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000
NOUS45 KBOU 230859
PNSBOU
COZ030>051-232300-

Public Information Statement
National Weather Service Denver/Boulder CO
259 AM MDT TUE APR 23 2024

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

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.
21-23 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 Crow Hill...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.
22-23 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
        Loveland Ski Area...10 inches near Idaho Springs and
        Pinecliffe...with 9.5 inches 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 in 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...with 16.5 inches...3 miles
        west of Jamestown.  Denver International Airport reported
        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
 23   In 1889...north winds were sustained to 48 mph.
      In 1913...northeast winds were sustained to 46 mph with gusts
        to 60 mph behind a dry cold front.
      In 1914...a thunderstorm produced considerable hail and 0.29
        inch of rain.  West winds were sustained to 42 mph with
        gusts to 48 mph.
      In 1942...hail of unknown size fell over the city.
      In 1958...a funnel cloud was sighted for 20 minutes...15 miles
        southeast of Stapleton Airport.  The funnel formed in
        advance of a thunderstorm and hung about a thousand feet
        below the base of the cloud...but remained aloft.  Later in
        the day...3.6 inches of snow fell at Stapleton Airport.
      In 2002...persistent dry conditions in the foothills
        contributed to the first large forest fire of the season
        near Bailey.  Very dry and windy conditions allowed the
        fire...initially started by a careless smoker...to grow
        into a 2400-acre blaze before it could be contained.
        Fortunately...no significant damage occurred to homes or
        other property in the area.
      In 2006...severe thunderstorms produced large hail across
        metro Denver.  Hail as large as 1.25 inches in diameter
        fell in south Denver with hail to 0.88 inch across the
        rest of the city.  Hail to 1.00 inch in diameter was
        reported near Morrison...in south Lakewood...and in Aurora
        near Cherry Creek.  Hail to 0.88 inch was measured in
        Golden with 0.75 inch hail in east Lakewood.
23-24 In 1883...snowfall totaled 7.6 inches in downtown Denver.
      In 1904...a thunderstorm produced hail during the late evening
        of the 23rd.  Apparent post-frontal rain changed to snow
        during the early morning of the 24th...but totaled only 2.0
        inches.  Precipitation consisting of rain...melted hail...and
        snow totaled 0.60 inch.  Northeast winds were sustained to
        41 mph with gusts as high as 52 mph on the 24th.
      In 1905...rain changed to snow and totaled 8.0 inches.  Much
        of the snow melted as it fell with only 2.5 inches measured
        on the ground.  Precipitation totaled 1.88 inches.
        Northeast winds were sustained to 20 mph on the 23rd.
      In 1942...the South Platte River reached flood conditions in
        the city.  As many as 15 thousand residents were warned
        to evacuate their homes temporarily.  Two lives were lost
        in the city.  Four bridges were washed out by the flood
        waters and other bridges were endangered.  The damage was
        generally limited to bridges that were in poor condition.
        However...the flood waters did not overflow their channel
        banks within the city limits.
      In 1980...heavy rain began in the eastern foothills on the
        night of the 23rd and turned to heavy wet snow on the 24th.
        Up to a foot and a half of snow fell in the foothills west
        of Denver.  At Stapleton International Airport precipitation
        totaled 1.58 inches...but only 3.7 inches of snow fell from
        the storm.  East winds gusted to 24 mph.
      In 1997...locations in and near the foothills received the
        greatest snow of the year as a winter-like storm system
        moved into metro Denver.  East to southeast winds at speeds
        of 15 to 35 mph were common with even stronger gusts above
        9 thousand feet.  Snow fell at a rate of 2 to 3 inches an
        hour as deep upslope combined with a moist and unstable
        air mass.  The snow began in the foothills above 7500 feet
        during the evening of the 23rd.  By sunrise the snow level
        had dropped to 5000 feet.  The hardest hit areas extended
        from I-25 into the foothills.  Snowfall totals in the
        foothills ranged from 1 1/2 to over 3 1/2 feet.  In the
        city...snowfall ranged from 8 to 18 inches.  Some snowfall
        amounts included:  36 inches at Coal Creek Canyon...31 inches
        at Nederland and Wondervu...20 to 24 inches near Blackhawk...
        Echo Lake...and North Turkey Creek Canyon; 15 to 19 inches
        at Boulder...Central City...Conifer...Evergreen...Georgetown...
        and Louisville; 8 to 14 inches in Arvada...Broomfield...
        Westminster...Wheat Ridge...Castle Rock...and Ken Caryl Ranch.
        Only 2.3 inches of snow fell at the site of the former
        Stapleton International Airport on the 24th.  East winds
        gusted to 36 mph at Denver International Airport on the
        24th.
      In 2003...a strong and deep northerly flow circulating around
        a closed upper low pressure center allowed heavy snow to
        fall in the mountains and eastern foothills.  Snowfall
        totaled 14 inches in Idaho Springs.  Rain was mixed with
        snow and thunder across metro Denver.  Snowfall was only
        0.9 inch overnight at the site of the former Stapleton
        International Airport.  Precipitation totaled 1.34 inches
        at Denver International Airport...where northwest winds
        gusted to 55 mph on the 23rd.
      In 2007...a storm system intensified over Southeast Colorado...
        allowing for heavy snow and rain to develop over much of
        North-Central and Northeast Colorado.  Severe thunderstorms
        preceded the storm system on the 23rd...affecting the Urban
        Corridor.  Nickel size hail was reported in Boulder and a
        small landspout touched down near Byers.  On the 24th...heavy
        snow fell in the foothills west of Denver and Boulder...where
        storm totals ranged from 1 to 2 feet.  Heavy snow also
        occurred along the Palmer Divide...with storm totals of 10 to
        16 inches.  Elsewhere...a steady moderate to heavy rainfall
        was reported.  Denver International Airport measured 2.09
        inches of rainfall...which shattered the previous 24-hr
        record of 1.29 inches for the 24th of April.  The heavy wet
        snow caused several power outages.  In some instances it
        took several days to restore power.  Several road closures
        were reported...including Interstates 25 and 70.  A jacknifed
        semi-trailer backed up traffic for nearly 20 miles...on
        southbound I-25...between Denver and Colorado Springs.  In
        addition...a 50-ton boulder blocked the southbound lane of
        State Highway 285...near Parmalee Gulch.  Crews had to use
        explosives to break up the boulder and clear the debris.
        Stranded buses and impassable roadways also forced several
        school closures.
23-25 In 1935...heavy wet snow fell across metro Denver.  The storm
        started as rain on the 23rd and changed to snow early on the
        morning of the 24th.  There was continuous precipitation for
        a period of 48 hours.  Snowfall totaled 19.0 inches over the
        city and 20.0 inches at Denver Municipal Airport.  However...
        due to warm temperatures in the 30`s...much of the snow
        melted as it fell and did not seriously disrupt traffic.
        The greatest snow accumulation on the ground downtown was
        12 inches...but it quickly melted.  The highest sustained
        wind speed recorded during the storm was 28 mph from the
        north on the 23rd.  The storm contained 3.16 inches of
        moisture.

$$