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NOUS45 KBOU 270859
PNSBOU
COZ030>051-272300-
PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER/BOULDER CO
259 AM MDT SUN SEP 27 2026
..TODAY IN METRO DENVER WEATHER HISTORY
25-27 IN 1996...AN EARLY SEASON SNOWSTORM BROUGHT HEAVY SNOW
TO THE FRONT RANGE EASTERN FOOTHILLS. SNOWFALL TOTALS
INCLUDED: 8 TO 12 INCHES AROUND CONIFER...7 INCHES ON
FLOYD HILL...AND 6 INCHES AT BOTH BAILEY AND CHIEF HOSA.
SNOWFALL TOTALED ONLY 4.7 INCHES AT THE SITE OF THE
FORMER STAPLETON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT. THIS WAS THE
FIRST MEASURABLE SNOW OF THE SEASON. AFTER THE PASSAGE
OF A STRONG COLD FRONT...NORTH WINDS GUSTED TO 38 MPH AT
DENVER INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT ON THE 25TH.
26-28 IN 1936...THE HEAVIEST SNOWFALL EVER RECORDED IN SEPTEMBER
AND THE HEAVIEST SNOWFALL EVER RECORDED SO EARLY IN THE
SEASON DUMPED A TOTAL OF 16.5 INCHES OF SNOW ON DOWNTOWN
DENVER AND 21.3 INCHES AT DENVER MUNICIPAL AIRPORT. THE
15.0 INCHES OF SNOW MEASURED FROM 6:00 PM ON THE 27TH TO
6:00 PM ON THE 28TH IS THE GREATEST 24 HOUR SNOWFALL EVER
RECORDED IN SEPTEMBER. THIS WAS THE FIRST SNOW OF THE
SEASON. THE SNOW WAS INTERMITTENT THROUGH THE 26TH...BUT
CONTINUOUS FROM EARLY AFTERNOON ON THE 27TH TO AROUND
MIDNIGHT ON THE 28TH...EXCEPT FOR A PERIOD OF RAIN DURING
THE AFTERNOON OF THE 28TH WHICH CONTRIBUTED TO A LOSS OF
DEPTH ON THE GROUND. THE GREATEST SNOW DEPTH ON THE GROUND
DOWNTOWN WAS 13 INCHES WITH 8 INCHES AT DENVER MUNICIPAL
AIRPORT. THERE WERE NO HIGH WINDS WITH THE STORM AND
TRAFFIC WAS INTERRUPTED FOR ONLY A SHORT PERIOD. THE
STORM PRODUCED PROPERTY DAMAGE ESTIMATED AT 7 MILLION
DOLLARS. WITH TREES AND SHRUBS IN FULL FOLIAGE...THE LEAVES
CAUGHT AND HELD THE HEAVY WATER-LADEN SNOW...UNTIL THE
BRANCHES SNAPPED FROM THE WEIGHT. MORE THAN 3000 WORKMEN
WERE CALLED TO REMOVE THE DEBRIS AND SNOW FROM THE CITY. THE
CITY FIREMEN WHO WERE OFF DUTY...AS WELL AS ALL THE RESERVES...
WERE ASKED TO REPORT TO THEIR STATIONS. ALL SCHOOLS IN THE
CITY REMAINED OPEN...BUT ATTENDANCE WAS ONLY 50 PERCENT OF
NORMAL. GRADE SCHOOL STUDENTS WERE SENT HOME AT NOON ON THE
28TH. THE EARLY STORM CAUGHT STOCKMEN WITH MANY CATTLE STILL
IN HIGHER RANGES. WARM WEATHER FOLLOWED THE SNOW...WHICH HAD
ALL MELTED BY THE END OF THE MONTH...EXCEPT FOR A FEW INCHES
IN SHELTERED PLACES.
27 IN 1877...SMOKE FROM HEAVY FOREST FIRES IN THE MOUNTAINS
SPREAD OVER THE CITY ON UPPER WIND CURRENTS.
IN 1935...THE FIRST SNOW OF THE SEASON WAS 2.8 INCHES IN
DOWNTOWN DENVER. THE LOW TEMPERATURE DIPPED TO 31
DEGREES FOR THE FIRST FREEZE OF THE SEASON.
27-28 IN 1984...HEAVY SNOW FELL OVER THE PLAINS AND FOOTHILLS.
SNOWFALL AMOUNTS RANGED FROM 2 TO 5 INCHES ON THE PLAINS
WITH UP TO A FOOT AT HIGHER ELEVATIONS IN THE FOOTHILLS.
THE MAIN PROBLEM CAUSED BY THE STORM WAS THOUSANDS OF
POWER OUTAGES CAUSED BY SNOW-LADEN TREE LIMBS SNAPPING AND
FALLING ONTO POWER LINES. OVER 15 THOUSAND HOMES LOST
POWER IN METRO DENVER. SOME CARS WERE DAMAGED BY FALLING
TREES AND LIMBS. THE SNOW ALSO CAUSED SOME FLIGHT DELAYS
AT STAPLETON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT WHERE 5.1 INCHES OF
SNOW FELL AND NORTHEAST WINDS GUSTED TO 29 MPH. MAXIMUM
SNOW DEPTH ON THE GROUND WAS 3 INCHES DUE TO MELTING. THE
HIGH TEMPERATURE OF ONLY 34 DEGREES ON THE 28TH WAS A
RECORD LOW MAXIMUM FOR THE DATE AND EQUALED THE ALL-TIME
RECORD FOR THE MONTH AT THAT TIME.
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