December 15 - Today in Denver weather history

December 15 - Today in Denver weather
history.

Examiner's look back at December 15th in Denver weather history is dominated by wind.  Hurricane strength gusts hit the Front Range 18 years ago today and 44 years ago a man was killed by debris kicked up by wind. 

From the National Weather Service Denver / Boulder Office:

From the 12th to the 15th:

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.

From the 14th to the 15th:

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.

On the 15th:

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.

From the 15th to the 16th:

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.