501  
NOUS45 KBOU 220859  
PNSBOU  
COZ030>051-222300-  
 
PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER/BOULDER CO  
259 AM MDT TUE JUL 22 2025  
   
..TODAY IN METRO DENVER WEATHER HISTORY
 
 
7-25 IN 1934...A STREAK OF 15 CONSECUTIVE DAYS OF 90 DEGREES...FROM THE  
7TH TO THE 25TH...RANKED 5TH ON THE LIST OF HOT STREAKS. THE  
RECORD OF 24 CONSECUTIVE DAYS WAS ESTABLISHED IN THE SUMMER OF  
2008.  
13-5 IN 2008...A STREAK OF 24 CONSECUTIVE DAYS OF 90 DEGREES...FROM  
JULY 13TH TO AUGUST 5TH...SHATTERED THE PREVIOUS RECORD OF 18  
CONSECUTIVE DAYS ESTABLISHED IN 1901 AND 1874. IRONICALLY...  
NO NEW SINGLE DAY RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURES WERE SET IN THE  
MONTH OF JULY. IN AUGUST HOWEVER...A RECORD OF 104 DEGREES  
WAS SET ON THE 1ST...AND ANOTHER RECORD OF 103 DEGREES WAS  
SET ON THE 2ND. IN ADDITION...A RECORD LOW MIN OF 70 DEGREES  
WAS SET ON AUGUST 2ND.  
18-2 IN 1987...FROM JULY 18TH TO AUGUST 2ND...A STREAK OF 16  
CONSECUTIVE DAYS OF 90 DEGREES RANKED 4TH ON THE LIST OF HOT  
STREAKS. THE RECORD OF 24 CONSECUTIVE DAYS WAS ESTABLISHED  
IN THE SUMMER OF 2008.  
19-23 IN 2005...THE HIGH TEMPERATURE CLIMBED ABOVE 100 DEGREES ON  
EACH OF THE 5 DAYS WITH READINGS OF 101 ON THE 19TH...105 ON  
THE 20TH...104 ON THE 21ST...AND 102 ON BOTH THE 22ND AND 23RD.  
A NEW RECORD MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE FOR THE MONTH OF JULY OF 105  
DEGREES WAS SET ON THE 20TH...WHICH ALSO EQUALED THE ALL TIME  
RECORD MAXIMUM FOR DENVER OF 105 DEGREES FIRST SET ON AUGUST  
8TH IN 1878. DAILY MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE RECORDS WERE SET ON  
EACH DAY...AND THE 5 DAY PERIOD EQUALED THE RECORD FOR THE  
MOST CONSECUTIVE DAYS OF 100 DEGREES OR MORE FIRST SET FROM  
JULY 4TH THROUGH 8TH IN 1989. THE INTENSE HEAT RESULTED IN  
A HIGH USE OF ELECTRICITY FOR COOLING PURPOSES. THE DEMAND  
FOR ELECTRIC POWER EXCEEDED THE SUPPLY AND ROLLING BLACK-OUTS...  
EACH LASTING ABOUT AN HOUR...WERE SCHEDULED ACROSS METRO DENVER  
DURING THE AFTERNOONS AND EARLY EVENINGS.  
20-23 IN 1961...FROM THE 20TH TO THE 23RD...UNUSUALLY COOL WEATHER FOR  
JULY RESULTED IN SEVERAL TEMPERATURE RECORDS. RECORD  
MINIMUM TEMPERATURES WERE SET OR EQUALED ON EACH DAY WITH  
READINGS OF 51...51...49 AND 49 DEGREES. HIGH TEMPERATURE OF  
ONLY 64 DEGREES ON THE 21ST WAS A RECORD LOW MAXIMUM FOR THE  
DATE.  
20-25 IN 1965...FROM THE 20TH TO THE 25TH...HEAVY SHOWERS AND  
THUNDERSTORMS DOUSED METRO DENVER WITH SIGNIFICANT RAIN EACH  
DAY. RAINFALL FOR THE SIX DAYS TOTALED 5.16 INCHES AT  
STAPLETON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT. MASSIVE RAINFALL OCCURRED  
ON THE 20TH...21ST...AND 25TH...FLOODING STREETS AND BASEMENTS  
AND CAUSING STREAMS TO OVERFLOW. THE HEAVIEST RAINFALL...  
2.05 INCHES...AT STAPLETON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT OCCURRED ON  
THE 25TH.  
22 IN 1874...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM DURING THE LATE AFTERNOON  
PRODUCED 1.36 INCHES OF RAINFALL IN AN HOUR...MOST OF WHICH  
FELL IN 20 MINUTES. THERE WAS MUCH DAMAGE FROM FLOODING  
OF STREETS AND CONSIDERABLE DAMAGE TO PRIVATE PROPERTY.  
THE LIGHTNING WAS BRILLIANT AND CONTINUOUS DURING THE  
STORM. SEVEN BUILDINGS WERE STRUCK BY LIGHTNING IN THE  
CITY...IN ADDITION TO MANY PLACES WHERE IT STRUCK ONLY THE  
GROUND. A MAGNIFICENT EXAMPLE OF BALL LIGHTNING WAS  
OBSERVED. WHEN ABOUT 200 FEET ABOVE THE HOUSE TOPS...THE  
BALL EXPLODED AND BROKE INTO 7 OR 8 DIFFERENT BALLS...EACH  
ABOUT 6 INCHES IN DIAMETER. UPON REACHING ABOUT 20 FEET  
ABOVE THE GROUND...THESE BALLS BROKE INTO SMALL FRAGMENTS  
ABOUT 3 INCHES LONG AND 1/2 INCH WIDE. A SHED SITUATED  
IN AN ALLEY ABOUT ONE BLOCK AWAY WAS LITERALLY COVERED  
WITH THESE SPARKS. AFTER THE STORM WAS OVER...THE SHED  
AND ADJACENT AREA SHOWED NO TRACE OF THE EVENT. NOT THE  
SLIGHTEST MARK COULD BE DETECTED ON STRUCTURES OR ON THE  
GROUND.  
IN 1879...A TERRIFIC ELECTRICAL STORM PASSED OVER THE CITY  
DURING THE AFTERNOON. THE LIGHTNING DISPLAY WAS UNUSUALLY  
VIVID AND THE CRASH OF THUNDER SEEMED AT THE VERY HOUSE  
TOPS. A FEW HOMES AND BUILDINGS WERE STRUCK BY LIGHTNING.  
A HOME ON CAPITOL HILL SUSTAINED MUCH DAMAGE TO FURNITURE...  
BUT THE RESIDENTS IN ANOTHER WING OF THE HOUSE WERE NOT  
INJURED. LIGHTNING STRUCK A FENCE AT THE CORNER OF CURTIS  
AND BROADWAY. A LIGHTNING BOLT STUNNED A WORKMAN AND  
KNOCKED A MASON'S TROUGH FROM HIS HAND. A SCHOOL WAS STRUCK  
BUT WAS NOT DAMAGED. LIGHTNING STRUCK THE GROUND NEAR  
TENTH AND COLFAX. RAIN FELL IN TORRENTS FOR A TIME...BUT THE  
HEAVIEST WAS ON THE OUTSKIRTS OF THE CITY. RAINFALL IN THE  
CITY WAS ONLY 0.30 INCH.  
IN 1882...LIGHTNING STRUCK AND KILLED A MAN IN THE NORTHERN  
PART OF THE CITY.  
IN 1895...HEAVY RAINFALL OF 1.53 INCHES WAS MEASURED IN  
DOWNTOWN DENVER.  
IN 1931...THE HIGH TEMPERATURE REACHED 100 DEGREES IN  
DOWNTOWN DENVER.  
IN 1965...LIGHTNING STRUCK AND KILLED A BOY STANDING BY AN  
AUTOMOBILE NEAR STAPLETON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT. SCATTERED  
HEAVY SHOWERS ACCOMPANIED BY HAIL AND WIND OCCURRED ACROSS  
METRO DENVER. HEAVY RAIN CAUSED SOME STREET DAMAGE IN  
COMMERCE CITY.  
IN 1973...MINOR THUNDERSTORM WIND DAMAGE WAS REPORTED IN  
AURORA.  
IN 1983...HEAVY THUNDERSTORMS DUMPED TORRENTIAL RAIN AND LARGE  
HAIL ACROSS METRO DENVER. THE MOST SERIOUS PROBLEMS WERE  
CAUSED BY HEAVY RAINFALL IN THE FOOTHILLS...WHICH PRODUCED  
FLOODING ON BEAR CREEK. RUNOFF FROM 3 INCHES OF RAIN IN  
45 MINUTES AT KITTREDGE CAUSED BEAR CREEK TO RISE 5 FEET IN  
10 MINUTES AT MORRISON...WASHING OUT TWO BRIDGES. ONE BRIDGE  
COLLAPSED...PLUNGING A FIRE TRUCK INTO THE WATER...BUT THE  
OCCUPANTS WERE NOT INJURED. THE TOWN WAS EVACUATED FOR 2  
HOURS. EVERGREEN WAS DRENCHED WITH 2.61 INCHES OF RAIN IN  
30 MINUTES...WHICH CAUSED STREET FLOODING ALONG WITH POWER  
OUTAGES. HAIL TO GOLF BALL SIZE DAMAGED CARS. A DECK ON A  
HOUSE EAST OF EVERGREEN WAS WASHED AWAY. AT IDAHO SPRINGS...  
2 INCHES OF RAIN FELL IN 45 MINUTES. GOLDEN RECEIVED  
3 INCHES OF RAIN IN AN HOUR WITH 0.80 INCH OF RAIN IN SEVEN  
MINUTES AT LITTLETON. HEAVY RAIN AND LARGE HAIL ALSO FELL  
IN THE CITY OF DENVER AND ITS NORTHERN AND EASTERN SUBURBS...  
CAUSING STREET FLOODING. WATER WAS 6 FEET DEEP ON ONE  
AURORA STREET.  
IN 1991...HEAVY RAINS CAUSED EXTENSIVE FLOODING ACROSS NORTH  
METRO DENVER. RALSTON CREEK IN ARVADA FLOWED OUT OF  
ITS BANKS. AT THE INTERSECTION OF I-25 AND I-70...UP TO 8  
FEET OF WATER COVERED THE HIGHWAY. A FOOT OF WATER COVERED  
A STRETCH OF I-70 IN NORTHWEST DENVER. THUNDERSTORM  
RAINFALL TOTALED ONLY 0.82 INCH AT STAPLETON INTERNATIONAL  
AIRPORT.  
IN 1998...LIGHTNING SPARKED A FIRE WHICH CAUSED EXTENSIVE  
DAMAGE TO A HOME IN ENGLEWOOD. MOST OF THE SECOND FLOOR  
WAS DESTROYED.  
IN 2004...SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCED HAIL TO 1.25 INCHES  
IN DIAMETER IN COMMERCE CITY AND NEAR BRIGHTON.  
IN 2019...SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCED HAIL UP TO 1 INCH IN  
DIAMETER...AND INTENSE THUNDERSTORM WINDS IN ARAPAHOE...  
DENVER AND WELD COUNTIES. A STRONG THUNDERSTORM PRODUCED  
7/8 INCH DIAMETER HAIL IN DOUGLAS COUNTY. AT DENVER  
INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT...A WET MICROBURST THAT FORMED OVER  
THE AIRFIELD PRODUCED A PEAK WIND GUST TO 79 MPH ALONG  
WITH 1.10 INCHES OF RAINFALL AND SMALL HAIL.  
22-23 IN 1991...FROM THE 22ND INTO THE 23RD...HEAVY RAINS OVER THE  
PALMER DIVIDE AND ALONG THE FRONT RANGE CAUSED THE SOUTH  
PLATTE RIVER TO FLOOD FROM NEAR HENDERSON TO FORT LUPTON.  
THE RIVER WAS OUT OF ITS BANKS AT SEVERAL LOCATIONS WITH  
WATER COVERING THE ROADS THROUGH THE NIGHT. ONLY MINOR  
DAMAGE WAS REPORTED.  
 

 
 
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