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NOUS45 KBOU 170859
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COZ030>051-172300-
PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER/BOULDER CO
259 AM MDT SUN MAY 17 2026
..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.
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.
17 IN 1903...SOUTHWEST WINDS WERE SUSTAINED TO 42 MPH WITH GUSTS
TO 45 MPH FROM AN APPARENT MICROBURST WHICH PRODUCED ONLY
A TRACE OF RAIN.
IN 1960...HAIL TO 3/4 INCH DIAMETER WAS MEASURED IN THORNTON.
GOLF BALL SIZE HAIL FELL IN ARVADA.
IN 1972...MICROBURST WINDS GUSTED TO 51 MPH AT STAPLETON
INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT.
IN 1975...HAIL 1/2 TO 3/4 INCH IN DIAMETER FELL OVER WESTERN
METRO DENVER.
IN 1978...A SMALL TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN IN SOUTH AURORA
DAMAGING 40 HOMES...6 TO A CONSIDERABLE EXTENT. ONE GARAGE
WAS DEMOLISHED AND BLOWN ACROSS THE STREET. PARTS OF ROOFS
WERE COMPLETELY BLOWN AWAY. SEVERAL 2X4-INCH BOARDS WERE
BLOWN INTO THE SIDES OF HOUSES. ANOTHER SMALL TORNADO IN
PARKER DAMAGED TWO AIRPLANES. OTHER FUNNEL CLOUDS WERE
SIGHTED OVER NORTHGLENN AND NEAR GOLDEN.
IN 1985...A THUNDERSTORM PRODUCED A TOTAL OF 1.50 INCHES OF
RAIN IN BRIGHTON WHERE 0.72 INCHES FELL IN 40 MINUTES.
SMALL HAIL COVERED THE GROUND...AND THERE WAS SOME STREET
AND BASEMENT FLOODING.
IN 1987...SMALL HAIL PILED UP 4 INCHES DEEP IN SOUTHWEST
AURORA. THERE WAS ALSO WIDESPREAD STREET FLOODING AND A
FEW POWER OUTAGES. HAIL AS LARGE AS 3/4 INCH IN DIAMETER
FELL AT CASTLE ROCK.
IN 2000...HIGH WINDS OCCURRED ALONG AND EAST OF THE FRONT RANGE
FOOTHILLS...AS A DEEP SURFACE LOW PRESSURE CENTER FORMED OVER
THE NORTHEAST PLAINS OF COLORADO. AN AMUSEMENT PARK IN
NORTH BOULDER RECEIVED ABOUT 25 THOUSAND DOLLARS IN PROPERTY
DAMAGE. PEAK WIND REPORTS INCLUDED: 88 MPH AT THE NATIONAL
WIND TECHNOLOGY CENTER...84 MPH IN BOULDER...AND 80 MPH AT THE
NATIONAL CENTER FOR ATMOSPHERIC RESEARCH MESA LABORATORY.
A POWDER KEG OF SEVERE WEATHER...INCLUDING TORNADOES AND
THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCING LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS AND
HEAVY RAIN...OCCURRED OVER THE PLAINS TO THE NORTHEAST OF
DENVER. THE ONLY SEVERE WEATHER REPORTED ACROSS METRO
DENVER WAS 1 INCH DIAMETER HAIL IN LITTLETON.
17-19 IN 2017...A STRONG SPRING STORM DROPPED ACROSS THE GREAT BASIN...
AND THEN MOVED EASTWARD ACROSS COLORADO. ISOLATED BUT STRONG
THUNDERSTORMS PRECEDED THE SYSTEM ON THE 17TH WITH HAIL UP
TO NICKEL SIZE NEAR BOULDER AIRPORT AND BRIGHTON. SIGNIFICANT
SNOW FELL ACROSS THE FRONT RANGE MOUNTAINS AND FOOTHILLS OVER
THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS. ALONG THE INTERSTATE 25 CORRIDOR...
RAIN TURNED TO SNOW ON THE MORNING OF THE 18TH...HEAVIEST FROM
AROUND BROOMFIELD NORTHWARD. THE HEAVY WET SNOW SNAPPED THE
LIMBS OF FULLY LEAVED TREES AND CAUSED SCATTERED POWER
OUTAGES. A BARNS COLLAPSED IN NORTHEAST LOVELAND. FIFTY-FIVE
HEAD OF CATTLE WERE INSIDE THE COLLAPSED BARN; THREE WERE
INJURED AND LATER EUTHANIZED. NUMEROUS BRANCHES AND TREES
SNAPPED IN THE FOOTHILLS. ELSEWHERE...SEVERAL SCATTERED
SMALLER POWER OUTAGES WERE REPORTED. THREE TO NEARLY FIVE
INCHES OF LIQUID PRECIPITATION OCCURRED...AS RAIN OR A MIX OF
RAIN AND SNOW...FELL AROUND GREELEY. STORM TOTALS IN THE FRONT
RANGE MOUNTAINS AND FOOTHILLS INCLUDED: 42.0 INCHES NEAR
ALLENSPARK...41.5 INCHES NEAR WARD...36 INCHES AT ESTES PARK...
32 INCHES NEAR PINECLIFFE...30.5 INCHES NORTHWEST OF GOLDEN...
30 INCHES NEAR NEDERLAND...26 INCHES NEAR BRECKENRIDGE...25
INCHES NEAR ASPEN SPRINGS AND BEAR LAKE STATE PARK...14
INCHES AT ASPEN SPRINGS...WITH 9.5 INCHES NEAR EVERGREEN.
ON THE WEST SIDE OF THE INTERSTATE 25 CORRIDOR...STORM
TOTALS INCLUDED: 10 INCHES NEAR SUPERIOR AND LOUISVILLE...6
TO 8 INCHES IN AND AROUND FORT COLLINS...6 INCHES IN LAFAYETTE...
5 INCHES IN BROOMFIELD AND LOVELAND...AND 4 INCHES NEAR NIWOT.
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