Public Information Statement
Issued by NWS Denver/Boulder, CO
Issued by NWS Denver/Boulder, CO
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087 NOUS45 KBOU 170859 PNSBOU COZ030>051-172300- Public Information Statement National Weather Service Denver/Boulder CO 259 AM MDT MON JUN 17 2024 ...Today in metro Denver weather history... 12-17 In 2000...two large wildfires developed in the Front Range foothills on the 12th and continued through the 17th...as careless campers and very dry conditions proved to be a dangerous combination. Strong winds gusting in excess of 60 mph on the 13th fanned the flames...spreading both wildfires out of control. Winds gusted to 78 mph atop Niwot Ridge near the Continental Divide west of Boulder. The Hi Meadows Wildfire...about 35 miles southwest of Denver... consumed nearly 11 thousand acres and 80 structures...mostly high priced homes. The Bobcat Wildfire...located about 12 miles southwest of Fort Collins...consumed nearly 11 thousand acres and 22 structures. Late on the 16th...a strong cold front moved south over the Great Plains into northeastern Colorado. Low level upslope developed in the wake of the front...producing 2 to 4 inches of snowfall overnight at elevations above 8 thousand feet. Firefighters were able to contain both fires shortly thereafter. 15-17 In 2021...the temperature in Denver reached 100 degrees for three consecutive days: 101...100...100 respectively. Each established a new record high for the day. It was also the earliest occurrence of such a streak. A record high minimum of 68 also occurred on the 17th. 16-17 In 1965...on the afternoon and evening of the 16th...violent thunderstorms produced extremely heavy cloudbursts of rain over the Palmer Divide and sent a wall of water as high as 20 feet down both branches of Plum Creek into the South Platte River and through metro Denver. The heavy rainfall produced the most devastating flood in the history of Denver. Rainfall totaled 14.0 inches in 3 hours at both Larkspur and Palmer Lake with 12.0 inches recorded in Castle Rock. The flood waters caused extensive damage to roads and bridges in Larkspur...Castle Rock...and Sedalia...including washing out the I-25 bridge over East Plum Creek in Castle Rock. The citizens of metro Denver received reports of the flooding to the south and had a few hours to initiate evacuation procedures along the South Platte River...greatly limiting the loss of life. By evening...the flood reached Littleton where an heroic effort was made to save nearly 150 horses at the Centennial Racetrack...which was completely inundated by the flood waters. As the flood proceeded through the City of Denver...the river became more than 1/2 mile wide and destroyed all homes...trailer courts... and businesses in its path. The waters contained debris ranging from refrigerators to old cars. As many as 26 bridges were damaged or destroyed...including the 6th Avenue freeway bridge across the South Platte. Both Public Service Company power plants were shut down by the flood. The King Soopers grocery chain bakery was inundated. About midnight... the torrent crested at 25 feet above normal with flow exceeding 40 times normal and is the record flood on the South Platte and many of its tributaries. The flood caused 230 million dollars in damage and 8 deaths along the entire South Platte River basin. The intense rain also caused flooding along Cherry Creek in Denver...on Toll Gate and Sand Creeks in east metro Denver...and on Kiowa and Bijou Creeks to the east of Denver. The South Platte River flood closed nearly every major east-west highway into Denver...nearly isolating the city. The flood caused heavy damage to state and county roads in the area. Railroads were also hard hit with the main yards in lower downtown inundated. Sewerage... water supply facilities...and irrigation works also received heavy flood damage. The flood crest did not reach Nebraska until the 20th. 17 In 1915...northwest winds were sustained to 41 mph with an extreme velocity to 42 mph. In 1967...this was the 24th consecutive day with a trace or more of precipitation from May 25th. Precipitation totaled 5.87 inches during the period...more than a third of the average yearly total. In 1975...hail more than 2 inches in diameter fell in eastern Aurora. In 1977...golf ball size hail was reported 3 miles east of Arapahoe County Airport...now Centennial Airport. Heavy hail to 3/4 inch in diameter was reported in Littleton... Castle Rock...and Sedalia. In 1979...a man and a girl were struck and killed by lightning while walking in a park in northwest Denver. In 1987...3/4 inch hail fell near Boulder. In 1991...a microburst wind gust to 59 mph kicked up some blowing dust at Stapleton International Airport. In 1998...hail as large as 3/4 inch in diameter fell in Boulder. In 2003...lightning struck a feeder line...knocking out the electricity to about 3000 residents in Littleton. A lightning strike caused minor damage to the roof and attic of a home in Lafayette. Another lightning strike caused minor roof damage to a residence in Louisville. Yet another lightning strike hit a home in Denver and caused a small attic fire. Hail as large as 1 inch in diameter was measured near Centennial Airport and near Greenland. In 2009...hail up to 1 inch in diameter was measured near Longmont. In 2015...a severe thunderstorm produced hail up to 1 1/2 inches in diameter near Arapahoe Park...and up to 1 inch in diameter near Parker. 17-18 In 1964...from the 17th to the 18th...high winds at speeds of 50 to 60 mph with gusts as high as 75 mph caused damage to homes...power lines...and trees in Boulder. Non-convective west winds gusting to 46 mph caused some blowing dust at Stapleton International Airport on the 17th. $$