392
NOUS45 KBOU 090859
PNSBOU
COZ030>051-092300-
PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER/BOULDER CO
259 AM MDT FRI OCT 9 2026
..TODAY IN METRO DENVER WEATHER HISTORY
8-9 IN 2017...AN EARLY SEASON SNOWSTORM PRODUCED HEAVY WET SNOW
WHICH BROKE BRANCHES AND DOWNED POWER LINES. ABOUT NINETY-
EIGHT THOUSAND OUTAGES OCCURRED IN DENVER AND THE
SURROUNDING METRO AREA. ALMOST HALF THE OUTAGES WERE VERY
SHORT...WHILE 54210 WERE SUSTAINED OUTAGES THAT LASTED
LONGER THAN FIVE MINUTES. SOME HOWEVER LASTED FOR SEVERAL
HOURS. SNOW AMOUNTS VARIED GREATLY ALONG THE INTERSTATE 25
CORRIDOR. WEST OF I-25...STORM TOTALS INCLUDED: 7.5 INCHES
IN ARVADA...7 INCHES IN BROOMFIELD...6 INCHES BOULDER AND
LOUISVILLE...WITH 5 INCHES AT RALSTON RESERVOIR. EAST OF
I-25...STORM TOTALS RANGED FROM A TRACE TO 4 INCHES. IN
THE MOUNTAINS AND FOOTHILLS...STORM TOTALS INCLUDED: 12.5
INCHES NEAR GENESEE...10 INCHES AT ELDORADO SPRINGS...
IDLEDALE AND NEDERLAND...WITH 8.5 INCHES NEAR JAMESTOWN.
9 IN 1910...LIGHT SMOKE FROM FOREST FIRES IN THE MOUNTAINS WAS
SIGHTED OVER THE CITY.
IN 1982...NORTHWEST WINDS GUSTED TO 49 MPH AT STAPLETON
INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT.
9-10 IN 2005...FROM THE 9TH TO THE 10TH...A MAJOR WINTER STORM
BROUGHT HEAVY...WET SNOWFALL TO THE FRONT RANGE MOUNTAINS...
EASTERN FOOTHILLS...PORTIONS OF METRO DENVER...AND THE
PALMER DIVIDE. SNOW ACCUMULATIONS RANGED FROM 8 TO 26
INCHES WITH DRIFTS FROM 3 TO 4 FEET IN PLACES. THE
HEAVIEST SNOW OCCURRED TO THE EAST AND SOUTHEAST OF THE
CITY...CLOSING MOST MAJOR HIGHWAYS IN THAT AREA...INCLUDING
I-70 FROM DENVER TO LIMON. THE RED CROSS OPENED FOUR
SHELTERS FOR PEOPLE WHO WERE STRANDED ALONG I-70 IN
EASTERN COLORADO. SINCE MANY TREES HAD NOT YET SHED
THEIR LEAVES...THE STORM CAUSED SIGNIFICANT TREE
DAMAGE. ONE WOMAN IN DENVER WAS KILLED WHEN A TREE
BRANCH...8 TO 10 INCHES IN DIAMETER...SNAPPED UNDER THE
WEIGHT OF THE HEAVY...WET SNOW AND STRUCK HER AS SHE WAS
SHOVELING HER DRIVEWAY. XCEL ENERGY REPORTED POWER
OUTAGES TO ABOUT 35 THOUSAND CUSTOMERS. SEVERAL
INCOMING FLIGHTS WERE DELAYED AT DENVER INTERNATIONAL
AIRPORT. SNOW TOTALS INCLUDED: 16 INCHES IN THE
FOOTHILLS NEAR BOULDER...12 INCHES AT GENESEE AND NEAR
GOLDEN...22 INCHES NEAR WATKINS...19 INCHES NEAR
BENNETT...17 INCHES SOUTHEAST OF AURORA...14 INCHES NEAR
PARKER...13 INCHES NEAR CASTLE ROCK...12 INCHES IN CENTENNIAL...
11 INCHES IN PARKER...AND 10 INCHES AT DENVER INTERNATIONAL
AIRPORT AND IN LITTLETON. WHILE MANY AREAS OF METRO DENVER
RECEIVED HEAVY SNOW...OTHERS EXPERIENCED ALMOST ENTIRELY RAIN.
THIS INCLUDED WEST AND NORTHWEST METRO DENVER...BOULDER...AND
LONGMONT. RAINFALL AMOUNTS WERE SIGNIFICANT AS STORM TOTALS
RANGED BETWEEN 1.50 AND 2.50 INCHES. THE STEADY RAINFALL
TRIGGERED 3 ROCKSLIDES IN FOOTHILLS CANYONS. TWO OF THE
SLIDES OCCURRED ON STATE HIGHWAY 119 IN BOULDER CANYON AND
THE LONGEST SLIDE...7 FEET IN LENGTH...ON STATE HIGHWAY 74 IN
BEAR CREEK CANYON AT IDLEDALE. NORTH WINDS WERE SUSTAINED
TO AROUND 23 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 31 MPH AT DENVER INTERNATIONAL
AIRPORT ON THE 9TH. THE HIGH TEMPERATURE OF ONLY 34 DEGREES
ON THE 10TH WAS A RECORD LOW MAXIMUM FOR THE DATE. THE LOW
TEMPERATURE ON BOTH DAYS WAS 32 DEGREES.
IN 2019...A VIGOROUS WINTER LIKE STORM SYSTEM BROUGHT INTENSE
NORTHERLY WINDS AND THE COLD FRONT BLASTED THROUGH THE URBAN
CORRIDOR. PEAK WIND GUSTS FROM 50 TO 60 MPH ACCOMPANIED THE
FRONT. SOME TREES IN DENVER WERE UPROOTED BY THE STRONG
WINDS. LIGHT RAIN AND DRIZZLE OVERNIGHT...CHANGED OVER TO THE
SEASON'S FIRST SNOW DURING THE PREDAWN HOURS OF THE 10TH.
BANDS OF MODERATE TO HEAVY SNOW BROUGHT 2 TO 6 INCHES OF
SNOW IN THE FRONT RANGE MOUNTAINS...FOOTHILLS AND URBAN
CORRIDOR. THE MORNING COMMUTE WAS ESPECIALLY HAZARDOUS AS
FALLING TEMPERATURES FROZE WET ROADS. MULTIPLE CRASHES
OCCURRED INCLUDING: I-25 IN DENVER...I-70 FROM DENVER WEST
TO THE EISENHOWER TUNNEL AND STATE HIGHWAY 285 TOWARDS
FAIRPLAY. OVER 300 CRASHES WERE REPORTED IN DENVER AND
AURORA ALONE. AFTER REACHING A MAXIMUM TEMPERATURES OF
83 DEGREES ON THE AFTERNOON OF THE 9TH...THE TEMPERATURE
PLUMMETED TO 13 DEGREES ON THE 10TH. A TEMPERATURE CHANGE
OF 70 DEGREES...THE SECOND LARGEST 2-DAY SWING FOR THE
MONTH OF OCTOBER IN DENVER WEATHER HISTORY.
CLICK HERE TO GO TO PREVIOUS BULLETINS.
Main Text Page