According to the National Weather Service, 2.92 inches of rain fell in Denver on May 11 – the 8th most rain in a one-day period (records start in 1872) and the rainiest day since May 6, 1973.

Granted, while 2.92 inches of rain might seem like a lot, it’s a long way from the 6.5 inches of rain that fell in Denver on May 22, 1876, which still holds the all-time record for the area in regard to rain during a single calendar day. When this 1876 storm hit, it caused serious flooding in the South Platte River Basin and on Fountain Creek.

It’s also worth noting that while Denver got a ton of rain on May 11, it got 4.3 inches of rain between May 9 and May 12. While this lands among some of the highest totals in the state during this time frame, the area just east of Denver got more than six inches.

See rainfall during this period depicted on the map below:

It’s also worth noting that Denver got 3.57 inches and 4.4 inches of the courses of two and three days, respectively. The 4.4 inches could have meant more than 40 inches of snow had the precipitation fallen in this frozen form instead.

The 3.75 inches over two days was the most of any two-day period since 1876 and the third-most ever, with data going back to 1872. Meanwhile, the 4.4 inches over three days was the fifth-most ever over three consecutive days and the most since 1969.

More rain may be in store for Denver on Friday, Sunday, and Monday, but it’s unlikely to be breaking any records.

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