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Public Information Statement
National Weather Service Denver/Boulder CO
259 AM MDT SUN JUL 7 2024

...Today in metro Denver weather history...

29-15 In 2000...the 29th marked the beginning of a near record hot
        streak for metro Denver.  The high temperatures...as recorded
        at Denver International Airport...exceeded the 90 degree mark
        for 17 consecutive days from June 29th through July 15th.
        The record of 24 consecutive 90 degree or above days was
        set from July 13th through August 5th...2008.
1-18  In 1874...a streak of 18 consecutive days of 90 degrees...from
        the 1st to the 18th...tied for second with another streak
        that was later set in the summer of 1901. The record of 24
        consecutive days was established in the summer of 2008.
4-8   In 1989...one of the most intense heat waves on record roasted
        metro Denver.  The temperature reached 100 degrees or more
        on 5 consecutive days.  The city had previously never
        recorded more than 2 straight 100-degree days since records
        began in 1872.  Water and electricity usage reached all time
        highs.  The heat wave created extremely dry weather
        conditions...which contributed to a major forest fire in
        Boulder Canyon on July 9th.  The temperature reached 103
        degrees on the 8th...and the mercury climbed to 101 degrees
        on both the 4th and 5th...and to 102 degrees on both the
        6th and 7th.  The low temperature of 68 degrees on the 8th
        equaled the record high minimum for the date.
6-23  In 1901...from the 6th to the 23rd...a streak of 18 consecutive
        days of 90 degrees tied for second with another streak set
        in the summer of 1874. The record of 24 consecutive days was
        established in the summer of 2008.
7     In 1905...a thunderstorm produced sustained northeast winds
        to 40 mph...but only a trace of rain.
      In 1933...heavy cloudbursts during the afternoon in the
        Idledale area and on Saw Mill Gulch caused flash flooding
        on Bear Creek resulting in 7 deaths.  Flooding in Morrison
        was compounded when a wall of water as high as 15 feet
        swept down Mount Vernon Creek.  The flooding caused
        extensive damage to the Bear Creek Canyon highway.
      In 1959...wind gusts to 45 mph at Stapleton Airport...but higher
        in other areas...damaged power lines and buildings and caused
        widespread minor damage from falling trees and broken limbs.
        A field house under construction at Adams County High School
        in Commerce City sustained severe damage.
      In 1963...farm buildings east of Boulder were possibly damaged
        by a small tornado as there were unconfirmed reports of a
        funnel cloud in the area.
      In 1967...a storm of cloudburst proportion caused damage from
        flooding in southwest and south Denver.  Unofficial reports
        indicated rainfall of 2.00 inches in 30 minutes and more
        than 3.00 inches total from the storm.  Streets and
        buildings were flooded by the heavy run-off.  Hail in some
        areas contributed to flooding by blocking storm drains.
        Water accumulated 12 to 14 feet deep in several underpasses
        and some street intersections.  A young woman drowned when
        she tried to cross a flooded street and was swept off her
        feet and trapped under a parked car.  Water reached a depth
        of 5 feet in the street.  Police rescued numerous stranded
        motorists.  The roof and wall of a flat roofed store
        building collapsed under the weight of deep water on the
        roof.  Cars were washed over curbs in many areas.  In
        southwest metro Denver...100 to 150 homes were flooded.
        Hail caused damage in other areas of Denver and in Aurora.
        Wind toppled trees in several areas.  Snowplows were called
        out to clear hail from some highways and runways at
        Stapleton International Airport.  Lightning damaged trees
        and power lines and started a fire...which extensively
        damaged an automobile dealership.  Thunderstorm rainfall
        totaled 0.83 inch at Stapleton International Airport.
      In 1981...severe thunderstorms produced 3/4 inch hail over
        east Denver.  About 1 1/2 inches of rain fell in
        Littleton.  Thunderstorm winds gusted to 45 mph at
        Stapleton International Airport.
      In 1983...tennis ball size hail fell about 5 miles north of
        Boulder; it was soft and caused no damage.
      In 1987...a weak tornado touched down in Castle Rock.  Several
        weak tornadoes were observed in the area.  No damage was
        reported.
      In 1988...lightning struck a sign at a bank near Louisville...
        damaging it and causing a smoldering fire that resulted in
        smoke damage to the bank and an adjacent building.  Heavy
        thunderstorm rain...accompanied by 1/2 inch diameter hail at
        Stapleton International Airport...briefly reduced the
        visibility to 1/4 mile.  Rainfall totaled 1.41 inches...
        but 1.12 inches fell in 32 minutes.
      In 2001...severe thunderstorms dumped large hail across north
        metro Denver.  Hail to 1 3/4 inches in diameter fell near
        Erie with 7/8 inch hail measured in Thornton.
      In 2004...a 9-year-old boy was struck by lightning while at
        a playground in Arvada.  The umpire at a nearby baseball
        game...along with 2 passers-by...administrated CPR and
        resuscitated the boy who had quit breathing.  The boy
        suffered first and second degree burns...but was released
        from the hospital in less than 24 hours.  A dry microburst
        over Denver International Airport produced a peak wind gust
        to 61 mph.
      In 2006...up to 3 inches of heavy thunderstorm rainfall in
        the Hayman wildfire burn area produced destructive flash
        flooding along West Creek between the towns of Deckers and
        Westcreek in southwest Douglas County.  Horse Creek...which
        drains into West Creek...swelled from a normally small creek
        into a raging torrent...25 to 30 feet deep and 300 feet wide.
        The wall of water damaged or destroyed about 30 sections of
        a 5 mile stretch of State Highway 67...which parallels West
        Creek.  Several homes were extensively damaged or destroyed.
        No injuries were reported...but several people had to be
        rescued...due to extensive damage to access roads and bridges
        in the area.  Reconstruction was estimated at 13.3 million
        dollars.
      In 2011...Heavy rain associated with a wet microbursts produced
        over 3 inches of rain in 90 minutes across southeast Denver.
        In Denver...some underpasses were flooded with several feet
        of water which stranded motorists. As a result...the fire
        department conducted at least 10 water rescues. Some
        basements were inundated with up to 4 feet of water which
        caused extensive flood damage. The Platte Valley and
        Western Model Railroad Club`s model train display in Union
        Station was also damaged when 3 to 4 inches of mud and water
        spilled over some of the command and control systems. Several
        display modules and scenery pieces in a storage room were
        also damaged. The entire display spanned more than one
        thousand feet of track in a room that was once used as the
        jail at Union Station in the 1900s. Urban and small stream
        flooding was reported across the surrounding Denver suburbs.
        The storm left about 28000 Xcel customers without power when
        the storm snapped trees and power lines. In addition...heavy
        rain produced flash flooding in the Four Mile Canyon burn
        scar. Four debris slides occurred along Four Mile Canyon
        Drive...including one that was 100 yards wide and 4 feet deep.
        Several rockslides were reported in Lefthand and Boulder
        Canyons.  At Denver International Airport...1.04 inches of
        rain was observed.  A peak wind gust of 46 mph from the
        southeast was also observed.
      In 2012...heavy rain produced flash flooding in Boulder County
        near Jamestown. James Canyon Drive was closed after heavy
        rain washed out a section of the roadway. Heavy rain washed
        out a section of Magnolia Road...east-southeast of Nederland.
        Nearby...a trained spotter 4 miles east-northeast of Nederland...
        measured 2.20 inches of rainfall. Flash flooding was also
        reported in the Fourmile burn area along Summerville Road.
        In Dacono...in southern Weld County...the Colorado Department
        of Transportation used snowplows to clear standing water...up
        to 6 inches deep...from a section of Interstate 25. The
        interstate was closed in both directions for nearly two hours.
        South of the Denver...in central Douglas County...flash
        flooding was reported near Perry Park...where 2.5 inches of
        rain fell in one hour.
      In 2014...an Arvada resident was injured by a nearby lightning
        strike while he recorded a video of a thunderstorm with his
        cell phone. He was standing in his garage...when a nearby
        lightning bolt knocked him out. He suffered overall body aches
        and had a ringing sensation in one of his ears. In Denver...
        lightning caused a power outage that affected the RTD light
        rail lines for a short time.  In Castle Pines...lightning
        sparked a small attic fire.  Severe thunderstorms produced
        large hail from 1 to 1 3/4 inches in diameter...along with
        damaging winds across Arapahoe...Boulder and Jefferson
        Counties including:  northwest Arvada...Littleton and
        Louisville. Flash flooding was reported near Evergreen in
        central Jefferson County. Heavy rain...up to 2 inches in one
        hour...flooded several residences and washed out several
        bridges along Forest Estate Road. Heavy rainfall also
        produced street flooding in Denver along with some basement
        flooding.  The strong winds...estimated to 60 mph...downed
        trees and power lines in southwest Littleton. At Denver
        International Airport...0.15 inches of rainfall was observed
        along with a peak wind gust to 42 mph from the southeast.
      In 2020...a thunderstorm produced a peak wind gust to 63 mph
        near Bennett.
7-25  In 1934...a streak of 15 consecutive days of 90 degrees...from the
        7th to the 25th...ranked 5th on the list of hot streaks.  The
        record of 24 consecutive days was established in the summer of
        2008.

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