We are going to continue the unsettled weather through the weekend and, in fact, it will likely continue through much of next week. For the next few days, look for temps below normal and some chances for snow.

For Friday, we won’t be seeing much blue above and it will remain cold with highs struggling to reach freezing. A few flurries may be seen in the afternoon and then in the evening chances increase. Minimal accumulations, if any at all, are expected. Tonight, any snow will end in the early morning hours and lows will dip to the teens.

Saturday will be dry and calm but chilly without a lot of sun. Look for partly sunny skies and highs in the mid-30s. Saturday night, skies will see some clearing and lows again dip to the teens.

The daytime hours on Sunday will be much like Saturday. Highs again reach the mid-30s under partly sunny skies.

The next storm system arrives Sunday PM with snow becoming possible in the evening and lasting through the overnight hours. Models are far from agreement on the track of this storm so it is tough to pin down impacts. The potential will be there for a few inches of snow to be on the ground Monday morning. We will keep an eye on it and update throughout the weekend as appropriate.

Have a great weekend!

Our latest storm system is out the door and in its wake we see things clear up and warm up – slightly. We will enjoy a good bit of sun today but temps will remain below normal.

Clear skies start us off then by late morning / early afternoon some cloud cover will build. Overall, conditions will be calm and dry. Look for highs in the mid to upper 30s.

Tonight, lows will drop to the teens with mostly cloudy skies overhead.

January’s reputation of being dry and windy is evidenced in our look back at this week in Denver weather history. While there are some notable events involving snow, high winds have been the most frequent event worthy of mention.

From the National Weather Service:

13-15

In 2021…strong and damaging winds developed across Front Range mountains…foothills and adjacent plains.  A large shed blew over and smashed into a parked car in Gold Hill in the foothills of Boulder County.  Across metro Denver…a fallen tree brought down power lines and sparked a small grass and shed fire; another tree fell into a house in Centennial. No injuries were reported.  In the mountains and foothills… peak gusts included: 94 mph near Crisman…83 mph at Blackhawk… 80 mph near Marshall…and 79 mph near Berthoud Pass.  Across the urban corridor and adjacent plains…peak gusts included: 69 mph near Centennial…64 mph in Broomfield…63 mph near Elizabeth and Northglenn…62 mph at Strasburg…60 mph near Buckley AFB…Castle Pines…Lone Tree and Parker…and 59 mph near Littleton.  At Denver International Airport…a peak wind gust of 58 mph was observed from the west on the 13th…with another gust to 58 mph from the north observed on the 14th.

13-16

In 1888…a cold air mass settled over the city and caused temperatures to plunge well below zero on four consecutive days…but only one temperature record was set. Minimum temperatures dipped to 4 degrees below zero on the 13th… 19 degrees below zero on the 14th…20 degrees below zero on the 15th…and 11 degrees below zero on the 16th. The maximum temperature of only 4 degrees below zero on the 14th was a record low maximum for the date. North winds were sustained to 30 mph on the 13th.

14-15

In 1908…heavy post-frontal snowfall totaled 6.5 inches overnight. North winds were sustained to 32 mph. The temperature dropped 41 degrees in 24 hours from a reading of 48 degrees at 8:00 pm on the 14th to only 7 degrees at 8:00 pm on the 15th.

In 1950…strong winds occurred in Boulder and Louisville. Winds in excess of 60 mph were recorded at Valmont. Minor damage was reported. Southwest winds gusted to 50 mph at Stapleton Airport.

In 1959…a total of 5.5 inches of snow fell at Stapleton Airport.

In 1992…snow spread from the mountains across metro Denver. The heaviest snow was across the northern portion of the area where 7 inches fell at Thornton. At Stapleton International Airport…only 3.4 inches of snowfall were recorded and northeast winds gusting to 37 mph caused some blowing snow on the 14th.

In 1999…high winds howled across metro Denver. In Commerce City…strong winds toppled 3 utility poles resulting in a power outage to 600 homes. High wind reports included: 108 mph at Wondervu…80 mph at the Hiwan Golf Course in Evergreen…76 mph at Aspen Springs…75 mph at the Jefferson County Airport near Broomfield…74 mph in Boulder…and 70 mph at Georgetown. West to northwest winds gusted to 48 mph…the highest wind gust of the month…and warmed the temperature to a high of 60 degrees at Denver International Airport on the 15th.

14-21

In 1930…a protracted cold spell occurred when low temperatures plunged below zero on 8 consecutive days. The coldest low temperatures of 20 degrees below zero on the 17th and 19 degrees below zero on the 16th were record minimums for the dates. High temperatures during the period ranged from 18 on the 18th to zero on the 20th. Two degrees on the 15th was a record low maximum temperature for the date.

15

In 1875…the wind backed from the southwest to the northeast before noon. The temperature fell 48 degrees in one hour… From a high of 52 degrees to only 4 degrees between 11:30 am and 12:30 pm…as cold arctic air surged back over the city.

In 1888…the low temperature dipped to 20 degrees below zero.

In 1906…southwest winds were sustained to 44 mph.

In 1921…south winds were sustained to 44 mph with gusts to 48 mph. The winds warmed the temperature to a high of 63 degrees. The low temperature of only 47 degrees was a record high minimum for the date.

In 1943…strong Chinook winds struck the Front Range foothills. Wind gusts to 96 mph were recorded at Valmont in east Boulder…with 90 mph measured at Boulder airport. Some damage occurred.

In 1976…strong Chinook winds with peak gusts of 70 to 80 mph were recorded along the foothills. Northwest winds gusted to 46 mph at Stapleton International Airport.

In 1982…a vigorous cold front plunged temperatures 22 degrees in an hour from 39 to 17 degrees. Strong northeast winds at 30 mph with gusts to 46 mph…along with some snow flurries…reduced the visibility to 1 mile in blowing dust at Stapleton International Airport.

In 1987…heavy snow hit metro Denver. Snowfall totaled 10.3 inches at Stapleton International Airport…but amounts across the area ranged from 3 inches in southeast Aurora to 18 inches in the western and southwestern suburbs. Only an inch of snow was measured at Castle Rock. A half foot to a foot of snow fell in the foothills west of Denver and Boulder. Some schools were closed due to the storm. Temperatures hovered in the teens most of the day at Stapleton International Airport where north winds gusted to 30 mph.

In 1988…high winds were clocked in Boulder with a gust to 70 mph recorded at Table Mesa.

In 1998…strong winds developed in and near the Front Range foothills. Winds gusted to 71 mph at Jefferson County Airport near Broomfield. South-southwest winds gusted to only 25 mph at Denver International Airport.

15-16

In 1967…a major windstorm struck Boulder. The storm was described at the time as the worst single windstorm in the history of Boulder in terms of damage. Winds reached 125 mph at the National Center for Atmospheric Research and at Boulder airport. Winds gusted to 84 mph downtown. Damage totaled a half million dollars in Boulder where some minor injuries were reported. At the Boulder Municipal Airport… 14 light airplanes were severely damaged. The second floor of a warehouse was blown down…damaging two nearby moving vans. A mobile home was blown over south of Boulder… Injuring one woman. The roof of a department store was blown in. There was widespread damage to houses…autos… And power lines from wind and flying debris. Strong winds also occurred in Denver and Golden…but damage was only minor. At Stapleton International Airport…west winds gusted to 43 mph on the 15th and to 45 mph on the 16th.

In 1981…heavy snow of 6 to 10 inches accumulated across metro Denver. Snowfall totaled only 1.8 inches at Stapleton International Airport where east winds gusted to 21 mph on the 15th.

In 1991…a pacific storm system moved across metro Denver. Snowfall totaled 3 to 7 inches with 3 inches in Aurora… Denver…and Castle Rock…4 inches in Arvada…and 7 inches at South Platte station just southwest of Denver. Snowfall totaled only 2.9 inches at Stapleton International Airport where north winds gusted to 21 mph on the 16th.

In 2001…heavy snow fell across the Front Range foothills and urban corridor. The combination of careless driving and snowpacked highways resulted in 3 multi-vehicle accidents involving 30 vehicles…along I-25 in Douglas County. Eleven people were injured and one was killed. Snow amounts included: 11 inches in Evergreen; 10 inches at Eldorado Springs and Genesee; 8 inches at Broomfield… Ken Caryl Ranch…and Thornton; and 5 to 7 inches in Arvada…Bailey…Crow Hill…Gross Reservoir…Lakewood… Louisville…Westminster…and near Loveland. Snowfall totaled 2.7 inches at the site of the former Stapleton International Airport.

15-23

In 1962…a protracted cold spell kept metro Denver in the deep freeze for more than a week. From the 15th thru the 23rd…low temperatures were zero or below for 9 consecutive days…but a daily record low was set only on the 22nd when the temperature dipped to 14 degrees below zero. A record low maximum for the date was also set on the 22nd when the temperature climbed to only 11 degrees. The coldest high temperature was 3 degrees above zero on the 21st…which did not break the record. The protracted cold was broken for only a few hours on the afternoon of the 20th when Chinook winds warmed the temperature to a high of 38 degrees before another surge of cold arctic air plunged temperatures back into the deep freeze that evening. The severe cold caused much damage to water systems. A woman was frozen to death at Morrison. There were other deaths attributable to the weather…including traffic deaths and heart attacks from overexertion.

16

In 1911…a trace of rain fell…a rare event in January.

In 1935…rainfall was 0.01 inch during the afternoon…a rare event in January.

In 1989…wind gusts to 80 mph were reported in southwest Boulder. Winds reached 100 mph at Rollinsville in the foothills southwest of Boulder. In Golden…the wind blew a 25-foot trailer through a fence and flipped it over. West winds gusted to 37 mph at Stapleton International Airport where the Chinook winds warmed the temperature to a high of 49 degrees.

16-17

In 1886…a brief cold spell resulted in two temperature records. High temperatures of zero degrees on the 16th and 2 degrees below zero on the 17th were both record low maximums for the dates. Low temperatures of 8 degrees below zero on the 16th and 16 degrees below zero on the 17th were not records.

In 1930…temperatures plunging well below zero resulted in two records. Low temperatures of 19 degrees below zero on the 16th and 20 degrees below zero on the 17th were record low temperatures for the dates. High temperatures were 4 degrees on the 16th and 15 degrees on the 17th. Light snowfall totaled 4.0 inches. North winds were sustained to 18 mph on the 16th.

In 1964…high winds struck the eastern foothills. Gale velocity winds were recorded in Boulder with gusts to 83 mph measured at Rocky Flats. Several airplanes were damaged at the Jefferson County Airport in Broomfield. Roofs…walls…and parts of buildings were blown away at various locations. Power poles and trees were blown over. » Click here to read the rest of January 15 to January 21: This week in Denver weather history

Well, the storm didn’t pan out to be quite as big as hoped but we still got a respectable amount. As of 4:00am, Thornton was at 4.2 inches and more is to come.

Look for snow to continue through the morning before gradually tapering off through the afternoon. An additional 1 to 3 inches will be possible. High temperatures today will top out at only around the 30 degree mark. Winds will be blustery this morning.

Tonight, skies will clear and we will have a very cold night with lows around 12 degrees.

Old Man Winter is at the ready and tonight he will likely deliver our most significant storm of the season thus far. A Winter Storm Warning has been issued and folks should get their preparations wrapped up ASAP.

The day starts off nice enough with mostly sunny skies but cloud cover will steadily increase through the morning and early afternoon. Highs will only be topping out in the mid-30s.

A few flurries / light snow may start as early as 3:00pm or so. The snowfall arrives in earnest around 6:00pm and will continue through much of tomorrow morning.

• Winter Weather Briefing Page

Overnight, snow will be heavy at times with 5 to 8 inches expected before dawn tomorrow. An additional 1 to 3 inches will be possible tomorrow morning. There is an outlying possibility those totals end up even higher.

Needless to say, with numbers like that, travel overnight and tomorrow will be difficult, if not nearly impossible. If this plays out as expected, do not venture out if you don’t need to.

The proverbial calm before the storm as we enjoy a rather nice day Monday. Late in the day Tuesday, big changes are afoot.

For today, mostly sunny skies will be with us throughout the day. Overall, conditions will be calm and dry. Look for highs right near the average high for the date of 45 degrees, perhaps a couple degrees warmer.

Tonight, skies will be partly cloudy and lows will dip to the low 20s.

As we have been discussing, the focus right now is on the winter storm set to arrive tomorrow afternoon / evening. A Winter Storm Watch has been issued as significant snowfall from Tuesday evening through Wednesday will be possible.

The National Weather Service is cautioning that 5 to 10 inches will be possible. Here in Thornton, we do see the potential for 4 to 7 inches. Most notable impact will be to your Wednesday morning commute which may be a rough one.

We are still 36 hours out and things can change but you should definitely get yourself prepared today.

A relatively calm weekend ahead for us. Friday and Saturday will be somewhat mild with mercury readings above normal. A weak system moves in on Sunday that cool us down and bring just a bit of a chance for snow.

For today, mostly sunny skies will be above and conditions calm. Highs will top out close to the 50 degree mark. Tonight, lows dip to the upper 20s under mostly cloudy skies.

Saturday sees an increase in cloud cover above but it will remain calm. Look for highs in the low 50s. Saturday night, skies remain mostly cloudy and lows will be in the mid-20s.

Sunday cools down a bit with highs around 45 degrees. Daytime hours may see some light rain or snow showers. Sunday evening, chances for snow increase but minimal, if any, accumulation is expected.

A pleasant winter’s day ahead for Thornton. We will enjoy plenty of blue above and temps will be right near average for the date.

We start off with mostly sunny skies but the few clouds will soon ease and most of the rest of the day will be largely clear. Conditions will be calm and dry. High temperatures will top out near the average high for the date of 45 degrees.

Tonight, lows will drop to the low to mid-20s under mostly clear skies.

Enjoy!

A glancing blow from a weak system mixes our weather up a bit today. It will be colder and while we stand a chance for some precipitation, we aren’t expecting much.

Mostly cloudy skies will be with us throughout the daytime hours. Winds will be light and out of the north. High temperatures will top out around the 40 degree mark.

There will be varying chances for snow this morning with the best opportunity coming between about 8:00am and 11:00am. This afternoon, chances decrease and if there is precipitation, there may be some rain mixed in. At this time, only minimal accumulations of snow are expected, if any at all.

Tonight, any precipitation will end in the early evening. Skies will clear a bit and overnight lows will dip to around 20 degrees.

You can keep an eye out for showers with our interactive radar here.

A bit more help melting off the snow and ice today. Breezy downslope winds will help drive a mild day.

The day starts with some cloud cover but overall we will enjoy mostly sunny skies with a trend toward clear skies later in the day. Winds will initially be calm but then pick up the pace later this morning. It will be quite from mid-day through the afternoon. Those winds will help warm temperatures though with highs in the mid-50s expected.

Tonight, cloud cover will increase and overnight lows will dip to the mid-20s.

Our next storm system moves in late tonight / early tomorrow but at this time we aren’t expecting much from it. It will be colder tomorrow and snowfall will be quite light.