A Denver man was killed and his wife injured after he was struck by lightning when the two were hiking near the Bear Peak West Ridge Trail. The man was likely hit from a direct lightning strike to his upper body.
Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.
Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.
The episode as NWS BOU wrote it up.
A Denver man was killed and his wife injured after he was struck by lightning when the two were hiking near the Bear Peak West Ridge Trail. The man was likely hit from a direct lightning strike to his upper body. His wife was not directly hit, but injured by the electrical current from the strike that hit her husband.
The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.
NWS Denver/Boulder, CO wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jul 14, 9:07 AM MST, 2 hours 53 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Denver/Boulder CO 1007 AM MDT Sun Jul 14 2019 .UPDATE... Issued at 1007 AM MDT Sun Jul 14 2019 Latest data including the 12Z Denver sounding, Integrated Precipitable Water from GPS, and satellite all show the present forecast is on track. Temperatures may be just a couple degrees cooler than yesterday with the increase in mid level clouds and weak northerly push ongoing this morning, and this too is already handled well in the forecast. There is a weak short wave noted riding up through western Colorado this morning, which will reach the Front Range by early afternoon. Hard to say if there will sufficient destabilization before this wave arrives, but nonetheless convection should fill in where there is more sunshine given the abundant mid level moisture pushing northeast across the state. Latest PW data shows about 0.10-0.15 inch increase from yesterday at this time. Main threats from storms will be similar to last evening with locally heavy rainfall, small hail, gusty outflow winds to around 45 mph, and frequent lightning. && .SHORT TERM...(Today and tonight) Issued at 353 AM MDT Sun Jul 14 2019 The unsettled weather pattern is expected to continue through tonight. Subtropical moisture will continue to move into the forecast areas from the west/southwest, around a ridge of high pressure centered over northwestern New Mexico. Model soundings indicate precipitable water value 0.80-1.0 inch this afternoon. Storms should have more of a west to east storm motion once they get going. High resolution models initiate deep convection over the higher terrain after 16z. The storms will increase in coverage over the mountains/foothills through early afternoon then move eastward. Scenario should be similar to last evening. Localized heavy rainfall and small hail likely with the stronger storms along the frequent lightning. Gusty outflow winds in the 35-40 mph also possible. Conditions will gradually improve from west to east across the forecast area by mid evening. .LONG TERM...(Monday through Saturday) Issued at 353 AM MDT Sun Jul 14 2019 It looks like a very warm week ahead as a strong upper level ridge pattern is forecast to dominate the weather picture across the southern half of the country. At the same time, monsoonal moisture is expected to continue moving over Colorado. Temperatures at mid-levels are forecast to be warm enough to support afternoon temperatures across the plains in the mid to upper 90s. By Wednesday or Thursday, 700 mb temperatures approaching +20C will be warm enough to cap afternoon convection and raise afternoon highs to near the 100 degree mark. Monday and Tuesday will see a continuation of afternoon shower activity generating over the mountains and foothills due to the presence of the monsoonal flow coming out of Arizona. These showers may produce locally heavy rain due to slow storm motions caused by light to moderate winds at mid and upper levels. As in the past few days, shower activity is expected to extend from the foothills out onto the plains Monday and Tuesday. After the dry days on Wednesday and Thursday, the medium range models are forecasting a stronger surge of monsoonal moisture to enter the state on Friday which will bring showers back into the forecast through Saturday. For the middle of July, it is a pretty typical pattern and a fairly repetitive forecast cycle. Temperatures rising to the 90s will cause heat related issues in the afternoons, and nighttime temperatures will remain mild, in the lower 60s across the plains for most of the week. Mountain areas will be generally 10 to 15 degrees cooler. && .AVIATION...(For the 18Z TAFS through 18Z Monday afternoon) Issued at 1007 AM MDT Sun Jul 14 2019 Expect another round of showers and thunderstorms over the Denver area 20Z-02Z. We should see sufficient storm coverage given the increase in moisture, destabilization, and a little forcing from a weak disturbance moving northeast across the area. There is high enough confidence to go with TEMPO -TSRA and wind gusts to around 30 knots in each of the Denver area TAF sites, with the greatest probability from 21Z-00Z. Outside of that, wind are turning north to northeast and will hold there til convective outflows begin to dominate. Then, once storms move east of the area winds are expected to switch back to normal south/southwest winds 02Z-04Z. && .BOU WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... None. && UPDATE...Barjenbruch SHORT TERM...Cooper LONG TERM...Dankers AVIATION...Barjenbruch
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Denver/Boulder CO 1043 AM MDT Sun Jul 14 2019 COZ030>051-151645- Jackson County Below 9000 Feet- West Jackson and West Grand Counties Above 9000 Feet- Grand and Summit Counties Below 9000 Feet- South and East Jackson/Larimer/North and Northeast Grand/ Northwest Boulder Counties Above 9000 Feet- South and Southeast Grand/West Central and Southwest Boulder/ Gilpin/Clear Creek/Summit/North and West Park Counties Above 9000 Feet-Larimer and Boulder Counties Between 6000 and 9000 Feet- Jefferson and West Douglas Counties Above 6000 Feet/Gilpin/Clear Creek/Northeast Park Counties Below 9000 Feet- Central and Southeast Park County- Larimer County Below 6000 Feet/Northwest Weld County- Boulder And Jefferson Counties Below 6000 Feet/West Broomfield County- North Douglas County Below 6000 Feet/Denver/West Adams and Arapahoe Counties/East Broomfield County- Elbert/Central and East Douglas Counties Above 6000 Feet- Northeast Weld County-Central and South Weld County-Morgan County- Central and East Adams and Arapahoe Counties- North and Northeast Elbert County Below 6000 Feet/North Lincoln County- Southeast Elbert County Below 6000 Feet/South Lincoln County- Logan County-Washington County-Sedgwick County-Phillips County- 1043 AM MDT Sun Jul 14 2019 This hazardous weather outlook is for northeast and north central Colorado. .DAY ONE...Today and Tonight Another round of scattered showers and thunderstorms can be expected this afternoon and early evening. The storms will first develop over the higher terrain, and then increase in coverage and spread east across the urban corridor and northeast plains during the afternoon and early evening. The stronger storms will produce locally heavy rain, small hail, frequent lightning, and brief but strong wind gusts to 40 mph. Stronger storms may result in minor street and small stream flooding. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Monday through Saturday Expect hot temperatures through the upcoming week with highs in the mid and upper 90s over the plains, and in the 70s and 80s in the mountains. Scattered afternoon and evening thunderstorms are expected Monday and Tuesday, with locally heavy rains and gusty winds. Wednesday and Thursday will be the warmest days of the week, with almost no showers or thunderstorms. Friday and Saturday will see a return of shower activity with the possibility of locally heavy rain again. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation will not be needed today or tonight. Rainfall reports however would be greatly appreciated.
The Denver radar (KFTG), 67 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 18:57 UTC.
1 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.
Two hikers were struck by lightning on Bear Peak off the Bear Peak Trail. The male hiker sustained a direct lightning strike and died later at the hospitail. The female hike sustained minor injuries from an indirect strike.
As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.
| Event | Date | Age | Sex | Where | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lightning, Boulder | 2019-07-14 | 36 | Male | Outside/Open Areas | Direct |
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Colorado in 2019Every state in 2019This day in weather historyWarnings in Colorado, July 2019
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 826570.