We will be seeing a little bit of everything this weekend. One storm wraps up today and Saturday will be relatively pleasant but another storm arrives Sunday and looks to bring more snow.

As of 4:00am this morning, Thornton was sitting at 4.5 inches of snow. Light snow will be possible throughout the day with another inch or two possible. Should a heavier snow band pass through, that number could jump. A Winter Weather Advisory remains in Effect until midnight tonight. Temperatures will remain cold with highs around freezing.

• Winter Weather Briefing Page

Snow will be wrapping up entirely by about sunset and skies will begin to clear overnight. Lows tonight will be in the mid to upper teens.

Saturday will be the most pleasant day of the three day period. Mostly sunny skies will be above with highs in the mid-40s although the lingering snow cover might suppress temperatures and keep them from warming that much.

Cloud cover will increase after dark tomorrow night signifying the arrival of our next storm system. Snow becomes possible from about 10:00pm Saturday evening with chances continuing throughout the day Sunday.

Right now this looks to be a relatively minor event with an inch or two accumulation possible however that could change as it gets closer. Highs on Sunday will remain below freezing.

Lots going on in the weather for today and tomorrow but also with a lot of uncertainty. We’ll start out nice enough today but a coming storm has prompted a Winter Weather Advisory to be issued.

For today, partly clear skies start us off but cloud cover will increase in the morning. This afternoon we will be mostly cloudy. Temperatures today will top out around the 40 degree mark.

Some flurries may be seen as early as 4:00pm with the best chances coming after 6:00pm this evening and through Friday morning. Light, steady snow will fall overnight with lows dipping to the low 20s. How much snow? That is the hard part.

Models have not been consistent with the track of this storm system plus some indicate the potential for convective snow bands which would drive up any potential totals where the bands pass. For now, the National Weather Service has issued a Winter Weather Advisory calling for 3 to 6 inches with the potential for localized amount up to 10 inches. For Thornton we don’t feel like that is off the mark.

Hopefully coming model runs will coalesce around a more coherent solution in the coming hours. For now, be aware and be prepared for possibly rough driving conditions tomorrow.

Our Winter Weather Briefing Page has all the latest.

Thornton’s first snowfall in more than two months now blankets the ground and in its wake, conditions improve. Today will offer up lots of Colorado blue sky but it will remain on the cold side.

Clear skies start things off and will be with us throughout the day today. Early AM temperatures gave us our first sub-zero temperature readings of the season. We will warm above that today but temps remain well below normal with a high only around 30 degrees.

After dark, clouds will increase leading to partly clear skies over night. Low temperatures tonight into tomorrow will drop to around 12 degrees.

February is typically a relatively calm month with warming temperatures and not a lot of snow. As our look back at this week in Denver weather history clearly shows, that does not mean extremes of damaging wind, bitter cold and heavy snowfall can’t occur.

From the National Weather Service:

30-7

In 1985…a cold front on the 29th produced a protracted cold spell as arctic air remained entrenched across metro Denver. While the only daily temperature record set was a low maximum reading of 2 degrees on February 3rd…minimum temperatures plunged well below zero on 9 consecutive days. The coldest readings were 15 degrees below zero on January 31st and 14 degrees below zero on February 5th.

31-8

In 1963…warm weather that began with the strong Chinook winds on the 31st and 1st continued through the 8th. Maximum temperatures through the period ranged from 52 degrees on the 2nd to 76 degrees on the 5th…which was a new record high for that date.

31-12

In 1899…a protracted cold spell lasted almost two weeks. Low temperatures plunged below zero on all days but February 9th with a reading of 6 degrees. The coldest low temperature of 22 degrees below zero on February 6th was a record low for the date. Low temperatures of 20 degrees below zero occurred on both February 11th and 12th… But only the 11th remains as the record minimum for the date. High temperature of only 5 degrees below zero on February 11th was a record low maximum for the date. High temperatures climbed to only zero degrees on both February 2nd and 3rd…but were not records. Intermittent light snow or flurries fell during the period. The most snowfall…2.0 inches…occurred on February 2nd.

1-2

In 1934…light Chinook winds warmed temperatures to record levels on both days. Record maximum temperatures reached 73 degrees on the 1st and 74 degrees on the 2nd. West winds were sustained to 18 mph on the 1st.

In 2016…a slow moving storm system produced a deep east to northeasterly upslope flow late in the afternoon of the 1st. Moderate to heavy snowfall continued through the evening across the rest of Front Range Mountains…Foothills and adjacent plains. Extensive blowing and drifting snow occurred along the Palmer Divide and adjacent plains. Snowdrifts 3 to 6 ft deep were observed. Numerous roads and highways were closed east of the I-25 overnight…including I-70 and I-76…as the roadways became impassable. The road closures continued through the morning of the 2nd as bands of light to moderate snow…with gusty winds to 35 mph persisted. The roads were reopened the afternoon of the 2nd. At Denver International Airport…480 flights were cancelled on the 1st and an additional 125 flights on the 2nd. The official snowfall measurement at Denver International Airport was 11.6 inches…which set a new record for greatest snowfall for the first two days of February. In the mountains and foothills…storm totals included: 25 inches near Eldorado Springs…24 inches at Genesee and 12.5 miles northwest of Golden…22.5 inches near Nederland…21 inches near Pinecliffe…16.5 inches near Brookvale…14 inches at Intercanyon…13 inches near Berthoud…Echo Mountain and Tiny Town; 12 inches near Conifer and Eldora Ski Area…11 inches at Roxborough State Park…9.5 inches near Golden…9 inches near Bergen Park and Strontia Springs Dam…and 8 inches near Black Hawk. Across the I-25 Corridor…storm totals included: 19.5 inches near Parker…15 inches near Loveland…14.5 inches near Louisville…14 inches in Arvada and Ken Caryl…13 inches near Federal Heights…Northglenn and Ralston Reservoir; 12 inches in Broomfield…near Buckley AFB…Castle Rock…Erie and Highlands Ranch; 11.5 inches near Westminster…11 inches in southeast Denver…north Longmont…Lafayette and Mead; 10 inches near Aurora… Franktown and Wheat Ridge; 9.5 inches in Thornton…and 9 inches at Frederick.

In 2017…widespread freezing drizzle contributed to numerous road closures and accidents across the Denver area and adjacent plains. Several crashes were reported on Interstate 25…and several cities and counties went on accident alert. Up to 32 delays at Denver International Airport. Numerous school delay openings and some school and business closures were reported over northeast Colorado.

1-3

In 1996…cold arctic air plunged temperatures below zero for more than 35 consecutive hours from late on the 1st until sunrise on the 3rd. The temperature warmed to only 1 degree below zero on the 2nd after a record low of 16 degrees below zero.

1-4

In 2011…a frigid arctic airmass settled into Front Range urban corridor. At Denver International Airport… Overnight low temperatures…from the 1st to the 3rd… Were 13 below zero…17 below zero and zero respectively. The icy temperatures caused pipes to crack and burst following the freeze. In Loveland…firefighters responded to more than a dozen water pipe breaks…most in fire sprinkler systems at businesses…apartments and assisted care facilities. At CU Earth Science Library in Boulder…more than 1000 books and several costumes for an upcoming production were damaged. At the County courts administration building in Jefferson County…a steady stream of water from a crack on the 5th floor… Went unnoticed on the 3rd and flooded all the floors of the administration wing overnight. As a result…much of the office equipment…furniture and carpet sustained water damage. A burst sprinkler line caused minor damage at the Platte Valley Medical Center in Brighton. The icy temperatures forced to closure of several school districts as well.

1-5

In 1985…the most bitter cold spell of the winter season brought sub-zero temperatures to metro Denver. Daily low temperature records were broken at Denver. The usual cold weather problems struck including stalled vehicles…jammed traffic lights…and frozen water and sewer lines. At Stapleton International Airport…the high temperature was only 2 degrees above zero on the 1st…setting a record low maximum for the date. Low temperatures reached 13 below zero on the 1st…12 below on the third…and 14 below on the 5th.

1-6

In 1989…one of the century’s worst doses of winter weather ravaged the entire state. Bitterly frigid weather moved into metro Denver on the 1st as snow buried many sections of the state. In metro Denver where 3 to 6 inches of snow fell…blowing snow and resultant poor visibilities caused a 46-car pile-up on I-25 in the middle of the city on the 4th. During the period…2 to 3 hour delays were common at Stapleton International Airport where snowfall from the storm totaled 4.3 inches and northeast winds gusted to 30 mph on the 1st. Intense cold accompanied the storm. Temperatures in Denver stayed below zero continuously for the best part of 3 days (3rd…4th…5th)…for a total of 69 hours. This is the fourth longest sub-zero period on record. Wind chill temperatures reached 50 degrees below zero. The mercury dipped to 24 degrees below zero on the 5th…setting a record for the date. This was the city’s coldest temperature in over 26 years. Low temperatures dipped below zero on 8 consecutive days (2nd-9th). High temperature of 9 degrees below zero on the 4th was a record low maximum for the date…as was the high of 5 degrees on the 5th. Extensive damage occurred when pipes and water lines froze and broke. Thousands of cars failed to start. On the 3rd…a 57-year-old woman died of hypothermia in an Arvada park. Eighteen high school students were treated for hypothermia after a 2-hour ride through Jefferson County in an unheated bus. At least 2 cases of frostbite were reported; there were undoubtedly many more.

1-9

In 1883…a protracted cold period occurred when low temperatures dipped below zero for 9 consecutive days. Low temperatures ranged from 22 degrees below zero on the 4th to 2 degrees below zero on the 1st and 6th. High temperatures ranged from 10 below zero on the 3rd to 23 on the 9th. Several temperature records were set that still stand today. Record lows of 18 below and 22 below zero occurred on the 3rd and 4th. Record low maximum readings of 2 below and 10 below zero occurred on the 2nd and 3rd. The high of only 10 below zero on the 3rd is the coldest maximum temperature ever recorded in Denver.

» Click here to read the rest of February 2 to February 8: This Week in Denver Weather History

4February in Colorado typically brings to an end an extended period when average temperatures are at their lowest. Winter begins to loosen its grip and temperatures get warmer but precipitation is not a particularly common event during the month.

Thus far, our snow season has been a mixed bag. We started fast in October and November but December and January added very little to the totals.  February is only our sixth snowiest month so we may not see much snowfall for the balance of the month.

Temperatures however do usually see a nice rebound during the month. Average high temperatures climb from an average of 44 degrees at the start to 50 degrees by the end of February.

For the complete February preview including a look at historical averages and extremes as well as a look at what long range forecasts are predicting, click here. 

After a cold and snowy start to the season in October and November, December saw things dry out and warm up. Unfortunately, January 2020 continued the most recent trend with temps well above normal and very little precipitation.

• January 2020 top shots: Monthly photo slideshow

The month was largely uneventful with no notable weather events. Daytime high temperatures were routinely warmer than normal and no precipitation was seen until the very end of the month. When we did finally see some snow on the 29th and 30th, it was minimal, amounting to little more than a dusting.

Thornton’s overall average temperature for the month came in at 34.1 degrees. This is well above the long term Denver average for January of 30.7 degrees. As usual, the Mile High City’s official reading at Denver International Airport came in warmer than us at 34.6 degrees.

Temperatures in Thornton ranged from a high of 61.4 degrees on the 4th down to a low of 10.8 degrees on the 11th.  Denver saw its maximum reading of 62 degrees on the 4th and 8th and its lowest of 7 degrees on the 11th.

In terms of precipitation, Denver averages 0.27 inches in January. Both Thornton and Denver fell well short with 0.03 inches and 0.14 inches respectively.

Snow was in short supply with 0.6 inches falling in Thornton and 0.9 inches in Denver. Both were far short of the average of 7 inches for Denver in January.

In the end, the month was Thornton’s warmest, driest and least snowy January since ThorntonWeather.com came online in 2007.

Click here to view Thornton’s January 2020 climate report.

Thornton, Colorado’s January 2020 temperature summary. Click for larger view. (ThorntonWeather.com)

Thornton, Colorado’s January 2020 precipitation summary. Click for larger view. (ThorntonWeather.com)

From the National Weather Service:

CLIMATE REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER/BOULDER CO
717 AM MST SAT FEB 1 2020

...................................

...THE DENVER CO CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR THE MONTH OF JANUARY 2020...

CLIMATE NORMAL PERIOD 1981 TO 2010
CLIMATE RECORD PERIOD 1872 TO 2020

WEATHER         OBSERVED          NORMAL  DEPART  LAST YEAR`S
                 VALUE   DATE(S)  VALUE   FROM    VALUE  DATE(S)
                                          NORMAL
................................................................
TEMPERATURE (F)
RECORD
 HIGH              76   01/27/1888
 LOW              -29   01/09/1875
HIGHEST            62   01/08        76     -14       62  01/04
                        01/04
LOWEST              7   01/11       -29      36       -5  01/01
AVG. MAXIMUM     48.0              44.0     4.0     44.6
AVG. MINIMUM     21.1              17.4     3.7     19.5
MEAN             34.6              30.7     3.9     32.0
DAYS MAX >= 90      0               0.0     0.0        0
DAYS MAX <= 32      1               5.5    -4.5        6
DAYS MIN <= 32     31              29.4     1.6       29
DAYS MIN <= 0 0 1.7 -1.7 1 PRECIPITATION (INCHES) RECORD MAXIMUM 2.35 1883 MINIMUM 0.01 1933 1934 1952 TOTALS 0.14 0.41 -0.27 0.75 DAILY AVG. 0.00 0.01 -0.01 0.02 DAYS >= .01         2               4.1    -2.1        6
DAYS >= .10         1               0.9     0.1        2
DAYS >= .50         0               0.0     0.0        0
DAYS >= 1.00        0               0.0     0.0        0
GREATEST
 24 HR. TOTAL    0.13   01/27

SNOWFALL (INCHES)
TOTALS            0.9               7.0              6.2   2019
RECORD           24.3   1992
TOTAL

DEGREE_DAYS
HEATING TOTAL     937              1063    -126     1016
 SINCE 7/1       3436              3531     -95     3388
COOLING TOTAL       0                 0       0        0
 SINCE 1/1          0                 0       0        0

FREEZE DATES
RECORD
 EARLIEST     09/08/1962
 LATEST       06/08/2007
EARLIEST                        10/07
LATEST                          05/05
.................................................................

WIND (MPH)
AVERAGE WIND SPEED              10.1
RESULTANT WIND SPEED/DIRECTION   4/220
HIGHEST WIND SPEED/DIRECTION    40/290    DATE  01/01
HIGHEST GUST SPEED/DIRECTION    53/290    DATE  01/01

SKY COVER
POSSIBLE SUNSHINE (PERCENT)   MM
AVERAGE SKY COVER           0.50
NUMBER OF DAYS FAIR           10
NUMBER OF DAYS PC             17
NUMBER OF DAYS CLOUDY          4

AVERAGE RH (PERCENT)     49

-  INDICATES NEGATIVE NUMBERS.
R  INDICATES RECORD WAS SET OR TIED.
MM INDICATES DATA IS MISSING.
T  INDICATES TRACE AMOUNT.

Overnight the snow didn’t quite bring as much as expected but we still have received a respectable 4.4 inches as of 4:00am. Some additional accumulations will be seen this morning but more notable will be the cold temperatures.

Cloudy skies start us off and will be with us until mid-afternoon or so when we should see coverage start to break up. Light snow will fall for much of the morning then gradually taper off. Additional accumulations of an inch or so will be possible. Temperatures today will be cold with a daytime high of only 17 degrees expected.

Tonight, any lingering snow will end before midnight and skies will be clearing. Temperatures will be plunging with overnight lows expected to drop below zero.

Hopefully you enjoyed the warm weather this past weekend because the bottom is set to fall out. A potent system is arriving and with it temperatures will be dropping and we expect to receive the most snow we have seen in two months.

• For all the latest, visit our Winter Weather Briefing Page

Cloudy skies start us out and will be with us throughout the day today. Upslope winds out of the northeast / east will be a bit blustery at times. Our high temperature for the day has already been seen as temperatures will be on the decline through the day and tonight. By sunset we will be down to the low 20s.

Areas of freezing drizzle and snow will occur until about 9:00am when things will change over to all snow. Light snow will be seen through much of the day with light accumulations. The bulk of the snow is set to fall overnight tonight before tapering off Tuesday morning. Total accumulations of 3 to 6 inches will be seen in Thornton.

Low temperatures tonight will be dropping to the single digits.

A Winter Weather Advisory is in effect until 6:00am Tuesday due to the potential for hazardous driving conditions from the snow.

You could call the weather this weekend the warm before the storm. We will enjoy temperatures well above normal over the three day period. That however looks to soon be replaced by cold and snow early next week.

For Friday, mostly sunny skies will be above. The afternoon is going to bring some breezy winds. Highs today will top out in the low to mid-50s. Tonight, skies will be clear with overnight lows in the upper 20s.

Saturday continues the warming trend. Sunny skies will be above with high temperatures in the mid-60s. Conditions will be calm with some breezy winds in the evening. Overnight Saturday into Sunday, skies remain clear with lows in the low to mid-30s.

Sunday will be the warmest day of the weekend and indeed, it looks to be our warmest day since the first part of November. Highs will push toward the 70 degree mark under sunny skies.

As for the coming cold, a cold front is expected to move in Sunday night signifying a change in the weather pattern. We begin to see a good bit of moisture from Monday into Tuesday and at this time are expecting snow much of the day Monday into Tuesday morning. Some decent accumulations are possible.

We are still a few days out so much is up in the air with that system. Until then, enjoy the warmth.

A beautiful January day in Thornton. (LE Worley)

As one of our coldest months, January can be a good month to hibernate inside and avoid the outdoors.  But, like any month in Colorado, photo opportunities abound as our monthly slideshow demonstrates.

Snow is not normally dominant in the month but when it does fall, it can create a beautiful blanket of white.  Throw in the amazing sunrises and sunsets we receive in the middle of winter as well as wildlife and a host of other subjects and the imagery can be quite beautiful and stunning.

• Slideshow updated January 27, 2020
• To learn more about how to send your photo to us for inclusion in the slideshow, see below the slideshow.

Showcasing images captured by ThorntonWeather.com readers as well as some of our own, our monthly slideshow covers the entire gamut of weather-related imagery.

Sunsets, sunrises, wildlife and of course every type of weather condition are vividly depicted in images captured from yours and our cameras.

What is missing in the slideshow above?  Your photo!

Our monthly photo slideshow is going to feature images that we have taken but more importantly images that you have captured.  The photos can be of anything even remotely weather-related.

Landscapes, current conditions, wildlife, pets, kids.  Whimsical, newsy, artsy.  Taken at the zoo, some other area attraction, a local park, a national park or your backyard.  You name it, we want to see and share it!

Images can be taken in Thornton, Denver or anywhere across the extraordinary Centennial State.  We’ll even take some from out of state if we can tie it to Colorado somehow.

We’ll keep the criteria very open to interpretation with just about any image eligible to be shown in our slideshows.

What do you win for having your image in our slideshow?  We are just a ‘mom and pop’ outfit and make no money from our site so we really don’t have the means to provide prizes.  However you will have our undying gratitude and the satisfaction that your images are shared on the most popular website in Thornton.

To share you images with us and get them included in the slideshow just email them to us or share them with ThorntonWeather.com on any of the various social media outlets.  Links are provided below.

So come on, get those camera’s rolling!

• Email: info@ThorntonWeather.com
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