Public Information Statement  Statement as of 2:59 am MST on January 08, 2009

... Today in Metro Denver weather history...

7-8 in 1911... gale force winds occurred in Boulder causing minor
        injuries.
      In 1937... cold Arctic air plunged temperatures below zero
        for an estimated 56 consecutuve hours. Two temperature
        records were set. High temperatures of 8 degrees below
        zero on the 7th and 3 degrees on the 8th were record low
        maximum readings for those dates. Low temperatures
        plunged to 12 degrees below zero on the 7th and 11 degrees
        below zero on the 8th. Snowfall was 1.4 inches in downtown
        Denver.
      In 1969... a violent evening windstorm struck Boulder and the
        adjacent foothills. A wind gust to 130 mph was recorded
        at the National center for atmospheric research. Winds
        reached 96 mph in downtown Boulder. The Boulder Airport
        wind recorder was blown away after measuring a wind gust
        to 80 mph. The windstorm caused over one million dollars
        in damage and one fatality in Boulder. About 25 homes in
        south Boulder had roofs blown off or were severely
        damaged. Roofs were blown off buildings housing
        scientific laboratories and offices of the environmental
        science services administration... now NOAA... in Boulder... and
        installations of several scientific measuring sites near
        Boulder received heavy damage. Grass fires driven by the
        high winds endangered many areas... but were controlled by
        volunteer firemen. One man died from injuries received
        when he was blown from a fire truck. One man was killed
        and another injured when the truck Camper in which they
        were riding was blown off I-25 about 10 miles north of
        Denver. In the same area a Mobile home and a truck
        trailer were blown off the Highway and demolished. At
        least 20 people in the Boulder area received light to
        serious injuries from flying debris or from being blown
        into obstructions. Power lines and trees were downed
        over a wide area. Damage was relatively light in the
        city of Denver... where northwest winds gusted to 62 mph
        at Stapleton International Airport on the 8th. Many
        windows were broken in Arvada... Englewood... and Littleton.
        A 27-year-old fire lookout tower on Squaw Mountain... west
        of Denver... was blown away... and several radio relay towers
        at that location were toppled. Trucks were overturned
        near Georgetown. Mobile homes were overturned in several
        areas with occupants receiving injuries in some cases.
        The strong Chinook winds also brought warm weather. The
        maximum temperature of 69 degrees on the 7th broke the
        old record of 65 degrees set in 1948. The temperature
        also reached 65 degrees on the 8th... but was not a record.
      In 1992... an intense blizzard buried eastern parts of Metro
        Denver. At times snow fell at rates of 2 to 3 inches an
        hour. Winds increased from the north at speeds of 25 to
        45 mph. Drifts of 4 to 8 feet were common. I-70 was
        closed east of Denver... and I-25 was closed from Denver
        south. Snowfall totals ranged from a couple of inches in
        the foothills west of Denver to as much as 2 feet on the
        east side of Metro Denver. The heaviest snow fell on the
        7th in a band from the northern suburbs of Westminster and
        Thornton through Aurora and east Denver to southeast of
        Parker. Snowfall totals included: 22 inches in southeast
        Aurora... 14.8 inches at Stapleton International Airport... 13
        inches in Northglenn... 10 inches in Parker... and 9 inches in
        Westminster. The 14.5 inches of snowfall measured on the
        7th into the 8th is the greatest 24 hour snowfall ever
        recorded in the city during the month of January. North
        winds gusting to 46 mph caused much blowing snow at
        Stapleton International Airport.
      In 2000... high winds developed in and near the Front Range
        foothills. The strongest winds were generally confined
        to foothills areas north of I-70. A wind gust to 76 mph
        was reported in Golden Gate Canyon. West winds gusted to
        37 mph at Denver International Airport on the 8th.
7-10 in 1962... a major winter storm dumped 13.5 inches of snow on
        Metro Denver. A foot of the snow fell on the 8th when
        northeast winds gusted to 30 mph. The storm was followed
        by an intense blast of very cold Arctic air. Minimum
        temperature readings of 24 degrees below zero occurred on
        both the 9th and 10th. The temperature never reached above
        zero on the 9th when a maximum reading of 1 degree below
        zero was recorded. Temperatures were below zero for 37
        consecutive hours.
8 in 1912... northwest winds were sustained to 40 mph with gusts
        to 45 mph in downtown Denver.
      In 1971... wind gusts to 52 mph were recorded in downtown
        Boulder. Northwest winds gusted to 28 mph at Stapleton
        International Airport.
      In 1990... high winds gusting from 50 to 90 mph along the
        Front Range produced much damage from blowing dust and
        gravel throughout the day. Wind gusts to 92 mph were
        recorded in The Table Mesa area of southwest Boulder.
        The winds caused sporadic power outages. Clouds of
        dust and gravel whipped by 70 to 90 mph gusts blinded
        commuters on the Denver-Boulder Turnpike near Broomfield
        during the morning rush hour. Flying gravel shattered
        windows on 50 vehicles parked near a Boulder High School.
        High winds were also blamed for partially dismantling a
        house under construction in Boulder... as well as toppling
        a number of fences... billboards... signs... and power poles.
        The strong cross-winds Jack-knifed and overturned semi-
        tractor trailers on I-70 near Golden and just south of
        Boulder on State Highway 93. Several County airports were
        closed due to strong winds and blowing dust reducing
        visibilities. Wind delays up to 30 minutes occurred at
        Stapleton International Airport where west winds gusted to
        48 mph. Eighty mph winds in Georgetown... Empire... and Idaho
        Springs were blamed for power and telephone outages.
        Windows were blown out of a sheriff's car along I-70 east
        of Georgetown. The strong Chinook winds warmed the
        temperature to a high of 60 degrees in Denver.
      In 2007... strong winds associated with an intense upper level
        jet... and a very strong surface pressure gradient... developed
        in and near the Front Range foothills. Peak wind gusts
        ranged from 77 mph to 115 mph. The strong winds coupled
        with freshly fallen snow resulted in whiteout conditions
        and several Highway closures due to blowing and drifting
        snow. Road closures included: State Highway 93 between
        Golden and boulder; State Highway 128 from Wadsworth
        Boulevard to State Highway 93; U.S. Highway 36... the Denver
        Boulder Turnpike from Broomfield to south Boulder road; and
        State Highway 74 near Evergreen... between County Road 65 and
        Lewis Ridge Road. More than 100 people were stranded in
        their cars between Golden and Boulder as blowing and drift-
        ing snow made the Highway impassable. Snow drifts along
        State Highway 93 were over 6 feet in depth. As a result...
        the American Red Cross opened a shelter at Arvada west High
        School for the stranded commuters. Up to twenty cars were
        also abandoned along the Diagonal Highway... between Boulder
        and Longmont. Thirty vehicles were stranded along State
        Highway 128. The high winds also caused intermittent
        power outages in Boulder. West winds gusted to 40 mph at
        Denver International Airport
8-9 in 1891... heavy dry snowfall totaled 9.7 inches over downtown
        Denver. Most of the snow... 6.5 inches... occurred on the 8th
        when north winds were sustained to 12 mph with gusts to 20
        mph.
      In 1939... heavy snowfall totaled 6.7 inches in downtown Denver.
        The snowfall was the heaviest overnight... particularly
        during the early morning hours. The moist snow adhered to
        the north side of the instrument shelter and other objects
        to a depth of 2 inches. Snow accumulated on fences and
        trees to several inches. This was the greatest snowfall
        of the month that year. The greatest depth on the ground
        was 6.5 inches. North to northwest winds were sustained
        to 24 mph on the 8th and to 27 mph on the 9th.
8-10 in 1983... winds of 70 to 90 mph howled through Boulder.
        A wind gust to 100 mph was recorded on Fritz Peak near
        Rollinsville. A tree blown down by the wind damaged a
        house in eastern Boulder County. The strong winds
        developed behind a cold front late on the 8th and continued
        through the 10th. At Stapleton International Airport... west
        to northwest winds gusted to 49 mph on the 8th... to 45 mph
        on the 9th... and to 48 mph on the 10th.