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NOUS45 KBOU 160859
PNSBOU
COZ030>051-162300-
PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER/BOULDER CO
259 AM MDT FRI MAY 16 2025
..TODAY IN METRO DENVER WEATHER HISTORY
14-18 IN 1996...FROM THE 14TH TO THE 18TH...A PERIOD OF UNUSUALLY
WARM WEATHER RESULTED IN 4 RECORD MAXIMUM TEMPERATURES IN
5 DAYS. THE RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURES WERE 87 DEGREES ON
THE 14TH...89 DEGREES ON THE 15TH...AND 93 DEGREES ON BOTH
THE 16TH AND 18TH. THE TEMPERATURE CLIMBED TO ONLY 81
DEGREES ON THE 17TH WHICH WAS NOT A RECORD.
15-16 IN 1957...FROM THE 15TH TO THE 16TH...HEAVY SNOWFALL TOTALED
8.8 INCHES AT STAPLETON AIRPORT. THE GREATEST AMOUNT ON THE
GROUND WAS 3 INCHES.
IN 1986...FROM THE 15TH TO THE 16TH...A SPRING STORM DUMPED 1
TO 2 INCHES OF RAIN OVER METRO DENVER...BUT 2.71 INCHES FELL
AT BUCKLEY FIELD IN AURORA. RAINFALL ONLY TOTALED 0.84
INCH AT STAPLETON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT. SNOW FELL IN THE
FOOTHILLS WITH 7 INCHES RECORDED IN COAL CREEK CANYON
SOUTHWEST OF BOULDER.
16 IN 1875...A HEAVY HAIL STORM TURNED INTO HEAVY RAIN DURING
THE AFTERNOON. RAINFALL TOTALED 0.86 INCH IN JUST 37
MINUTES...WHILE THE TEMPERATURE DROPPED 22 DEGREES IN
22 MINUTES. PRECIPITATION TOTALED 0.90 INCH.
IN 1894...WEST WINDS WERE SUSTAINED TO 48 MPH WITH GUSTS
TO 56 MPH.
IN 1949...A TORNADO WAS OBSERVED FOR 16 MINUTES...20 MILES TO
THE SOUTHEAST OF STAPLETON AIRPORT. THE TORNADO MOVED 5
MILES TO THE NORTHEAST BEFORE DISSIPATING. NO DAMAGE WAS
REPORTED.
IN 1963...INTENSE LIGHTNING STARTED SEVERAL FOREST FIRES IN
THE FOOTHILLS SOUTHWEST OF DENVER NEAR DECKERS AND
CHEESEMAN LAKE. LITTLE PRECIPITATION FELL FROM THE STORMS
TO ALLEVIATE THE UNUSUAL DRY CONDITIONS SO EARLY IN THE
SEASON.
IN 1978...THUNDERSTORM WINDS CAUSED DAMAGE IN SOUTHEAST
AURORA. WINDS OF 60 TO 80 MPH BLEW DOWN NUMEROUS FENCES AND
DAMAGED SEVERAL HOMES UNDER CONSTRUCTION. HIGH WINDS TORE
DOCKS LOOSE AT CHERRY CREEK RESERVOIR...SINKING 3 OR 4 BOATS
AND DAMAGING ABOUT 15 OTHERS. AT STAPLETON INTERNATIONAL
AIRPORT WHERE WINDS GUSTED TO 60 MPH...A 727 JET SUFFERED
15 HUNDRED DOLLARS DAMAGE WHEN WIND TOPPLED A RUNWAY LIGHT
ONTO IT. THE PUBLIC REPORTED AN UNCONFIRMED TORNADO 7 MILES
SOUTH-SOUTHWEST OF STAPLETON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT.
IN 1990...A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS MOVING ACROSS METRO DENVER
UPROOTED A LARGE ASH TREE...WHICH FELL AND BLOCKED THE
OUTSIDE DOORS TO A DENVER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL...BRIEFLY
TRAPPING THE STUDENTS INSIDE. THUNDERSTORM WIND GUSTS TO
69 MPH WERE REPORTED AT JEFFERSON COUNTY AIRPORT.
NORTHWEST WINDS GUSTED TO 44 MPH AT STAPLETON INTERNATIONAL
AIRPORT.
IN 1991...TWO TORNADOES TOUCHED DOWN BRIEFLY IN CASTLE ROCK...
BUT NO INJURIES OR DAMAGE WERE RECORDED. HEAVY
THUNDERSTORM RAINS OF 0.50 TO 1.10 INCHES IN A COUPLE OF
HOURS CAUSED LENA GULCH NEAR GOLDEN TO FLOOD. NO DAMAGE
WAS REPORTED.
IN 1996...DRY MICROBURST WINDS OF UNKNOWN STRENGTH OVERTURNED
A TRAILER AND DAMAGED STORAGE SHEDS IN STRASBURG EAST OF
DENVER.
16-17 IN 1981...FROM THE 16TH TO THE 17TH...A HEAVY RAIN STORM DUMPED
1 TO 2 1/2 INCHES OF RAIN ACROSS METRO DENVER. RAINFALL
TOTALED 1.27 INCHES AT STAPLETON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT WHERE
NORTH WINDS GUSTED TO 38 MPH ON 17TH.
IN 1983...FROM THE 16TH TO THE 17TH...A VERY STRONG LATE SPRING
STORM DUMPED HEAVY SNOW OVER THE FRONT RANGE. STRONG WINDS
WITH THE STORM PRODUCED BLIZZARD CONDITIONS AT TIMES.
SUSTAINED WINDS WERE 20 TO 40 MPH WITH A PEAK GUST TO 55 MPH
AT STAPLETON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT. THE FOOTHILLS RECEIVED
1 TO 2 FEET OF SNOW WITH 4 TO 12 INCHES ALONG THE FOOTHILLS.
HOWLING WINDS WHIPPED THE SNOW INTO DRIFTS SEVERAL FEET
DEEP...CLOSING SCHOOLS AND HIGHWAYS. STAPLETON INTERNATIONAL
AIRPORT WAS FORCED TO REDUCE FLIGHT OPERATIONS...CLOSING 2 OF
4 RUNWAYS AND STRANDING HUNDREDS OF TRAVELERS. MOST OF THE
DAMAGE AND INCONVENIENCE CAUSED BY THE STORM WAS IN POWER
OUTAGES...WHICH OCCURRED WHEN WIND AND HEAVY WET SNOW CAUSED
HUNDREDS OF POWER POLES TO SNAP AND TOPPLE. ABOUT 20 SQUARE
MILES OF DENVER WERE BLACKED OUT. PRECIPITATION FROM THE
STORM TOTALED 1 TO 3 INCHES. AT STAPLETON INTERNATIONAL
AIRPORT...SNOWFALL TOTALED 7.1 INCHES WITH A MAXIMUM SNOW
DEPTH ON THE GROUND OF ONLY 2 INCHES DUE TO MELTING. THE
HIGH TEMPERATURE OF 40 DEGREES ON THE 17TH WAS A RECORD LOW
MAXIMUM FOR THE DATE. DUE TO THE HEAVY MOISTURE CONTENT
OF THE STORM...WIDESPREAD STREET FLOODING OCCURRED ON THE
18TH WHEN MUCH OF THE SNOW MELTED UNDER THE WARM MAY SUN
AND TEMPERATURES CLIMBED TO A HIGH OF 57 DEGREES.
IN 1995...FROM THE 16TH TO THE 17TH...SIGNIFICANT MOISTURE AND
UPSLOPE FLOW CAUSED FLOODING ACROSS METRO DENVER. MODERATE
TO HEAVY RAINS...WHICH BEGAN ON THE EVENING OF THE 16TH...
DEVELOPED IN THE FOOTHILLS AND SPREAD EASTWARD OVER METRO
DENVER THROUGHOUT THE NIGHT. THE HEAVY RAINS BROUGHT MANY
CREEKS AND SMALL STREAMS TO BANKFULL OR SLIGHTLY OVER.
LOCATIONS ALONG THE FOOTHILLS RECEIVED BETWEEN 3 AND 4
INCHES OF RAINFALL FROM THE STORM. BOULDER RECEIVED 3.60
INCHES OF RAINFALL FOR THE 24-HOUR PERIOD...CAUSING MINOR
STREET FLOODING NEAR SMALL STREAMS. TO THE NORTHWEST OF
BOULDER...A BRIDGE WHICH CROSSED FOURMILE CREEK WAS WASHED
OUT. NUMEROUS ROCK AND MUDSLIDES OCCURRED IN FOOTHILLS
CANYONS...CLOSING PORTIONS OF U.S. HIGHWAYS 6 AND 40 AND
STATE HIGHWAY 119 FOR A FEW HOURS AT A TIME. ROCKS WERE
PILED 6 FEET DEEP ON A STRETCH OF STATE HIGHWAY 119 ALONG
WITH BOULDERS AS LARGE AS CARS ON U.S. HIGHWAY 6. A
PARKING LOT NEAR A CREEK IN GOLDEN CAVED IN LEAVING A
HOLE THE SIZE OF AN 18-WHEELER. RUSHING WATER WASHED OUT
A 50-FOOT STRETCH OF A ROAD IN WESTMINSTER. RAINFALL
TOTALED 1.75 INCHES AT DENVER INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT...BUT
ONLY 1.42 INCHES AT THE SITE OF THE FORMER STAPLETON
INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT.
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