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NOUS45 KBOU 080859
PNSBOU
COZ030>051-082300-
PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER/BOULDER CO
259 AM MDT FRI MAY 8 2026
..TODAY IN METRO DENVER WEATHER HISTORY
4-8 IN 1969...FROM THE 4TH TO THE 8TH...HEAVY RAINS CAUSED
FLOODING ON BOULDER CREEK IN BOULDER...WHICH RESULTED IN
ONE DEATH ON THE 7TH. FLOODING ALSO OCCURRED ON BEAR
CREEK IN SHERIDAN AND ON THE SOUTH PLATTE RIVER IN DENVER.
RAIN OVER MOST OF THE EASTERN FOOTHILLS STARTED LATE ON
THE 4TH AND CONTINUED WITH ONLY BRIEF INTERRUPTIONS IN
MANY AREAS UNTIL THE MORNING OF THE 8TH. VERY HIGH RATES
OF RAINFALL OCCURRED ON THE 6TH AND 7TH WITH THE GREATEST
INTENSITIES IN A BAND ALONG THE FOOTHILLS FROM ABOUT 25
MILES SOUTHWEST OF DENVER NORTHWARD TO ESTES PARK. STORM
TOTALS BY BOTH OFFICIAL AND UNOFFICIAL MEASUREMENTS
EXCEEDED 10 INCHES OVER MUCH OF THIS AREA AND WERE OVER 12
INCHES IN SOME LOCALITIES. HEAVY SNOW FELL IN THE HIGHER
MOUNTAINS AND IN THE FOOTHILLS LATER IN THE PERIOD. THE
SATURATION OF THE SOIL RESULTED IN NUMEROUS ROCK AND LAND
SLIDES...AND THE HEAVY RUN-OFF CAUSED SEVERE DAMAGE ALONG
MANY STREAMS AND FLOODING ON THE SOUTH PLATTE RIVER. MANY
FOOTHILL COMMUNITIES WERE ISOLATED AS HIGHWAYS WERE BLOCKED
AND COMMUNICATIONS DISRUPTED. ROADS WERE SEVERELY DAMAGED
OVER A WIDE AREA...AND A LARGE NUMBER OF BRIDGES WASHED OUT.
MANY ROADS WERE CLOSED DUE TO THE DANGER FROM FALLING
ROCKS. A BUILDING IN GEORGETOWN COLLAPSED FROM THE WEIGHT
OF HEAVY WET SNOW. IN BOULDER...A MAN DROWNED WHEN CAUGHT
BY THE FLOODING WATERS OF BOULDER CREEK...AND A PATROLMAN WAS
INJURED. RAINFALL TOTALED 7.60 INCHES IN BOULDER WITH
9.34 INCHES RECORDED AT THE PUBLIC SERVICE COMPANY ELECTRIC
PLANT IN BOULDER CANYON. IN MORRISON...RAINFALL TOTALED
11.27 INCHES IN 4 DAYS. HEAVY RAINFALL TOTALED 4.68 INCHES
AT STAPLETON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT OVER 3 DAYS FROM THE 5TH
THROUGH THE 7TH. RAINFALL OF 3.14 INCHES WAS RECORDED IN 24
HOURS ON THE 6TH AND 7TH. DOWNSTREAM FLOODING CONTINUED
ALONG THE SOUTH PLATTE RIVER UNTIL THE 12TH WHEN THE FLOOD
CREST REACHED THE NEBRASKA LINE.
7-8 IN 1958...RAINFALL FROM THE 7TH TO THE 8TH...TOTALED 2.50 INCHES
AT STAPLETON AIRPORT.
8 IN 1873...A VERY LIGHT RAIN FELL UNTIL 5:00 AM...WHEN IT
TURNED INTO LIGHT SNOW AND SLEET AND WAS ACCOMPANIED BY
BRISK NORTHEAST WINDS. THE SNOW FROZE AS IT FELL...
BREAKING THE TELEGRAPH LINES IN MANY PLACES.
PRECIPITATION TOTALED ONLY 0.14 INCH IN THE CITY.
IN 1883...A SEVERE RAIN AND HAILSTORM STRUCK THE CITY. IN
25 MINUTES THE HAIL WAS 5 INCHES DEEP IN THE VICINITY OF
THE WEATHER OFFICE IN DOWNTOWN DENVER AND REPORTED AS
DEEP AS 10 TO 12 INCHES IN OTHER PARTS OF THE CITY.
GUTTERS WERE BLOCKED BY THE HAIL...AND MANY CELLARS WERE
FLOODED. PRECIPITATION FROM THE STORM WAS 1.90 INCHES
WITH THE TOTAL FOR THE DAY RECORDED AT 2.02 INCHES. THE
SIZE OF THE HAIL WAS NOT RECORDED.
IN 1988...A WIND GUST TO 68 MPH WAS RECORDED AT ECHO LAKE.
NORTHWEST WINDS GUSTED TO 35 MPH AT STAPLETON AIRPORT.
IN 1995...HIGH WINDS OF UNKNOWN STRENGTH BLEW A CAMPER SHELL
FROM THE BACK OF A PICKUP TRUCK NEAR FORT LUPTON. NORTH
WINDS GUSTED TO 49 MPH AT DENVER INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT.
IN 1996...1 TO 2 INCH DIAMETER HAIL WAS MEASURED IN
LOCHBUIE NORTHEAST OF DENVER. BEAN SIZE HAIL FELL IN
BRIGHTON. THE LARGE HAIL FELL FROM SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS
TO THE NORTHEAST OF METRO DENVER.
IN 2003...TORNADOES TOUCHED DOWN BRIEFLY NEAR BRIGHTON...
WATKINS...AND STRASBURG...BUT DID NO REPORTED DAMAGE.
HAIL TO 3/4 INCH IN DIAMETER WAS MEASURED NEAR HUDSON.
IN 2017...SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS BROKE OUT ACROSS DENVER AND
THE SURROUNDING METRO AREA AND PRODUCED LARGE DAMAGING
HAIL...STRONG WINDS...HEAVY RAIN AND FLASH FLOODING. HAIL
UP TO BASEBALL SIZE...CAUSED EXTENSIVE PROPERTY DAMAGE TO
CARS...HOMES AND BUSINESSES ACROSS A LARGE PART OF DENVER
AND THE WESTERN SUBURBS INCLUDING ARVADA...LAKEWOOD AND
WHEAT RIDGE. ACCORDING TO THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN INSURANCE
AGENCY ASSOCIATION...THE STORM WAS COLORADO S MOST
EXPENSIVE INSURED CATASTROPHE...AROUND $2.3 BILLION...AND
THE SECOND COSTLIEST HAILSTORM IN THE UNITED STATES.
THE GROUP ESTIMATED MORE THAN 150000 AUTO INSURANCE
CLAIMS AND 50000 HOMEOWNER INSURANCE CLAIMS WOULD BE
FILED. BUSINESSES AND HOMES SUSTAINED HOLES IN SIDING
ALONG WITH BROKEN WINDOWS AND TORN SCREENS. A SEVERE
THUNDERSTORM PRODUCING LARGE HAIL...STRONG WINDS AND HEAVY
RAIN IMPACTED AREAS AROUND GREELEY AS WELL. THE HIGH COST
INCURRED FROM THE STORM WAS DUE TO A NUMBER OF FACTORS
INCLUDING: THE SIZE OF THE HAIL...THE DENSELY POPULATED
AREA...THE TIME OF DAY...THE ESCALATING COSTS TO REPAIR
HIGH-TECH CARS...AND MORE EXPENSIVE HOMES. COLORADO MILLS
MALL IN LAKEWOOD WAS SEVERELY DAMAGED AFTER HAIL BUSTED
SKYLIGHTS AND CAUSED FLOODING INSIDE STORES. THE COMMON
AREAS AND TENANT SPACES SUFFERED SUBSTANTIAL WATER DAMAGE.
EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS...MECHANICAL SYSTEMS...
INCLUDING HVAC AND LIGHTING...WERE EXPECTED TO KEEP THE MALL
CLOSED FOR SEVERAL MONTHS. IN LAKEWOOD...THE LOSS IN SALES
TAX WAS PROJECTED TO BE ABOUT $350000 PER MONTH...WHICH WAS
3 TO 4 PERCENT OF THE CITY'S MONTHLY BUDGET. PRESTIGE
IMPORTS IN LAKEWOOD...ESTIMATED 250 TO 300 AUDIS AND PORCHES
WERE DAMAGED BY THE STORM. SOME OF THOSE VEHICLES WERE
VALUED AT NEARLY $200000 EACH. SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE WAS
REPORTED AT LUTHERAN MEDICAL CENTER AFTER THE HAILSTORM TORE
THROUGH WHEAT RIDGE. THE HOSPITAL BUILDING AND SOME OF THE
MEDICAL OFFICE BUILDINGS SUSTAINED BROKEN WINDOWS. THE STORM
ALSO HIT THE OFFICE OF THE COLORADO BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION
IN LAKEWOOD. THE OFFICES WERE FLOODED...SEVERAL CUBICLES
DESTROYED...AND EVEN SOME CEILING TILES FELL OFF. THE STORM
DAMAGE PROMPTED SCHOOL OFFICIALS TO CLOSE ALL THIRTEEN ADAMS
12 FIVE STAR SCHOOLS IN COMMERCE CITY AND BEACH COURT
ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IN DENVER. MOST OF THE SCHOOLS IN THE
ADAMS 12 FIVE STAR DISTRICT WERE AT LEAST 50 YEARS OLD AND
SUSTAINED FLOOD DAMAGE. LARGE HAIL DAMAGED AN APARTMENT
BUILDING NEAR REGIS UNIVERSITY...SHATTERED WINDOWS AND
PUNCTURED THE SIDING ON THE WEST-FACING SIDE OF THE BUILDING.
HAIL AND HEAVY RAIN CLOGGED DRAINS AND CAUSED FLASH FLOODING
THROUGHOUT GREELEY. UP TO THREE FEET OF WATER COVERED THE
ROADWAY NEAR U.S. 34 AND U.S. 85. GREELEY FIREFIGHTERS HELPED
SEVERAL RESIDENTS GET OUT OF GARDEN LEVEL APARTMENTS THAT HAD
FLOODED. SEVERAL OTHER BUSINESSES AND BUILDINGS SUFFERED
FLOOD DAMAGE...INCLUDING GREELEY CITY HALL AND AN APARTMENT
COMPLEX IN EVANS. THE GREELEY MALL WAS EXTENSIVELY DAMAGED
WHEN WATER POURED INTO THE MALL FROM THE ROOF AND DEBRIS
INUNDATED THE MAIN FLOOR.
8-9 IN 1957...FROM THE 8TH TO THE 9TH...INTENSE HEAVY RAIN
CAUSED FLASH FLOODING ON TOLL GATE CREEK IN AURORA
WHERE 3 PEOPLE WERE KILLED IN A CAR. UP TO 4 INCHES OF
RAIN FELL IN 5 HOURS IN THE TOLL GATE CREEK BASIN.
THE RAIN ALSO CAUSED FLASH FLOODING ON SAND CREEK IN
AURORA AND DENVER. RAINFALL TOTALED 3.29 INCHES
AT STAPLETON AIRPORT WITH MOST OF THE RAIN...2.34 INCHES...
OCCURRING ON THE 9TH.
8-10 IN 1979...FROM THE 8TH TO THE 10TH...4.3 INCHES OF SNOW
FELL AT STAPLETON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT WHERE NORTHWEST
WINDS GUSTED TO 30 MPH ON THE 8TH. MOST OF THE SNOWFALL...
2.3 INCHES...OCCURRED ON THE 9TH. HIGH TEMPERATURE OF ONLY
35 DEGREES ON THE 9TH EQUALED THE RECORD LOW MAXIMUM FOR
THE DATE.
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