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NOUS45 KBOU 150959
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Public Information Statement
National Weather Service Denver/Boulder CO
259 AM MST MON DEC 15 2025

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

12-15 In 1921...downslope chinook winds produced warm temperatures
        in the city...which resulted in 4 temperature records.
        High temperatures of 72 degrees on the 13th and 68 degrees
        on the 15th were record maximums for the dates.  Low
        temperatures of 47 degrees on both the 12th and 13th were
        record high minimums for the dates.  West winds were
        sustained to 38 mph on the 12th and to 25 mph on the
        13th.
14-15 In 1988...a snow storm again whitened metro Denver.
        Snowfall along the Front Range was in the 6 to 12 inch
        range.  Snowfall totaled 5.8 inches at Stapleton
        International Airport where north winds gusted to 38 mph.
      In 1990...high winds howled across metro Denver behind a
        strong Pacific cold front.  Boulder was hardest hit by the
        high winds.  A wind gust to 120 mph was recorded in south
        Boulder where winds stripped the roof off a garage...a
        vacant gas station...and a house under construction.
        Elsewhere in Boulder...several trees were blown down.  In
        Boulder Canyon...the winds toppled two cinder block walls on
        a house under construction.  Four Boulder County women were
        treated for injuries caused by the wind.  The injuries were
        confined to a broken wrist...a mild concussion...bruises...and
        facial cuts.  Two semi-tractor trailers were blown over by
        the fierce winds south of Boulder.  Another truck rollover
        occurred southeast of Golden.  Drivers of all three trucks
        suffered only cuts and bruises.  Several vehicles were
        trapped in a blinding dust storm on the Denver-Boulder
        Turnpike near Broomfield.  Drivers were forced to stop
        along the highway for several minutes during the storm and
        witness their vehicles being pelted with sand and gravel.
        A wind gust to 97 mph was recorded in Golden.  High winds
        were also reported in Arvada...Boulder...and Lakewood.  Winds
        toppled a number of utility poles and wooden fences...blew
        out windows...and caused structural damage to a large
        apartment complex on the west side of Golden.  Wind gusts
        of 70 to 100 mph caused considerable damage to several
        large billboards north of Golden...as well as damaging the
        paint...trim...and glass on numerous vehicles in the area.
        A west wind gust to 51 mph was recorded at Stapleton
        International Airport.
15    In 1999...high winds developed in and near the foothills as
        a strong upper level jet moved into the area.  Although
        most wind gusts were in the 70 to 80 mph range...a weather
        spotter located 1 mile south of Fritz Peak near
        Rollinsville measured a peak wind gust to 124 mph.  Other
        wind reports included wind gusts to 77 mph at the National
        Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder and atop Blue
        Mountain and 70 mph at the National Wind Technology Center
        on Rocky Flats south of Boulder.  West winds gusted to only
        32 mph at Denver International Airport.
      In 2000...high winds developed in the foothills of Boulder
        County...but winds were strong across all of metro Denver.
        Winds gusted as high as 72 mph at the National Center for
        Atmospheric Research on the mesa just southwest of Boulder.
        West winds gusted to 44 mph at Denver International Airport.
      In 2021...a powerful cold front moved across northern Colorado
        in the morning. Bands of moderate to heavy snow showers in
        the mountains resulted in early morning snow squalls.
        Colorado Department of Transportation had brief road closures
        along with parts of I-70 due to the limited visibility and
        hazardous road conditions that accompanied the snow squalls.
        Storm totals in the mountains generally ranged from 3.5 to
        6.5 inches. As the cold front swept across the Front Range
        Foothills...Urban Corridor...and adjacent plains...very strong
        post-frontal or bora winds developed. The strongest wind
        gusts ranged from 70 to 95 mph occurred in and near the
        foothills...and along and north of the I-76 corridor. At
        Denver International Airport...a peak wind gust to 60 mph
        was observed from the northwest.  There were overturned
        semis reported on I-25...and car window were blowing out in
        Boulder and Broomfield. Denver International Airport reported
        2219 flight cancellations and 12327 delays.  Xcel Energy
        power outages peaked at about 63000 customers during this
        high wind event. The high winds knocked down several trees...
        with blowing dust and reduced visibility northeast and east
        of Denver. Some trees reportedly crashed into nearby homes
        and onto parked vehicles.
15-16 In 1964...high winds raked metro Denver...causing considerable
        damage.  Wind gusts to 81 mph were recorded at Rocky Flats
        northwest of Denver...94 mph at Jefferson County Airport
        near Broomfield...48 mph in downtown Boulder...and 70 mph
        in Littleton.  West wind gusts to 67 mph were recorded
        at Stapleton International Airport.  A man working on
        construction in downtown Denver died from injuries after
        being struck by a 5-foot by 8-foot section of plank runway
        blown by the strong winds.  Several people were blown down
        by the strong winds or hit by flying objects.  Buildings...
        roads...trees...and power equipment were damaged.  Roads were
        closed east of Denver due to blowing dust.
      In 1981...wind gusts to 60 mph were common in the foothills
        northwest of Denver.  West wind gusts to 47 mph were
        recorded at Stapleton International Airport where the
        visibility was briefly reduced to 3 miles in blowing dust.
      In 1996...strong pre-frontal winds developed in the foothills
        of Boulder County ahead of an Arctic cold front that moved
        into northeastern Colorado late on the morning of the 16th.
        Wind gusts of 70 to 75 mph were clocked at Table Mesa in
        southwest Boulder.

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