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NOUS45 KBOU 080859
PNSBOU
COZ030>051-082300-
PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER/BOULDER CO
259 AM MDT TUE SEP 8 2026
..TODAY IN METRO DENVER WEATHER HISTORY
1-30 IN 2020...A WORSENING DROUGHT THAT STARTED IN THE SPRING AND
CONTINUED THROUGH SEPTEMBER. OUTSIDE OF AN EARLY SEASON
SNOW ON THE 8TH...THE MONTH OF SEPTEMBER WAS ANOTHER
UNSEASONABLY WARM AND DRY PERIOD. THE COMBINATION
OF HOT...MOSTLY DRY CONDITIONS...AND CRITICALLY DRY FUELS...
RESULTED IN A CONTINUATION AND RAPID EXPANSION OF SEVERAL
MASSIVE WILDFIRES. THE CAMERON PEAK FIRE...WHICH BECAME THE
LARGEST IN THE STATE'S HISTORY STARTED ON AUGUST 13TH...AND
CONTINUED THROUGH SEPTEMBER. AS A RESULT...VERY POOR AIR
QUALITY CONTINUED TO IMPACT DENVER AND THE ENTIRE FRONT
RANGE. DENVER RECORDED THE MOST DAYS EVER WITH A HIGH
TEMPERATURE OF 90 DEGREES OR BETTER; 75 DAYS. THE LAST
OF WHICH WAS 91 DEGREES ON THE 24TH. THE PREVIOUS
RECORD WAS 73 DAYS SET IN 2012.
5-8 IN 2020...A STRONG UPPER LEVEL LOW BROUGHT AN END TO RECORD
HEAT TO THE FRONT RANGE URBAN CORRIDOR...AND PROVIDED DENVER
ITS SECOND EARLIEST MEASURABLE SNOWFALL ON RECORD. NUMEROUS
HEAT RECORDS WERE SET LEADING UP TO THE SNOWFALL...AND
SEVERAL NEW SNOWFALL AND COLD RECORDS WERE ALSO BROKEN IN
THIS ABRUPT BOUT WITH WINTER. DENVER SET ITS ALL TIME
RECORD HIGH FOR SEPTEMBER...REACHING 101 DEGREES DURING THE
AFTERNOON. THIS WAS ALSO THE LATEST DATE A 100 DEGREE
READING HAS EVER BEEN OBSERVED IN DENVER. ANOTHER DAILY
RECORD HIGH WAS THEN TIED ON SEPTEMBER 6TH WHEN DENVER HIT
97 DEGREES. SEPTEMBER 7TH WAS THE LAST DAY OF HEAT WHEN
DENVER'S HIGH TEMPERATURE REACHED 93 DEGREES. THAT TIED
DENVER FOR THE RECORD FOR THE NUMBER OF 90 DEGREE DAYS FOR
A YEAR AT 73...AND WAS ALSO THE WARMEST TEMPERATURE EVER
RECORDED BEFORE A DAY OF MEASURABLE SNOWFALL. BY THE
EVENING OF SEPTEMBER 7TH...A SERIES OF COLD FRONTS
PROGRESSED SOUTHWARD FROM WYOMING INTO COLORADO...
DROPPING THE TEMPERATURE INTO THE LOW 30S BY THE EARLY
MORNING HOURS OF SEPTEMBER 8TH. SNOW DEVELOPED ACROSS
THE FRONT RANGE MOUNTAINS AND FOOTHILLS OVERNIGHT...
WHILE A MIX OF RAIN AND SNOW DEVELOPED ALONG THE I-25
CORRIDOR. A FEW LOCATIONS PICKED UP LIGHT SNOWFALL
ACCUMULATIONS IN THE MORNING. ACCUMULATING SNOW WAS
MOSTLY CONFINED TO THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS MUCH OF THE
DAY...BEFORE SPREADING ACROSS THE PLAINS DURING THE
LATE AFTERNOON AND EVENING. STORM TOTALS RANGED FROM
4 TO 10 INCHES IN THE MOUNTAINS...WITH 3 TO 6 INCHES
NEAR THE FOOTHILLS. A TOTAL OF 5.6 INCHES OF SNOW
WAS MEASURED AT THE NWS BOULDER OFFICE...WHILE AT
DENVER INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT...THE OFFICIAL
MEASUREMENT WAS 1.0 INCH.
5-9 IN 1988...LAYERS OF SMOKE ALOFT FROM LARGE FOREST FIRES IN
YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK COMPLETELY OBLITERATED THE SUN
AT TIMES. AT STAPLETON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT...SURFACE
VISIBILITY WAS REDUCED AT TIMES TO 5 AND 6 MILES IN SMOKE.
5-13 IN 2010...THE FOURMILE CANYON WILDFIRE...NORTHWEST OF BOULDER...
BROKE OUT ON THE MORNING OF THE 5TH. IT ORIGINATED FROM
AN UNATTENDED FIRE PIT AT A LOCAL RESIDENCE. THE WILDFIRE
QUICKLY CONSUMED 5 1/2 SQUARE MILES OR 3500 ACRES THE
FIRST DAY...AND FORCED THE EVACUATION OF OVER THREE
THOUSAND RESIDENTS. ERRATIC 45-MPH GUSTS SENT THE FIRE IN
TWO DIRECTIONS AT TIMES. VERY DRY WEATHER CONDITIONS
PRECEDED THE FIRE. THE COMBINATION OF STRONG WINDS...LOW
RELATIVE HUMIDITIES AND DRY FUELS ALLOWED THE WILDFIRE
SPREAD RAPIDLY THROUGH THE STEEP...HEAVILY FORESTED TERRAIN.
THE FLAMES WERE REPORTEDLY 20 TO 50 FEET IN LENGTH. TOWNS
WITHIN THE BURN AREA INCLUDED SALINA...WALLSTREET AND GOLD
HILL. THE DRY CONDITIONS COUPLED WITH GUSTY WINDS RANGING
FROM 45 TO 64 MPH PERSISTED FOR SEVERAL MORE DAYS. FIRE
MANAGERS USED AS MANY AS 700 FIREFIGHTERS AND SUPPORT
PERSONNEL FROM 35 AGENCIES AND SEVEN AIR TANKERS TO BATTLE
THE WILDFIRE. A TOTAL OF 6181 SQUARE ACRES OR
APPROXIMATELY 10 SQUARE MILES WERE BURNED. THE FOURMILE
CANYON WILDFIRE WAS THE MOST DESTRUCTIVE FIRE IN COLORADO
HISTORY IN TERMS OF THE DAMAGE TO PERSONAL PROPERTY. IT
DESTROYED 171 HOMES WITH AN ESTIMATED COST OF 217 MILLION
DOLLARS.
7-8 IN 1884...A WINDSTORM FROM MID-AFTERNOON UNTIL THE EARLY
MORNING HOURS OF THE 8TH PRODUCED SOUTH WINDS SUSTAINED
TO 48 MPH. THE STRONG WINDS TOPPLED SEVERAL TREES IN
THE CITY.
IN 1892...THERE WAS A TRACE OF RAINFALL EACH DAY. THIS
TOGETHER WITH A TRACE OF RAIN ON BOTH THE 2ND AND 3RD WAS
THE ONLY RAINFALL OF THE MONTH...MAKING THE MONTH THE DRIEST
ON RECORD. THE RECORD WAS EQUALED IN 1944.
8 IN 1886...THE LAST THUNDERSTORM OF THE SEASON PELTED THE
CITY WITH HAIL THE SIZE OF BEANS AND DROPPED 0.81 INCH OF
PRECIPITATION.
IN 1962...THE EARLIEST FIRST FREEZE OF THE SEASON OCCURRED.
THE TEMPERATURE DIPPED TO A LOW OF 31 DEGREES.
IN 1973...HAIL UP TO 1 1/2 INCHES IN DIAMETER FELL NORTHEAST
OF BOULDER. A TORNADO WAS REPORTED BY A PILOT EAST OF
PARKER. NO DAMAGE WAS REPORTED.
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