Public Information Statement  Statement as of 6:45 PM MDT on July 19, 2008

... This week in Metro Denver weather history...

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 in 1898... an apparent thunderstorm produced sustained northwest
        winds to 45 mph with gusts to 51 mph.
      In 1939... the high temperature reached 102 degrees in downtown
        Denver. This was the highest temperature recorded since
        August 8... 1878... a period of 61 years... and the third highest
        temperature of record at the time. Six miles to the east...
        at Denver Municipal Airport... the maximum temperature reached
        104 degrees. A dry period during mid-July... combined with low
        relative humidities... resulted in an unusually large number
        of Forest fires in the mountains west of Denver.
      In 1941... an afternoon thunderstorm caused two lightning
        deaths. The men were struck by lightning near the Denver
        Airport.
      In 1951... a thunderstorm wind gust to 54 mph was recorded at
        Stapleton Airport.
      In 1965... heavy rain west of Denver damaged roads and bridges.
        Two Bridges in Golden were washed out. Lightning in Denver
        caused some power failures and fires... mostly in the northeast
        section of the city. Heavy rain caused street flooding in
        the city of Denver. Hail as large as 1/2 inch in diameter
        and 0.40 inch of rain in 5 minutes were measured at
        Stapleton International Airport where precipitation totaled
        1.09 inches. Lightning damaged a house in Littleton... and
        caused a power outage in Idaho Springs.
      In 1973... lightning damage was reported west of Arvada.
      In 1975... heavy rains caused flash flooding across Metro
        Denver... resulting in the closing of several streets and
        damage to numerous homes and businesses. Hail 1/2 to 3/4
        inch in diameter was reported.
      In 1976... heavy thunderstorms caused flooding of streets in
        southeast Denver and western Arapahoe counties. A total of
        3.35 inches of rain was measured at Kassler southwest of
        Littleton.
      In 1978... a girl was injured by lightning at a Country Club
        southwest of Denver.
      In 1984... heavy rain was reported just east of Buckley field in
        Aurora where 1.15 inches fell in just 45 minutes.
      In 1986... thunderstorms dumped heavy rain across Metro Denver
        causing extensive street flooding... power outages... and
        basement flooding. The greatest recorded rainfall was 4.39
        inches in Lakewood. In extreme northwest Denver... 2.29
        inches of rain fell in just 20 minutes. Arvada was drenched
        with 2.60 inches of rain... and over an inch fell in southeast
        Denver and adjacent sections of Aurora.
      In 1990... heavy thunderstorm rains caused flash flooding in
        sections of Littleton where 1.20 inches of rain fell in
        less than 30 minutes. The deluge caused Dry Creek to jump
        its banks... causing damage to residential streets... curbs... and
        sidewalks. Nearly 100 vehicles were stranded for a time in
        Fender-deep water when sewers and drainage ditches became
        choked with debris. The heavy runoff submerged many
        Littleton streets and intersections.
      In 1992... strong thunderstorms moved slowly through east Metro
        Denver... producing rainfall up to 2.50 inches in a short time.
        Weather spotters reported 0.75 to 1.00 inch of rain in less
        than 30 minutes. Many areas of southeast Denver were
        flooded... including I-25 where up to 6 feet of water
        filled some underpasses. Hail to 3/4 inch in diameter
        fell in Aurora.
      In 1995... a tornado touched down briefly in an open field
        near Strasburg. Thunderstorm winds gusted to 58 mph at
        Centennial Airport.
      In 1996... strong thunderstorm winds damaged the building of
        a telephone installation company in the city of Denver.
      In 1998... the high temperature reached 100 degrees at
        Denver International Airport.
      In 2006... heavy rainfall in the overland wildfire burn area
        caused minor flash flooding in Jamestown. The roads behind
        the Jamestown fire Hall were washed out... when a culvert was
        blocked by debris. A rockslide was also reported in town.
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 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 Cherry
        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 truck loads 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.
22 in 1874... a severe thunderstorm during the late afternoon
        produced 1.36 inches of rainfall in an hour... most of which
        fell in 20 minutes. There was much damage from flooding
        of streets and considerable damage to private property.
        The lightning was Brilliant and continuous during the
        storm. Seven buildings were struck by lightning in the
        city... in addition to many places where it struck only the
        ground. A magnificent example of Ball lightning was
        observed. When about 200 feet above the house tops... The
        Ball exploded and broke into 7 or 8 different balls... each
        about 6 inches in diameter. Upon reaching about 20 feet
        above the ground... these balls broke into small fragments
        about 3 inches long and 1/2 inch wide. A shed situated
        in an alley about one block away was literally covered
        with these Sparks. After the storm was over... the shed
        and adjacent area showed no trace of the event. Not the
        slightest mark could be detected on structures or on the
        ground.
      In 1879... a terrific electrical storm passed over the city
        during the afternoon. The lightning display was unusually
        vivid and the crash of thunder seemed at the very house
        tops. A few homes and buildings were struck by lightning.
        A home on Capitol Hill sustained much damage to furniture...
        but the residents in another Wing of the house were not
        injured. Lightning struck a fence at the corner of Curtis
        and Broadway. A lightning Bolt stunned a workman and
        knocked a mason's trough from his hand. A school was struck
        but was not damaged. Lightning struck the ground near
        tenth and Colfax. Rain fell in torrents for a time... but the
        heaviest was on the outskirts of the city. Rainfall in the
        city was only 0.30 inch.
      In 1882... lightning struck and killed a man in the northern
        part of the city.
      In 1895... heavy rainfall of 1.53 inches was measured in
        downtown Denver.
      In 1931... the high temperature reached 100 degrees in
        downtown Denver.
      In 1965... lightning struck and killed a boy standing by an
        automobile near Stapleton International Airport. Scattered
        heavy showers accompanied by hail and wind occurred across
        Metro Denver. Heavy rain caused some street damage in
        Commerce City.
      In 1973... minor thunderstorm wind damage was reported in
        Aurora.
      In 1983... heavy thunderstorms dumped torrential rain and large
        hail across Metro Denver. The most serious problems were
        caused by heavy rainfall in the foothills... which produced
        flooding on Bear Creek. Runoff from 3 inches of rain in
        45 minutes at Kittredge caused Bear Creek to rise 5 feet in
        10 minutes at Morrison... washing out Two Bridges. One bridge
        collapsed... plunging a fire truck into the water... but the
        occupants were not injured. The town was evacuated for 2
        hours. Evergreen was drenched with 2.61 inches of rain in
        30 minutes... which caused street flooding along with power
        outages. Hail to Golf Ball size damaged cars. A deck on a
        house east of Evergreen was washed away. At Idaho Springs...
        2 inches of rain fell in 45 minutes. Golden received
        3 inches of rain in an hour with 0.80 inch of rain in seven
        minutes at Littleton. Heavy rain and large hail also fell
        in the city of Denver and its northern and eastern suburbs...
        causing street flooding. Water was 6 feet deep on one
        Aurora street.
      In 1991... heavy rains caused extensive flooding across North
        Metro Denver. Ralston creek in Arvada flowed out of
        its banks. At the intersection of I-25 and I-70... up to 8
        feet of water covered the Highway. A foot of water covered
        a stretch of I-70 in northwest Denver. Thunderstorm
        rainfall totaled only 0.82 inch at Stapleton International
        Airport.
      In 1998... lightning sparked a fire which caused extensive
        damage to a home in Englewood. Most of the second floor
        was destroyed.
      In 2004... severe thunderstorms produced hail to 1.25 inches
        in diameter in Commerce City and near Brighton.
22-23 in 1991... heavy rains over the Palmer Divide and along the
        Front Range caused the South Platte river to flood from
        near Henderson to Fort Lupton. The river was out of its
        banks at several locations with water covering the roads
        through the night. Only minor damage was reported.
23 in 1901... the temperature climbed to a high of 90 degrees...
        marking the 18th consecutive day with a high temperature
        of 90 degrees or more. This equaled the record of 18
        consecutive days set from July 1st through July 18th in
        1874.
      In 1910... the temperature climbed to a high of 101 degrees
        in downtown Denver.
      In 1936... the high temperature reached 100 degrees in
        downtown Denver.
      In 1957... a tornado was observed by National Weather Service
        personnel 25 miles east-northeast of Stapleton Airport for
        7 minutes. No property damage or injuries were reported.
        The public reported a funnel cloud 10 miles northeast of
        Brighton.
      In 1960... lightning struck many locations across Metro Denver.
        A boy scout Leader was struck and injured at the Rocky
        Mountain Arsenal. Some sections of Arvada were blanketed
        with a white layer of hailstones. A number of Weed fires
        were started by lightning. Some houses were struck... but no
        serious damage occurred. Heavy rain fell from northwest
        Denver to Brighton with up to 1.50 inches in some areas.
      In 1965... heavy rain flooded and damaged homes in Georgetown...
        where the sewer system was damaged and the water supply
        contaminated. Heavy rains in Aurora washed out earthen
        bridges over Sand Creek. Streets were flooded in Denver.
        Several highways were washed out to the east and southeast
        of Denver.
      In 1975... heavy rains caused flash flooding in the foothills
        west of Denver. Several roads and businesses were damaged
        in the Central City and Blackhawk areas.
      In 1983... heavy thunderstorms blasted Denver and areas to the
        south. Douglas County was hardest hit. Golf Ball size hail
        fell in and near Parker. Many homes at The Pinery south of
        Parker had windows broken and paint stripped by the storm
        with some vehicles dented by the large stones. In Parker...
        1.90 inches of rain fell in just 30 minutes. Many roads in
        Douglas County were washed out... and at least one bridge was
        damaged. Up to 2 inches of rain fell in Lakewood... and
        Littleton was drenched by 1.60 inches in 15 minutes. A
        department store in Lakewood suffered water damage when a
        pipe handling runoff broke... sending 4 inches of water onto
        the floor of the store.
      In 1990... a thunderstorm wind gust to 53 mph was recorded at
        Stapleton International Airport... where 1/8 inch diameter
        hail fell.
      In 1992... heavy thunderstorm rains caused Howard Gulch in
        southeast Denver to flow over its banks. A weather spotter
        recorded thunderstorm wind gusts to 63 mph in Aurora.
        Another spotter measured a wind gust to 60 mph... which
        toppled a large tree. Thunderstorm winds gusted to only
        41 mph at Stapleton International Airport.
      In 1996... hail... as large as an inch in diameter... fell 5 miles
        west of Castle Rock.
      In 1997... damaging thunderstorm winds associated with a wet
        microburst ripped the roof off a barn near Brighton...
        causing the east side of the structure to collapse. The
        roof of a nearby utility shed was also lifted off and blown
        60 feet away. West winds gusted to 38 mph at Denver
        International Airport.
      In 2001... a severe thunderstorm pelted Littleton with hail as
        large as 1 1/2 inches. Total damage to vehicles... roofs...
        buildings... and landscaping totaled over 600 thousand
        dollars. Rain leaked into offices... damaging computers.
        Almost every vehicle parked in the Littleton center lot
        sustained some hail damage. Thunderstorm winds gusted to
        55 mph at Denver International Airport.
      In 2002... a small tornado briefly touched down near Bennett.
        No damage was reported.
      In 2004... heavy thunderstorm rainfall in the overland fire
        burn area caused flash flooding in Jamestown. Up to a foot
        of water reportedly covered the Highway near Jamestown.
        Many of the town's culverts filled with dirt and debris...
        causing The Overflow to wash onto streets and into homes.
        Heavy machinery had to be used to remove piles of mud
        up to 7 feet deep. Parked cars slid down the street
        with the mud and water... and many had to be dug out. The
        fire station in Jamestown was inundated with 10 inches of
        Muddy water. Heavy thunderstorm rainfall caused street
        flooding in Federal Heights and Thornton. Several streets
        were inundated with 2 to 4 feet of water... including 84th
        Avenue and Grant street... Conifer street and Huron Blvd... .
        102nd Ave. And melody... as well as 83rd Ave. And Washington.
        Several cars were stranded in the flood waters. Heavy
        rainfall also caused street flooding in parts of Westminster.
        Water reportedly flowed into car windows just north of 104th
        Avenue and U.S. Highway 36. Sections of two roads had
        to be closed due to flooding. Heavy thunderstorm rainfall
        of up to 2 inches in 45 minutes caused flash flooding just
        east of Aurora. Floodwaters ranging from 2 to 3 feet deep
        forced the closure of powhaten... gun club and picadilly roads.
        Lightning caused power outages in parts of Arvada. About
        9800 customers were without power for up to 90 minutes.
24 in 1896... heavy cloudbursts in the foothills west of Denver
        caused flash flooding on Bear Creek... Clear Creek... Golden
        Gate gulch... and Mount Vernon c