High-Impact Weather and Climate Events

Heavy rains resulted in flooding, with a 20-25' wall of water observed on Crow Creek. The flood damaged buildings, transportation facilities, utilities, bridges and houses. A large number of people were trapped in their homes.

"The mill buildings were swept away and the tramway was severely damaged in this avalanche, which ultimately killed 12 people. After the incident, Liberty Bell Mine workers built a V-shape crib of timbers filled with rock to redirect snowslides. (And it worked! In 1906, the snow in another avalanche was divided by the obstacle and did little harm.)" - 9News

"Thirteen miners were caught in this slide, 10 of whom died. Rescuers said in an Aspen Daily Times article at the time that it was "almost impossible" to search for survivors due to drifts "filled with timbers and boulders." The slide also swept away $50,000 worth of ore stored in the mine houses, as well as several buildings. Ultimately, the town dump saved the nearby town by altering the course of the avalanche before it reached the most populated area." - 9News

Thunderstorm-driven flash flooding in tributaries of Bear Creek (Tucker Gulch, Mt. Vernon Creek, Turkey Creek) and in Clear Creek. Peak discharge in Bear Creek was 8,600 cfs.

"The flood devastated Tucker Gulch in Flood. Residents referred to this flood as the worst ever to hit Morrison. This storm also hit Golden and Eldorado Springs hard. The photo above shows the damage along Tucker Gulch in Golden. The flood waters washed away plenty of bridges, homes, and people. A cloudburst caused flooding along Bear Creek, Turkey Creek and Mount Vernon Gulch. As a result to these flooded creeks, 27 people lost their lives, and a ten foot wall of water roared down Bear Creek." - Mile High Flood District

Cheyenne Flood. "Heavy rain (4,78 inches in 3 hours) caused flooding resulting in extensive damage to buildings, transportation facilities, and utilities. There was loss of lives." - University of Wyoming

Severe flooding from multi-day rain event on Boulder Creek, James Creek, Lefthand Creek, and St. Vrain Creek. Estimated flow of 9,000-13,000 cfs on Boulder Creek at Boulder is consistent with the 100-year flood (11,000 cfs). Over 8" of rain in Boulder.

"The Blizzard of 1887 was just one part of an absolutely brutal winter. Cattle herds across the plains were decimated. Spoiled by previously mild winters and picture-perfect summers, ranchers in Wyoming and Montana had overstocked their lands. They were completely ill-prepared for the coming winter. For months, low temperatures, high winds, and record snowfall in Wyoming made it a battle to keep cattle fed. When a huge storm began in January, over an inch of snow fell every single hour for over 16 hours straight. Ranchers had no way to easily access their already fragile herds. The small bits of grass that the cattle had available to them was covered in snow and ice. They had no way to feed. In the end, hundreds of thousands of cows starved to death by the time spring arrived and the pastures were thawed." - Only In Your State

"The winter of 1886-1887 brought one of the most significant early storms recorded. The snow came early and grew very deep. Then, a freak thaw turned much of this to water. Cold weather moved back in, freezing the thawed liquid into a crust of ice, which prevented cattle from getting through to the forage underneath. These conditions, accompanied by a blizzard of unusual severity, caused a loss of more than 50 percent of the state's livestock. The snow was 6 feet deep on the level between Mountain Home and Woods Landing. On February 12, 1887, the storms were still raging over the state, and the snow was packed so hard that stages could drive over it. Trains were stalled on their tracks." - WY Hazard Mitigation Plan 2021-2026

23" of snow. "This is by far the biggest April snowstorm in Denver history, according to Weather 5280. Even more notable? It happened during an April where 32" fell on the city, which is almost a record for the entire month." - 9News

"Eleven miners who lived and worked about 15 miles northwest of Leadville were swept away when their cabin was buried in an avalanche. One survived. A New York Times article from that time says rescuers were met by a crowd of miners, who told them it wouldn't be possible to reach the buried men in the soft snow." - 9News

Extreme snowmelt flooding on the Colorado River. Estimated peak discharge of ~210,000 cfs downstream at Lees Ferry, AZ, the largest flood in the historical record (since ~1850). Peak discharges upstream in western Colorado are believed to be the largest in the historical record. Severe flooding on the Cache la Poudre River on the eastern slope.