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NOUS45 KBOU 080859
PNSBOU
COZ030>051-082300-
PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER/BOULDER CO
259 AM MDT MON JUN 8 2026
..TODAY IN METRO DENVER WEATHER HISTORY
7-9 IN 1979...RAIN...AT TIMES WITH THUNDER ON THE 7TH...FELL ALMOST
CONTINUOUSLY THROUGH THE MORNING OF THE 9TH. RAINFALL
TOTALED 2.28 INCHES AT STAPLETON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
OVER THE 3 DAYS. HIGH TEMPERATURE OF ONLY 49 DEGREES ON
THE 8TH WAS A RECORD LOW MAXIMUM FOR THE DATE.
8 IN 1873...LIGHTNING STRUCK AND KILLED ONE MAN AND DAMAGED
SEVERAL HOUSES. THE THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCED HEAVY RAIN
IN THE CITY...WHICH CAUSED A GREAT DEAL OF WATER DAMAGE.
AT 2:40 PM HEAVY RAIN BEGAN AND BY 4:00 PM 1.40 INCHES OF
RAIN HAD FALLEN. TWO BUILDINGS UNDER CONSTRUCTION...WITH A
PROJECTED COST OF 100 THOUSAND DOLLARS...WERE BADLY DAMAGED.
THE STONE FOUNDATION AND SOME OF THE BRICK WALLS WERE
CARRIED AWAY BY THE STORM WATERS. MANY BASEMENTS WERE
FLOODED...WHICH DAMAGED GOODS STORED THERE. RAINFALL
TOTALED 1.71 INCHES.
IN 1964...LIGHTNING STRUCK A BUILDING IN BOULDER...STARTING A
FIRE AND BURNING TWO WORKMEN.
IN 1968...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM FLOODED STREETS...AND HAIL-
DAMAGED TREES AND GARDENS...INCLUDING FLOWERS AT A LARGE
COMMERCIAL NURSERY IN BOULDER.
IN 1969...SEVERE HAIL DAMAGED PROPERTY...TREES...AND GARDENS...
AND HEAVY RAIN FLOODED STREETS AND UNDERPASSES THROUGHOUT
METRO DENVER. THE HEAVIEST AMOUNTS OF RAIN FELL IN SOUTH
DENVER AND ENGLEWOOD WHERE UNOFFICIAL TOTALS OF 5 TO 6
INCHES WERE REPORTED. HAIL ACCUMULATED TO 3 OR 4 INCHES ON
THE LEVEL AND 2 TO 3 FEET DEEP IN DRIFTS. MUD...DEBRIS...AND
HAIL CARRIED BY THE HEAVY RUNOFF CLOGGED DRAINS AND
INCREASED THE AMOUNT OF FLOODING. ABOUT 40 CARS AND A
LARGE TRUCK WERE INUNDATED AT AN UNDERPASS ON AN INTERSTATE
HIGHWAY...AND SEVERAL MORE WERE INUNDATED OR BURIED IN MUD
IN OTHER AREAS. A LARGE NUMBER OF BASEMENTS WERE FLOODED.
STREETS AND HIGHWAYS WERE HEAVILY DAMAGED IN SOME AREAS.
RAINFALL TOTALED 1.66 INCHES AT STAPLETON INTERNATIONAL
AIRPORT.
IN 1974...A LATE SPRING STORM DUMPED 1.79 INCHES OF RAIN OVER
METRO DENVER...CAUSING LOCAL FLOODING. STRONG GUSTY WINDS
ACCOMPANIED THE STORM...DOWNING SOME POWER AND TELEPHONE
LINES. NORTHWEST WINDS GUSTED TO 56 MPH AT STAPLETON
INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT WHERE A TRACE OF SNOW FELL.
MEASURABLE SNOWFALL OCCURRED AT MID-DAY OVER AURORA AND
SUBURBAN AREAS TO THE SOUTH OF DENVER. A NUMBER OF PEOPLE
WERE TEMPORARILY STRANDED IN THE MOUNTAINS WEST OF DENVER
WHERE HEAVY SNOW FELL. LOW TEMPERATURE OF 37 DEGREES
EQUALED THE RECORD MINIMUM FOR THE DATE. HIGH TEMPERATURE
OF 50 DEGREES WAS A RECORD LOW MAXIMUM FOR THE DATE.
IN 1986...STRONG THUNDERSTORM WINDS BLEW DOWN A GARAGE WALL IN
LITTLETON AND CAUSED MINOR ROOF DAMAGE TO SEVERAL HOMES.
BOATS WERE OVERTURNED AND DAMAGED AT A SPORTING GOODS STORE
NEARBY. AS THE STORM MOVED NORTHEAST IT PRODUCED A SMALL
TORNADO...WHICH TOUCHED DOWN IN EXTREME SOUTHEAST DENVER AND
MOVED NORTHEAST INTO AURORA. THE TWISTER DID MOST OF ITS
ESTIMATED ONE MILLION DOLLARS DAMAGE SHORTLY AFTER TOUCHING
DOWN IN AN APARTMENT COMPLEX AND A SHOPPING CENTER. TWO
APARTMENTS WERE COMPLETELY UNROOFED; WOODEN CHIMNEY
FACINGS WERE DEMOLISHED AND METAL PIPES WERE TWISTED. MANY
TREES UP TO 25 FEET HIGH IN THE COMPLEX WERE UPROOTED.
DOORS WERE RIPPED OFF THEIR HINGES...AND SEVERAL PARKED CARS
WERE DAMAGED. IN THE SHOPPING CENTER...A WALL OF A BUILDING
WAS STRIPPED OF ITS BRICK FACING...AND MANY WINDOWS WERE
BROKEN. THE TWISTER PICKED UP AN ALUMINUM ROWBOAT...CARRIED
IT 250 FEET OVER SOME APARTMENTS...AND DEPOSITED IT IN A
VACANT STOREFRONT. AROUND 200 CARS WERE DAMAGED IN THE
SHOPPING CENTER. BENCHES BOLTED TO THE PAVEMENT WERE
KNOCKED OVER. SIX PEOPLE SUFFERED MINOR INJURIES CAUSED BY
FLYING DEBRIS. AFTER HITTING THE SHOPPING CENTER AND
APARTMENT COMPLEX...THE TORNADO MOVED NORTHEAST INTO A
RESIDENTIAL AREA WHERE IT TOPPLED SOME TREES AND DAMAGED
SEVERAL FENCES. THE SAME STORM LATER PRODUCED 3 SEPARATE
SMALL TORNADOES 5 MILES NORTH OF WATKINS.
IN 1987...TORRENTIAL RAIN PRODUCED EXTENSIVE FLOODING ACROSS
METRO DENVER. I-25 WAS CLOSED FOR A TIME THROUGH CENTRAL
DENVER...AND A TRAILER PARK IN LAKEWOOD WAS PARTIALLY
EVACUATED DUE TO HIGH WATER. SEVERAL STREETS IN BOULDER
WERE CLOSED DUE TO FLOODING. THERE WAS EXTENSIVE BASEMENT
FLOODING AND WATER DAMAGE IN LAKEWOOD AND SOUTHEAST DENVER.
LIGHTNING HIT A POWER PLANT IN DENVER THAT SUPPLIED
ELECTRICITY TO STORM DRAIN PUMPS WHICH EXACERBATED STREET
FLOODING IN SOME AREAS. RAINFALL FROM THE THUNDERSTORMS
TOTALED 1 1/2 TO 2 INCHES AT MANY LOCATIONS IN LAKEWOOD
CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST DENVER. THE HEAVIEST AMOUNT OF
REPORTED RAIN WAS IN LAKEWOOD WHERE 2 1/4 INCHES FELL IN
JUST 2 HOURS. AT STAPLETON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT...1.62
INCHES OF RAIN FELL IN AN HOUR. RAINFALL TOTALED 1.76
INCHES FOR THE DAY.
IN 1988...A TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN 15 MILES NORTHWEST OF BENNETT
AND STAYED ON THE GROUND FOR 15 MINUTES. THE TWISTER WAS
OBSERVED BY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PERSONNEL AT STAPLETON
INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT. NO DAMAGE WAS REPORTED.
IN 1989...A SMALL TORNADO HIT A NEIGHBORHOOD IN SOUTHEAST
AURORA. THE TWISTER HIT A DOZEN HOMES...BLOWING OUT
WINDOWS...KNOCKING DOWN FENCES...AND PARTIALLY UNROOFING ONE
HOUSE. ABOUT A HALF DOZEN TREES WERE FELLED. A BASKETBALL
POLE WAS SEVERELY BENT. THE TORNADO WAS ON THE GROUND FOR
ABOUT 2 MINUTES. TOTAL DAMAGE WAS ESTIMATED AT 50 THOUSAND
DOLLARS. LIGHTNING ALSO STRUCK A HOME IN PARKER...CAUSING
25 HUNDRED DOLLARS DAMAGE.
IN 1992...VERY HEAVY THUNDERSTORM RAINS DRENCHED SOUTHWESTERN
WELD AND EASTERN BOULDER COUNTIES. MEASURED RAINFALLS OF
OVER 2 INCHES AN HOUR CAUSED ST. VRAIN CREEK TO RISE 2 FEET
OUT OF ITS BANKS. BOULDER CREEK WAS ALSO OUT OF ITS BANKS
ALONG U.S. HIGHWAY 287. I-25 FLOODED WITH 3 TO 5 FEET OF
WATER ALONG A 9-MILE STRETCH FROM THE ERIE EXIT TO THE
FREDERICK EXIT. THE HIGHWAY WAS CLOSED FOR OVER 6 HOURS
WHILE SNOWPLOW DRIVERS AND FARMERS WITH TRACTORS RESCUED
STRANDED MOTORISTS. WATER ROSE INTO HOMES ALONG SOUTH
BOULDER ROAD IN LAFAYETTE. SEVERAL SMALL COUNTY ROADS
WERE WASHED OUT ALONG THE BOULDER COUNTY/WELD COUNTY LINE.
AN OFF-DUTY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EMPLOYEE MEASURED 3/4
INCH HAIL IN THORNTON. SEVERAL LOCATIONS NORTH OF DENVER
HAD SMALL HAIL UP TO 6 INCHES DEEP. A FUNNEL CLOUD WAS
SPOTTED 18 MILES NORTHEAST OF STAPLETON INTERNATIONAL
AIRPORT.
IN 1998...SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS DROPPED LARGE HAIL ACROSS
METRO DENVER. HAIL AS LARGE AS 1 3/4 INCHES IN DIAMETER
FELL NEAR COLUMBINE IN JEFFERSON COUNTY. ONE INCH
DIAMETER HAIL FELL IN AURORA AND LITTLETON WITH 7/8 INCH
HAIL IN ARVADA AND 3/4 INCH HAIL AT CENTENNIAL AIRPORT...
NEAR GREENWOOD VILLAGE...AND IN PARKER.
IN 2004...HEAVY RAIN AND LARGE HAIL CAUSED FLOODING AND FLASH
FLOODING ACROSS NORTHEAST JEFFERSON COUNTY. IN GOLDEN...
HEAVY RAINS TRIGGERED A SMALL MUDSLIDE ON U.S. HIGHWAY 6
NEAR THE INTERSECTION OF COLORADO HIGHWAY 119. AUTOMATED
RAIN GAGES IN THE AREA REGISTERED 2 TO 3 INCHES OF RAINFALL
IN ONE HOUR. NEAR THE COLORADO MILLS MALL...NUMEROUS STREETS
WERE INUNDATED WITH 1 TO 3 FEET OF WATER AND HAIL...WHICH
STRANDED SEVERAL VEHICLES...INCLUDING A FIRE ENGINE. ABOUT
30 BASEMENTS WERE FLOODED IN GOLDEN AND LAKEWOOD. MANY
WINDOWS IN BOTH HOMES AND CARS WERE SHATTERED BY THE LARGE
HAIL. HAIL AS LARGE AS 1.5 INCHES IN DIAMETER WAS MEASURED
IN AND NEAR GOLDEN WITH HAIL TO NEARLY AN INCH IN DIAMETER
A FEW MILES NORTH OF EVERGREEN.
IN 2007...THE LOW TEMPERATURE IN DENVER BOTTOMED OUT AT 31
DEGREES...WHICH ESTABLISHED A NEW RECORD MINIMUM FOR THE
DATE. IT ALSO BECAME THE LATEST DATE OF THE LAST FREEZE
IN DENVER.
IN 2014...IN AURORA...A TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN NEAR THE
BLACKSTONE COUNTRY CLUB...IT LIFTED SOME GOLF CARTS AND
FLIPPED AN EMPTY CONSTRUCTION TRAILER. ONE OF THE CARTS WAS
THROWN ON TOP OF A CADDY WALKING NEARBY; HE WAS TAKEN TO A
HOSPITAL WITH MINOR INJURIES. IT WAS ASSIGNED AN EF-1
RATING. IN ENGLEWOOD...LIGHTNING STRUCK A TREE WHICH DAMAGED
TWO NEARBY HOMES AND A TRUCK. LARGE HAIL...FROM 1 TO 1 1/2
INCHES IN DIAMETER...WAS REPORTED NEAR BUCKLEY AIR FORCE BASE
AND NEAR CASTLE ROCK. OTHER SHORT LIVED TORNADOES TOUCHED
DOWN NEAR BYERS AND ROGGEN.
IN 2019...SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ERUPTED AROUND METRO DENVER LATE
IN THE AFTERNOON AND SPREAD EASTWARD ONTO THE PLAINS.
THE LARGEST HAIL FELL AROUND CASTLE ROCK...WHERE HAIL UP TO
2 1/2 INCHES WAS REPORTED. ELSEWHERE...THE HAIL RANGED FROM
1 TO 1 1/2 INCHES.
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