083
NOUS45 KBOU 020859
PNSBOU
COZ030>051-022300-
PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER/BOULDER CO
259 AM MDT THU APR 2 2026
..TODAY IN METRO DENVER WEATHER HISTORY
31-2 IN 1980...THE SECOND MAJOR BLIZZARD IN 5 DAYS BURIED MUCH OF
EASTERN COLORADO UNDER 6 TO 12 INCHES OF SNOW. SOME DRIFTS
WERE UP TO 22 FEET HIGH. HUNDREDS OF TRAVELERS WERE
STRANDED. OVER 3000 FAMILIES WERE WITHOUT POWER.
LIVESTOCK LOSSES WERE HIGH. METRO DENVER ESCAPED THE
MAIN BRUNT OF THIS STORM. AT STAPLETON INTERNATIONAL
AIRPORT...ONLY 6.3 INCHES OF SNOW FELL OVER THE 3-DAY PERIOD
AND NORTH WINDS GUSTED TO ONLY 22 MPH ON THE 1ST.
31-3 IN 1979...TOTAL SNOWFALL OF 6.6 INCHES WAS MEASURED AT
STAPLETON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT WHERE NORTH WINDS GUSTED
TO 31 MPH ON THE 31ST. THE GREATEST ACCUMULATION OF SNOW
ON THE GROUND WAS 3 INCHES ON THE 1ST.
31-4 IN 1905...MUCH RAIN AND SOME SNOW OCCURRED OVER THE 5 DAYS
BEHIND AN APPARENT COLD FRONT. PRECIPITATION TOTALED 2.00
INCHES. THERE WAS A THUNDERSTORM ON THE 3RD. SNOWFALL
TOTALED 3.0 INCHES ON THE 4TH. NORTH WINDS WERE SUSTAINED
TO 34 MPH ON THE 1ST AND 2ND AND TO 30 MPH ON THE 3RD.
HIGH TEMPERATURES DURING THE PERIOD RANGED FROM THE UPPER
30'S TO THE LOWER 40'S. LOW TEMPERATURES WERE IN THE UPPER
20'S AND LOWER 30'S.
1-2 IN 1963...FROM THE 1ST TO 2ND...STRONG WINDS BUFFETED METRO
DENVER...WHILE WIND-WHIPPED FIRES CONSUMED GRASSLAND ON THE
PLAINS. A CHILD WAS INJURED BY A WIND BLOWN FALLING TREE IN
CASTLE ROCK. SOUTHWEST WINDS GUSTED TO 52 MPH AT STAPLETON
AIRPORT...CAUSING SOME BLOWING DUST. THE WORST FIRE STORM
BURNED OVER 25 THOUSAND ACRES OF GRAZING LAND IN SOUTHERN
WELD COUNTY NEAR ROGGEN NORTHEAST OF DENVER.
IN 1984...FROM THE 1ST TO THE 2ND...A SNOWSTORM WITH NEAR-
BLIZZARD CONDITIONS OVER EASTERN COLORADO CLOSED MANY ROADS...
INCLUDING I-70 AND I-76 EAST OF DENVER AND I-25 BETWEEN
DENVER AND COLORADO SPRINGS. AT STAPLETON INTERNATIONAL
AIRPORT...SNOWFALL TOTALED ONLY 2.5 INCHES...BUT NORTH WINDS
GUSTED TO 45 MPH ON THE 2ND.
IN 1999...FROM THE 1ST TO THE 2ND...MOIST UPSLOPE CONDITIONS
ALLOWED HEAVY SNOW TO DEVELOP IN THE FRONT RANGE FOOTHILLS
WHERE SNOWFALL TOTALS INCLUDED: 10 INCHES AT ASPEN PARK AND
EVERGREEN; 9 INCHES AT TURKEY CREEK; 8 INCHES AT IDAHO
SPRINGS AND GENESEE; 7 INCHES AT ASPEN SPRINGS...CROW HILL...
INTERCANYON...AND LAKE GEORGE. IN METRO DENVER SNOWFALL
TOTALS INCLUDED: 10 INCHES SOUTH OF SEDALIA; 8 INCHES IN
LITTLETON; 7 INCHES AT MORRISON; 6 INCHES AT HIGHLANDS RANCH;
AND 4 TO 5 INCHES IN NORTHGLENN...PARKER AND NEAR LOUISVILLE.
SNOWFALL TOTALED 4.7 INCHES AT THE SITE OF THE FORMER
STAPLETON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT.
1-3 IN 1945...SNOW FELL ACROSS METRO DENVER FOR A TOTAL OF 51
CONSECUTIVE HOURS. WHILE THE STORM WAS NOT ACCOMPANIED BY
EXCESSIVE SNOW...THE LONG DURATION MADE THE EVENT A HEAVY
SNOW PRODUCER. SNOWFALL TOTALED 10.7 INCHES IN DOWNTOWN
DENVER WITH 9.5 INCHES RECORDED AT STAPLETON AIRPORT. NORTH
WINDS WERE SUSTAINED TO 21 MPH ON THE 1ST; OTHERWISE WINDS
WERE NOT STRONG. THE AIR MASS WAS VERY COLD FOR APRIL.
THE HIGH TEMPERATURES OF 26 ON THE 2ND AND 17 ON THE 3RD
WERE RECORD LOW MAXIMUMS FOR THE DATES. THE LATTER WAS ALSO
A RECORD LOW MAXIMUM FOR THE MONTH. WARM WEATHER FOLLOWING
THE STORM QUICKLY MELTED THE SNOW.
IN 1973...HEAVY SNOW FELL AT STAPLETON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
WHERE 8.7 INCHES WERE MEASURED. SNOW BEGAN LATE ON THE 1ST
AND CONTINUED THROUGH EARLY MORNING ON THE 3RD. THUNDER
ACCOMPANIED THE SNOW DURING THE LATE MORNING AND AFTERNOON
OF THE 2ND. NORTH WINDS GUSTED TO 33 MPH ON THE 2ND AND
37 MPH ON THE 3RD. SNOW ONLY ACCUMULATED TO A DEPTH OF
5 INCHES ON THE GROUND DUE TO MELTING.
IN 1977...FROM THE 1ST TO THE 3RD...A FOOT OF SNOW FELL IN
BOULDER AND BROOMFIELD. THE DENVER-BOULDER TURNPIKE WAS
CLOSED FOR AN HOUR AFTER NUMEROUS MINOR TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS.
AT STAPLETON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT...SNOWFALL TOTALED 4.7
INCHES AND SOUTHEAST WINDS GUSTED TO 32 MPH ON THE 2ND.
THE GREATEST DEPTH OF SNOW ON THE GROUND WAS ONLY 3 INCHES
DUE TO MELTING.
2 IN 1894...NORTHWEST WINDS WERE SUSTAINED TO 42 MPH WITH
GUSTS TO 48 MPH. THE WARM CHINOOK WINDS WARMED THE
TEMPERATURE TO A HIGH OF 70 DEGREES.
IN 1925...NORTH WINDS WERE SUSTAINED TO 40 MPH WITH GUSTS
TO 42 MPH.
IN 1957...A HEAVY SNOW STORM DUMPED 17.3 INCHES OF SNOW AT
STAPLETON AIRPORT. STRONG GUSTY NORTH WINDS TO 31 MPH
REDUCED VISIBILITIES TO 1/8 MILE AT TIMES AND CREATED
BLIZZARD CONDITIONS. THE 24-HOUR SNOWFALL HAD BEEN
EXCEEDED ONLY TWICE IN PREVIOUS RECORDS...AND THE 24 HOUR
PRECIPITATION OF 2.05 INCHES WAS THE THIRD HEAVIEST OF
PREVIOUS RECORD DURING APRIL.
IN 1959...A COLD FRONT PRODUCED STRONG GUSTY WINDS ACROSS
METRO DENVER. NORTH WINDS GUSTING TO 50 AND 60 MPH CAUSED
SOME MINOR DAMAGE TO POWER LINES AND SIGNS AND CAUSED DUST
STORMS ON THE PLAINS EAST OF DENVER. A WIND GUST TO 49 MPH
WAS RECORDED AT STAPLETON AIRPORT.
IN 1966...NORTHWEST WINDS GUSTING TO 52 MPH PRODUCED BLOWING
DUST...WHICH BRIEFLY REDUCED THE VISIBILITY TO 1 MILE AT
STAPLETON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT.
IN 1975...THE ALL-TIME LOWEST RECORDED TEMPERATURE IN APRIL...
2 DEGREES BELOW ZERO...OCCURRED. THIS IS ALSO THE LATEST
BELOW ZERO READING FOR THE SEASON.
IN 1982...A STRONG WINDSTORM STRUCK ALL OF METRO DENVER...
CAUSING MINOR DAMAGE. WIND GUSTS TO 127 MPH WERE RECORDED
AT ROCKY FLATS SOUTH OF BOULDER...116 MPH AT WONDERVU...100
MPH AT JEFFERSON COUNTY AIRPORT IN BROOMFIELD...AND 56 MPH AT
STAPLETON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT. THE STRONG WINDS WHIPPED
UP BLOWING DUST...BRIEFLY REDUCING THE VISIBILITY TO 3/4 MILE.
IN 1986...HEAVY THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCED WIND GUSTS TO ABOUT 70
MPH IN BOULDER. A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WIND GUST TO 62 MPH
WAS RECORDED AT STAPLETON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT. THE STRONG
WINDS KICKED UP THICK CLOUDS OF BLOWING DUST SEVERELY
RESTRICTING SURFACE VISIBILITY.
IN 1997...A PACIFIC STORM LEFT HEAVY SNOW IN THE FOOTHILLS WITH
LESSER AMOUNTS ACROSS THE CITY. SNOWFALL TOTALED 12 INCHES
NEAR BLACKHAWK...11 INCHES AT GOLDEN GATE CANYON...10 INCHES
AT CONIFER AND CROWHILL...9 INCHES AT EVERGREEN...5 INCHES
AT SEDALIA...AND 4 INCHES AT CASTLE ROCK AND MORRISON. ONLY
2.1 INCHES OF SNOW FELL AT THE SITE OF THE FORMER STAPLETON
INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT. NORTHWEST WINDS GUSTED TO 21 MPH
AT DENVER INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT.
IN 1998...A MAJOR SPRING STORM BROUGHT HEAVY SNOW TO METRO
DENVER AND THE FOOTHILLS. SNOWFALL TOTALS RANGED FROM
12 TO 22 INCHES IN THE FOOTHILLS WITH 4 TO 12 INCHES ACROSS
METRO DENVER. SNOWFALL TOTALS INCLUDED: 22.5 INCHES NEAR
CONIFER...13 INCHES IN COAL CREEK CANYON...12 INCHES NEAR
BLACKHAWK...ELDORA...AND GENESEE; 10 INCHES NEAR EVERGREEN
AND NEDERLAND...9 INCHES IN LAKEWOOD...8 INCHES IN BROOMFIELD
AND NORTHWEST DENVER...AND 7.0 INCHES AT THE SITE OF THE
FORMER STAPLETON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT. NORTHEAST WINDS
GUSTED TO 31 MPH AT DENVER INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT.
IN 2002...SNOWFALL WAS ONLY A TRACE AT THE SITE OF THE FORMER
STAPLETON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT. THIS WAS THE ONLY SNOWFALL
OF THE MONTH...RANKING THE MONTH...ALONG WITH PREVIOUS MONTHS...
THE 2ND LEAST SNOWIEST ON RECORD.
2-3 IN 1955...FROM THE 2ND TO THE 3RD...STRONG WEST TO SOUTHWEST
WINDS RAKED METRO DENVER ON BOTH DAYS. SUSTAINED WINDS AS
HIGH AS 37 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 60 MPH WERE RECORDED AT
STAPLETON AIRPORT WHERE THE VISIBILITY WAS REDUCED TO 1/4
MILE IN BLOWING DUST.
IN 1974...FROM THE 2ND TO THE 3RD...A HEAVY SNOWFALL OF 6.7
INCHES WAS ACCOMPANIED BY NORTHEAST WIND GUSTS TO 33 MPH
WHICH PRODUCED SOME BLOWING SNOW ACROSS METRO DENVER. OVER
EASTERN COLORADO MANY HIGHWAYS AND SCHOOLS WERE CLOSED DUE
TO NEAR-BLIZZARD CONDITIONS FROM THE STORM.
IN 1986...FROM THE 2ND TO THE 3RD...THE WORST SNOW STORM OF THE
SEASON BLASTED METRO DENVER. HEAVY SNOW AND HIGH WINDS
COMBINED TO CLOSE ROADS...SCHOOLS...AND AIRPORTS. PORTIONS
OF ALL INTERSTATE HIGHWAYS OUT OF DENVER WERE CLOSED AT
TIMES. THE SNOW CAME AFTER AN EXCEPTIONALLY MILD LATE
WINTER AND EARLY SPRING; TREES AND BUSHES HAD ALREADY
BLOOMED AND LEAFED OUT. THE SNOW AND WIND SNAPPED MANY
OF THESE...CAUSING POWER OUTAGES. TOTAL SNOWFALL AMOUNTS
IN METRO DENVER RANGED FROM 1 TO 2 FEET WITH 2 TO 3 FEET
IN THE FOOTHILLS. SNOWFALL TOTALED 12.6 INCHES AT
STAPLETON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT WHERE NORTH WINDS GUSTING
TO 39 MPH REDUCED THE VISIBILITY TO 1/8 MILE IN SNOW AND
BLOWING SNOW. MOST OF THE SNOW FELL ON THE 3RD WHEN
TEMPERATURES HOVERED AROUND 30 DEGREES FOR MOST OF THE DAY.
THE HEAVY SNOW HALTED TRAFFIC AND CLOSED BUSINESSES. A 59-
YEAR-OLD MAN WAS FOUND DEAD FROM EXPOSURE IN NORTHWEST
DENVER. THE ROOF OF A TOY STORE IN NORTHGLENN COLLAPSED.
A 100 THOUSAND SQUARE FOOT SECTION OF A GREENHOUSE ROOF
COLLAPSED IN GOLDEN...DESTROYING OVER A MILLION DOLLARS WORTH
OF PLANTS.
IN 2000...FROM THE 2ND TO THE 3RD...A COMBINATION OF STRONG
INSTABILITY AND MOIST UPSLOPE WINDS ALLOWED FOR A HEAVY...
WET SPRING SNOWSTORM TO DEVELOP IN AND NEAR THE FRONT
RANGE FOOTHILLS. THE HEAVIEST SNOW OCCURRED IN SOUTHERN
JEFFERSON COUNTY. STORM TOTALS INCLUDED: 14 INCHES NEAR
CONIFER...12 INCHES NEAR EVERGREEN AND ON FLOYD HILL; 11
INCHES NEAR BLACKHAWK...MORRISON...AND TINY TOWN; 10 INCHES
AT ASPEN SPRINGS AND ELDORA SKI AREA; 9 INCHES AT CHIEF
HOSA; AND 8 INCHES AT BOTH GOLDEN GATE CANYON AND
ROLLINSVILLE. ONLY 2.1 INCHES OF SNOW FELL AT
THE SITE OF THE FORMER STAPLETON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT.
NORTH WINDS GUSTED TO 36 MPH AT DENVER INTERNATIONAL
AIRPORT ON THE 2ND.
IN 2014...FROM THE 2ND TO THE 3RD...A STORM SYSTEM BROUGHT
MODERATE TO HEAVY SNOW TO THE FRONT RANGE MOUNTAINS...
FOOTHILLS AND URBAN CORRIDOR. STORM TOTALS IN THE
MOUNTAINS AND FOOTHILLS INCLUDED: 21.5 INCHES...8 MILES
NORTH OF BLACKHAWK; 15.5 INCHES NEAR ROLLINSVILLE...15
INCHES AT ASPEN SPRINGS...14.5 INCHES NEAR WARD...12 INCHES...
6 MILES SOUTHWEST OF EVERGREEN; 11 INCHES AT CABIN CREEK
AND 12 MILES SOUTH-SOUTHWEST OF GEORGETOWN...10 INCHES AT
WINTER PARK...8 INCHES NEAR CONIFER...GEORGETOWN AND GROSS
RESERVOIR; 7.5 INCHES AT BAILEY AND INTERCANYON. IN THE
URBAN CORRIDOR...STORM TOTALS INCLUDED: 9.5 INCHES NEAR
HIGHLANDS RANCH...7 INCHES AT BOULDER...6 INCHES NEAR
CASTLE ROCK...WITH 5.5 INCHES AT LAKEWOOD AND MORRISON.
AT DENVER INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT...3.4 INCHES OF SNOWFALL WAS
OBSERVED.
2-4 IN 1934...SNOWFALL TOTALED 8.2 INCHES IN DOWNTOWN DENVER
FROM THE AFTERNOON OF THE 2ND THROUGH THE EARLY MORNING
OF THE 4TH. MOST OF THE SNOW...6.8 INCHES...FELL ON THE 3RD.
RAIN CHANGED TO SNOW BEHIND A STRONG COLD FRONT ON THE
AFTERNOON OF THE 2ND. THE COLD FRONT FIRST APPEARED AS A
LONG-CIGAR SHAPED SQUALL CLOUD TO THE NORTH OF THE CITY.
STRONG NORTH WINDS AT SUSTAINED SPEEDS OF 33 MPH WITH
GUSTS TO 43 MPH PRODUCED MUCH BLOWING DUST AND AN ABRUPT
FALL IN TEMPERATURE...FROM A HIGH OF 68 ON THE 2ND TO A
LOW OF 22 ON THE 3RD.
IN 1964...FROM THE 2ND TO THE 4TH...A MAJOR STORM DUMPED 10.9
INCHES OF HEAVY WET SNOW ON STAPLETON INTERNATIONAL
AIRPORT WHERE NORTHEAST WINDS GUSTED TO 35 MPH. MOST OF
THE SNOW...10.0 INCHES...FELL ON THE 3RD.
2-5 IN 1918...FROM THE 2ND TO THE 5TH...SNOWFALL TOTALED 12.4
INCHES OVER DOWNTOWN DENVER. MOST OF THE SNOW FELL ON THE
3RD AND 4TH. TEMPERATURES WERE IN THE 20'S AND 30'S.
NORTHWEST WINDS WERE SUSTAINED TO 24 MPH ON THE 2ND.
CLICK HERE TO GO TO PREVIOUS BULLETINS.
Main Text Page