951
NOUS45 KBOU 110145
PNSBOU
COZ030>051-112300-
PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER/BOULDER CO
645 PM MST SAT JAN 10 2026
..THIS WEEK IN METRO DENVER WEATHER HISTORY
10-11 IN 1948...STRONG WINDS WERE REPORTED IN BOULDER AND LAKEWOOD.
WINDS OF 50 TO 60 MPH WERE REPORTED AT VALMONT...JUST EAST
OF BOULDER. ONLY MINOR DAMAGE WAS REPORTED.
IN 1980...STRONG WINDS OF 60 TO 95 MPH HOWLED ACROSS METRO
DENVER...CAUSING SOME BRIEF POWER OUTAGES AND SOME BROKEN
WINDOWS. A WIND GUST TO 111 MPH WAS RECORDED AT WONDERVU.
NORTHWEST WINDS GUSTED TO 40 MPH AT STAPLETON INTERNATIONAL
AIRPORT ON THE 10TH.
IN 1999...HIGH WINDS GUSTING TO 100 MPH BLASTED THE FOOTHILLS.
PEAK WIND GUSTS INCLUDED: 100 MPH AT CENTRAL CITY...98 MPH
AT WONDERVU...82 MPH AT ASPEN SPRINGS AND GOLDEN GATE CANYON...
81 MPH AT THE NCAR MESA LAB IN BOULDER AND NEAR NEDERLAND...
78 MPH ATOP BLUE MOUNTAIN NEAR COAL CREEK CANYON...AND 72
MPH AT THE ROCKY FLATS ENVIRONMENTAL TEST FACILITY. WEST
WINDS GUSTED TO 38 MPH AND WARMED THE TEMPERATURE TO A HIGH
OF 63 DEGREES AT DENVER INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT ON THE 11TH.
10-12 IN 1997...HEAVY SNOW FELL OVER THE FRONT RANGE FOOTHILLS.
A FOOT OF NEW SNOW WAS MEASURED AT BLACKHAWK WITH 7 INCHES
RECORDED IN COAL CREEK CANYON. ONLY 3.3 INCHES OF SNOW
FELL AT THE SITE OF THE FORMER STAPLETON INTERNATIONAL
AIRPORT. EAST-NORTHEAST WINDS GUSTED TO 18 MPH AT DENVER
INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT ON THE 11TH.
10-13 IN 1963...A ARCTIC COLD WAVE PLUNGED TEMPERATURES WELL BELOW
ZERO ACROSS METRO DENVER. TEMPERATURES WERE BELOW ZERO FOR
A TOTAL OF 64 CONSECUTIVE HOURS. LOW TEMPERATURES REACHED
25 DEGREES BELOW ZERO ON BOTH THE 11TH AND 12TH. THE HIGH
TEMPERATURE OF 9 DEGREES BELOW ZERO ON THE 11TH WAS THE
COLDEST EVER RECORDED AT STAPLETON AIRPORT AND EQUALED
THE RECORD LOW MAXIMUM FOR THE MONTH FIRST SET ON JANUARY
19...1883...IN DOWNTOWN DENVER. THE HIGH TEMPERATURE ON THE
12TH REACHED ONLY 1 DEGREE BELOW ZERO. ON THE 12TH...AN
18-YEAR-OLD YOUTH DIED OF EXPOSURE FROM THE EXTREME COLD
IN DENVER. THERE WERE MANY LOSSES AND DAMAGE TO PROPERTY
FROM FROZEN WATER SYSTEMS...STALLED CARS...AND OVER-BURDENED
HEATING SYSTEMS. LIGHT SNOW ACCOMPANIED THE ARCTIC BLAST.
AT STAPLETON AIRPORT...2.3 INCHES OF SNOW FELL ON THE 10TH
AND 11TH.
11 IN 1887...NORTHWEST WINDS WERE SUSTAINED TO 40 MPH IN THE CITY.
IN 1893...NORTHWEST WINDS TO 48 MPH WERE RECORDED IN THE CITY.
IN 1901...NORTHWEST WINDS WERE SUSTAINED TO 45 MPH WITH AN
EXTREME VELOCITY OF 47 MPH.
IN 1988...STRONG CHINOOK WINDS BLEW THROUGHOUT THE DAY ALONG
THE EASTERN FOOTHILLS. WINDS PEAKED TO 75 MPH IN BOULDER...
BREAKING AT LEAST ONE WINDOW. WEST WINDS GUSTED TO 49
MPH AT STAPLETON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT.
IN 1989...2 TO 3 INCHES OF SNOW FELL ACROSS METRO DENVER
CAUSING NEAR GRIDLOCK CONDITIONS DURING THE MORNING
RUSH HOUR AND TWO-HOUR DELAYS AT STAPLETON INTERNATIONAL
AIRPORT. TWO TO 6 INCHES OF SNOW WHITENED BOULDER WHERE
MANY TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS WERE REPORTED. SNOWFALL MEASURED
2.9 INCHES AT STAPLETON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT WHERE
NORTHEAST WINDS GUSTED TO 21 MPH.
IN 1995...HIGH WINDS DEVELOPED IN THE FOOTHILLS. A GUST TO
67 MPH WAS RECORDED AT ROCKY FLATS IN NORTHERN JEFFERSON
COUNTY. WEST WINDS GUSTED TO ONLY 32 MPH AT STAPLETON
INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT.
IN 1996...VERY STRONG WINDS WERE REPORTED IN THE FRONT RANGE
FOOTHILLS FOR A BRIEF TIME. WIND GUSTS TO 85 MPH WERE
RECORDED AT GOLDEN GATE CANYON...WITH 95 MPH AT WONDERVU.
11-12 IN 1972...HIGH WINDS HOWLED ALONG THE FRONT RANGE FOOTHILLS.
A WIND GUST TO 144 MPH WAS RECORDED AT THE NATIONAL CENTER
FOR ATMOSPHERIC RESEARCH IN BOULDER. A WIND GUST TO 105
MPH WAS RECORDED AT THE ROCKY FLATS PLANT SOUTH OF BOULDER.
WIND GUSTS TO 90 MPH WERE RECORDED IN DOWNTOWN BOULDER.
THE GREATEST DAMAGE FROM THE WINDSTORM OCCURRED IN BOULDER
WHERE 25 OR MORE MOBILE HOMES WERE DESTROYED EITHER BY WIND
OR THE FIRES WHICH RESULTED WHEN THEY WERE OVERTURNED.
CAR WINDOWS WERE BLOWN OUT; MANY BUILDINGS DAMAGED; UTILITY
POLES...POWER LINES...TREES...AND TRAFFIC LIGHTS BLOWN DOWN.
AS MANY AS 75 FAMILIES WERE EVACUATED FROM A RECENTLY
COMPLETED APARTMENT BUILDING BECAUSE OF SEVERE STRUCTURAL
DAMAGE. GOVERNMENT AND PRIVATE OFFICE BUILDINGS AND
INDUSTRIAL PLANTS WERE EVACUATED BECAUSE OF DANGER FROM
FLYING GLASS AND DEBRIS. TWELVE PEOPLE WERE TREATED AT
THE HOSPITAL...MOSTLY FOR CUTS FROM FLYING GLASS. AT
LEAST 15 SMALL PLANES WERE SERIOUSLY DAMAGED AND HANGAR
DOORS WERE BLOWN OFF AT THE JEFFERSON COUNTY AIRPORT IN
BROOMFIELD. WIND DAMAGE IN BOULDER ALONE TOTALED 2 MILLION
DOLLARS. AT STAPLETON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT...WEST WINDS
GUSTED TO 53 MPH ON THE 11TH AND TO 47 MPH ON THE 12TH.
THE STRONG CHINOOK WINDS WARMED TEMPERATURES INTO THE MID
50'S ON BOTH DAYS.
IN 2019...AN UPSLOPE SNOW EVENT PRODUCED HEAVY SNOW IN THE
SOUTHERN FRONT RANGE FOOTHILLS AND PALMER DIVIDE...WITH
LIGHT TO MODERATE SNOWFALL ELSEWHERE. IN THE FRONT RANGE
FOOTHILLS AND PALMER DIVIDE STORM TOTALS INCLUDED: 18
INCHES AT SCHAFFERS CROSSING...16.5 INCHES NEAR TINY TOWN...
15.5 INCHES IN PINECLIFFE...14 INCHES IN CRESCENT VILLAGE...
13.5 INCHES NEAR ASPEN PARK...13 INCHES...11 MILES SOUTHEAST
OF ARAPAHOE PARK; 12.5 INCHES NEAR GENESEE AND KITTREDGE...
12 INCHES NEAR PERRY PARK...11 INCHES NEAR CONIFER...WITH
6 TO 10 INCHES ELSEWHERE. ACROSS THE WESTERN AND SOUTHERN
SUBURBS OF DENVER STORM TOTALS INCLUDED: 7.5 INCHES NEAR
CENTENNIAL...6 INCHES IN LOUISVILLE AND WESTMINSTER...5.5
INCHES IN FEDERAL HEIGHTS...5 INCHES IN BROOMFIELD...WITH 2
TO 4 INCHES ELSEWHERE. THE OFFICIAL SNOWFALL MEASUREMENT
AT DENVER INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT WAS 1.3 INCHES.
11-14 IN 1997...COLD ARCTIC AIR PLUNGED TEMPERATURES BELOW ZERO
ACROSS METRO DENVER. THE TEMPERATURE WAS BELOW ZERO FOR
60 CONSECUTIVE HOURS FROM THE AFTERNOON ON THE 11TH TO
AROUND DAYBREAK ON THE 14TH. THE HIGH TEMPERATURE OF ONLY
1 DEGREE BELOW ZERO ON THE 12TH EQUALED THE RECORD LOW
MAXIMUM FOR THE DATE LAST SET IN 1963. THE LOW TEMPERATURE
DIPPED TO 14 DEGREES BELOW ZERO ON THE 12TH.
12 IN 1888...GALE FORCE WINDS TOPPLED THE WEATHER INSTRUMENT
SHELTER IN DOWNTOWN DENVER. THE STRONG WINDS IN THE
FOOTHILLS BLEW A TRAIN OFF THE TRACK AT GEORGETOWN.
NORTHWEST WINDS WERE SUSTAINED TO 60 MPH IN THE CITY.
THE STRONG WINDS WARMED THE TEMPERATURE TO A HIGH OF
50 DEGREES.
IN 1980...STRONG WINDS IN BOULDER PEAKED TO 95 MPH AT TABLE
MESA. NORTHWEST WINDS GUSTED TO ONLY 29 MPH AT STAPLETON
INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT.
IN 1992...A STRONG PACIFIC STORM SYSTEM DUMPED HEAVY SNOW
ACROSS PORTIONS OF METRO DENVER. CONIFER...IN THE FOOTHILLS
SOUTHWEST OF DENVER...RECEIVED 17.5 INCHES OF SNOW. ELEVEN
INCHES FELL AT LAKE ELDORA WEST OF BOULDER...WITH 7 INCHES
RECORDED AT MORRISON AND 6 INCHES AT CASTLE ROCK. AT
STAPLETON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT WHERE NORTH WINDS GUSTED
TO 31 MPH...THE SNOWFALL TOTALED ONLY 4.4 INCHES. STRONG
WINDS FORCED THE CLOSURE OF SOME HIGHWAYS.
IN 1998...VERY STRONG WINDS AND HEAVY SNOW CAUSED BLIZZARD
CONDITIONS IN THE MOUNTAINS TO SPREAD OVER PORTIONS OF
THE FRONT RANGE FOOTHILLS. JUST EAST OF THE CONTINENTAL
DIVIDE...SUSTAINED WINDS FROM 80 TO 85 MPH WITH GUSTS TO
100 MPH WERE RECORDED AT SILVER SPRUCE RANCH NEAR WARD...
RESULTING IN WHITEOUT CONDITIONS. ONLY A TRACE OF SNOW
FELL AT THE SITE OF THE FORMER STAPLETON INTERNATIONAL
AIRPORT. NORTH WINDS GUSTED TO ONLY 28 MPH AT DENVER
INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT.
IN 2009...A FAST MOVING STORM SYSTEM BROUGHT HEAVY SNOW TO THE
FOOTHILLS OF BOULDER AND JEFFERSON COUNTIES...AS WELL AS THE
WESTERN AND SOUTHERN DENVER SUBURBS. STORM TOTALS GENERALLY
RANGED FROM 4 TO 9 INCHES. THE SNOWFALL MEASUREMENT AT
DENVER INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT WAS 3.0 INCHES.
12-13 IN 1936...STRONG WINDS IN BOULDER BLEW ROOFS OFF HOMES. WIND
GUSTS OVER 60 MPH WERE RECORDED AT THE UNIVERSITY OF
COLORADO AND A GUST TO 55 MPH MEASURED AT VALMONT.
IN 2002...HIGH WINDS DEVELOPED IN THE FOOTHILLS ON THE 12TH
AND SPREAD OVER THE PLAINS ON THE 13TH. WINDS GUSTED TO
76 MPH AT THE NATIONAL CENTER FOR ATMOSPHERIC RESEARCH ON
THE MESA IN BOULDER ON THE 12TH. NORTHWEST WINDS GUSTED
TO 49 MPH...THE HIGHEST WIND OF THE MONTH...AT DENVER
INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT ON THE 13TH. THE STRONGEST WINDS
WERE NORTH AND NORTHEAST OF METRO DENVER.
13 IN 1875...THE LOW TEMPERATURE DIPPED TO 20 DEGREES BELOW ZERO...
A RECORD LOW FOR THE DATE AND CLIMBED TO A HIGH OF ONLY
2 DEGREES BELOW ZERO...A RECORD LOW MAXIMUM FOR THE DATE.
IN 1880...THE WORST WIND STORM EVER EXPERIENCED IN BOULDER
CAUSED SOME DAMAGE AND PERSONAL INJURIES.
IN 1893...NORTHWEST WINDS WERE SUSTAINED TO 42 MPH IN THE CITY.
IN 1904...NORTHWEST WINDS WERE SUSTAINED TO 40 MPH WITH GUSTS
AS HIGH AS 50 MPH. THE CHINOOK WINDS WARMED THE TEMPERATURE
TO A HIGH OF 63 DEGREES. THE LOW TEMPERATURE REMAINED ABOVE
FREEZING...DIPPING TO ONLY 34 DEGREES.
IN 1919...SNOWFALL WAS 1.8 INCHES IN DOWNTOWN DENVER. MELTED
SNOW RESULTED IN ONLY 0.12 INCH OF PRECIPITATION. THIS
WAS THE ONLY SNOWFALL AND PRECIPITATION FOR THE MONTH.
IN 1932...SNOWFALL TOTALED 3.4 INCHES IN DOWNTOWN DENVER.
NORTH WINDS GUSTED TO 22 MPH.
IN 1967...HIGH WINDS IN BOULDER GUSTED TO 70 MPH DOWNTOWN.
SOME DAMAGE OCCURRED. NORTHWEST WINDS GUSTING TO 38 MPH
AT STAPLETON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT PRODUCED SOME BLOWING
DUST.
IN 1988...HIGH WINDS OCCURRED IN BOULDER WITH A WIND GUST TO
70 MPH AT TABLE MESA. IN THE FOOTHILLS A WIND GUST TO 82
MPH WAS MEASURED AT ROLLINSVILLE. WEST WINDS GUSTED TO
33 MPH AT STAPLETON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT.
13-14 IN 1960...SNOWFALL TOTALED ONLY 4.4 INCHES AND NORTHEAST WINDS
GUSTED TO 28 MPH AT STAPLETON AIRPORT...WHILE OVER SOUTHEAST
COLORADO A NEAR BLIZZARD CLOSED ROADS WITH DRIFTS 3 TO 6
FEET DEEP.
13-15 IN 2021...STRONG AND DAMAGING WINDS DEVELOPED ACROSS FRONT
RANGE MOUNTAINS...FOOTHILLS AND ADJACENT PLAINS. A LARGE
SHED BLEW OVER AND SMASHED INTO A PARKED CAR IN GOLD HILL IN
THE FOOTHILLS OF BOULDER COUNTY. ACROSS METRO DENVER...A
FALLEN TREE BROUGHT DOWN POWER LINES AND SPARKED A SMALL GRASS
AND SHED FIRE; ANOTHER TREE FELL INTO A HOUSE IN CENTENNIAL.
NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED. IN THE MOUNTAINS AND FOOTHILLS...
PEAK GUSTS INCLUDED: 94 MPH NEAR CRISMAN...83 MPH AT BLACKHAWK...
80 MPH NEAR MARSHALL...AND 79 MPH NEAR BERTHOUD PASS. ACROSS
THE URBAN CORRIDOR AND ADJACENT PLAINS...PEAK GUSTS INCLUDED:
69 MPH NEAR CENTENNIAL...64 MPH IN BROOMFIELD...63 MPH NEAR
ELIZABETH AND NORTHGLENN...62 MPH AT STRASBURG...60 MPH NEAR
BUCKLEY AFB...CASTLE PINES...LONE TREE AND PARKER...AND 59 MPH
NEAR LITTLETON. AT DENVER INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT...A PEAK WIND
GUST OF 58 MPH WAS OBSERVED FROM THE WEST ON THE 13TH...WITH
ANOTHER GUST TO 58 MPH FROM THE NORTH OBSERVED ON THE 14TH.
13-16 IN 1888...A COLD AIR MASS SETTLED OVER THE CITY AND CAUSED
TEMPERATURES TO PLUNGE WELL BELOW ZERO ON FOUR CONSECUTIVE
DAYS...BUT ONLY ONE TEMPERATURE RECORD WAS SET. MINIMUM
TEMPERATURES DIPPED TO 4 DEGREES BELOW ZERO ON THE 13TH...
19 DEGREES BELOW ZERO ON THE 14TH...20 DEGREES BELOW ZERO
ON THE 15TH...AND 11 DEGREES BELOW ZERO ON THE 16TH. THE
MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE OF ONLY 4 DEGREES BELOW ZERO ON THE
14TH WAS A RECORD LOW MAXIMUM FOR THE DATE. NORTH WINDS
WERE SUSTAINED TO 30 MPH ON THE 13TH.
14 IN 1873...WINDS WERE BRISK ALL DAY. AFTER SUNSET...NORTHEAST
SUSTAINED WINDS PRODUCED A PERFECT GALE...BEHIND AN
APPARENT COLD FRONT.
IN 1875...THE TEMPERATURE REMAINED BELOW ZERO ALL DAY WITH
A GENERAL NORTHEAST WIND. AT 9:00 PM THE TEMPERATURE WAS
1 DEGREE ABOVE ZERO WHICH WAS THE OFFICIAL HIGH FOR THE
DAY. THE WIND SUDDENLY VEERED TO THE SOUTHWEST AND THE
TEMPERATURE CLIMBED 19 DEGREES IN 15 MINUTES...7 MORE
DEGREES IN THE NEXT 5 MINUTES...AND BY 9:30 PM HAD RISEN
TO 36 DEGREES. BY 9:35 PM THE TEMPERATURE HAD REACHED 40
DEGREES...A RISE OF 48 DEGREES IN ONE HOUR AND 39 DEGREES
IN HALF AN HOUR. THE SUDDEN RISE IN TEMPERATURE COULD BE
ATTRIBUTED TO A RECEDING ARCTIC AIR MASS AND DOWNSLOPING
SURFACE WINDS.
IN 1906...THE TEMPERATURE CLIMBED TO A HIGH OF 56 DEGREES
BEFORE AN APPARENT COLD FRONT PRODUCED NORTHEAST WINDS
SUSTAINED TO 40 MPH AND A TRACE OF SNOW IN THE AFTERNOON.
IN 1921...WEST WINDS WERE SUSTAINED TO 44 MPH WITH GUSTS TO
46 MPH. THE DOWNSLOPE WINDS WARMED THE TEMPERATURE TO A
HIGH OF 49 DEGREES.
IN 1967...3.7 INCHES OF SNOW FELL AT STAPLETON INTERNATIONAL
AIRPORT WITH 7.7 INCHES MEASURED IN BOULDER.
IN 1982...STRONG CHINOOK WINDS BUFFETED BOULDER...TEARING THE
ROOF OFF A SMALL APARTMENT BUILDING. A GUST TO 88 MPH WAS
MEASURED IN LAKEWOOD. WIND GUSTS OF 60 TO 80 MPH WERE
COMMON ALONG THE FOOTHILLS FROM DENVER NORTH TO FORT
COLLINS. FOUR PEOPLE SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES...MOSTLY FROM
FLYING GLASS. AT LEAST ONE PERSON WAS KNOCKED DOWN BY THE
WINDS. SEVERAL TRACTOR TRAILER RIGS WERE BLOWN OFF I-70
NEAR GOLDEN...AND NUMEROUS CAMPER SHELLS WERE BLOWN OFF
PICK-UP TRUCKS.
14-15 IN 1908...HEAVY POST-FRONTAL SNOWFALL TOTALED 6.5 INCHES
OVERNIGHT. NORTH WINDS WERE SUSTAINED TO 32 MPH. THE
TEMPERATURE DROPPED 41 DEGREES IN 24 HOURS FROM A READING
OF 48 DEGREES AT 8:00 PM ON THE 14TH TO ONLY 7 DEGREES AT
8:00 PM ON THE 15TH.
IN 1950...STRONG WINDS OCCURRED IN BOULDER AND LOUISVILLE.
WINDS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH WERE RECORDED AT VALMONT. MINOR
DAMAGE WAS REPORTED. SOUTHWEST WINDS GUSTED TO 50 MPH
AT STAPLETON AIRPORT.
IN 1959...A TOTAL OF 5.5 INCHES OF SNOW FELL AT STAPLETON
AIRPORT.
IN 1992...SNOW SPREAD FROM THE MOUNTAINS ACROSS METRO DENVER.
THE HEAVIEST SNOW WAS ACROSS THE NORTHERN PORTION OF THE
AREA WHERE 7 INCHES FELL AT THORNTON. AT STAPLETON
INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT...ONLY 3.4 INCHES OF SNOWFALL WERE
RECORDED AND NORTHEAST WINDS GUSTING TO 37 MPH CAUSED
SOME BLOWING SNOW ON THE 14TH.
IN 1999...HIGH WINDS HOWLED ACROSS METRO DENVER. IN COMMERCE
CITY...STRONG WINDS TOPPLED 3 UTILITY POLES RESULTING IN A
POWER OUTAGE TO 600 HOMES. HIGH WIND REPORTS INCLUDED:
108 MPH AT WONDERVU...80 MPH AT THE HIWAN GOLF COURSE IN
EVERGREEN...76 MPH AT ASPEN SPRINGS...75 MPH AT THE JEFFERSON
COUNTY AIRPORT NEAR BROOMFIELD...74 MPH IN BOULDER...AND 70
MPH AT GEORGETOWN. WEST TO NORTHWEST WINDS GUSTED TO 48
MPH...THE HIGHEST WIND GUST OF THE MONTH...AND WARMED THE
TEMPERATURE TO A HIGH OF 60 DEGREES AT DENVER INTERNATIONAL
AIRPORT ON THE 15TH.
14-21 IN 1930...A PROTRACTED COLD SPELL OCCURRED WHEN LOW TEMPERATURES
PLUNGED BELOW ZERO ON 8 CONSECUTIVE DAYS. THE COLDEST LOW
TEMPERATURES OF 20 DEGREES BELOW ZERO ON THE 17TH AND 19
DEGREES BELOW ZERO ON THE 16TH WERE RECORD MINIMUMS FOR
THE DATES. HIGH TEMPERATURES DURING THE PERIOD RANGED FROM
18 ON THE 18TH TO ZERO ON THE 20TH. TWO DEGREES ON THE
15TH WAS A RECORD LOW MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE FOR THE DATE.
15 IN 1875...THE WIND BACKED FROM THE SOUTHWEST TO THE NORTHEAST
BEFORE NOON. THE TEMPERATURE FELL 48 DEGREES IN ONE HOUR...
FROM A HIGH OF 52 DEGREES TO ONLY 4 DEGREES BETWEEN
11:30 AM AND 12:30 PM...AS COLD ARCTIC AIR SURGED BACK OVER
THE CITY.
IN 1888...THE LOW TEMPERATURE DIPPED TO 20 DEGREES BELOW
ZERO.
IN 1906...SOUTHWEST WINDS WERE SUSTAINED TO 44 MPH.
IN 1921...SOUTH WINDS WERE SUSTAINED TO 44 MPH WITH GUSTS TO
48 MPH. THE WINDS WARMED THE TEMPERATURE TO A HIGH OF
63 DEGREES. THE LOW TEMPERATURE OF ONLY 47 DEGREES WAS A
RECORD HIGH MINIMUM FOR THE DATE.
IN 1943...STRONG CHINOOK WINDS STRUCK THE FRONT RANGE
FOOTHILLS. WIND GUSTS TO 96 MPH WERE RECORDED AT VALMONT
IN EAST BOULDER...WITH 90 MPH MEASURED AT BOULDER AIRPORT.
SOME DAMAGE OCCURRED.
IN 1976...STRONG CHINOOK WINDS WITH PEAK GUSTS OF 70 TO 80 MPH
WERE RECORDED ALONG THE FOOTHILLS. NORTHWEST WINDS GUSTED
TO 46 MPH AT STAPLETON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT.
IN 1982...A VIGOROUS COLD FRONT PLUNGED TEMPERATURES 22
DEGREES IN AN HOUR FROM 39 TO 17 DEGREES. STRONG NORTHEAST
WINDS AT 30 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 46 MPH...ALONG WITH SOME SNOW
FLURRIES...REDUCED THE VISIBILITY TO 1 MILE IN BLOWING DUST
AT STAPLETON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT.
IN 1987...HEAVY SNOW HIT METRO DENVER. SNOWFALL TOTALED 10.3
INCHES AT STAPLETON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT...BUT AMOUNTS
ACROSS THE AREA RANGED FROM 3 INCHES IN SOUTHEAST AURORA
TO 18 INCHES IN THE WESTERN AND SOUTHWESTERN SUBURBS. ONLY
AN INCH OF SNOW WAS MEASURED AT CASTLE ROCK. A HALF FOOT TO
A FOOT OF SNOW FELL IN THE FOOTHILLS WEST OF DENVER AND
BOULDER. SOME SCHOOLS WERE CLOSED DUE TO THE STORM.
TEMPERATURES HOVERED IN THE TEENS MOST OF THE DAY AT
STAPLETON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT WHERE NORTH WINDS GUSTED
TO 30 MPH.
IN 1988...HIGH WINDS WERE CLOCKED IN BOULDER WITH A GUST TO 70
MPH RECORDED AT TABLE MESA.
IN 1998...STRONG WINDS DEVELOPED IN AND NEAR THE FRONT RANGE
FOOTHILLS. WINDS GUSTED TO 71 MPH AT JEFFERSON COUNTY
AIRPORT NEAR BROOMFIELD. SOUTH-SOUTHWEST WINDS GUSTED TO
ONLY 25 MPH AT DENVER INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT.
15-16 IN 1967...A MAJOR WINDSTORM STRUCK BOULDER. THE STORM WAS
DESCRIBED AT THE TIME AS THE WORST SINGLE WINDSTORM IN THE
HISTORY OF BOULDER IN TERMS OF DAMAGE. WINDS REACHED 125
MPH AT THE NATIONAL CENTER FOR ATMOSPHERIC RESEARCH AND AT
BOULDER AIRPORT. WINDS GUSTED TO 84 MPH DOWNTOWN. DAMAGE
TOTALED A HALF MILLION DOLLARS IN BOULDER WHERE SOME MINOR
INJURIES WERE REPORTED. AT THE BOULDER MUNICIPAL AIRPORT...
14 LIGHT AIRPLANES WERE SEVERELY DAMAGED. THE SECOND FLOOR
OF A WAREHOUSE WAS BLOWN DOWN...DAMAGING TWO NEARBY MOVING
VANS. A MOBILE HOME WAS BLOWN OVER SOUTH OF BOULDER...
INJURING ONE WOMAN. THE ROOF OF A DEPARTMENT STORE WAS
BLOWN IN. THERE WAS WIDESPREAD DAMAGE TO HOUSES...AUTOS...
AND POWER LINES FROM WIND AND FLYING DEBRIS. STRONG WINDS
ALSO OCCURRED IN DENVER AND GOLDEN...BUT DAMAGE WAS ONLY
MINOR. AT STAPLETON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT...WEST WINDS
GUSTED TO 43 MPH ON THE 15TH AND TO 45 MPH ON THE 16TH.
IN 1981...HEAVY SNOW OF 6 TO 10 INCHES ACCUMULATED ACROSS
METRO DENVER. SNOWFALL TOTALED ONLY 1.8 INCHES AT STAPLETON
INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT WHERE EAST WINDS GUSTED TO 21 MPH ON
THE 15TH.
IN 1991...A PACIFIC STORM SYSTEM MOVED ACROSS METRO DENVER.
SNOWFALL TOTALED 3 TO 7 INCHES WITH 3 INCHES IN AURORA...
DENVER...AND CASTLE ROCK...4 INCHES IN ARVADA...AND 7 INCHES
AT SOUTH PLATTE STATION JUST SOUTHWEST OF DENVER.
SNOWFALL TOTALED ONLY 2.9 INCHES AT STAPLETON INTERNATIONAL
AIRPORT WHERE NORTH WINDS GUSTED TO 21 MPH ON THE 16TH.
IN 2001...HEAVY SNOW FELL ACROSS THE FRONT RANGE FOOTHILLS
AND URBAN CORRIDOR. THE COMBINATION OF CARELESS DRIVING
AND SNOWPACKED HIGHWAYS RESULTED IN 3 MULTI-VEHICLE
ACCIDENTS INVOLVING 30 VEHICLES...ALONG I-25 IN DOUGLAS
COUNTY. ELEVEN PEOPLE WERE INJURED AND ONE WAS KILLED.
SNOW AMOUNTS INCLUDED: 11 INCHES IN EVERGREEN...10 INCHES
AT ELDORADO SPRINGS AND GENESEE...8 INCHES AT BROOMFIELD...
KEN CARYL RANCH...AND THORNTON...AND 5 TO 7 INCHES IN
ARVADA...BAILEY...CROW HILL...GROSS RESERVOIR...LAKEWOOD...
LOUISVILLE...WESTMINSTER...AND LOVELAND. SNOWFALL
TOTALED 2.7 INCHES AT THE SITE OF THE FORMER STAPLETON
INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT.
15-23 IN 1962...A PROTRACTED COLD SPELL KEPT METRO DENVER IN THE
DEEP FREEZE FOR MORE THAN A WEEK. FROM THE 15TH THRU THE
23RD...LOW TEMPERATURES WERE ZERO OR BELOW FOR 9 CONSECUTIVE
DAYS...BUT A DAILY RECORD LOW WAS SET ONLY ON THE 22ND WHEN
THE TEMPERATURE DIPPED TO 14 DEGREES BELOW ZERO. A RECORD
LOW MAXIMUM FOR THE DATE WAS ALSO SET ON THE 22ND WHEN THE
TEMPERATURE CLIMBED TO ONLY 11 DEGREES. THE COLDEST HIGH
TEMPERATURE WAS 3 DEGREES ABOVE ZERO ON THE 21ST...WHICH DID
NOT BREAK THE RECORD. THE PROTRACTED COLD WAS BROKEN FOR
ONLY A FEW HOURS ON THE AFTERNOON OF THE 20TH WHEN CHINOOK
WINDS WARMED THE TEMPERATURE TO A HIGH OF 38 DEGREES BEFORE
ANOTHER SURGE OF COLD ARCTIC AIR PLUNGED TEMPERATURES
BACK INTO THE DEEP FREEZE THAT EVENING. THE SEVERE COLD
CAUSED MUCH DAMAGE TO WATER SYSTEMS. A WOMAN WAS FROZEN TO
DEATH AT MORRISON. THERE WERE OTHER DEATHS ATTRIBUTABLE TO
THE WEATHER...INCLUDING TRAFFIC DEATHS AND HEART ATTACKS
FROM OVEREXERTION.
16 IN 1911...A TRACE OF RAIN FELL...A RARE EVENT IN JANUARY.
IN 1935...RAINFALL WAS 0.01 INCH DURING THE AFTERNOON...A
RARE EVENT IN JANUARY.
IN 1989...WIND GUSTS TO 80 MPH WERE REPORTED IN SOUTHWEST
BOULDER. WINDS REACHED 100 MPH AT ROLLINSVILLE IN THE
FOOTHILLS SOUTHWEST OF BOULDER. IN GOLDEN...THE WIND BLEW
A 25-FOOT TRAILER THROUGH A FENCE AND FLIPPED IT OVER.
WEST WINDS GUSTED TO 37 MPH AT STAPLETON INTERNATIONAL
AIRPORT WHERE THE CHINOOK WINDS WARMED THE TEMPERATURE
TO A HIGH OF 49 DEGREES.
16-17 IN 1886...A BRIEF COLD SPELL RESULTED IN TWO TEMPERATURE
RECORDS. HIGH TEMPERATURES OF ZERO DEGREES ON THE 16TH
AND 2 DEGREES BELOW ZERO ON THE 17TH WERE BOTH RECORD
LOW MAXIMUMS FOR THE DATES. LOW TEMPERATURES OF
8 DEGREES BELOW ZERO ON THE 16TH AND 16 DEGREES BELOW
ZERO ON THE 17TH WERE NOT RECORDS.
IN 1930...TEMPERATURES PLUNGING WELL BELOW ZERO RESULTED
IN TWO RECORDS. LOW TEMPERATURES OF 19 DEGREES BELOW
ZERO ON THE 16TH AND 20 DEGREES BELOW ZERO ON THE 17TH
WERE RECORD LOW TEMPERATURES FOR THE DATES. HIGH
TEMPERATURES WERE 4 DEGREES ON THE 16TH AND 15 DEGREES
ON THE 17TH. LIGHT SNOWFALL TOTALED 4.0 INCHES. NORTH
WINDS WERE SUSTAINED TO 18 MPH ON THE 16TH.
IN 1964...HIGH WINDS STRUCK THE EASTERN FOOTHILLS. GALE
VELOCITY WINDS WERE RECORDED IN BOULDER WITH GUSTS TO 83
MPH MEASURED AT ROCKY FLATS. SEVERAL AIRPLANES WERE
DAMAGED AT THE JEFFERSON COUNTY AIRPORT IN BROOMFIELD.
ROOFS...WALLS...AND PARTS OF BUILDINGS WERE BLOWN AWAY AT
VARIOUS LOCATIONS. POWER POLES AND TREES WERE BLOWN OVER.
16-18 IN 1943...LIGHT SNOWFALL TOTALED 3.2 INCHES OVER THE 3 DAYS.
THIS WAS THE ONLY MEASURABLE SNOW OF THE MONTH. NORTH
WINDS WERE SUSTAINED TO 20 MPH ON THE 16TH.
IN 2011...VERY STRONG WINDS ASSOCIATED WITH AN UPPER LEVEL
JETSTREAM OVER COLORADO PRODUCED BLIZZARD CONDITIONS IN
THE MOUNTAINS ABOVE TIMBERLINE. PEAK WIND GUSTS
INCLUDED: 99 MPH ATOP LOVELAND PASS...94 MPH...2 MILES
SOUTHWEST OF MARY JANE...80 MPH ATOP BERTHOUD PASS AND
79 MPH ATOP NIWOT RIDGE. STORM TOTALS IN THE SKI AREAS
WEST OF DENVER RANGED FROM 8 TO 14 INCHES.
17 IN 1872...LIGHT SNOW FELL DURING THE MORNING AND CONTINUED
INTO THE AFTERNOON UNTIL 3:30 PM. THE SKY COMMENCED TO
CLEAR A LITTLE BEFORE 2:00 PM...BUT SNOW FELL THICKLY FOR
AT LEAST HALF AN HOUR EVEN THOUGH THE SKY WAS PERFECTLY
CLEAR OVERHEAD. MELTED SNOW TOTALED 0.33 INCHES.
IN 1888...NORTHWEST WINDS WERE SUSTAINED TO 46 MPH IN THE CITY.
IN 1905...INTERMITTENT RAIN...UNUSUAL IN JANUARY...OCCURRED
DURING THE DAY. THE RAIN CHANGED TO SNOW DURING THE LATE
EVENING...BUT ENDED BEFORE MIDNIGHT. SNOWFALL WAS 2.0 INCHES.
PRECIPITATION TOTALED 0.62 INCH. THE TEMPERATURE RANGED
FROM A HIGH OF 44 DEGREES TO A LOW OF 32 DEGREES.
IN 1950...WIND GUSTS TO 62 MPH CAUSED SOME BLOWING DUST AT
STAPLETON AIRPORT.
IN 1982...ONE OF THE WORST WIND STORMS IN MANY YEARS HIT THE
FRONT RANGE FOOTHILLS. THE STRONGEST WINDS OCCURRED IN
BOULDER WHERE AT 2:30 AM A WIND GUST TO 147 MPH WAS RECORDED
AT THE NATIONAL CENTER FOR ATMOSPHERIC RESEARCH...ON THE MESA
IN SOUTHWEST BOULDER. AT THIS LOCATION 20 WIND GUSTS OVER
120 MPH WERE CLOCKED BETWEEN 1:00 AM AND 9:00 AM. AN
ESTIMATED 40 PERCENT OF ALL BUILDINGS IN BOULDER RECEIVED
AT LEAST MINOR WIND DAMAGE. ABOUT 50 HOMES WERE DAMAGED
ENOUGH TO BE UNINHABITABLE. AT LEAST 15 HOMES IN THE TABLE
MESA AREA OF BOULDER LOST ROOFS. TWENTY SMALL AIRPLANES
WERE DESTROYED AT THE BOULDER AIRPORT. UTILITY POLES WERE
SNAPPED IN TWO...AND ABOUT ONE-SEVENTH OF THE BUILDINGS IN
THE AREA WERE WITHOUT POWER. INSURED DAMAGE TOTALED 20
MILLION DOLLARS MAKING THE WIND STORM THE MOST COSTLY
ON RECORD IN COLORADO AT THE TIME.
IN 1989...HIGH WINDS WERE RECORDED ALONG THE EASTERN FOOTHILLS
WITH GUSTS TO 90 MPH RECORDED AT ROLLINSVILLE. NORTH OF
DENVER ON I-25...THE WIND INJURED TWO MEN WHEN THEIR TRACTOR
TRAILER WAS BLOWN OFF THE ROAD AND ROLLED. WEST WINDS
GUSTED TO 48 MPH AT STAPLETON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT.
IN 1990...AN INTENSE BUT LOCALIZED SNOW STORM CAUGHT MANY
PEOPLE BY SURPRISE WHEN IT DUMPED 3 TO 6 INCHES OF SNOW
DURING A 3-HOUR PERIOD ACROSS PORTIONS OF BOULDER COUNTY.
THE STORM SWATH APPROXIMATELY 20 TO 30 MILES WIDE STRETCHED
NORTHEAST FROM BOULDER TO JUST EAST OF LONGMONT. ONLY
LIGHT SNOW FELL OVER THE REMAINDER OF METRO DENVER WITH
0.2 INCH OF SNOWFALL MEASURED AT STAPLETON INTERNATIONAL
AIRPORT WHERE NORTHEAST WINDS GUSTED TO 30 MPH.
IN 1998...STRONG WINDS IN THE FOOTHILLS SPREAD OVER THE PLAINS
MAINLY NORTH OF METRO DENVER. WINDS GUSTED TO 75 MPH AT
GOLDEN GATE CANYON. WEST WINDS GUSTED TO 34 MPH AT DENVER
INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT.
17-18 IN 1974...RARE OVERNIGHT JANUARY RAINFALL TOTALED 0.12 INCH
ON THE 17TH AND 0.26 INCH ON THE 18TH WHEN IT WAS
BRIEFLY MIXED WITH SNOW.
IN 2012...DAMAGING WINDS DEVELOPED IN AND NEAR THE FRONT RANGE.
IN BOULDER...THE HIGH WINDS KNOCKED DOWN SEVERAL TREES...POWER
POLES AND ELECTRICAL LINES. SOME OF THE FALLEN TREES DAMAGED
HOMES AND AUTOMOBILES. A SEMI-TRAILER WAS BLOWN ON ITS SIDE
ALONG STATE HIGHWAY 93 NEAR MARSHALL. PEAK WIND GUSTS
INCLUDED: 104 MPH IN SOUTH BOULDER...98 MPH NEAR PINECLIFFE...
95 MPH NEAR ROCKY FLATS...92 MPH AT STATE HIGHWAY 93 NEAR
MARSHALL...87 MPH AT BERTHOUD PASS AND IN BOULDER CANYON...
80 MPH...5 MILES WEST-NORTHWEST OF BOULDER; 83 MPH AT NCAR
MESA LAB...78 MPH...8 MILES NORTHEAST OF FOUR CORNERS; 79 MPH
AT THE NATIONAL WIND TECHNOLOGY CENTER...76 MPH AT WONDERVU...
75 MPH ATOP LOVELAND PASS AND THE NCAR FOOTHILLS LAB IN
BOULDER...74 MPH AT BLUE MOUNTAIN...BOULDER MUNICIPAL AIRPORT...
AND NEAR LYONS...73 MPH NEAR NEDERLAND...72 MPH AT THE JUNCTION
OF STATE HIGHWAYS 72 AND 93...62 MPH IN SUPERIOR; AND 61 MPH
AT ERIE MUNICIPAL AIRPORT. A PEAK WIND GUST OF 38 MPH FROM
THE NORTHWEST WAS OBSERVED AT DENVER INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT.
IN 2020...A STORM SYSTEM MOVED ACROSS THE REGION AND PRODUCED
A PERIOD OF VERY STRONG WINDS IN THE FOOTHILLS. PEAK WIND
GUSTS INCLUDED: 85 MPH NEAR ROCKY FLATS...81 MPH NEAR WHITE
RANCH OPEN SPACE...79 MPH NEAR BERGEN PARK; 78 MPH NEAR
CRISMAN AND NCAR MESA LAB...75 MPH NEAR PLEASANT VIEW. ON THE
17TH...NORTHWEST WINDS GUSTED TO 45 MPH AT DENVER INTERNATIONAL
AIRPORT.
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