Public Information Statement
Statement as of 2:59 am MST on February 11, 2012
... Today in Metro Denver weather history...
5-11 in 1978... the 5th marked the start of a record 7 consecutive
days of dense fog at Stapleton International Airport. The
heavy fog reduced the visibility to 1/4 mile or less for a
period of time on each of these days. Light snow and/or
freezing drizzle occurred on most days. Fog reducing
visibility to less than 7 miles was recorded at Stapleton
International Airport on 11 consecutive days through the
15th. During the period 5-14... the cold thick fog deposited
heavy rime ice up to 5 inches thick on power lines and poles
over a wide area of eastern Colorado... causing a major
electrical power outage disaster.
9-11 in 1965... heavy snowfall totaled 6.2 inches at Stapleton
International Airport where northeast winds gusted to
25 mph.
In 1993... the same storm that dumped heavy snow in the
mountains combined with an Arctic cold front to produce
heavy snow across Metro Denver. Upslope snows of 4 to 8
inches were common with some areas receiving nearly a foot.
Ten inches of new snow were measured in Parker and 7 inches
in southeast Denver. At Stapleton International Airport...
snowfall totaled 8.1 inches. Strong winds combined with the
snowfall to produce near-blizzard conditions over the
plains closing many roads east of Denver. North winds
gusted to only 18 mph at Stapleton International Airport on
the 9th.
10-11 in 1971... a wind gust to 80 mph was recorded in Boulder at the
National center for atmospheric research. A wind gust to
69 mph was measured at the National Bureau of standards.
In downtown Boulder wind gusts to 43 mph were clocked.
No damage was reported. North to northwest winds gusted
to 39 mph on the 10th and to 41 mph on the 11th at
Stapleton International Airport.
In 1999... heavy snow developed over sections of Metro Denver
during the evening hours. Snowfall totals included: 6
inches at eaglecrest... 6.5 inches at Highlands Ranch... and
8.5 inches about 5 miles south of Sedalia. Only 1.0 inch
of snow fell at the site of the former Stapleton
International Airport. Strong winds and snow caused near
blizzard conditions north of Metro Denver.
10-12 in 1958... heavy snow fell across Metro Denver. At Stapleton
Airport... where northeast winds gusted to 22 mph... 6.7 inches
of snowfall were measured.
In 1995... cold Arctic air brought heavy snow to the foothills
and western Denver suburbs. Golden measured 15 inches of
snow with 14 inches in south Boulder. Locations in the
foothills recorded between 10 and 15 inches of snow. Only
6.1 inches of snow fell at Stapleton International Airport
where north winds gusted to 30 mph on the 10th.
10-13 in 1905... an extremely cold Arctic air mass moved over the city
behind a cold front on the 10th and persisted through the
morning of the 13th. North winds were sustained to 25 mph
behind the front on the 10th dropping the temperature to a
low of 2 degrees below zero... which was also the high reading
on the 11th. Light snowfall totaled 3.0 inches overnight
of the 10th into the 11th. The low temperature plunged to
19 degrees below zero on the 11th. Records were set on the
12th and 13th. The high temperature of only zero degrees on
the 12th was a record low maximum for the date. The low
readings of 21 degrees below zero on the 12th and 14 degrees
below zero on the 13th were record minimum temperatures for
those dates.
11 in 1875... northwest winds were brisk all day. The velocities
increased to 30 to 50 mph during the early evening.
In 1957... Chinook winds gusting to 49 mph warmed the
temperature to a high of 64 degrees at Stapleton Airport.
In 1971... a rare February thunderstorm produced 1/4 inch
diameter hail in southwest Denver.
In 1981... the cold spell of the 10th came to a quick end with
strong Chinook winds. Gusts to 84 mph were recorded at
mines peak and to 80 mph at Wondervu. Gusts in the
foothills ranged from 50 to 65 mph. Southwest winds
gusted to only 23 mph at Stapleton International Airport.
In 1984... a near-blizzard across eastern Colorado closed I-70
east of Denver and stranded 1200 motorists at Limon. Only
0.9 inch of snow fell at Stapleton International Airport
where north winds gusted to 43 mph.
In 1988... wind gusts to 77 mph were measured at Echo Lake.
West winds gusted to only 32 mph at Stapleton International
Airport.
11-12 in 1899... the temperature plunged to lows of 20 degrees below
zero on both days.
In 1900... northwest winds sustained to 52 mph with gusts to
60 mph warmed the temperature to a high of 58 degrees on
the 11th. An apparent cold front overnight produced 3.7
inches of snow and northeast winds gusting to 30 mph.
The high temperature on the 12th was only 26 degrees.
In 1994... moist upslope winds and an upper level storm system
produced heavy snow over western portions of Metro Denver.
Snowfall amounts totaled 10 inches in Golden and 8 inches
at strontia Springs Reservoir 15 miles southwest of Denver
in the South Platte canyon. Snowfall at Stapleton
International Airport totaled only 3.6 inches... but north
winds gusting to 35 mph on the 11th produced occasional
visibilities as low as 1/4 mile in heavy snowfall and
blowing snow.
11-13 in 1903... west to northwest Chinook winds gusting to 34 mph
warmed the temperature to a high of 50 degrees on the 11th...
before temperatures rapidly plunged to a low of 14 degrees
behind a cold front. Light snow fell through the 13th and
totaled 4.2 inches in the city... while temperatures ranged
from a high of 14 degrees on the 12th to a low of 5 degrees
below zero on the 13th.
There are no active warnings for this location at this time.
