703
NOUS45 KBOU 190859
PNSBOU
COZ030>051-192300-
PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER/BOULDER CO
259 AM MDT THU MAR 19 2026
..TODAY IN METRO DENVER WEATHER HISTORY
9-19 IN 1906...AN EXTENDED COLD AND BLUSTERY PERIOD OCCURRED WITH
LIGHT SNOW TOTALING 14.4 INCHES OVER 11 CONSECUTIVE DAYS.
THE GREATEST AMOUNT OF SNOW ON A SINGLE DAY WAS 4.0 INCHES
ON THE 15TH. ONLY A TRACE OF SNOW FELL ON THE 12TH AND 17TH.
HIGH TEMPERATURES WERE BELOW FREEZING FOR THE ENTIRE PERIOD.
THE COLDEST WERE 14 DEGREES ON THE 16TH AND 18 DEGREES ON THE
17TH. BOTH READINGS WERE RECORD LOW MAXIMUMS FOR THE DATES.
LOW TEMPERATURES WERE MOSTLY IN THE SINGLE DIGITS. THE
COLDEST WERE 2 DEGREES BELOW ZERO ON THE 16TH AND 5 DEGREES
BELOW ZERO ON THE 19TH. NORTHEAST WINDS WERE SUSTAINED TO
22 MPH ON THE 9TH. NORTH WINDS WERE SUSTAINED TO 36 MPH ON
THE 10TH...32 MPH ON THE 13TH...AND 22 MPH ON THE 15TH.
17-19 IN 1933...RAIN CHANGED TO SNOW ON THE EVENING OF THE 17TH
AND CONTINUED THROUGH MID-DAY OF THE 19TH. SNOWFALL
TOTALED 5.6 INCHES WITH 0.83 INCH OF PRECIPITATION IN
IN THE CITY. NORTH WINDS WERE SUSTAINED TO 38 MPH WITH
GUSTS TO 46 MPH ON THE 18TH AND TO 30 MPH WITH GUSTS TO
43 MPH ON THE 19TH.
IN 2003...ONE OF THE WORST BLIZZARDS SINCE HISTORIC RECORDS
BEGAN IN 1872 STRUCK METRO DENVER WITH A VENGEANCE. HEAVY
WET SNOW ACCUMULATING TO AROUND 3 FEET IN THE CITY AND TO
MORE THAN 7 FEET IN THE FOOTHILLS BROUGHT TRANSPORTATION
TO A NEAR STANDSTILL. NORTH WINDS SUSTAINED TO 30 MPH WITH
GUSTS AS HIGH AS 41 MPH PRODUCED DRIFTS TO 6 FEET IN THE
CITY. THE ESTIMATED COST OF PROPERTY DAMAGE ALONE...NOT
INCLUDING LARGE COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS...WAS 93 MILLION DOLLARS...
MAKING IT THE COSTLIEST SNOWSTORM EVER. MAYOR WELLINGTON
WEBB OF DENVER SAID..."THIS IS THE STORM OF THE CENTURY...A
BACKBREAKER...A RECORD BREAKER...A ROOF BREAKER." TWO PEOPLE
DIED IN AURORA FROM HEART ATTACKS AFTER SHOVELING THE HEAVY
WET SNOW. THE NATIONAL GUARD SENT 40 SOLDIERS AND 20 HEAVY
DUTY VEHICLES TO RESCUE STRANDED TRAVELERS ALONG I-70 EAST
OF GUN CLUB ROAD. THE HEAVY WET SNOW CAUSED ROOFS OF HOMES
AND BUSINESSES TO COLLAPSE. THE SNOW ALSO DOWNED TREES...
BRANCHES...AND POWER LINES. TWO PEOPLE WERE INJURED WHEN THE
ROOFS OF THEIR HOMES COLLAPSED. IN DENVER ALONE...AT LEAST
258 STRUCTURES WERE DAMAGED. IN ARVADA...A ROOF COLLAPSE AT
WEST GATE STABLES KILLED A HORSE. UP TO 135 THOUSAND PEOPLE
LOST POWER DURING THE STORM...AND IT TOOK SEVERAL DAYS FOR
POWER TO BE RESTORED IN SOME AREAS. DENVER INTERNATIONAL
AIRPORT WAS CLOSED...STRANDING ABOUT 4000 TRAVELERS. THE
WEIGHT OF THE HEAVY SNOW CAUSED A 40-FOOT GASH IN A PORTION
OF THE TENT ROOF...FORCING THE EVACUATION OF THAT SECTION OF
THE MAIN TERMINAL BUILDING. AVALANCHES IN THE MOUNTAINS AND
FOOTHILLS CLOSED MANY ROADS...INCLUDING I-70...STRANDING
HUNDREDS OF SKIERS AND TRAVELERS. ALONG I-70...AN AVALANCHE
RELEASED BY THE COLORADO DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION...BLOCKED
THE INTERSTATE IN BOTH DIRECTIONS FOR SEVERAL HOURS. SEVERAL
RESIDENCES BETWEEN BAKERVILLE AND SILVER PLUME WERE EVACUATED
BECAUSE OF THE HIGH AVALANCHE DANGER. AT ELDORA SKI AREA...270
SKIERS WERE STRANDED WHEN AN AVALANCHE CLOSED THE MAIN ACCESS
ROAD. AFTER THE STORM ENDED...A MILITARY HELICOPTER HAD TO
FERRY FOOD TO THE RESORT UNTIL THE ROAD COULD BE CLEARED. THE
HEAVY SNOW TRAPPED THOUSANDS OF RESIDENTS IN THEIR FOOTHILLS
HOMES IN JEFFERSON COUNTY FOR SEVERAL DAYS. TWO HOMES BURNED
TO THE GROUND WHEN FIRE CREWS COULD NOT REACH THE RESIDENCES.
SOME SCHOOLS REMAINED CLOSED WELL INTO THE FOLLOWING WEEK.
THE STORM OFFICIALLY DUMPED 31.8 INCHES OF SNOW AT THE SITE OF
THE FORMER STAPLETON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT...THE MOST SNOWFALL
FROM A SINGLE STORM SINCE THE ALL-TIME RECORD SNOWFALL OF 37.5
INCHES ON DECEMBER 4-5...1913. THE STORM MADE MARCH 2003 THE
SNOWIEST MARCH ON RECORD...THE 4TH SNOWIEST MONTH ON RECORD...
AND THE 5TH WETTEST MARCH ON RECORD. THE 22.9 INCHES OF SNOW
ON THE 18TH INTO THE 19TH WAS THE GREATEST 24 HOUR SNOWFALL
EVER RECORDED IN THE CITY DURING THE MONTH OF MARCH. THE
STORM WAS ALSO A DROUGHT-BUSTER...BREAKING 19 CONSECUTIVE
MONTHS OF BELOW NORMAL PRECIPITATION IN THE CITY. SNOWFALL
ACROSS METRO DENVER RANGED FROM 2 FEET TO MORE THAN 3 FEET.
THE HIGHEST AMOUNTS INCLUDED: 40 INCHES IN AURORA...38 INCHES
IN CENTENNIAL AND 6 MILES EAST OF PARKER...37 INCHES AT BUCKLEY
AFB...35 INCHES IN SOUTHWEST DENVER...34 INCHES IN LOUISVILLE...
32 INCHES IN ARVADA...31 INCHES IN BROOMFIELD AND WESTMINSTER...
AND 22.5 INCHES IN BOULDER. IN THE FOOTHILLS...SNOWFALL RANGED
FROM 3 FEET TO MORE THAN 7 FEET. SOME OF THE MOST IMPRESSIVE
STORM TOTALS INCLUDED: 87.5 INCHES ATOP FRITZ PEAK AND IN
ROLLINSVILLE...83 INCHES AT CABIN CREEK...74 INCHES NEAR BERGEN
PARK...73 INCHES NORTHWEST OF EVERGREEN...72 INCHES IN COAL CREEK
CANYON...70 INCHES AT GEORGETOWN...63 INCHES NEAR JAMESTOWN...60
INCHES NEAR BLACKHAWK...55 INCHES AT ELDORA SKI AREA...54 INCHES
8 MILES WEST OF SEDALIA...AND 46.6 INCHES AT KEN CARYL RANCH.
THE STORM WAS THE RESULT OF A VERY MOIST...INTENSE SLOW MOVING
PACIFIC SYSTEM WHICH TRACKED ACROSS THE FOUR CORNERS AND INTO
SOUTHEASTERN COLORADO...WHICH ALLOWED DEEP EASTERLY UPSLOPE
FLOW TO FORM ALONG THE FRONT RANGE.
18-19 IN 1927...HEAVY SNOWFALL WAS 6.5 INCHES IN DOWNTOWN DENVER.
NORTHWEST WINDS WERE SUSTAINED TO 28 MPH ON THE 18TH.
IN 1974...HEAVY SNOWFALL TOTALED 5.8 INCHES AT STAPLETON
INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT WHERE NORTHEAST WINDS GUSTED TO
33 MPH ON THE 19TH.
IN 2018...A STORM SYSTEM BROUGHT LOCALLY HEAVY SNOWFALL TO
THE PALMER DIVIDE SOUTH OF DENVER. STORM TOTALS INCLUDED
10.5 INCHES IN FRANKTOWN...10 INCHES NEAR ELIZABETH AND
THE PINERY...9 INCHES AT PONDEROSA PARK...WITH 5 INCHES IN
LONE TREE. AT DENVER INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT...JUST 0.7 INCH
OF SNOWFALL WAS OBSERVED.
18-20 IN 2020...A POWERFUL STORM SYSTEM BROUGHT BLIZZARD CONDITIONS
TO THE PLAINS EAST OF INTERSTATE 25. NUMEROUS ROADS
CLOSURES WERE POSTED EAST OF INTERSTATE 25 AND OVER THE
PALMER DIVIDE. HIGHWAYS CLOSINGS INCLUDED PORTIONS OF
EASTBOUND INTERSTATES 70 AND 76 DUE TO STRONG WINDS AND
WHITEOUT CONDITIONS. I-70 WAS ALSO CLOSED WESTBOUND INTO
THE MOUNTAINS DUE TO HEAVY SNOW AND NUMEROUS ACCIDENTS.
IN THE FRONT RANGE FOOTHILLS...STORM TOTALS INCLUDED: 23
INCHES NEAR NEDERLAND...22 INCHES AT ASPEN SPRINGS...18.5
INCHES NEAR JAMESTOWN...17 INCHES AT GENESEE...15 INCHES AT
EVERGREEN AND 12 INCHES AT BERGEN PARK. ALONG THE URBAN
CORRIDOR...STORM TOTALS INCLUDED: 11 INCHES AT CENTENNIAL
AND PONDEROSA PARK; 10.5 INCHES AT LONE TREE...10 INCHES
NEAR COMMERCE CITY...WITH 5 TO 9 INCHES ELSEWHERE INCLUDING
6 INCHES AT DENVER INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT. AT GREELEY AND
DENVER INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT...NORTH-NORTHWEST WINDS GUSTED
TO 49 MPH.
18-21 IN 1907...A WARM SPELL RESULTED IN 6 DAILY TEMPERATURE
RECORDS. RECORD MAXIMUM TEMPERATURES OF 82 DEGREES
OCCURRED ON THE 18TH WITH 81 DEGREES ON THE 19TH AND
80 DEGREES ON THE 20TH. RECORD HIGH MINIMUM TEMPERATURES
OF 52 DEGREES OCCURRED ON THE 19TH AND 20TH WITH 54
DEGREES ON THE 21ST.
19 IN 1969...HIGH WINDS BUFFETED THE FRONT RANGE FOOTHILLS
CAUSING DAMAGE IN BOULDER AND JEFFERSON COUNTIES. A
FREIGHT TRAIN WAS DERAILED NEAR THE ENTRANCE TO A CANYON
20 MILES WEST OF DENVER WHEN SOME EMPTY CARS WERE CAUGHT
ON A CURVE BY A GUST OF WIND. TWO LIGHT PLANES WERE
HEAVILY DAMAGED AT JEFFERSON COUNTY AIRPORT. WINDS
GUSTED TO 105 MPH AT THE NATIONAL CENTER FOR ATMOSPHERIC
RESEARCH IN BOULDER...62 MPH IN DOWNTOWN BOULDER...AND 80
TO 90 MPH AT BOULDER AIRPORT. NORTHWEST WINDS GUSTED TO
49 MPH AT STAPLETON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT.
IN 1976...NORTHWEST WINDS GUSTED TO 55 MPH IN DENVER WITH
STRONGER WINDS ALONG THE FOOTHILLS. THE STRONG COLD
WINDS KICKED UP SOME BLOWING DUST...REDUCING THE VISIBILITY
TO NEAR ZERO AT TIMES AT STAPLETON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT.
IN 1982...HIGH WINDS ACROSS METRO DENVER CAUSED MINOR DAMAGE
TO A FEW MOBILE HOMES AT LOWRY AIR FORCE BASE. WEST WIND
GUSTS REACHED 51 MPH AT STAPLETON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
WHERE VISIBILITY WAS BRIEFLY REDUCED TO 1/4 MILE IN BLOWING
DUST.
IN 1995...STRONG WINDS ASSOCIATED WITH A PACIFIC COLD FRONT
BLEW ACROSS METRO DENVER. A WEST WIND GUST TO 48 MPH WAS
RECORDED AT DENVER INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT. WINDS GUSTED
TO 59 MPH AT THE SITE OF THE FORMER STAPLETON INTERNATIONAL
AIRPORT.
IN 2010...A STORM SYSTEM PRODUCED DEEP UPSLOPE AND BROUGHT
HEAVY SNOW TO AREAS IN AND NEAR THE FRONT RANGE. THE
FOOTHILLS OF BOULDER AND JEFFERSON COUNTIES WERE THE
HARDEST HIT. STORM TOTALS INCLUDED: 26 INCHES AT
COAL CREEK CANYON...25.5 INCHES...4 MILES SOUTHEAST OF
CONIFER; 25 INCHES AT GENESEE...24.5 INCHES NEAR KITTREDGE...
23.5 INCHES...6 MILES EAST OF NEDERLAND...20.5 INCHES...3
MILES WEST OF JAMESTOWN...5 MILES SOUTHEAST OF ASPEN
PARK AND 5 MILES SOUTHEAST IDAHO SPRINGS; AND 18 INCHES
NEAR RALSTON BUTTES. IN AND AROUND DENVER...STORM
TOTALS INCLUDED: 15 INCHES IN GOLDEN; 12.5 INCHES IN
BOULDER...11.5 INCHES AT LONE TREE; 10.5 INCHES NEAR
CASTLE PINES; 11 INCHES...6.5 MILES SOUTHWEST OF CASTLE
ROCK; 10 INCHES NEAR ENGLEWOOD...HIGHLANDS RANCH AND 3
MILES SOUTHWEST OF WHEAT RIDGE; 9 INCHES...4 MILES
WEST OF ARVADA...BROOMFIELD...CENTENNIEL...ELIZABETH AND
WESTMINSTER; 8.5 INCHES...IN SOUTHEAST DENVER AND
LITTLETON; 7.5 INCHES IN LOUISVILLE AND NEAR THORNTON;
7 INCHES...4 MILES SOUTH OF AURORA...LAKEWOOD AND NIWOT;
6.5 INCHES...4 MILES NORTHWEST OF CASTLE ROCK...4 MILES
NORTHWEST OF DENVER AND NORTHGLENN; 6 INCHES IN
BRIGHTON AND 5 MILES SOUTHEAST OF SEDALIA. OFFICIALLY...
1.7 INCHES OF SNOW WAS MEASURED AT DENVER INTERNATIONAL
AIRPORT.
19-20 IN 1912...POST-FRONTAL HEAVY SNOWFALL OF 6.3 INCHES WAS
MEASURED IN DOWNTOWN DENVER. NORTH WINDS WERE SUSTAINED
TO 28 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 30 MPH ON THE 19TH. THE STRONG
COLD FRONT PLUNGED TEMPERATURES FROM A HIGH OF 60 DEGREES
ON THE 19TH TO A LOW OF 1 DEGREE ON THE 20TH.
IN 1959...A MAJOR STORM DUMPED HEAVY SNOWFALL OF 7.7 INCHES ON
STAPLETON AIRPORT WHERE NORTH WINDS GUSTING TO 44 MPH
CAUSED MUCH BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW. MANY HIGHWAYS WERE
BLOCKED...AND THERE WAS DAMAGE TO PHONE LINES ALONG THE SOUTH
PLATTE RIVER. THE STORM STARTED AS RAIN AND CHANGED TO
HEAVY WET SNOW...WHICH FROZE ON THE LINES CAUSING THE POLES
TO BREAK. THE STORM CAUSED 2 DEATHS OVER EASTERN COLORADO.
IN 2006...STRONG NORTHERLY WINDS...ASSOCIATED WITH A SURFACE
LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM THAT INTENSIFIED AS IT MOVED INTO THE
CENTRAL GREAT PLAINS...BROUGHT HEAVY WET SNOW TO THE EASTERN
FOOTHILLS AND NORTHEASTERN PLAINS OF COLORADO. THE HARDEST
HIT AREAS INCLUDED THE FOOTHILLS OF BOULDER AND GILPIN
COUNTIES. STORM TOTALS INCLUDED: 15 INCHES AT ROLLINSVILLE...
14 INCHES AT ASPEN SPRINGS...12.5 INCHES NEAR NEDERLAND...AND
5.7 INCHES IN THE DENVER STAPLETON AREA. STRONG WINDS...HEAVY
SNOW...AND POOR VISIBILITY FORCED THE CLOSURE OF INTERSTATE 70
FROM DENVER EAST TO THE KANSAS STATE LINE. NORTH WINDS
GUSTED TO 32 MPH AT DENVER INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT ON THE 19TH.
19-21 IN 1888...HEAVY SNOWFALL TOTALED 8.6 INCHES OVER DOWNTOWN
DENVER. NORTH WINDS WERE SUSTAINED TO 27 MPH ON THE 19TH.
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