347 NOUS41 KOKX 190856 PNSOKX PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEW YORK NY 456 AM EDT TUE MAY 19 2026 ...This is National Safe Boating Week... Weather can make your time on the water wonderful or deadly. It is vital to know how to respond to fog, rapid winds shifts, thunderstorms, and other dangerous weather. Fog: Chances are when you are on the water, you will occasionally encounter fog, making navigation a challenge. Fog forms when air over a warm water surface is transported over a colder water surface, resulting in cooling and condensation. Fog is usually considered dense if it reduces visibility to less than 1 mile. It can form quickly and catch boaters off guard. Visibility can be reduced to a few feet, disorienting boaters. Learning to navigate through fog (or avoiding it) is critical to safe boating. Slow down to avoid collisions. Turn on all of your running lights, even in daytime. Listen for sounds of other boats that may be near you or for fog horns and bells from nearby buoys. VHF NOAA Weather Radio should broadcast important information concerning the formation, movement or dissipation of the fog. Pay close attention. If your vessel has radar, use it to help locate dangers that may be around you. Use GPS or a navigation chart to help obtain a fix on your location. If you are unable to get your bearings, stay put until the fog lifts but make sure you are in a safe location. Be familiar with horn and bell sounds you should produce to warn others around you when in dense fog. Have a compass available. Even if you don't know where you are in the fog, with a compass you can determine the direction you are navigating. Rapid Wind Shifts: A sudden change in wind speed and/or direction will have a significant impact on boaters. Wind speed and direction are the primary forces creating waves. When are rapid changes in wind speed and direction most likely? Sudden changes in wind speed and direction often occur near thunderstorms and fast moving rain/snow showers. Wind shifts in direction and speed usually occur near cold fronts and warm fronts. This concludes today's topic on fog and rapid wind shifts. Tomorrow will focus on Inland Boating. $$  453 NOUS45 KBOU 190859 PNSBOU COZ030>051-192300- Public Information Statement National Weather Service Denver/Boulder CO 259 AM MDT TUE MAY 19 2026 ...Today in metro Denver weather history... 17-19 In 2017...a strong spring storm dropped across the Great Basin... and then moved eastward across Colorado. Isolated but strong thunderstorms preceded the system on the 17th with hail up to nickel size near Boulder Airport and Brighton. Significant snow fell across the Front Range mountains and foothills over the next couple of days. Along the Interstate 25 Corridor... rain turned to snow on the morning of the 18th...heaviest from around Broomfield northward. The heavy wet snow snapped the limbs of fully leaved trees and caused scattered power outages. A barns collapsed in northeast Loveland. Fifty-five head of cattle were inside the collapsed barn; three were injured and later euthanized. Numerous branches and trees snapped in the foothills. Elsewhere...several scattered smaller power outages were reported. Three to nearly five inches of liquid precipitation occurred...as rain or a mix of rain and snow...fell around Greeley. Storm totals in the Front Range mountains and foothills included: 42.0 inches near Allenspark...41.5 inches near Ward...36 inches at Estes Park... 32 inches near Pinecliffe...30.5 inches northwest of Golden... 30 inches near Nederland...26 inches near Breckenridge...25 inches near Aspen Springs and Bear Lake State Park...14 inches at Aspen Springs...with 9.5 inches near Evergreen. On the west side of the Interstate 25 Corridor...storm totals included: 10 inches near Superior and Louisville...6 to 8 inches in and around Fort Collins...6 inches in Lafayette... 5 inches in Broomfield and Loveland...and 4 inches near Niwot. 18-19 In 2011...from the 18th to the 19th...a severe thunderstorm in central Adams County produced large hail and heavy rainfall on the 18th. Large hail from 1 inch to 1 3/4 inches in diameter...was reported in Commerce City...near Federal Heights...Northglenn...and 2 miles south of Thornton. In Commerce City...the storm uprooted trees and knocked out power lines. A carport was lifted off the ground and struck the power lines overhead. Heavy rain...from 1.0 to 1.5 inches fell in less than 2 hours in Commerce City and near Brighton. The combination of hail and strong winds broke windows in Northglenn. In the foothills...moderate to heavy snow showers developed overnight. Storm totals included: 10.5 inches at Gold Hill...9.5 inches...3 miles west of Jamestown; 9 inches at Lake Eldora; with 6 inches... 11 miles southwest of Gilpin and 4 miles east-northeast of Nederland. At Denver International Airport...total rainfall over the 2-day period totaled 1.71 inches. In addition...a peak wind gust to 37 mph was recorded on the 18th. 18-20 In 1915...from the 18th to the 20th...3.9 inches of snow fell in the city. The estimated amount of snow that melted as it fell was 6.2 inches which would have totaled an estimated 10.1 inches of snowfall. Precipitation totaled 1.03 inches. North winds were sustained to 32 mph on the 18th. Low temperatures dipped to 25 degrees on both the 18th and 20th...establishing record minimums for both dates. In 1988...from the 18th to the 20th...a prolonged heavy rainfall drenched metro Denver. The event began when heavy thunderstorms on the 18th caused some street flooding and power outages...followed by steady rain on the 19th and 20th. Rain amounts across metro Denver totaled 3 to 4 inches. Rainfall totaled 3.71 inches at Stapleton International Airport where north winds gusted to 39 mph on the 20th. Four to eight inches of snow fell in the foothills above 7 thousand feet. 18-26 In 2023...smoke and haze from massive wildfires in Canada significantly impacted air quality and visibility across Denver and the rest of northeast Colorado. 19 In 1927...southeast winds were sustained to 40 mph with gusts to 44 mph. In 1956...a thunderstorm wind gust to 54 mph was recorded at Stapleton International Airport. In 1969...hail stones to 1 inch in diameter were measured in Arvada and Aurora. Some minor damage was reported. Pea to marble size hail fell in Westminster. In 1972...a tornado was reported by aircraft about 5 to 10 miles east of Parker. In 1988...lightning started a fire at a house in the Denver suburb of Greenwood Village...causing 2 thousand dollars in damage. In 1991...strong thunderstorms over east metro Denver produced wind gusts of 56 to 60 mph. The strong winds downed power lines...trees...and fences at some locations in Aurora. Thunderstorm outflow winds gusted to 60 mph at Stapleton International Airport. In 1994...severe thunderstorms rumbled across metro Denver. The storms produced wind gusts averaging 65 mph and hail up to dime size. Wind gusts to 77 mph were recorded in Brighton. Numerous trees and power poles were downed by the winds. One power pole fell onto spectators at a high school graduation ceremony in Commerce City...injuring 6 people. In Fort Lupton...trees fell onto 2 parked cars... knocking out the windshields. Hail to 3/4 inch in diameter was reported in Littleton. A thunderstorm wind gust to 52 mph was recorded at Stapleton International Airport. In 1995...a slow moving tornado...which was mainly discernible by its dust and debris cloud...was spotted 2 miles northeast of Denver International Airport or about 10 miles northwest of Bennett. No damage was reported. In 2007...lightning struck a 33-ft statue of Jesus at Mother Cabrini Shrine...in the foothills west of Golden. The blast broke off one of the statue's arms and a hand...and also damaged a foot. It cost an estimated $200000 to repair. In 2009...lightning struck the roof of a residence in Highlands Ranch. The home was not a total loss...but the fire caused extensive damage. In 2010...a thunderstorm produced hail up to 7/8 inch in diameter in Thornton. 19-20 In 1864...from the 19th to the 20th...a devastating major flash flood occurred on the normally dry and sandy Cherry Creek in Denver. The flood was caused by heavy thunderstorm rainfall and hail over the Palmer Ridge to the south of the city in both the Cherry Creek and Plum Creek basins. Nineteen deaths occurred along the South Platte River and Cherry Creek in Denver. The torrent swept cattle and sheep along with large trees and houses before it washing out several bridges...and moving large structures from their foundations. All city records were destroyed when City Hall washed away. The Rocky Mountain News building...built on stilts in the middle of the creek...was totally destroyed by the raging waters...which were as deep as 5 feet on the morning of the 20th. Once the flood waters receded...much sand and gravel was left behind. Property damage from the flood was estimated at nearly one million dollars. This was the first major flood of record in the city. $$