveland. Fifty-five
head of cattle were inside the collapsed barn; three were
injured and later euthanized. Numerous branches and trees
snapped in the foothills. Elsewhere...several scattered
smaller power outages were reported. Three to nearly five
inches of liquid precipitation occurred...as rain or a mix of
rain and snow...fell around Greeley. Storm totals in the Front
Range mountains and foothills included: 42.0 inches near
Allenspark...41.5 inches near Ward...36 inches at Estes Park...
32 inches near Pinecliffe...30.5 inches northwest of Golden...
30 inches near Nederland...26 inches near Breckenridge...25
inches near Aspen Springs and Bear Lake State Park...14
inches at Aspen Springs...with 9.5 inches near Evergreen.
On the west side of the Interstate 25 Corridor...storm
totals included: 10 inches near Superior and Louisville...6
to 8 inches in and around Fort Collins...6 inches in Lafayette...
5 inches in Broomfield and Loveland...and 4 inches near Niwot.
18 In 1864...heavy rains combined with melting snow to cause much
flooding on North Clear Creek in Blackhawk. Many bridges on
the road to Denver were washed away by the high water on
Clear Creek.
In 1893...northwest winds were sustained to 56 mph with an
extreme velocity to 60 mph.
In 1960...large hail to 1 inch in diameter damaged roofs and
cars in metro Denver. Heavy snow and rain in the foothills
caused rock and landslides...which blocked some highways.
There was widespread minor damage from lightning.
Hail as large as 1 1/8 inch in diameter was measured at
Stapleton Airport where winds gusted to 44 mph.
In 1975...a tornado touched down briefly just south of Buckley
Field in Aurora. A few minutes later the same tornado
touched down in open country 8 miles northeast of
Stapleton International Airport. No damage was reported.
In 1985...3/4 inch hail fell just southeast of Aurora.
In 1988...lightning started a fire at a home in the foothills
west of Boulder...causing 50 thousand dollars in damage.
In 1995...strong thunderstorms rumbled across metro Denver
dropping mainly pea to marble size hail. However...hail
stones as large as 1 1/4 inches in diameter fell in Wheat
Ridge and downtown Denver. Hail piled up to 2 inches deep
in Wheat Ridge and northwest Denver.
In 1996...the Buffalo Creek wildfire started and spread
rapidly on strong southwest winds at 20 to 30 mph. Dry
weather conditions contributed to the spread of the fire...
which burned nearly 12 thousand acres and destroyed 12
structures including some houses.
In 2001...a 19-year-old man was struck and killed by lightning
as he was walking along the shoulder of U.S. Highway 36 in
Westminster.
In 2003...hail to 3/4 inch in diameter was measured at Denver
International Airport.
In 2010...a small tornado touched down near Firestone but did
no damage.
18-19 In 2011...from the 18th to the 19th...a severe thunderstorm in
central Adams County produced large hail and heavy rainfall
on the 18th. Large hail from 1 inch to 1 3/4 inches in
diameter...was reported in Commerce City...near Federal
Heights...Northglenn...and 2 miles south of Thornton. In
Commerce City...the storm uprooted trees and knocked out
power lines. A carport was lifted off the ground and
struck the power lines overhead. Heavy rain...from 1.0 to
1.5 inches fell in less than 2 hours in Commerce City and
near Brighton. The combination of hail and strong winds
broke windows in Northglenn. In the foothills...moderate to
heavy snow showers developed overnight. Storm totals
included: 10.5 inches at Gold Hill...9.5 inches...3 miles
west of Jamestown; 9 inches at Lake Eldora; with 6 inches...
11 miles southwest of Gilpin and 4 miles east-northeast of
Nederland. At Denver International Airport...total rainfall
over the 2-day period totaled 1.71 inches. In addition...a
peak wind gust to 37 mph was recorded on the 18th.
18-20 In 1915...from the 18th to the 20th...3.9 inches of snow fell
in the city. The estimated amount of snow that melted as
it fell was 6.2 inches which would have totaled an
estimated 10.1 inches of snowfall. Precipitation totaled
1.03 inches. North winds were sustained to 32 mph on the
18th. Low temperatures dipped to 25 degrees on both the
18th and 20th...establishing record minimums for both dates.
In 1988...from the 18th to the 20th...a prolonged heavy
rainfall drenched metro Denver. The event began when heavy
thunderstorms on the 18th caused some street flooding and
power outages...followed by steady rain on the 19th and 20th.
Rain amounts across metro Denver totaled 3 to 4 inches.
Rainfall totaled 3.71 inches at Stapleton International
Airport where north winds gusted to 39 mph on the 20th.
Four to eight inches of snow fell in the foothills above 7
thousand feet.
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.
$$