671
NOUS45 KBOU 230859
PNSBOU
COZ030>051-232300-
PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER/BOULDER CO
259 AM MDT SAT MAY 23 2026
..TODAY IN METRO DENVER WEATHER HISTORY
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.
20-27 IN 2002...LIGHTNING SPARKED A WILDFIRE NEAR DECKERS THE
CONTINUED FROM THE 20TH TO THE 27TH. EXTREMELY DRY
CONDITIONS AND VERY STRONG WINDS THE FOLLOWING DAY ALLOWED
THE FIRE...KNOWN AS THE SCHOONOVER...TO CONSUME 3850 ACRES
BEFORE IT COULD BE CONTAINED. THIRTEEN STRUCTURES WERE
DESTROYED...INCLUDING 4 HOMES...RESULTING IN 2.2 MILLION
DOLLARS IN DAMAGE.
21-23 IN 1876...FROM THE 21ST TO THE 23RD...SNOW CHANGED TO HEAVY
RAIN OVER THE CITY...RESULTING IN WIDESPREAD FLOODING
ALONG CHERRY CREEK AND THE SOUTH PLATTE RIVER...NEARLY AS
GREAT AS THE FLASH FLOOD OF MAY 19-20...1864. HOWEVER...
DAMAGE WAS GREATER BECAUSE THE CITY HAD GROWN MUCH LARGER
AND THERE WERE MORE BRIDGES FOR THE FLOOD WATERS TO
DESTROY. PRECIPITATION IN THE CITY TOTALED 6.70 INCHES
FROM 10:00 PM ON THE 21ST THROUGH 3:00 AM ON THE 23RD. THE
GREATEST PRECIPITATION EVER RECORDED IN DENVER IN 24 HOURS...
6.53 INCHES...OCCURRED ON THE 21ST AND 22ND. SMALL
BUILDINGS AND BRIDGES ALONG CHERRY CREEK WERE WASHED AWAY
BY THE FLOOD WATERS. BRIDGES OVER THE SOUTH PLATTE RIVER
WERE DAMAGED. THE CITY IRRIGATION DITCH WAS DAMAGED AND
RENDERED UNFIT FOR SERVICE. STRONG WINDS AT SPEEDS OF 30
TO 40 MPH DROVE THE HEAVY RAIN THROUGH BRICK WALLS 12 TO
16 INCHES THICK. MANY SHEEP AND CATTLE WERE EITHER KILLED
BY LIGHTNING OR DROWNED...INCLUDING SOME 100 HEAD OF CATTLE
IN JEFFERSON COUNTY ALONE. THERE WAS IMMENSE DAMAGE TO
RAILROAD TRACKS...ESPECIALLY THE KANSAS PACIFIC LINE TO THE
EAST OF THE CITY. THE COLORADO CENTRAL SUFFERED ESTIMATED
DAMAGE OF 10 TO 15 THOUSAND DOLLARS. IN ADDITION...THE
HEAVY RAIN CAUSED EXTENSIVE FLOODING ON SODA AND BEAR CREEKS
IN THE FOOTHILLS. FLOODING ALONG BOULDER CREEK INUNDATED
FARM AND PASTURE LAND IN THE BOULDER VALLEY AND DAMAGED A
FEW BRIDGES. RAIL TRAVEL HAD TO BE SUSPENDED IN THE AREA
FOR SEVERAL DAYS.
22-23 IN 1933...FROM THE 22ND TO THE 23RD...HIGH WINDS AND GALES
OVERNIGHT CAUSED CONSIDERABLE DAMAGE IN AND NEAR THE CITY.
MUCH GREENHOUSE GLASS WAS BROKEN...WHICH CAUSED DAMAGE TO
SHELTERED PLANTS. GREAT NUMBERS OF PLANTS GROWING IN THE
OPEN WERE DAMAGED OR KILLED BY WIND-DRIVEN SAND AND SOIL.
FIELDS WERE ERODED BY THE WIND AND A FEW TREES WERE
UPROOTED. WEST WINDS WERE SUSTAINED TO 38 MPH WITH GUSTS
AS HIGH AS 65 MPH IN DOWNTOWN DENVER ON THE 22ND.
23 IN 1916...SOUTHEAST WINDS WERE SUSTAINED TO 43 MPH WITH
GUSTS AS HIGH AS 52 MPH. THE WINDS WERE STRONG FOR
SEVERAL HOURS DURING THE AFTERNOON.
IN 1965...THUNDERSTORM OUTFLOW WIND GUSTS TO 59 MPH WERE
RECORDED AT STAPLETON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT.
IN 1987...SLOW MOVING THUNDERSTORMS BOMBARDED METRO DENVER.
ONE INCH DIAMETER HAIL WAS REPORTED IN SOUTH CENTRAL
DENVER. TORRENTIAL RAIN CAUSED WIDESPREAD STREET FLOODING...
STALLING TRAFFIC THROUGHOUT THE AREA. RAINFALL TOTALED
2.10 INCHES IN JUST 25 MINUTES IN EXTREME SOUTHEAST AURORA.
MANY OTHER LOCATIONS IN AURORA AND EAST DENVER REPORTED 1 TO
1 1/2 INCHES OF RAIN IN ABOUT 30 MINUTES. THUNDERSTORM
RAINFALL TOTALED 1.33 INCHES AT STAPLETON INTERNATIONAL
AIRPORT WHERE 1/4 INCH DIAMETER HAIL WAS MEASURED AND NORTH
WINDS GUSTED TO 40 MPH. A MAN WAS SLIGHTLY INJURED BY
LIGHTNING NEAR STAPLETON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT. LIGHTNING
ALSO STARTED A FIRE THAT SEVERELY DAMAGED A HOUSE IN AURORA.
IN 1990...A MICROBURST WIND GUST TO 52 MPH AT STAPLETON
INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT PRODUCED SOME BLOWING DUST.
IN 1991...THUNDERSTORMS MOVING FROM SOUTHWESTERN SECTIONS OF
METRO DENVER TO THE EAST OF DENVER PRODUCED LARGE HAIL UP
TO GOLF BALL SIZE. AN ESTIMATED 5 THOUSAND HOMES AND
8 THOUSAND CARS RECEIVED CONSIDERABLE DAMAGE. EARLY
ESTIMATES PLACED DAMAGE COSTS AROUND 60 MILLION DOLLARS.
THREE FUNNEL CLOUDS WERE ALSO REPORTED...TWO BY PERSONNEL
AT BUCKLEY FIELD AND THE OTHER BY A STORM SPOTTER. HEAVY
RAIN PRODUCED STREET FLOODING IN AURORA WHERE HAIL
ACCUMULATED TO A DEPTH OF 6 INCHES. AS THE STORMS MOVED
TO THE EAST...GOLF BALL SIZE HAIL WAS REPORTED AT STRASBURG.
IN 1997...HAIL TO 3/4 INCH DIAMETER FELL IN BROOMFIELD.
IN 2002...A VERY STRONG MICROBURST NEAR STRASBURG SWEPT A
WOMAN INTO A SWIRL OF DIRT AND CARRIED HER ABOUT 150 FEET.
THE WOMAN WAS IN AN OPEN FIELD...CORRALLING A YEARLING HORSE...
WHEN THE INCIDENT OCCURRED. FORTUNATELY...SHE RECEIVED ONLY
MINOR INJURIES.
23-24 IN 2002...FROM THE 23RD TO THE 24TH...A PACIFIC STORM SYSTEM
BROUGHT MUCH NEEDED SNOW TO THE MOUNTAINS AND FOOTHILLS
WITH A MIX OF RAIN AND SNOW ON THE PLAINS. THE MOST SNOW
FELL FROM CENTRAL JEFFERSON COUNTY NORTHWARD. SNOW TOTALS
INCLUDED: 13 INCHES IN COAL CREEK CANYON...11 INCHES NEAR
EVERGREEN AND ATOP GOLD HILL...10 INCHES NEAR BLACKHAWK AND
CONIFER AND ATOP CROW HILL...9 INCHES NEAR ROLLINSVILLE...AND
8 INCHES NEAR GENESEE AND GOLDEN. RAIN WAS MIXED WITH SNOW
ACROSS THE CITY. PRECIPITATION TOTALED 0.61 INCH AT DENVER
INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT. SNOWFALL WAS LESS THAN AN INCH AT
THE SITE OF THE FORMER STAPLETON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT. THE
STORM BROUGHT UNSEASONABLY COLD AIR TO METRO DENVER. THREE
TEMPERATURE RECORDS WERE SET. LOW TEMPERATURE OF 31 DEGREES
ON THE 23RD WAS A RECORD MINIMUM FOR THE DATE...AS WAS THE
LOW OF 32 DEGREES ON THE 24TH. THE HIGH TEMPERATURE OF
ONLY 48 DEGREES EQUALED THE RECORD LOW MAXIMUM FOR THE DATE.
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