899
NOUS45 KBOU 200859
PNSBOU
COZ030>051-202300-
PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER/BOULDER CO
259 AM MDT WED MAY 20 2026
..TODAY IN METRO DENVER WEATHER HISTORY
18-20 IN 1915...FROM THE 18TH TO THE 20TH...3.9 INCHES OF SNOW FELL
IN THE CITY. THE ESTIMATED AMOUNT OF SNOW THAT MELTED AS
IT FELL WAS 6.2 INCHES WHICH WOULD HAVE TOTALED AN
ESTIMATED 10.1 INCHES OF SNOWFALL. PRECIPITATION TOTALED
1.03 INCHES. NORTH WINDS WERE SUSTAINED TO 32 MPH ON THE
18TH. LOW TEMPERATURES DIPPED TO 25 DEGREES ON BOTH THE
18TH AND 20TH...ESTABLISHING RECORD MINIMUMS FOR BOTH DATES.
IN 1988...FROM THE 18TH TO THE 20TH...A PROLONGED HEAVY
RAINFALL DRENCHED METRO DENVER. THE EVENT BEGAN WHEN HEAVY
THUNDERSTORMS ON THE 18TH CAUSED SOME STREET FLOODING AND
POWER OUTAGES...FOLLOWED BY STEADY RAIN ON THE 19TH AND 20TH.
RAIN AMOUNTS ACROSS METRO DENVER TOTALED 3 TO 4 INCHES.
RAINFALL TOTALED 3.71 INCHES AT STAPLETON INTERNATIONAL
AIRPORT WHERE NORTH WINDS GUSTED TO 39 MPH ON THE 20TH.
FOUR TO EIGHT INCHES OF SNOW FELL IN THE FOOTHILLS ABOVE 7
THOUSAND FEET.
18-26 IN 2023...SMOKE AND HAZE FROM MASSIVE WILDFIRES IN CANADA
SIGNIFICANTLY IMPACTED AIR QUALITY AND VISIBILITY ACROSS
DENVER AND THE REST OF NORTHEAST COLORADO.
19-20 IN 1864...FROM THE 19TH TO THE 20TH...A DEVASTATING MAJOR FLASH
FLOOD OCCURRED ON THE NORMALLY DRY AND SANDY CHERRY CREEK
IN DENVER. THE FLOOD WAS CAUSED BY HEAVY THUNDERSTORM
RAINFALL AND HAIL OVER THE PALMER RIDGE TO THE SOUTH OF THE
CITY IN BOTH THE CHERRY CREEK AND PLUM CREEK BASINS.
NINETEEN DEATHS OCCURRED ALONG THE SOUTH PLATTE RIVER AND
CHERRY CREEK IN DENVER. THE TORRENT SWEPT CATTLE AND SHEEP
ALONG WITH LARGE TREES AND HOUSES BEFORE IT WASHING OUT
SEVERAL BRIDGES...AND MOVING LARGE STRUCTURES FROM THEIR
FOUNDATIONS. ALL CITY RECORDS WERE DESTROYED WHEN CITY HALL
WASHED AWAY. THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN NEWS BUILDING...BUILT ON
STILTS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE CREEK...WAS TOTALLY DESTROYED
BY THE RAGING WATERS...WHICH WERE AS DEEP AS 5 FEET ON THE
MORNING OF THE 20TH. ONCE THE FLOOD WATERS RECEDED...MUCH
SAND AND GRAVEL WAS LEFT BEHIND. PROPERTY DAMAGE FROM THE
FLOOD WAS ESTIMATED AT NEARLY ONE MILLION DOLLARS. THIS
WAS THE FIRST MAJOR FLOOD OF RECORD IN THE CITY.
20 IN 1874...AFTER A LIGHT LATE AFTERNOON SHOWER...3 RAINBOWS
WERE VISIBLE IN THE EASTERN SKY. THE TWO UPPER BOWS
WERE OF THE USUAL COLORS. THE LOWER BOW HAD A DEEP
VIOLET CENTER WITH A FAINT YELLOW AND WHITE RIM.
IN 1892...APPARENT POST-FRONTAL NORTH WINDS WERE SUSTAINED TO
40 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 48 MPH. A TRACE OF SNOW WAS THE LAST
SNOWFALL OF THE SEASON.
IN 1899...SNOW PELLETS FROM 1/4 TO 3/8 INCH IN DIAMETER FELL
FROM A THUNDERSHOWER DURING THE LATE AFTERNOON. WEST WINDS
WERE SUSTAINED TO 42 MPH WITH GUSTS AS HIGH AS 48 MPH.
IN 1904...SOUTHEAST WINDS WERE SUSTAINED TO 40 MPH WITH AN
EXTREME VELOCITY OF 42 MPH PRODUCED BY A THUNDERSTORM.
IN 1961...A TORNADO TORE THROUGH CENTRAL DOUGLAS COUNTY...1 1/2
MILES NORTH OF CASTLE ROCK. THE STORM STRUCK 2 RANCHES AND
THE PROPERTY OF A DRILLING COMPANY. A CAR ON THE HIGHWAY
WAS LIFTED OFF THE ROAD AND SLAMMED INTO A TRUCK...INJURING
THE TWO OCCUPANTS.
IN 1983...HEAVY RAIN FELL IN AURORA WITH 1.00 TO 1.50 INCHES
OF PRECIPITATION. LOCAL FLOODING OCCURRED IN LAKEWOOD.
IN 1990...1 INCH DIAMETER HAIL FELL AT BUCKLEY FIELD IN
AURORA. MINOR DAMAGE WAS REPORTED TO AUTOS...BUILDINGS AND
SIGNS.
IN 1995...HAIL AS LARGE AS 3/4 INCH IN DIAMETER FELL NEAR
BENNETT WHERE A FUNNEL CLOUD WAS SIGHTED.
IN 2001...DAMAGING WINDS DEVELOPED BEHIND A VIGOROUS COLD
FRONT THAT MOVED SOUTH FROM WYOMING INTO METRO DENVER.
HIGH WINDS...GUSTING TO 58 MPH AT DENVER INTERNATIONAL
AIRPORT...DOWNED TREES AND POWER LINES AND KICKED UP BLOWING
DUST...DIRT...AND DEBRIS...REDUCING THE VISIBILITY TO NEAR
ZERO AT TIMES. THE POOR VISIBILITY CAUSED A MULTI-VEHICLE
ACCIDENT ALONG U.S. HIGHWAY 85 NORTH OF FORT LUPTON. SIX
PEOPLE WERE TREATED FOR MINOR INJURIES. SEVERAL VEHICLES...
INCLUDING SEMI-TRAILERS...WERE BLOWN OFF I-70 EAST OF DENVER.
ABOUT 32 THOUSAND XCEL ENERGY CUSTOMERS IN METRO DENVER WERE
WITHOUT ELECTRICITY FOR UP TO 2 HOURS. AT LEAST A DOZEN
INCOMING FLIGHTS AT DENVER INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT WERE
DIVERTED TO OTHER AIRPORTS. ALL DEPARTING FLIGHTS WERE
GROUNDED FOR AT LEAST AN HOUR. AT SOUTHWEST PLAZA...SHOPPERS
WERE EVACUATED AS ROCKS HOLDING A TARP ON A PORTION OF A
ROOF UNDER REPAIR TOPPLED INTO THE MALL. AFTER THE PASSAGE
OF THE COLD FRONT...TEMPERATURES PLUNGED FROM THE LOWER 70'S
TO THE MID 30'S IN ONE HOUR AS LIGHT SNOW DEVELOPED. HEAVY
SNOW DEVELOPED IN THE FOOTHILLS DURING THE EVENING. PEAK
WIND REPORTS INCLUDED 68 MPH NEAR PARKER AND 63 MPH NEAR
SEDALIA. SNOWFALL TOTALS INCLUDED: 7 INCHES NEAR BLACKHAWK...
AT KEN CARYL RANCH...AND NEAR SEDALIA; 6 INCHES IN COAL CREEK
CANYON...AT ELDORADO SPRINGS...AND ATOP LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN; 5
INCHES AT CHIEF HOSA...IN LOUISVILLE...ROLLINSVILLE...AND WHEAT
RIDGE; AND 4 INCHES IN AURORA...BAILEY...PARKER...CASTLE ROCK
AND NEAR MORRISON. LOW TEMPERATURE OF 31 DEGREES DURING THE
EARLY MORNING OF THE 21ST EQUALED THE RECORD LOW FOR THE
DATE LAST SET IN 1931.
IN 2004...SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCED HAIL AS LARGE AS 1.25
INCHES NEAR FT. LUPTON AND HAIL TO 1.50 INCHES 10 MILES
NORTH OF FT. LUPTON.
IN 2014...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM PRODUCED HAIL...FROM 1 TO 1 1/4
INCHES IN DIAMETER...ACROSS PARTS OF AURORA...DENVER...
ENGLEWOOD AND LAKEWOOD.
20-21 IN 1891...FROM THE 20TH TO THE 21ST...HEAVY RAIN WAS MIXED WITH
SNOW AT TIMES AND TOTALED 2.02 INCHES IN THE CITY. SNOWFALL
WAS 1.0 INCH. NORTHEAST WINDS GUSTED TO 28 MPH ON THE 20TH.
20-22 IN 1959...FROM THE 20TH TO THE 22ND...THE THREE-DAY RAIN CAUSED
SOME FLOODING IN METRO DENVER WHERE RAIN TOTALED 1.68 INCHES
AT STAPLETON AIRPORT. SHOWERS...ACCOMPANIED BY HAIL NEAR
BRIGHTON...CAUSED SOME DAMAGE TO TRUCK CROPS. HEAVY SNOW IN
THE FOOTHILLS CAUSED DAMAGE TO POWER AND TELEPHONE LINES.
20-27 IN 2002...LIGHTNING SPARKED A WILDFIRE NEAR DECKERS THE
CONTINUED FROM THE 20TH TO THE 27TH. EXTREMELY DRY
CONDITIONS AND VERY STRONG WINDS THE FOLLOWING DAY ALLOWED
THE FIRE...KNOWN AS THE SCHOONOVER...TO CONSUME 3850 ACRES
BEFORE IT COULD BE CONTAINED. THIRTEEN STRUCTURES WERE
DESTROYED...INCLUDING 4 HOMES...RESULTING IN 2.2 MILLION
DOLLARS IN DAMAGE.
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