As we continue in what is the hottest time of the year, we also begin to enter the monsoon season. Our look back at this week in Denver weather history shows that this can bring a wide range of severe weather. Most common are heavy rains which can lead to flooding but dangerous and damaging lightning and hail and even tornadoes are possible.
From the National Weather Service:
7-25
In 1934…a streak of 15 consecutive days of 90 degrees ranked 5th on the list of hot streaks. The record of 24 consecutive days was established in the summer of 2008.
13-5
In 2008…a streak of 24 consecutive days of 90 degrees shattered the previous record of 18 consecutive days established in 1901 and 1874. Ironically…no new single day record high temperatures were set in the month of July. In August however…a record of 104 degrees was set on the 1st…and another record of 103 degrees was set on the 2nd. In addition…a record low min of 70 degrees was set on August 2nd.
18-2
In 1987…a streak of 16 consecutive days of 90 degrees ranked 4th on the list of hot streaks. The record of 24 consecutive days was established in the summer of 2008.
19-23
In 2005…the high temperature climbed above 100 degrees on each of the 5 days with readings of 101 on the 19th…105 on the 20th…104 on the 21st…and 102 on both the 22nd and 23rd. A new record maximum temperature for the month of July of 105 degrees was set on the 20th…which also equaled the all-time record maximum for Denver of 105 degrees first set on August 8th in 1878. Daily maximum temperature records were set on each day…and the 5 day period equaled the record for the most consecutive days of 100 degrees or more first set from July 4th through 8th in 1989. The intense heat resulted in a high use of electricity for cooling purposes. The demand for electric power exceeded the supply and rolling black-outs… Each lasting about an hour…were scheduled across metro Denver during the afternoons and early evenings.
20-23
In 1961…unusually cool weather for July resulted in several temperature records. Record minimum temperatures were set or equaled on each day with readings of 51…51…49… And 49 degrees. High temperature of only 64 degrees on the 21st was a record low maximum for the date.
20-25
In 1965…heavy showers and thunderstorms doused metro Denver with significant rain each day. Rainfall for the six days totaled 5.16 inches at Stapleton International Airport. Massive rainfall occurred on the 20th…21st…and 25th… Flooding streets and basements and causing streams to overflow. The heaviest rainfall…2.05 inches…at Stapleton International Airport occurred on the 25th.
21
In 1879…lightning struck a house in north Denver. The bolt struck the center of the roof driving part of it into the house and scattered shingles all over the yard. Furniture in the house was heavily damaged…but none of the nine residents were injured other than being stunned. The noise sounded as if a cannon had been exploded. Rainfall was only 0.02 inch downtown.
In 1921…northwest winds were sustained to 42 mph with gusts to 48 mph.
In 1943…a severe thunderstorm during the evening caused the death of a man whose truck skidded on a muddy roadway on a steep hill and overturned pinning him underneath. Several small fires were started by the lightning…and electrical wires were downed. No serious property damage was reported… But firemen answered 19 alarms in 2 hours. One person was injured by lightning.
In 1965…a funnel cloud was sighted in the northern portion of Denver. Later…4 or 5 funnel clouds were sighted about 15 miles north of Stapleton International Airport. Heavy rain accompanied by hail washed away part of a city street and caused other flooding in central city. There were heavy showers and some damage from lightning in both Denver and Boulder. Marble to golf ball size hail fell 10 miles northwest of Stapleton Airport.
In 1966…heavy thunderstorm rains flooded streets and basements across metro Denver.
In 1973…a tornado touched down briefly 2 miles northeast of Parker…causing minor damage. Funnel clouds were also sighted 3 miles northeast of Sedalia…11 miles south southeast of Stapleton International Airport…and near Parker. Hail to 3/4 inch in diameter fell over the western suburbs of Denver.
In 1974…heavy thunderstorm rains caused flash flooding in metro Denver. Rainfall totaled 1.26 inches at Stapleton International Airport.
In 1976…heavy thunderstorm rains occurred across south metro Denver with 1.75 inches of rain recorded in 40 minutes in southeast Aurora and 2.00 inches in 20 minutes at Cheery Creek Reservoir. A funnel cloud was sighted by the public east of Arapahoe County airport…now Centennial Airport.
In 1981…the temperature reached 100 degrees…setting a new record high for the date.
In 1983…downpours drenched the Front Range where amounts of 1 to 2 inches were common. The heaviest reported rainfall was 2.36 inches in a 6-hour period at Parker where hail to 3/4 inch and wind gusts as high as 75 mph occurred. Up to golf ball size hail fell in the Parker and Castle Rock areas; wind gusts to 75 mph were recorded in Castle Rock.
In 1993…thunderstorm winds toppled a 3 story high Russian olive tree in Boulder. The tree barely hit and only slightly damaged a parked car.
In 1995…thunderstorm winds from the west gusted to 55 mph at Denver International Airport.
In 2002…heavy thunderstorm rainfall caused flash flooding in the Hayman fire burn area. South Deckers Road…State Highway 126…was closed when 4 feet of water inundated a section of the roadway. The U.S. Forest Service had to remove 40 truckloads of sediment to reopen the road. Also…heavy debris flow washed out a secondary service road in southwest Douglas County. Hail as large as 3/4 inch in diameter fell near Bennett.
In 2011…lightning struck a home in Arapahoe County and caused substantial fire damage. Five people were in the home but no one was injured. There was structural damage to both the interior and exterior of the residence.
22 Continue reading July 21 to July 27: This Week in Denver Weather History →
