909
NOUS45 KBOU 020959
PNSBOU
COZ030>051-022300-
PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER/BOULDER CO
259 AM MST THU JAN 2 2025
..TODAY IN METRO DENVER WEATHER HISTORY
31-6 IN 1973...THE 31ST MARKED THE START OF A PROTRACTED COLD SPELL
THAT EXTENDED INTO JANUARY OF 1974 WHEN TEMPERATURES
DIPPED BELOW ZERO ON 7 CONSECUTIVE DAYS. RECORD DAILY
MINIMUM READINGS OCCURRED ON THE 3RD AND 5TH WHEN THE
TEMPERATURE PLUNGED TO 17 DEGREES BELOW ZERO ON BOTH DAYS.
A RECORD LOW DAILY MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE OF ONLY 4 DEGREES
OCCURRED ON THE 5TH.
31-7 IN 1941...A PROTRACTED COLD SPELL THROUGH JANUARY 7...1942...
PRODUCED BELOW ZERO LOW TEMPERATURES ON 7 OF THE 8 DAYS.
A LOW TEMPERATURE OF 2 DEGREES ON THE 3RD PREVENTED A
STRING OF 8 DAYS BELOW ZERO. THE COLDEST DAYS DURING THE
PERIOD WERE THE 1ST WITH A HIGH OF 2 DEGREES AND
A LOW OF 9 DEGREES BELOW ZERO...THE 4TH WITH A HIGH OF 2
DEGREES AND A LOW OF 11 DEGREES BELOW ZERO...AND THE 5TH
WITH A HIGH OF 26 DEGREES AND A LOW OF 12 DEGREES BELOW
ZERO.
1-2 IN 1896...WARM CHINOOK WINDS ON THE 1ST BECAME COLD BORA WINDS
ON THE 2ND. SOUTHWEST WINDS SUSTAINED TO 60 MPH WITH GUSTS
AS HIGH AS 66 MPH WARMED THE TEMPERATURE TO A HIGH OF 55
DEGREES ON THE 1ST. NORTHWEST WINDS SUSTAINED TO 54 MPH
WITH GUSTS TO 60 MPH RESULTED IN SNOWFALL OF 0.3 INCH AND
A HIGH TEMPERATURE OF ONLY 31 DEGREES ON THE 2ND.
1-5 IN 1940...THE FIRST DAYS OF THE MONTH WERE CHARACTERIZED BY A
MIXTURE OF DRIZZLE...LIGHT SNOW...AND FOG. FOG OCCURRED ON
EACH DAY. ON THE 4TH AND 5TH CONSIDERABLE GLAZING RESULTED
FROM FREEZING DRIZZLE. ALL OBJECTS WERE COATED WITH A
GLAZE ON THE WINDWARD SIDE. THIS RESULTED IN VERY SLIPPERY
STREETS...WHICH CAUSED SEVERAL MINOR TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS. THE
GLAZE WAS NOT HEAVY ENOUGH TO DAMAGE WIRES AND CABLES.
2 IN 1972...STRONG NORTHWEST CHINOOK WINDS IN ADVANCE OF A COLD
FRONT GUSTED TO 51 MPH AT STAPLETON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT AND
CAUSED TEMPERATURES TO WARM TO A HIGH OF 55 DEGREES.
IN 1986...HIGH WINDS OCCURRED ALONG THE FRONT RANGE FOOTHILLS.
THE STRONGEST RECORDED GUST WAS 82 MPH IN THE TABLE MESA
AREA OF BOULDER. OTHER PLACES IN BOULDER REPORTED GUSTS
FROM 68 TO 80 MPH. WEST WINDS GUSTED TO 43 MPH AT
STAPLETON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT.
IN 1989...HIGH WINDS BETWEEN 60 AND 70 MPH WERE RECORDED IN
BOULDER AND ALONG THE EASTERN FOOTHILLS. NO DAMAGE WAS
REPORTED. WEST WINDS GUSTED TO 49 MPH AT STAPLETON
INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT.
2-3 IN 1971...A MAJOR STORM DUMPED A TOTAL OF 8.4 INCHES OF SNOW
AT STAPLETON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT WHERE NORTH WINDS GUSTED
TO 23 MPH.
IN 1972...A STRONG COLD FRONT LATE ON THE 2ND PRODUCED NORTH
WIND GUSTS TO 35 MPH AT STAPLETON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT.
SNOW...HEAVY AT TIMES ON THE 3RD...TOTALED 6.4 INCHES AS
TEMPERATURES HOVERED ONLY IN THE SINGLE DIGITS.
IN 2000...HEAVY SNOW FELL OVER THE HIGHER TERRAIN OF THE PALMER
DIVIDE TO THE SOUTH OF METRO DENVER. SNOWFALL TOTALED 7
INCHES 5 MILES SOUTHWEST OF SEDALIA. ONLY 1.5 INCHES OF
SNOWFALL WERE MEASURED AT THE SITE OF THE FORMER STAPLETON
INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT.
2-4 IN 1949...THE WORST BLIZZARD IN MANY YEARS STRUCK METRO
DENVER AND ALL OF NORTHERN COLORADO. THE STORM PRODUCED
BLIZZARD CONDITIONS WITH WIND GUSTS OF 40 TO 50 MPH ALL
DAY ON THE 3RD WHEN TEMPERATURES WERE ONLY IN THE SINGLE
DIGITS. THIS RESULTED IN EXTREMELY COLD WIND CHILL
TEMPERATURES OF 40 TO 55 DEGREES BELOW ZERO. STAPLETON
AIRPORT RECEIVED 13.3 INCHES OF SNOW FROM THE STORM...
WHILE DOWNTOWN DENVER RECEIVED 11.8 INCHES. THE SNOW
FELL FOR 51 CONSECUTIVE HOURS DOWNTOWN. NUMEROUS LIVES
WERE LOST...AND LIVESTOCK LOSSES WERE HIGH ACROSS THE
NORTHEASTERN PLAINS OF COLORADO WHERE EXTENSIVE AIRLIFT
OPERATIONS WERE NEEDED TO BRING SUPPLIES AND FOOD TO
ISOLATED COMMUNITIES.
2-5 IN 1959...VERY COLD TEMPERATURES...TO NEAR ZERO AND
BELOW...CAUSED POWER AND GAS LINES...WATER PIPES...AND
AUTOMATIC SPRINKLER SYSTEMS TO BREAK. IN BOULDER...
MERCHANDISE AND FURNISHINGS WERE WATER DAMAGED WHEN PIPES
BURST IN A DEPARTMENT STORE...FLOODING THREE FLOORS. THE
TEMPERATURE WAS BELOW ZERO FOR 38 CONSECUTIVE HOURS AT
STAPLETON AIRPORT ON THE 2ND...3RD...AND 4TH AND PLUNGED TO
A LOW OF 13 DEGREES BELOW ZERO ON THE 4TH.
CLICK HERE TO GO TO PREVIOUS BULLETINS.
Main Text Page