Weather

Statement as of 6:45 PM MDT on March 20, 2010

... This week in Metro Denver weather history...

18-21 in 1907... a warm spell resulted in 6 daily temperature
        records. Record maximum temperatures of 82 degrees
        occurred on the 18th with 81 degrees on the 19th and
        80 degrees on the 20th. Record high minimum temperatures
        of 52 degrees occurred on the 19th and 20th with 54
        degrees on the 21st.
19-21 in 1888... heavy snowfall totaled 8.6 inches over downtown
        Denver. North winds were sustained to 27 mph on the 19th.
20-21 in 1878... warm days with high temperatures in the lower
        70's in the city... caused snow to melt on the Palmer
        Divide... which caused the waters in Cherry Creek to rise.
        The high... rapid running water damaged a home and eroded
        bridge footings and abutments. Some bridges became unsafe
        for the passage of trains.
      In 1904... southwest winds sustained to 48 mph with gusts
        to 60 mph warmed the temperature to a high of 68 degrees
        on the 20th. The high was only 42 degrees on the 21st
        behind a cold front... which produced 1.3 inches of snow
        and northeast winds sustained to 27 mph overnight.
      In 1923... Post-frontal rain changed to heavy snow and
        totaled 8.2 inches over the city. North winds were
        sustained to 27 mph with gusts to 29 mph on the 20th.
        This was the second major snow in a week.
      In 1932... rain changed to heavy snow... which totaled 6.2
        inches in downtown Denver. North winds gusted to 22 mph
        on the 21st.
      In 1948... heavy snowfall totaled 7.2 inches over downtown
        Denver.
      In 1952... a major snow storm produced north wind gusts to 35
        mph and dumped 16.9 inches of snowfall on Stapleton
        Airport. The maximum snow depth on the ground was 13
        inches due to melting.
      In 2000... heavy snow fell in and near the foothills of
        Douglas and Jefferson counties. Snowfall totals
        included: 9 inches near Tiny Town and 7 inches in
        Littleton. Snowfall totaled only 1.8 inches at the
        site of the former Stapleton International Airport.
        North winds gusted to 34 mph at Denver International
        Airport on the 20th.
20-22 in 1944... heavy snow fell over Metro Denver for a total of
        36 hours. The storm dumped 18.5 inches of snowfall over
        downtown Denver and 12.2 inches at Stapleton Airport.
        Fortunately... there were no strong winds with the storm.
        North winds to only 19 mph were recorded on the 21st.
21 in 1898... an apparent Canadian cold front produced strong
        winds and plunged temperatures from a high of 56 degrees
        to a low of 8 degrees late in the day. North winds were
        sustained to 48 mph with gusts to 60 mph.
      In 1908... light snowfall of 1.3 inches produced 0.10 inch
        of precipitation. This... along with the 0.01 inch of
        precipitation on the 8th... resulted in the driest March
        on record with a total of 0.11 inch of precipitation.
      In 1916... southwest winds were sustained to 46 mph with a
        gust to 48 mph. The Chinook winds warmed the temperature
        to a high of 62 degrees.
      In 1923... heavy snowfall totaled 8.0 inches in downtown
        Denver.
      In 1953... northwest winds gusting to 57 mph briefly reduced
        visibility to 3/4 miles in blowing dust at Stapleton
        Airport.
      In 1981... rain changed rapidly to snow... but totaled only
        2.8 inches at Stapleton International Airport. North
        winds gusting to 35 mph produced much blowing snow and
        reduced the visibility to a half mile at times. Over the
        higher elevations of south Metro Denver... 4 to 6 inches of
        snow were measured.
21-22 in 1955... wind gusts to 98 mph were recorded at Rocky Flats
        south of Boulder. Some damage and a few minor injuries
        were reported in Boulder. Northwest winds were sustained
        to 28 mph with gusts to 39 mph at Stapleton Airport on the
        22nd.
      In 1966... a vigorous cold front produced only 1.7 inches of
        snowfall at Stapleton International Airport... but northeast
        winds gusted to 49 mph on the 21st. Temperatures cooled
        from a maximum of 66 degrees on the 21st to a minimum of
        14 degrees on the 22nd. Strong winds occurred on both
        days.
      In 1992... an Arctic cold front produced upslope snow across
        Metro Denver mainly west of I-25. Castle Rock reported 6
        inches of snow with 3 inches at Evergreen. At Stapleton
        International Airport... only 1.5 inches of snowfall were
        measured and northeast winds gusted to 18 mph on the 21st.
22 in 1905... apparent Post-frontal north winds were sustained to
        49 mph.
      In 1922... a vigorous cold front with north winds sustained to
        41 mph brought only 0.6 inch of snowfall to the city.
        These were the highest winds of the month.
      In 1966... high winds caused extensive blowing snow that
        impeded traffic and closed highways over a wide area of
        eastern Colorado. Wind damage was widespread... but minor.
        North wind gusts to 47 mph were recorded at Stapleton
        International Airport where visibility was reduced as low
        as 1/8 mile in blowing snow.
      In 1975... a strong west wind gust to 51 mph was recorded at
        Stapleton International Airport... while east of Denver
        the strong winds caused minor property damage and
        considerable blowing dust which closed several roads.
      In 1979... near-blizzard conditions paralyzed the northeastern
        quarter of the state. Strong winds and drifting snow
        closed many roads... including I-25 and I-70. Power outages
        darkened sections of Metro Denver. Snow accumulations of
        4 to 12 inches were measured over the plains with drifts
        several feet deep. Only 3.5 inches of snow were recorded
        at Stapleton International Airport where northeast winds
        gusted to 39 mph causing some blowing snow.
      In 1995... strong winds associated with a fast moving Pacific
        cold front moved from the mountains into Metro Denver.
        Winds estimated at 60 to 75 mph picked up rocks and
        shattered the windows of a car in Louisville. The strong
        winds blew down and partially destroyed two houses under
        construction just north of Thornton. West winds gusted
        to 53 mph at Denver International Airport where the
        visibility was briefly reduced to 1/2 mile in blowing dust.
22-23 in 1936... heavy snowfall of 7.7 inches was measured in
        downtown Denver. The heavy wet snowfall formed a thick
        coating of snow on trees and shrubs... but caused little
        damage. North winds were sustained to 15 mph.
      In 1984... around a half foot of new snow fell across Metro
        Denver... causing flight delays at Stapleton International
        Airport where snowfall totaled 6.0 inches and north winds
        gusted to 31 mph. Up to a foot of snow fell in the
        foothills. Icy roads produced numerous traffic accidents.
22-24 in 1965... a vigorous cold front swept across Metro Denver
        late on the afternoon of the 22nd with east-northeast
        winds gusting to 38 mph causing some blowing dust.
        Snowfall from the storm totaled 4.4 inches at Stapleton
        International Airport. Temperatures on the 22nd dropped
        from a maximum of 63 degrees to 18 degrees in just 10 hours
        and dipped to 3 degrees below zero on the morning of the
        24th. Maximum temperatures warmed to only 19 degrees on
        the 23rd and 18 degrees on the 24th.
23 in 1887... west winds sustained to 44 mph warmed the temperature
        to a high of 66 degrees.
      In 1910... southwest winds were sustained to 40 mph. The
        Chinook winds warmed the temperature to a high of 73
        degrees.
      In 1913... west winds were sustained to 40 mph with a gust
        to 44 mph.
      In 1951... a Chinook wind gust to 56 mph was recorded at
        Stapleton International Airport.
      In 1957... strong north winds gusting to 62 mph reduced the
        visibility at times to 1 mile in blowing dust at Stapleton
        Airport as Metro Denver dodged a major Spring storm...
        which produced heavy rain... snow... wind... and dust over
        eastern Colorado on the 22nd through the 25th. Snow
        drifted to 15-foot depths in some areas. All traffic
        was blocked... power lines were downed... and livestock and
        crop losses were high.
      In 1994... strong winds raked the eastern foothills. While
        the highest winds occurred north of Metro Denver... wind
        gusts to 74 mph were recorded atop Squaw Mountain near
        Idaho Springs and to 70 mph at Rocky Flats north of
        Golden. West wind gusts to 40 mph were recorded at
        Stapleton International Airport.
      In 2005... lightning struck the roof of a home in Paradise
        Hills near Genesee. About 5 percent of the residence
        was damaged by the resulting fire.
23-24 in 1909... Post-frontal rain on the 23rd changed to heavy snow
        during the evening and continued through the morning of the
        24th. Snowfall totaled 13.8 inches. Rain and melted snow...
        totaled 2.43 inches... which was the record greatest 24 hour
        precipitation ever recorded in March at that time. A
        thunderstorm of moderate intensity occurred on the 23rd in
        advance of the cold front. North winds were sustained to
        27 mph overnight.
      In 1990... several hours of freezing drizzle covered roadways
        with a thin layer of "black ice" which caused nearly 100
        traffic accidents across Metro Denver. In Boulder... snow
        and freezing rain caused numerous accidents and brief power
        outages. Snow in Boulder ranged from an inch east of town
        to 4 to 5 inches near Table Mesa. At times thunder was
        heard during the snow. Snowfall totaled only 0.6 inch
        at Stapleton International Airport where northwest winds
        gusted to 30 mph on the 23rd.
      In 1995... high winds developed late on the 23rd and continued
        through the 24th. A few windows were blown out of a Denver
        high rise building... spraying glass on the sidewalks and
        streets below. Southeast winds gusted to 48 mph at Denver
        International Airport on the 23rd.
      In 1996... the third storm in 10 days brought heavy snow to
        the mountains... foothills... and Metro Denver. Snowfall
        totaled 18 inches at Golden Gate Canyon and 10 inches
        at Nederland in the foothills. Across Metro Denver...
        snowfall ranged from 4 to 8 inches. At the site of the
        former Stapleton International Airport... snowfall totaled
        6.5 inches with most of the snow occurring on the 24th.
        North winds gusted to 34 mph at Denver International
        Airport. As the storm moved east on the 24th and 25th...
        blizzard conditions developed over northeastern Colorado
        closing both I-70 and I-76 east of Denver.
23-25 in 1891... rain changed to snow and totaled 8.8 inches in
        downtown Denver. Most of the snow fell on the 24th.
        Winds were light.
      In 1964... heavy snowfall of 5.8 inches was measured at
        Stapleton International Airport. North-northeast winds
        gusted to 21 mph behind a cold front.
24 in 1909... a major winter storm dumped 13.8 inches of snow over
        downtown Denver.
      In 1915... a cold front produced Post-frontal winds to 41 mph.
      In 1919... some unusually soft but rather large hail fell with
        the beginning of precipitation from the first thunderstorm
        of the season early in the evening. Only a trace of rain
        was observed.
      In 1937... a light to moderate dust storm began at 1:30 PM and
        continued until 8:30 PM. The storm reduced the visibility
        to 3/4 mile at times. Northeast winds were sustained to
        29 mph with gusts to 34 mph.
      In 1970... a vigorous cold front produced a northeast wind gust
        to 60 mph at Stapleton International Airport where 3.2
        inches of snow fell following the frontal passage. The
        strong winds caused minor damage from Denver northward... and
        billows of blowing dust reduced visibility at times.
        Following the passage of the cold front... the temperature
        dropped 25 degrees in an hour from 65 to 40 degrees.
      In 1982... a strong cold front roared across Metro Denver.
        Northeast winds gusted to 48 mph at Stapleton International
        Airport. The strong winds behind the front created a huge
        cloud of dust at least one thousand feet high... which briefly
        reduced visibilities to less than one mile.
      In 1987... near-blizzard conditions over northeastern Colorado
        closed both I-70 and I-76 east of Denver. While only a
        trace of snow fell in Denver... northeast winds gusted to 37
        mph.
      In 1997... an early Spring storm brought snow to Metro Denver.
        The heaviest snow fell in the foothills and over the Palmer
        Divide. Snowfall at Conifer totaled 5 inches. A woman was
        killed when she lost control of her vehicle on snow packed
        and slick roads near Castle Rock. Snowfall totaled only
        1.3 inches at the site of the former Stapleton International
        Airport. North winds gusted to 46 mph at Denver
        International Airport.
24-25 in 1904... west bora winds sustained to 40 mph with gusts to
        55 mph warmed the temperature to a high of 49 degrees on
        the 24th. Overnight... a cold front produced 4.5 inches of
        snow. The high temperature was only 34 degrees on the 25th.
      In 1955... a vigorous cold front with winds sustained to
        34 mph and gusts to 39 mph briefly reduced the visibility
        to 2 miles in blowing dust at Stapleton Airport.
        Post-frontal heavy snowfall totaled 9.5 inches at
        Stapleton Airport where the maximum snow depth on the
        ground was 7 inches.
24-26 in 1959... the second major Spring storm in less than a week
        dumped 10 to 20 inches of wet snow across northeastern
        Colorado. Snowfall totaled 14.3 inches at Stapleton
        Airport where north winds gusted to 36 mph... causing near-
        blizzard conditions with visibilities frequently reduced to
        1/2 mile in snow and blowing snow. Many travelers were
        marooned when trains... planes... and buses were unable to make
        their schedules. Utility lines were again damaged as a
        result of the storm.
25 in 1874... the wind blowing in gusts from the west-northwest
        filled the air with dust so dense that only the houses
        in the immediate neighborhood of the weather station
        could be recognized. The brisk winds continued through
        the afternoon.
      In 1886... heavy snowfall of 6.5 inches occurred in the city.
      In 1896... northwest winds sustained to 58 mph with gusts to
        65 mph warmed the temperature to a high of 70 degrees.
      In 1911... west winds were sustained to 43 mph. The Chinook
        winds warmed the temperature to a high of 65 degrees.
      In 1925... northwest winds were sustained to 41 mph with gusts
        to 46 mph.
      In 1950... strong Chinook winds gusted to 50 mph at Stapleton
        Airport.
      In 1976... 3.4 inches of snow fell at Stapleton International
        Airport where northeast winds gusted to 46 mph. The
        strong winds at 20 to 35 mph all day produced a rare
        "snirt" storm when blowing dust and dirt became mixed
        with snow and blowing snow reducing the visibility to as
        low as 1/4 mile at Stapleton International Airport.
      In 1984... 1 to 4 inches of new snow fell across Metro
        Denver. Icy roads contributed to many accidents. The
        most hazardous conditions occurred in the foothills west
        of Denver. Both I-70 and U.S. 40 were closed at the
        height of the Sunday afternoon ski rush... causing delays
        of many hours. Snowfall totaled only 1.0 inch at
        Stapleton International Airport with only a trace on
        the ground due to melting.
      In 1988... high winds in the mountains spread over Metro
        Denver. A wind gust to 75 mph was noted in Boulder where
        a traffic light was downed. Power outages were reported in
        Boulder County. Northwest winds to 46 mph were recorded at
        Stapleton International Airport.
25-26 in 1899... a major storm dumped 13.1 inches of heavy snow
        over downtown Denver. Rain changed to snow around mid-
        morning on the 25th. Snowfall became heavy and continued
        until late evening on the 26th. North to northeast
        winds gusted to 30 mph on both days. The cold air mass
        plunged temperatures from a high of 55 degrees on the
        25th to a low of 8 degrees on the 26th.
      In 1995... a potent early Spring storm produced heavy snow in
        the mountains... but skipped over Metro Denver... before
        producing blizzard conditions and 6-foot drifts over
        eastern Colorado... causing the closure of I-70 and other
        highways. Only 0.7 inch of snow fell at the site of the
        former Stapleton International Airport. North winds
        gusted to 40 mph at Denver International Airport on
        the 25th.
      In 2001... a persistent band of moderate to heavy snow showers
        with a few embedded thunderstorms formed in the foothills
        around Estes Park and spread to the southeast across Boulder
        and Denver and on the plains to the east of Denver. Thunder
        and snow was reported at Jefferson County... Centennial... and
        Denver international airports during the evening of the 25th.
        Snowfall totals included: 7 inches at Boulder and louisville;
        6 inches at Broomfield... Niwot... and westminster; 5 inches at
        Eldorado Springs... Nederland... and near Strasburg. Only 2.1
        inches of snow fell at the site of the former Stapleton
        International Airport.
25-27 in 1904... heavy snowfall totaled 7.0 inches in downtown
        Denver.
26 in 1899... a major winter storm dumped 11.3 inches of snow over
        downtown Denver.
      In 1910... west winds were sustained to 42 mph. A snow shower
        produced a trace of snow.
      In 1935... a severe dust storm swept across the city. The
        dense dust blew in on a gale from the east-northeast.
        The dust "bank" was first visible on the northeastern
        horizon at about 2:00 PM. It advanced toward the city
        as a rolling... swirling... yellowish-to smoke-black cloud.
        At 2:06 PM... the cloud of dust enveloped the station.
        Before the storm the visibility was unlimited. At
        2:08 PM... the visibility was reduced to 1/8th mile. By
        2:25 PM... the visibility was increasing and was above
        1000 feet at 3:10 PM. Thereafter... the sun appeared
        as a dim "ball of fire" at times. The dust was
        partially gone at 8:30 PM. During the storm... northeast
        winds were sustained to 32 mph with gusts as high as
        35 mph.
      In 1971... the highest recorded temperature in March... 84
        degrees... occurred. This was the highest temperature
        recorded so early in the season. Previously... 84 degrees
        had not been reached until April 21st. The temperature
        also exceeded the previous daily record of 75 degrees set
        in 1960. Strong northwest Chinook winds gusting to 37 mph
        at Stapleton International Airport were partially
        responsible for causing the extremely warm weather
        so early in the season.
      In 1985... strong winds occurred along the foothills. A wind
        gust to 76 mph was recorded in Boulder. A dust storm
        produced by the strong winds caused a 35-car pileup on I-25
        north