018
NOUS45 KBOU 190859
PNSBOU
COZ030>051-192300-
PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER/BOULDER CO
259 AM MDT TUE MAY 19 2026
..TODAY IN METRO DENVER WEATHER HISTORY
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.
18-19 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.
19 IN 1927...SOUTHEAST WINDS WERE SUSTAINED TO 40 MPH WITH GUSTS
TO 44 MPH.
IN 1956...A THUNDERSTORM WIND GUST TO 54 MPH WAS RECORDED AT
STAPLETON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT.
IN 1969...HAIL STONES TO 1 INCH IN DIAMETER WERE MEASURED IN
ARVADA AND AURORA. SOME MINOR DAMAGE WAS REPORTED.
PEA TO MARBLE SIZE HAIL FELL IN WESTMINSTER.
IN 1972...A TORNADO WAS REPORTED BY AIRCRAFT ABOUT 5 TO 10
MILES EAST OF PARKER.
IN 1988...LIGHTNING STARTED A FIRE AT A HOUSE IN THE DENVER
SUBURB OF GREENWOOD VILLAGE...CAUSING 2 THOUSAND DOLLARS IN
DAMAGE.
IN 1991...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS OVER EAST METRO DENVER PRODUCED
WIND GUSTS OF 56 TO 60 MPH. THE STRONG WINDS DOWNED POWER
LINES...TREES...AND FENCES AT SOME LOCATIONS IN AURORA.
THUNDERSTORM OUTFLOW WINDS GUSTED TO 60 MPH AT STAPLETON
INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT.
IN 1994...SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS RUMBLED ACROSS METRO DENVER.
THE STORMS PRODUCED WIND GUSTS AVERAGING 65 MPH AND HAIL UP
TO DIME SIZE. WIND GUSTS TO 77 MPH WERE RECORDED IN
BRIGHTON. NUMEROUS TREES AND POWER POLES WERE DOWNED BY
THE WINDS. ONE POWER POLE FELL ONTO SPECTATORS AT A HIGH
SCHOOL GRADUATION CEREMONY IN COMMERCE CITY...INJURING 6
PEOPLE. IN FORT LUPTON...TREES FELL ONTO 2 PARKED CARS...
KNOCKING OUT THE WINDSHIELDS. HAIL TO 3/4 INCH IN DIAMETER
WAS REPORTED IN LITTLETON. A THUNDERSTORM WIND GUST TO 52
MPH WAS RECORDED AT STAPLETON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT.
IN 1995...A SLOW MOVING TORNADO...WHICH WAS MAINLY DISCERNIBLE
BY ITS DUST AND DEBRIS CLOUD...WAS SPOTTED 2 MILES NORTHEAST
OF DENVER INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT OR ABOUT 10 MILES
NORTHWEST OF BENNETT. NO DAMAGE WAS REPORTED.
IN 2007...LIGHTNING STRUCK A 33-FT STATUE OF JESUS AT MOTHER
CABRINI SHRINE...IN THE FOOTHILLS WEST OF GOLDEN. THE BLAST
BROKE OFF ONE OF THE STATUE'S ARMS AND A HAND...AND ALSO
DAMAGED A FOOT. IT COST AN ESTIMATED $200000 TO REPAIR.
IN 2009...LIGHTNING STRUCK THE ROOF OF A RESIDENCE IN HIGHLANDS
RANCH. THE HOME WAS NOT A TOTAL LOSS...BUT THE FIRE CAUSED
EXTENSIVE DAMAGE.
IN 2010...A THUNDERSTORM PRODUCED HAIL UP TO 7/8 INCH IN
DIAMETER IN THORNTON.
19-20 IN 1864...FROM THE 19TH TO THE 20TH...A DEVASTATING MAJOR FLASH
FLOOD OCCURRED ON THE NORMALLY DRY AND SANDY CHERRY CREEK
IN DENVER. THE FLOOD WAS CAUSED BY HEAVY THUNDERSTORM
RAINFALL AND HAIL OVER THE PALMER RIDGE TO THE SOUTH OF THE
CITY IN BOTH THE CHERRY CREEK AND PLUM CREEK BASINS.
NINETEEN DEATHS OCCURRED ALONG THE SOUTH PLATTE RIVER AND
CHERRY CREEK IN DENVER. THE TORRENT SWEPT CATTLE AND SHEEP
ALONG WITH LARGE TREES AND HOUSES BEFORE IT WASHING OUT
SEVERAL BRIDGES...AND MOVING LARGE STRUCTURES FROM THEIR
FOUNDATIONS. ALL CITY RECORDS WERE DESTROYED WHEN CITY HALL
WASHED AWAY. THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN NEWS BUILDING...BUILT ON
STILTS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE CREEK...WAS TOTALLY DESTROYED
BY THE RAGING WATERS...WHICH WERE AS DEEP AS 5 FEET ON THE
MORNING OF THE 20TH. ONCE THE FLOOD WATERS RECEDED...MUCH
SAND AND GRAVEL WAS LEFT BEHIND. PROPERTY DAMAGE FROM THE
FLOOD WAS ESTIMATED AT NEARLY ONE MILLION DOLLARS. THIS
WAS THE FIRST MAJOR FLOOD OF RECORD IN THE CITY.
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