Denver experienced a top ten snowstorm this past week with full blizzard conditons and general 20-26 inch amounts along much of the Front Range. According to the NWS Denver, the 24 hour total of 20.7 inches ranked 7th on the all time list of 24 hour snow totals since 1946.
Since 1946, here are Denver’s top ten snowstorms:
31.8 inches Mar 18, 2003
30.4 inches Nov 3, 1946
23.8 inches Dec 24, 1982
21.9 inches Oct 25, 1997
21.5 inches Nov 27, 1983
21.2 inches Nov 19, 1991
20.7 inches Dec 20-21, 2006
18.7 inches Mar 5, 1983
17.7 inches Nov 19, 1979
17.3 inches Apr 1, 1957
16.9 inches Mar 20, 1952
16.0 inches Oct 3, 1969
The city’s greatest single storm snowfall is the 45.6 inches that fell between December 1-6 in 1913.
The Weather Service is Denver also remembered another one of the City’s worst Blizzards ever in a release this morning. It was the Christmas Eve 1982 Blizzard. Here is the text from their message this morning…
ON CHRISTMAS EVE…1982…ONE OF THE WORST BLIZZARDS OF ALL
TIME DUMPED 24 TO 34 INCHES OF SNOW ACROSS METRO DENVER.
THE HEAVIEST OFFICIAL ONE DAY SNOW AMOUNT IN THE CITY`S
HISTORY…23.6 INCHES…BROUGHT TRAFFIC TO A STAND STILL AND
COMPLETELY CLOSED STAPLETON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT ON
CHRISTMAS DAY. BOULDER RECEIVED 18 TO 24 INCHES OF SNOW.
TWO FEET OF SNOW BURIED PARKER AND SEDALIA TO THE SOUTH OF
DENVER. WEATHER CONDITIONS DURING THE STORM WERE BRUTAL.
VISIBILITY AT STAPLETON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT WAS REDUCED
TO 1/4 MILE OR LESS FOR 17 CONSECUTIVE HOURS. SUSTAINED
WINDS OF 25 MPH OR MORE PERSISTED FOR 15 CONSECUTIVE HOURS.
GUSTS OVER 40 MPH WERE RECORDED DURING 12 DIFFERENT HOURS.
THE HIGHEST RECORDED WIND GUST WAS 51 MPH. THE HOWLING
WINDS BLEW SNOW INTO DRIFTS 4 TO 8 FEET HIGH…PARALYZING
ALL MODES OF TRANSPORTATION. ALL HIGHWAYS LEADING OUT
OF DENVER WERE CLOSED. STAPLETON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
WAS CLOSED FOR 33 HOURS AND OPERATED ON ONLY A LIMITED
SCHEDULE FOR DAYS AFTERWARD. THOUSANDS OF TRAVELERS
WERE STRANDED AND FAILED TO REACH THEIR DESTINATIONS
IN TIME FOR CHRISTMAS. MANY WAYWARD COMMUTERS AND
SHOPPERS WERE FORCED TO TAKE REFUGE IN SHOPPING MALLS…
WHICH REMAINED OPEN…WHEN WORKERS THEMSELVES BECAME
STRANDED. MALL RESTAURANTS SERVED FOOD TO THE REFUGEES.
THE STORM PREVENTED MOST PEOPLE IN THE AREA FROM
SPENDING CHRISTMAS DAY WITH FAMILY AND FRIENDS. IN METRO
DENVER…THREE PEOPLE DIED AS A DIRECT RESULT OF THE
BLIZZARD: A 60 YEAR OLD MAN DIED OF HYPOTHERMIA ON HIS
SCREENED IN BACK PORCH; A 66 YEAR OLD MAN FROZE TO DEATH
AFTER FALLING INTO A DRIFT A FEW FEET FROM HIS HOME; A 34
YEAR OLD MAN FROZE TO DEATH JUST EAST OF DENVER AFTER
ABANDONING HIS 4 WHEEL DRIVE VEHICLE…WHICH BECAME STUCK IN
THE SNOW. WITH THE HEAVY SNOW AND WIND CHILL TEMPERATURES
OF 20 TO 30 DEGREES BELOW ZERO…THERE WERE MANY INJURIES
FROM FROSTBITE AND FALLS. DAMAGE FROM THE BLIZZARD WAS
VARIED AND WIDESPREAD. A NUMBER OF ROOFS COLLAPSED UNDER
THE WEIGHT OF THE HEAVY SNOW; GREENHOUSES RECEIVED THE
GREATEST DAMAGE…WHEN THE HEAVY SNOW SHATTERED GLASS
ROOFS ALLOWING COLD AIR TO FREEZE THE TENDER PLANTS INSIDE.
TOTAL DAMAGE TO GREENHOUSES AND PLANTS ALONE WAS ESTIMATED
AT 5 MILLION DOLLARS. THE STRONG WINDS WITH THE STORM
DAMAGED MANY FENCES AND CAUSED NUMEROUS POWER OUTAGES.
LAST MINUTE CHRISTMAS SHOPPERS WERE LITERALLY LEFT OUT IN
THE COLD AND SNOW…AS THE STORM MADE TRAVEL INCREASINGLY
DIFFICULT DURING THE DAY. MERCHANTS LOST SIGNIFICANT
INCOME FROM THE LAST SHOPPING DAY BEFORE CHRISTMAS.
OVERALL…BUSINESSES LOST AN ESTIMATED 500 MILLION DOLLARS
DUE TO THE BLIZZARD. IN METRO DENVER…SEVEN MILLION
DOLLARS WERE SPENT FOR SNOW REMOVAL…THREE MILLION DOLLARS
IN THE CITY OF DENVER ALONE. THIS EXPENDITURE DID NOT
PREVENT A SUBSEQUENT SNOW REMOVAL CONTROVERSY. ONCE THE
MAJOR STREETS WERE MADE PASSABLE…COLD LATE DECEMBER AND
JANUARY TEMPERATURES PREVENTED MUCH MELTING. ICY AND
SNOWPACKED SIDE STREETS AND PARKING LOTS BECAME RUTTED…
MAKING TRAVEL AROUND METRO DENVER DIFFICULT FOR NEARLY A
MONTH AFTER THE STORM.
