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NOUS45 KBOU 220859
PNSBOU
COZ030>051-222300-
PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER/BOULDER CO
259 AM MDT SUN MAR 22 2026
..TODAY IN METRO DENVER WEATHER HISTORY
20-22 IN 1944...HEAVY SNOW FELL OVER METRO DENVER FOR A TOTAL OF
36 HOURS. THE STORM DUMPED 18.5 INCHES OF SNOWFALL OVER
DOWNTOWN DENVER AND 12.2 INCHES AT STAPLETON AIRPORT.
FORTUNATELY...THERE WERE NO STRONG WINDS WITH THE STORM.
NORTH WINDS TO ONLY 19 MPH WERE RECORDED ON THE 21ST.
21-22 IN 1955...WIND GUSTS TO 98 MPH WERE RECORDED AT ROCKY FLATS
SOUTH OF BOULDER. SOME DAMAGE AND A FEW MINOR INJURIES
WERE REPORTED IN BOULDER. NORTHWEST WINDS WERE SUSTAINED
TO 28 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 39 MPH AT STAPLETON AIRPORT ON THE
22ND.
IN 1966...A VIGOROUS COLD FRONT PRODUCED ONLY 1.7 INCHES OF
SNOWFALL AT STAPLETON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT...BUT NORTHEAST
WINDS GUSTED TO 49 MPH ON THE 21ST. TEMPERATURES COOLED
FROM A MAXIMUM OF 66 DEGREES ON THE 21ST TO A MINIMUM OF
14 DEGREES ON THE 22ND. STRONG WINDS OCCURRED ON BOTH
DAYS.
IN 1992...AN ARCTIC COLD FRONT PRODUCED UPSLOPE SNOW ACROSS
METRO DENVER MAINLY WEST OF I-25. CASTLE ROCK REPORTED 6
INCHES OF SNOW WITH 3 INCHES AT EVERGREEN. AT STAPLETON
INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT...ONLY 1.5 INCHES OF SNOWFALL WERE
MEASURED AND NORTHEAST WINDS GUSTED TO 18 MPH ON THE 21ST.
IN 2021...A STORM SYSTEM PRODUCED A PERIOD OF MODERATE TO
HEAVY SNOWFALL PRIMARILY OVER THE SOUTHERN FRONT RANGE
FOOTHILLS...AND PALMER DIVIDE. STORM TOTALS RANGED FROM
7 TO 14 INCHES...HEAVIEST AROUND CONIFER. ACROSS THE WESTERN
AND SOUTHERN DENVER SUBURBS...STORM TOTALS RANGED FROM 4 TO
6 INCHES. AT DENVER INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT...3.7 INCHES OF
SNOWFALL WAS OBSERVED.
22 IN 1905...APPARENT POST-FRONTAL NORTH WINDS WERE SUSTAINED TO
49 MPH.
IN 1922...A VIGOROUS COLD FRONT WITH NORTH WINDS SUSTAINED TO
41 MPH BROUGHT ONLY 0.6 INCH OF SNOWFALL TO THE CITY.
THESE WERE THE HIGHEST WINDS OF THE MONTH.
IN 1966...HIGH WINDS CAUSED EXTENSIVE BLOWING SNOW THAT
IMPEDED TRAFFIC AND CLOSED HIGHWAYS OVER A WIDE AREA OF
EASTERN COLORADO. WIND DAMAGE WAS WIDESPREAD...BUT MINOR.
NORTH WIND GUSTS TO 47 MPH WERE RECORDED AT STAPLETON
INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT WHERE VISIBILITY WAS REDUCED AS LOW
AS 1/8 MILE IN BLOWING SNOW.
IN 1975...A STRONG WEST WIND GUST TO 51 MPH WAS RECORDED AT
STAPLETON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT...WHILE EAST OF DENVER
THE STRONG WINDS CAUSED MINOR PROPERTY DAMAGE AND
CONSIDERABLE BLOWING DUST WHICH CLOSED SEVERAL ROADS.
IN 1979...NEAR-BLIZZARD CONDITIONS PARALYZED THE NORTHEASTERN
QUARTER OF THE STATE. STRONG WINDS AND DRIFTING SNOW
CLOSED MANY ROADS...INCLUDING I-25 AND I-70. POWER OUTAGES
DARKENED SECTIONS OF METRO DENVER. SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OF
4 TO 12 INCHES WERE MEASURED OVER THE PLAINS WITH DRIFTS
SEVERAL FEET DEEP. ONLY 3.5 INCHES OF SNOW WERE RECORDED
AT STAPLETON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT WHERE NORTHEAST WINDS
GUSTED TO 39 MPH CAUSING SOME BLOWING SNOW.
IN 1995...STRONG WINDS ASSOCIATED WITH A FAST MOVING PACIFIC
COLD FRONT MOVED FROM THE MOUNTAINS INTO METRO DENVER.
WINDS ESTIMATED AT 60 TO 75 MPH PICKED UP ROCKS AND
SHATTERED THE WINDOWS OF A CAR IN LOUISVILLE. THE STRONG
WINDS BLEW DOWN AND PARTIALLY DESTROYED TWO HOUSES UNDER
CONSTRUCTION JUST NORTH OF THORNTON. WEST WINDS GUSTED
TO 53 MPH AT DENVER INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT WHERE THE
VISIBILITY WAS BRIEFLY REDUCED TO 1/2 MILE IN BLOWING DUST.
IN 2016...TWO BRIEF BUT POWERFUL GUSTNADOES DEVELOPED ALONG
A CONVERGENCE LINE THAT FORMED IN THE SUBURBS JUST NORTH
AND WEST OF DENVER. THREE POWER POLES WERE KNOCKED DOWN.
IN ADDITION...A SMALL STORAGE SHED WAS DESTROYED.
22-23 IN 1936...HEAVY SNOWFALL OF 7.7 INCHES WAS MEASURED IN
DOWNTOWN DENVER. THE HEAVY WET SNOWFALL FORMED A THICK
COATING OF SNOW ON TREES AND SHRUBS...BUT CAUSED LITTLE
DAMAGE. NORTH WINDS WERE SUSTAINED TO 15 MPH.
IN 1984...AROUND A HALF FOOT OF NEW SNOW FELL ACROSS METRO
DENVER...CAUSING FLIGHT DELAYS AT STAPLETON INTERNATIONAL
AIRPORT WHERE SNOWFALL TOTALED 6.0 INCHES AND NORTH WINDS
GUSTED TO 31 MPH. UP TO A FOOT OF SNOW FELL IN THE
FOOTHILLS. ICY ROADS PRODUCED NUMEROUS TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS.
IN 2011...STRONG BORA WINDS DEVELOPED ALONG THE FRONT RANGE
FOLLOWING THE PASSAGE OF A STORM SYSTEM. PEAK WIND GUSTS
INCLUDED: 87 MPH AT THE NATIONAL WIND TECHNOLOGY CENTER;
82 MPH...6 MILES NORTHWEST OF BOULDER; 72 MPH AT FRONT
RANGE AIRPORT IN BROOMFIELD; 71 MPH AT LONGMONT; AND 64
MPH...4 MILES WEST OF LAKEWOOD. AT DENVER INTERNATIONAL
AIRPORT...A PEAK WIND GUST OF 48 MPH FROM THE WEST WAS
OBSERVED ON THE 22ND.
IN 2013...A WET EARLY SPRING SNOWSTORM BROUGHT HEAVY SNOW TO
PARTS OF THE FRONT RANGE FOOTHILLS AND URBAN CORRIDOR. THE
HEAVIEST SNOWFALL OCCURRED NEAR THE FRONT RANGE FOOTHILLS
AND PALMER DIVIDE. NEAR BLIZZARD CONDITIONS FORCED THE
CLOSURE OF INTERSTATE 70 EAST OF DENVER. IN THE FOOTHILLS...
STORM TOTALS INCLUDED: 14.5 INCHES NEAR CONIFER; 14 INCHES
JUST SOUTHWEST OF ELDORADO SPRINGS AND INTERCANYON; 13
INCHES NEAR INDIAN HILLS; 12.5 INCHES NEAR PINECLIFFE;
11.5 INCHES NEAR GOLDEN; 11 INCHES NEAR JAMESTOWN AND
ROXBOROUGH; 10.5 INCHES NEAR BROOKVALE AND 10 INCHES AT
GENESEE. ACROSS THE URBAN CORRIDOR AND PALMER DIVIDE...
STORM TOTALS INCLUDED: 12.5 INCHES...8 MILES SOUTHEAST OF
WATKINS; 10.5 INCHES IN BOULDER...CENTENNIAL AND NORTHGLENN;
9.5 INCHES...JUST SOUTH OF AURORA; 9 INCHES IN WESTMINSTER;
8 INCHES AT LAFAYETTE; 7.5 INCHES NEAR MORRISON; 7 INCHES
IN ARVADA...BENNETT...BRIGHTON; 6 INCHES IN HIGHLANDS RANCH...
LONGMONT...LOUISVILLE AND THORNTON. OFFICIALLY...11.6 INCHES
OF SNOW FELL AT DIA FROM THE EVENING OF THE 22ND TO THE
AFTERNOON OF THE 23RD...WHICH SET A NEW TWO-DAY SNOWFALL
RECORD IN DENVER FOR THE DATE. IN ADDITION...A PEAK WIND
GUST TO 33 MPH WAS OBSERVED FROM THE EAST ON THE 22ND WITH
A GUST TO 30 MPH FROM THE NORTH ON THE 23RD.
IN 2016...A POWERFUL BLIZZARD DEVELOPED ACROSS THE FRONT
RANGE OF COLORADO LATE ON THE 22ND AND CONTINUED THROUGH
MUCH OF THE 23RD. THE STORM TRACKED EAST-SOUTHEAST ACROSS
UTAH ON THE 22ND...AND THEN INTO SOUTHEAST COLORADO BY THE
MORNING OF THE 23RD. THE STORM RAPIDLY INTENSIFIED AS IT
REACHED EASTERN COLORADO...PRODUCING EXTREMELY HEAVY AND
INTENSE SNOWFALL WITH SNOWFALL RATES EXCEEDING 3 INCHES
PER HOUR AT TIMES. IN ADDITION TO HEAVY SNOW...STRONG
WINDS GUSTING IN EXCESS OF 50 MPH EAST OF I-25 PRODUCED
WIDESPREAD BLIZZARD CONDITIONS AND ZERO VISIBILITIES. THE
STORM INITIALLY BEGAN WITH RAIN ON THE PLAINS...BUT QUICKLY
CHANGED OVER TO SNOW DURING THE EARLY MORNING HOURS OF THE
23RD. SNOWFALL RATES OF 1 TO 2 INCHES PER HOUR WERE
COMMON...WITH SEVERAL INCHES OF SNOW ALREADY ACCUMULATING
FOR THE MORNING COMMUTE. MANY ROADS BECAME IMPASSABLE DUE
TO THE DEPTH OF FALLEN SNOW...DRIFTING SNOW...AND NEAR ZERO
VISIBILITIES DURING THE DAY. DURING THE PEAK OF THE STORM...
SNOWFALL RATES REACHED OR EXCEEDED 3 INCHES PER HOUR.
WIDESPREAD ROAD CLOSURES OCCURRED...INCLUDING I-76 FROM
NORTHEAST OF DENVER TO THE NEBRASKA STATE LINE...I-70 EAST
OF DENVER TO THE KANSAS STATE LINE...AND MUCH OF I-25...
FROM NEAR CASTLE ROCK TO COLORADO SPRINGS. THE COLORADO
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION ESTIMATED OVER TWO THOUSAND
VEHICLES BECAME TRAPPED ON I-25 NEAR MONUMENT HILL ALONE...
WITH HUNDREDS OF STUCK OR ABANDONED CARS ELSEWHERE.
NUMEROUS POWER OUTAGES OCCURRED AS HEAVY WET SNOW
ACCUMULATED ON TREES...DESPITE THE STRONG WINDS. AT THE
PEAK...SEVERAL HUNDRED THOUSAND RESIDENTS ALONG THE FRONT
RANGE WERE WITHOUT POWER. DENVER INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
WAS CLOSED FOR 7 HOURS DURING AND JUST AFTER THE PEAK
OF THE BLIZZARD...WITH AROUND 1300 CANCELLED FLIGHTS.
THE POWER OUTAGES SHUT DOWN THE FUEL FARM PUMPS...THE
DEICING FACILITY...AS WELL AS TRAIN SERVICE TO THE
CONCOURSES AT THE AIRPORT. PE A BOULEVARD...THE MAIN ROAD
TO THE AIRPORT...WAS IMPASSABLE FOR MUCH OF THE DAY. IT
WAS THE FIRST TIME SINCE DECEMBER 21...2006 THAT DENVER
INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT HAD BEEN SHUT DOWN DUE TO EXTREME
WINTER WEATHER CONDITIONS. ONE TO 2 FEET OF SNOW FELL
ACROSS MUCH OF THE FRONT RANGE FOOTHILLS AND URBAN
CORRIDOR. IN THE FOOTHILLS OF NORTHERN JEFFERSON
COUNTY...31.5 INCHES OF SNOWFALL MEASURED AT PINECLIFFE.
MOST OF THE SNOW FELL WITHIN A 12-HR PERIOD FROM THE
EARLY MORNING INTO THE AFTERNOON. A PEAK WIND GUST OF
59 MPH RECORDED AT DENVER INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT. SOUTH
OF DENVER...OVER THE PALMER RIDGE...12 TO 18 INCHES OF
SNOW WAS REPORTED...WITH 6 TO 10 INCHES ACROSS THE
ADJACENT PLAINS. THE OFFICIAL SNOWFALL MEASUREMENT AT
DENVER INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT WAS 13.1 INCHES. IN
ADDITION...THE SNOW WAS VERY HEAVY AND WET...WITH MANY
AREAS RECEIVING 1 TO 2 INCHES PRECIPITATION. IN
THE FOOTHILLS...SOME LOCATIONS RECEIVED NEARLY 3 INCHES
OF WATER FROM THIS STORM.
22-24 IN 1965...A VIGOROUS COLD FRONT SWEPT ACROSS METRO DENVER
LATE ON THE AFTERNOON OF THE 22ND WITH EAST-NORTHEAST
WINDS GUSTING TO 38 MPH CAUSING SOME BLOWING DUST.
SNOWFALL FROM THE STORM TOTALED 4.4 INCHES AT STAPLETON
INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT. TEMPERATURES ON THE 22ND DROPPED
FROM A MAXIMUM OF 63 DEGREES TO 18 DEGREES IN JUST 10 HOURS
AND DIPPED TO 3 DEGREES BELOW ZERO ON THE MORNING OF THE
24TH. MAXIMUM TEMPERATURES WARMED TO ONLY 19 DEGREES ON
THE 23RD AND 18 DEGREES ON THE 24TH.
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