327
NOUS45 KBOU 070859
PNSBOU
COZ030>051-072300-
PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER/BOULDER CO
259 AM MDT SUN JUN 7 2026
..TODAY IN METRO DENVER WEATHER HISTORY
2-7 IN 1921...HEAVY RAINFALL FOR NEARLY A WEEK...FROM THE 2ND TO
THE 7TH...ON TOP OF STREAMS ALREADY SWOLLEN BY MOUNTAIN
SNOWMELT...PRODUCED WIDESPREAD FLOODING OVER THE SOUTH
PLATTE RIVER BASIN...INCLUDING THE TRIBUTARIES THROUGH THE
CANYONS TO THE WEST AND SOUTHWEST OF DENVER. HEAVY
RAINFALL OVER THE 6-DAY PERIOD TOTALED 3.36 INCHES IN
BOULDER...4.98 INCHES IN MORRISON...4.27 INCHES
IN CASTLE ROCK...AND 2.94 INCHES IN THE CITY OF DENVER.
RAINFALL AMOUNTS IN THE FOOTHILLS WERE ESTIMATED BETWEEN
3 AND 6 INCHES. THE NARROW-GAGE TRACKS OF THE COLORADO AND
SOUTHERN RAILROAD WERE DESTROYED IN THE PLATTE CANYON. FROM
THE MOUTH OF THE CANYON THROUGH THE CITY TO NEAR BRIGHTON...
THE RIVER SPREAD FROM 1/2 TO NEARLY 1 1/2 MILES WIDE...
FLOODING FARM AND PASTURE LAND AND DESTROYING OR DAMAGING
MANY BRIDGES. IN THE CITY...MANY BUSINESSES ALONG WITH AS
MANY AS 500 HOMES WERE INUNDATED...FORCING THEIR EVACUATION.
BRIDGES WERE SWEPT AWAY. THE HIGH WATERS FLOODED THE RAIL
YARDS AND STOCK YARDS IN LOWER DOWNTOWN...CLOSING THREE
ADJACENT PACKING HOUSES. THE HEAVY RAINS ALSO CAUSED
FLOODING ON BOULDER CREEK IN BOULDER ON THE 6TH.
6-7 IN 2004...FROM THE 6TH TO THE 7TH...A BRIEF HOT SPELL PRODUCED
3 TEMPERATURE RECORDS. HIGH TEMPERATURES OF 95 DEGREES ON
THE 6TH AND 98 DEGREES ON THE 7TH WERE RECORD MAXIMUM
TEMPERATURES FOR THE DATES. LOW TEMPERATURE OF 68 DEGREES
ON THE 7TH WAS A RECORD HIGH MINIMUM FOR THE DATE.
IN 2007...FROM THE 6TH TO THE 7TH...AN UNUSUALLY STRONG STORM
SYSTEM BROUGHT VERY STRONG WINDS TO THE FRONT RANGE
FOOTHILLS AND URBAN CORRIDOR. PEAK GUSTS INCLUDED: 92 MPH
AT BOULDER...85 MPH...2 MILES SOUTHWEST OF BOULDER...83 MPH...
10 MILES SOUTH OF BOULDER AND 55 MPH AT DENVER INTERNATIONAL
AIRPORT. HIGH WINDS FORCED THE CLOSURE OF MT. EVANS ROAD
AND TRAIL RIDGE ROAD. SEVERAL TREES WERE UPROOTED ACROSS
THE URBAN CORRIDOR. IN AURORA...THE DRIVER OF A CAR WAS
INJURED WHEN SOME BUILDING MATERIAL BLEW OFF THE FITZSIMMONS
COMPLEX. THE DEBRIS LANDED ON THE CAR AND KNOCKED THE
DRIVER UNCONCIOUS. THE WIND FORCED THE CANCELLATION OF 60
FLIGHTS AT DENVER INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT. XCEL REPORTED
OUTAGES IN BOULDER...DENVER...LAKEWOOD AND LONGMONT.
7 IN 1904...A THUNDERSTORM PRODUCED SOUTH WINDS TO 40 MPH WITH
GUSTS TO 50 MPH...BUT ONLY A TRACE OF RAIN.
IN 1942...HEAVY THUNDERSTORM RAINFALL IN SOUTH DENVER CAUSED
FLOODING OF SHOPS...STALLED MOTORISTS...AND HALTED TRAMWAY
SERVICE TEMPORARILY. LIGHTNING DAMAGED HOUSES...BUT THERE
WAS NO LOSS OF LIFE. PRECIPITATION TOTALED 0.53 INCH IN
DOWNTOWN DENVER.
IN 1951...A 24X65 FOOT ROOF OF A COW BARN WAS LIFTED OFF THE
BUILDING AND BLOWN TO THE GROUND BY A "TWISTER" NEAR FORT
LUPTON.
IN 1961...SMALL HAIL AND HEAVY RAIN DAMAGED PROPERTY AND CROPS
IN SOUTHWEST METRO DENVER...INCLUDING THE SOUTHWEST SECTION
OF THE CITY...LAKEWOOD...AND LITTLETON. PRECIPITATION TOTALED
1.20 INCH...11 MILES SOUTHWEST OF STAPLETON AIRPORT.
COMPLETE PRIMARY AND SECONDARY RAINBOWS WERE SIGHTED BY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OBSERVERS AT STAPLETON AIRPORT.
IN 1968...SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS MOVING TO THE NORTHEAST
THROUGH SECTIONS OF DENVER CAUSED LOCAL FLOODING OF STREETS
AND DAMAGE TO TREES AND GARDENS FROM HAIL 1/2 TO 1 3/4
INCHES IN DIAMETER. ONE MAN WAS KILLED AND 2 WERE INJURED
AT THE WELLSHIRE GOLF COURSE WHEN LIGHTNING STRUCK A TREE
UNDER WHICH THEY HAD TAKEN SHELTER. AT ANOTHER GOLF COURSE...
A MAN WAS MORTALLY INJURED BY LIGHTNING. MARBLE TO GOLF
BALL SIZE HAIL FELL OVER DOWNTOWN DENVER. HAIL TO 3/4 INCH
IN DIAMETER WAS MEASURED IN WESTMINSTER.
IN 1975...HAIL UP TO 3/4 INCH DIAMETER FELL IN BOULDER.
IN 1978...A MAN STANDING UNDER A TREE ON A GOLF COURSE IN
DENVER WAS STRUCK IN THE ARM BY LIGHTNING. WIND GUSTS TO
60 MPH AND GOLF BALL SIZE HAIL PELTED WEST AND SOUTH
DENVER.
IN 1986...7/8 INCH HAIL WAS MEASURED IN LAFAYETTE.
IN 1990...A THIN...ROPE-SHAPED TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN EAST OF THE
INTERSECTION OF STATE HIGHWAY 2 AND 96TH AVENUE JUST NORTH
OF THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN ARSENAL. NO DAMAGE WAS REPORTED.
IN 1992...A THUNDERSTORM WIND GUST TO 60 MPH WAS RECORDED IN
BOULDER. A FUNNEL CLOUD WAS SIGHTED BY A HIGHWAY PATROL
OFFICER JUST NORTHWEST OF STAPLETON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
WHERE THUNDERSTORM WINDS GUSTED TO 51 MPH. SPOTTERS AND
STATE PATROL OFFICERS REPORTED FUNNEL CLOUDS IN THE
NORTHWESTERN PART OF METRO DENVER...NEAR GOLDEN...AND 7 MILES
NORTHWEST OF STAPLETON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT.
IN 1993...NON-CONVECTIVE HIGH WINDS PUMMELED THE FRONT RANGE
FOOTHILLS DURING THE LATE MORNING AND AFTERNOON. SPEEDS OF
60 TO 80 MPH WERE COMMON. THE WINDS CAUSED SEVERAL POWER
OUTAGES AS WELL AS UPROOTING TREES. IN LAFAYETTE...A 4-YEAR-
OLD BOY WAS SLIGHTLY INJURED WHILE STANDING ON THE ROOTS OF
A LARGE TREE WHICH WAS TOPPLED BY THE WINDS. THE BOY FELL
10 FEET TO THE GROUND AND WAS BRUISED AND SCRAPED. A TREE
FELL ONTO A PARKED CAR IN BOULDER...CAUSING ABOUT 35 HUNDRED
DOLLARS IN DAMAGE. WEST WIND GUSTS TO 41 MPH WERE RECORDED
AT STAPLETON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT WHERE A THUNDERSTORM
PRODUCED 1/8 INCH HAIL AT DAYBREAK.
IN 1995...SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCED LARGE HAIL ACROSS
WEST AND NORTH METRO DENVER FROM GOLDEN TO WESTMINSTER
AND FORT LUPTON. HAIL RANGED IN SIZE FROM 3/4 TO 2 INCHES
IN DIAMETER. THE LARGEST HAIL FELL IN FORT LUPTON. A WEAK
TORNADO PRODUCED A BRIEF DUST AND DEBRIS CLOUD IN A CORN
FIELD 3 MILES NORTHEAST OF HUDSON.
IN 1997...TWO PLUMBERS WERE INJURED...ONE CRITICALLY...WHEN
LIGHTNING STRUCK A PIPE ON WHICH THEY WERE WORKING IN
AN APARTMENT BUILDING UNDER CONSTRUCTION IN DENVER. THE
BOLT APPARENTLY HIT ONE MAN IN THE HAND...PASSED THROUGH
HIS CHEST...AND STRUCK THE OTHER WORKER. THE CRITICALLY
INJURED MAN...DIED A FEW DAYS LATER. LIGHTNING ALSO
INJURED A MAN...WHILE HE WAS TALKING ON A TELEPHONE IN
WARD. THE BOLT PASSED THROUGH THE PHONE LINE BURNING
HIS EAR.
IN 2001...HAIL AS LARGE AS 7/8 INCH IN DIAMETER FELL IN
WESTMINSTER.
IN 2009...SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IN DENVER AND THE
SURROUNDING METROPOLITAN AREA PRODUCED FIVE TORNADOES...
LARGE HAIL...UP TO 3 INCHES IN DIAMETER...AND DAMAGING
THUNDERSTORM WINDS. THE TORNADO THAT PRODUCED THE MOST
SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TOUCHED DOWN IN SOUTHEAST AURORA...
SOUTH OF BUCKLEY AIRPORT; IT MOVED SOUTH-SOUTHEAST
ACROSS OPEN FIELDS...SOME RESIDENTIAL AREAS AND DAMAGED
SOUTHLANDS MALL. IT WAS 100 YARDS WIDE WITH A STORM
TRACK OF APPROXIMATELY 5 1/2 MILES. SOUTHLANDS MALL HAD
SOME ROOF AND WINDOW DAMAGE...AS WELL AS WALL DAMAGE TO
ONE OF ITS RESTURANTS. SOUTH OF THE MALL...LOWE'S
RECEIVED SOME ROOF DAMAGE; LIGHTWEIGHT SHEDS AND OTHER
STRUCTURES WERE ALSO DESTROYED. NUMEROUS HOMES AND
APARTMENTS SUFFERED WINDOW DAMAGE...MINOR ROOF DAMAGE AND
THERE WERE A FEW BROKEN GARAGE DOORS. ONE RESIDENT...NORTH
OF THE MALL...WAS INJURED WHEN HE WAS SWEPT OFF HIS PORCH
WHILE ATTEMPTING TO PHOTOGRAPH THE TORNADO. HE WAS FOUND
UNCONCIOUS AND BLEEDING IN HIS FRONT YARD...WITH A
DISLOCATED SHOULDER...AN INJURED NECK...AND NUMEROUS OTHER
INJURIES. IN ADDITION...THE TORNADO FLIPPED A TRAILER HOME.
A MAN INSIDE THE TRAILER SUFFERED MINOR INJURIES. IN PARTS
OF AURORA AND CENTENNIEL...THUNDERSTORM WINDS BLEW DOWN
POWER LINES AND CAUSED ELECTRICAL OUTAGES. APPROXIMATELY
8000 HOMES AND BUSINESSES WERE WITHOUT POWER FOR NEARLY
TWO HOURS. EARLIER IN THE DAY...A TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN
ABOUT 6 MILES NORTHWEST OF NORTHGLENN AND CAUSED MINOR
DAMAGE. IT'S PATH COVERED APPROXIMATELY 1/2 MILE.
SEVERAL TREES WERE DOWNED IN AN OPEN FIELD. THE TORNADO
ALSO DAMAGED A METAL FENCE AND CAUSED MINOR ROOF DAMAGE
TO A NEARBY RESIDENCE. THE THIRD TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN 7
MILES EAST-NORTHEAST OF BUCKLEY AIR FIELD AND FLIPPED A
SEMI-TRAILER AS IT PASSED OVER INTERSTATE 70. LASTLY...
TWO TORNADOES TOUCHED DOWN IN NORTHWEST ELBERT
COUNTY. ONE TORNADO DAMAGED SEVERAL OUTBUILDINGS...A
RESIDENCE...AND DOWNED SEVERAL TREES. IN ADDITION...
SEVERAL HORSES WERE INJURED BY FLYING METAL DEBRIS.
THE OTHER TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN IN OPEN COUNTRY. THIS
DAY WAS THE FIRST IN THE SERIES OF EIGHT TO CAUSE
DAMAGE ALONG THE URBAN CORRIDOR. DAMAGE TO HOMES AND
PROPERTY ALONG THE FRONT RANGE TOTALED $161 MILLION
DURING THE 8-DAY SPAN. THE MAJORITY OF THE PROPERTY
DAMAGE WAS CAUSED BY HAIL; 21000 AUTOMOBILE CLAIMS
AND 13000 HOMEOWNER CLAIMS WERE FILED.
IN 2012...SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS BROUGHT DAMAGING WIND AND
HAIL...HEAVY RAIN AND FLASH FLOODING. THE STORMS
PRODUCED HAIL FROM 1.5 TO 2.5 INCHES IN DIAMETER. IN
ADDITION TO THE LARGE HAIL...HEAVY RAIN FROM 1 TO 2
INCHES ALSO ACCOMPANIED THE STORMS. THE COMBINATION OF
HAIL AND HEAVY RAIN CAUSED EXTENSIVE STREET FLOODING
ACROSS AURORA...CASTLE ROCK...CENTENNIAL...CHERRY CREEK...
ENGLEWOOD...SOUTH DENVER...HIGHLANDS RANCH...LAKEWOOD AND
LITTLETON. THE HAIL WAS REPORTEDLY "KNEE DEEP" IN
SEVERAL AREAS MAKING ROADS IMPASSABLE. AS A RESULT...
SNOW PLOWS HAD TO BE SUMMONED TO CLEAR THE STREETS. IN
CASTLE ROCK...A KING SOOPERS SUPERMARKET SUSTAINED
EXTENSIVE DAMAGE WHEN ROOF PARTIALLY COLLAPSED UNDER
THE WEIGHT OF THE HAIL. AT DENVER INTERNATIONAL
AIRPORT...0.61 INCHES OF RAINFALL WAS AGAIN RECORDED
ALONG WITH A PEAK WIND GUST OF 40 MPH. TOTAL PROPERTY
DAMAGE ESTIMATES ALONG THE FRONT RANGE FOR THE 6TH AND
7TH COMBINED WAS 321.1 MILLION DOLLARS.
IN 2016...LARGE HAIL UP TO 1 INCH IN DIAMETER WAS OBSERVED
IN CASTLE ROCK.
IN 2021...A LANDSPOUT TORNADO DEVELOPED IN SOUTHWEST WELD
COUNTY...2 MILES NORTHEAST OF FIRESTONE. THE TORNADO
TRAVELED NORTH-NORTHEAST...AND ENDED 3 MILES NORTHWEST OF
PLATTEVILLE. THE TORNADO REACHED AN INTENSITY OF EF-1 ON
THE ENHANCED FUJITA SCALE...WITH ESTIMATED WIND SPEEDS OF
99 MPH. THERE WERE NO INJURIES...BUT AT LEAST TWO CALVES
WERE KILLED...AND SEVERAL CHICKENS. OTHER DAMAGE INCLUDED
A HOME LOCATED AT HIGHWAY 66 AND WELD COUNTY ROAD 21 THAT
CAUGHT FIRE DUE TO DOWNED POWER LINES. DOWNED POWER LINES
LED TO A CLOSURE OF WELD COUNTY ROAD 21 BETWEEN STATE
HIGHWAY 66 AND WELD COUNTY ROAD 32.5. THE LANDSPOUT WAS
MORE THAN 10000 FEET HIGH...AND COULD BE SEEN BY SPOTTERS
AS FAR AS 40 MILES AWAY. IT WAS ON THE GROUND FOR 35
MINUTES; IT WAS ESTIMATED TO BE 50 YARDS WIDE AND
TRAVELED A DISTANCE OF 7.5 MILES.
7-9 IN 1979...RAIN...AT TIMES WITH THUNDER ON THE 7TH...FELL ALMOST
CONTINUOUSLY THROUGH THE MORNING OF THE 9TH. RAINFALL
TOTALED 2.28 INCHES AT STAPLETON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
OVER THE 3 DAYS. HIGH TEMPERATURE OF ONLY 49 DEGREES ON
THE 8TH WAS A RECORD LOW MAXIMUM FOR THE DATE.
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