I’ve gone thru a couple major winters living in Ohio and Colorado. Shortly after I moved here we had the following weather and I started to think that I made a huge mistake, but I’m glad that I stayed. :cappy:
IN 1990…A SURGE OF VERY COLD ARCTIC AIR INVADED METRO DENVER. MANY TEMPERATURE RECORDS WERE BROKEN AS THE MERCURY REMAINED AT OR BELOW ZERO FOR 85.5 HOURS AT STAPLETON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT…MAKING IT THE THIRD LONGEST PERIOD OF SUBZERO READINGS IN 118 YEARS OF RECORD KEEPING.
ON THE MORNING OF THE 22ND…THE MERCURY PLUNGED TO 25 DEGREES BELOW ZERO…WHICH EQUALED THE ALL TIME RECORD LOW TEMPERATURE FOR THE MONTH SET ON DECEMBER 24…1876. IN THE FOOTHILLS SOUTHWEST OF DENVER AT TINY TOWN…THE MERCURY PLUNGED TO 33 DEGREES BELOW ZERO ON THE MORNING OF THE 21ST. ON THE SAME MORNING AT CASTLE ROCK THE TEMPERATURE DIPPED TO 26 DEGREES BELOW ZERO.
DURING THE PERIOD…OTHER DAILY TEMPERATURE RECORDS WERE SET AT DENVER…INCLUDING: RECORD LOW MAXIMUM OF 3 DEGREES BELOW ZERO ON THE 20TH AND A RECORD LOW OF 17 DEGREES BELOW ZERO ON THE 23RD. THE RECORD LOW WAS EQUALED WITH 16 DEGREES BELOW ZERO ON THE 20TH AND 21 DEGREES BELOW ZERO ON THE 21ST. SNOWFALL TOTALED 2.7 INCHES AT STAPLETON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT FROM THE 19TH THROUGH THE 21ST.
After moving to the Dominican Republic for several months (where we had very little news) hubby and I landed in Florida to the following news and wound up driving back to Colorado in order to give the city time to clean up. We drove over 3k miles without incident only to get to our driveway and not be able to get up the slight incline into the garage. :sarcasm:
IN 2006…A MAJOR BLIZZARD BURIED GREATER METRO DENVER AND THE ADJACENT FOOTHILLS IN DEEP SNOW.
A SLOW MOVING UPPER LEVEL LOW PRESSURE CENTER PRODUCED DEEP MOIST UPSLOPE FLOW OVER THE HIGH PLAINS AND AGAINST THE EASTERN SLOPES OF THE MOUNTAINS…ALLOWING HEAVY SNOWFALL TO PERSIST FOR 34 HOURS ACROSS METRO DENVER. TOTAL SNOW ACCUMULATIONS RANGED FROM 1 TO 2 1/2 FEET ACROSS THE CITY AND FROM 2 TO NEARLY 4 FEET IN THE FOOTHILLS.
POLICE AND NATIONAL GUARDSMEN RESCUED HUNDREDS OF COMMUTERS STUCK IN THEIR CARS…AND SENT THEM TO TEMPORARY SHELTERS SET UP BY THE RED CROSS. ALL INTERSTATES AND OTHER MAJOR HIGHWAYS IN AND OUT OF DENVER WERE CLOSED.
GREYHOUND WAS FORCED TO CANCEL ALL BUS TRIPS FROM DENVER. MAIL DELIVERY WAS SUSPENDED. THE REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION DISTRICT SUSPENDED ALL METRO DENVER BUS SERVICE FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE THE MARCH 2003 BLIZZARD.
METRO DENVER SNOWFALL AMOUNTS INCLUDED: 34 INCHES 10 MILES SOUTHEAST OF BUCKLEY AFB…24 INCHES IN AURORA…22.5. SNOWFALL MEASURED 20.7 INCHES OFFICIALLY IN THE DENVER STAPLETON AREA. 40 INCHES AT EVERGREEN.
SNOW COVER OF AN INCH OR MORE FROM THIS STORM AND SUBSEQUENT STORMS PERSISTED FOR 61 CONSECUTIVE DAYS…
MANY HOMEOWNERS WHO HAD EXTENSIVE CHRISTMAS LIGHTS AND DECORATIONS IN THEIR YARDS WERE NOT ABLE TO REMOVE THE LIGHTS BECAUSE THE WIRES WERE BURIED IN DEEP SNOW AND ICE UNTIL THE END OF FEBRUARY OR LATER.