


Public Information Statement
Issued by NWS Denver/Boulder, CO
Issued by NWS Denver/Boulder, CO
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098 NOUS45 KBOU 200859 PNSBOU COZ030>051-202300- Public Information Statement National Weather Service Denver/Boulder CO 259 AM MDT SUN APR 20 2025 ...Today in metro Denver weather history... 18-20 In 1966...from the 18th to the 20th...sub-freezing temperatures caused thousands of dollars in damage to fruit trees across metro Denver. Minimum temperatures were in the teens each morning and failed to reach above freezing on the 19th. The low temperature of 13 on the 20th set a new record minimum for the date. Snowfall totaled 5.7 inches at Stapleton International Airport during the period. 19-20 In 1892...rain on the 18th changed to snow on the 19th and totaled 6.0 inches over downtown Denver into the 20th. Total precipitation was 1.56 inches. North winds were sustained to 26 mph on the 19th. In 1907...a major storm dumped 18.0 inches of snowfall in downtown Denver. Much of the heavy wet snow melted as it fell. The most snow on the ground was 7.0 inches at 6:00 PM on the 19th. North to northeast winds were sustained to 42 mph on the 19th and to 21 mph on the 20th. High temperatures were in the low to mid 30`s with low readings around 20. In 2021...moderate to heavy snow occurred in and near the Front Range Foothills...with the heaviest amounts in and near the foothills of Boulder and northern Jefferson counties. Storm totals ranged from 8 to 16 inches in those areas...with 2 to 7 inches across the rest of the I-25 Corridor. The National Weather Service Office in Boulder measured 8.9 inches...with a measurement of 3.1 inches of snowfall at Denver International Airport. 19-21 In 1984...a large snowstorm buried most of Colorado under a thick mantle of wet snow. Total snow amounts ranged from 10 to 20 inches across metro Denver and a whopping 20 to 40 inches in the adjacent foothills. The snow closed roads and damaged electrical transformers...causing numerous power outages. Nearly 14 inches (13.6) of snow fell at Stapleton International Airport where the combination of snow and wind closed all but one runway...resulting in the cancellation of many flights. Both I-70 and I-76 were closed to the east of Denver. 19-22 In 1933...a major storm dumped 16.8 inches of snowfall over downtown Denver when rain changed to snow during the early morning of the 20th and continued through midday of the 22nd. Most of the snow fell on the 21st. Due to melting... the most snow on the ground was 10.5 inches at 6:00 PM on the 21st. Before the snow started...a strong cold front on the evening of the 19th produced north winds sustained to 35 mph with gusts to 37 mph. The strong winds deposited a thin layer of dust on the city. North to northwest winds were sustained to 31 mph with gusts to 35 mph on the 20th and to 29 mph with gusts to 32 mph on the 21st. 20 In 1874...light snow fell for most of the day...but melted almost as fast as it fell. The flakes...as large as 1 1/2 inches in diameter during the afternoon...resembled white feathers. Precipitation from melted snow was only 0.21 inch in the city. Snowfall was much heavier in the mountain parks where snow depths were reported between 3 and 5 feet from the storms of the 15th and 20th. The heavy snow resulted in the deaths of hundreds of cattle and sheep. In 1875...the city was enveloped in a severe wind and sand storm. For nearly 30 minutes before the storm...it could be seen moving toward the city from the northwest as a black wall of clouds extending only 10 degrees above the horizon. At 5:30 PM...the sand was sweeping past in such clouds that objects at a distance of only 10 yards were not visible. The streets were entirely deserted. The greatest velocity of wind during the storm was 36 mph from the north-northwest. The storm diminished by 7:00 PM. Swarms of grasshoppers were seen today and were reported in all parts of the territory. In 1897...southwest winds were sustained to 46 mph with gusts to 50 mph. The apparent chinook winds warmed the temperature to a high of 76 degrees. In 1905...apparent post-frontal north winds were sustained to 43 mph. In 1912...west winds were sustained to 42 mph with an extreme velocity of 48 mph. In 1958...strong chinook winds gusted to 52 mph at Stapleton Airport. In 1981...3/4 inch hail fell in Lakewood with up to one half inch of rain in a few minutes across northern sections of of the City of Denver. Thunderstorm rainfall totaled 0.39 inches at Stapleton International Airport...where 1/4 inch hail was also measured. In 1987...6 to 12 inches of heavy snow fell in the foothills. Only 2.5 inches of snow fell at Stapleton International Airport where the usual flight delays occurred. In 2005...severe thunderstorms produced large hail across metro Denver. Hail as large as 1 3/4 inches in diameter fell at Denver International Airport. Hail to 3/4 inch in diameter fell in and near Golden and near Hudson... Keenesburg...Barr Lake...and Bennett. In 2013...an avalanche pushed a group of six snow boarders into the Sheep Creek gully of Loveland Pass. This is near but outside the Loveland Ski Area boundary. Five of the six members of the group died as they were completely buried. The avalanche is the deadliest in Colorado since 1962 when seven people were killed when a slide buried residents at Twin Lakes near Independence Pass. 20-22 In 1957...strong and gusty south to southeast winds raked metro Denver each day. The strongest wind gust of 55 mph occurred on the 21st when blowing dust briefly reduced the visibility to 3/4 mile at Stapleton Airport. 20-23 In 1989...unusually warm weather resulted in several daily temperature records being broken in Denver. The high temperature of 89 degrees on the 21st exceeded the record maximum for the month at that time. Daily record high temperatures were either exceeded or equaled with 83 degrees on the 20th...88 degrees on the 22nd...and 85 degrees on the 23rd. The low temperature of 55 degrees on the 22nd equaled the record high minimum for the date. $$