793
NOUS45 KBOU 150859
PNSBOU
COZ030>051-152300-
PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER/BOULDER CO
259 AM MDT THU OCT 15 2026
..TODAY IN METRO DENVER WEATHER HISTORY
13-16 IN 1873...THE 13TH THROUGH THE 16TH...SMOKE FROM SEVERAL LARGE
FOREST FIRES IN THE MOUNTAINS MADE THE AIR VERY HAZY IN THE
CITY.
15 IN 1871...A TERRIBLE WIND OCCURRED DURING A SNOW STORM IN THE
FOOTHILLS ABOVE BOULDER. DAMAGE WAS MINOR.
IN 1878...HIGH WINDS REACHED SUSTAINED SPEEDS OF 60 MPH AT
TIMES.
IN 1911...POST-FRONTAL NORTHWEST WINDS WERE SUSTAINED TO
41 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 43 MPH.
IN 1948...STRONG WINDS STRUCK THE BOULDER AREA. WINDS
AVERAGED 50 MPH AT VALMONT JUST EAST OF BOULDER. WIND
GUSTS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH WERE RECORDED AT THE BOULDER
AIRPORT. WIND GUSTS TO 40 MPH BRIEFLY REDUCED THE
VISIBILITY TO 1 1/2 MILES IN BLOWING DUST AT STAPLETON
AIRPORT.
IN 1980...A RARE OCTOBER TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN IN BOULDER...
DAMAGING A VOCATIONAL TRAINING BUILDING AND THROWING THREE
NEARBY CARS TOGETHER DAMAGING THEM EXTENSIVELY. A MILE AND
HALF AWAY SEVERAL CAMPER VEHICLES WERE THROWN 200 FEET.
THE STORM ALSO PRODUCED 1 INCH DIAMETER HAIL IN THE BOULDER
AREA.
15-16 IN 1928...A THUNDERSTORM PRODUCED HAIL SHORTLY AFTER MIDNIGHT
ON THE 15TH. RAIN CHANGED TO SNOW BY EVENING. THROUGH THE
AFTERNOON OF THE 16TH...THE HEAVY SNOWFALL TOTALED 7.3 INCHES
IN THE CITY. NORTH WINDS WERE SUSTAINED TO 23 MPH ON THE
15TH.
IN 1984...THE HEAVIEST OCTOBER SNOWSTORM IN SEVERAL YEARS HIT
EASTERN COLORADO WITH A VENGEANCE. THE STORM WAS KNOWN AS
THE "BRONCO BLIZZARD" SINCE IT OCCURRED DURING A NATIONALLY
TELEVISED MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL GAME IN DENVER; THEY HELD
ON AND DEFEAT GREEN BAY BY A SCORE OF 17-14. ONE TO TWO
FEET OF SNOW FELL NEAR THE FOOTHILLS IN WEST METRO DENVER
WITH 2 TO 3 FEET IN THE FOOTHILLS. WIND GUSTS UP TO
55 MPH WHIPPED THE SNOW INTO DRIFTS AS HIGH AS 4 FEET.
THE STORM CLOSED SCHOOLS...ROADS...AND AIRPORTS. I-70
WAS CLOSED BOTH EAST AND WEST OF DENVER. I-25 WAS CLOSED
SOUTH TO COLORADO SPRINGS. FLIGHTS WERE DELAYED FOR
SEVERAL HOURS AT STAPLETON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT. POWER
OUTAGES WERE WIDESPREAD. SNOWFALL TOTALED 9.2 INCHES AT
STAPLETON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT WHERE NORTH WINDS GUSTING
AS HIGH AS 40 MPH CAUSED FREQUENT SURFACE VISIBILITIES OF
1/4 TO 1/2 MILE IN MODERATE TO HEAVY SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW
OVERNIGHT. THE HIGH TEMPERATURE OF ONLY 35 DEGREES ON THE
15TH WAS A RECORD LOW MAXIMUM FOR THE DATE.
15-17 IN 1989...THE 15TH TO THE 17TH...AN AUTUMN SNOWSTORM HIT METRO
DENVER WITH 2 TO 6 INCHES OF SNOW. SNOWFALL TOTALED 4.4
INCHES AT STAPLETON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT WHERE THE
MAXIMUM SNOW DEPTH ON THE GROUND WAS ONLY 3 INCHES DUE TO
MELTING AND NORTH WINDS GUSTED TO 25 MPH ON THE 15TH. THE
HEAVY WET SNOW CAUSED LEAFY BRANCHES TO SAG ONTO POWER
LINES...RESULTING IN A NUMBER OF POWER OUTAGES. FIVE
THOUSAND HOMES WERE BLACKED OUT IN BOULDER ON THE 16TH.
UP TO A FOOT OF SNOW FELL IN THE HIGHER FOOTHILLS WITH 19
INCHES RECORDED AT ECHO LAKE.
CLICK HERE TO GO TO PREVIOUS BULLETINS.
Main Text Page