April marks a transition between winter and summer for most of the country but for Denver it is especially true as we can see a stunning variety of weather.

The proverbial April showers are certainly a possibility for Denver. Snow? Tornadoes? Thunderstorms? You bet – all can happen!

For good measure throw in a chance for hail and even dust storms and April gives every type of weather condition you could like – or hate.

As we discussed in our April preview, the month is Denver’s third snowiest month behind March and November.  Our look back in Denver weather history for this week clearly shows that the month can bring not only snow, but lots of it.  If we look just at the last decade or so, we see significant snowstorms occurring in 1997, 2001, 2004 and 2005.  Will that happen this year?  Also notable are damaging wind events including one in 1999 that caused $20 million in damage.

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In 1905…much rain and some snow occurred over the 5 days behind an apparent cold front.  Precipitation totaled 2.00 inches.  There was a thunderstorm on the 3rd.  Snowfall totaled 3.0 inches on the 4th.  North winds were sustained to 34 mph on the 1st and 2nd and to 30 mph on the 3rd. High temperatures during the period ranged from the upper 30’s to the lower 40’s.  Low temperatures were in the upper 20’s and lower 30’s.

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In 1934…snowfall totaled 8.2 inches in downtown Denver from the afternoon of the 2nd through the early morning of the 4th.  Most of the snow…6.8 inches…fell on the 3rd. Rain changed to snow behind a strong cold front on the afternoon of the 2nd.  The cold front first appeared as a long-cigar shaped squall cloud to the north of the city. Strong north winds at sustained speeds of 33 mph with gusts to 43 mph produced much blowing dust and an abrupt fall in temperature…from a high of 68 on the 2nd to a low of 22 on the 3rd.

In 1964…a major storm dumped 10.9 inches of heavy wet snow on Stapleton International Airport where northeast winds gusted to 35 mph.  Most of the snow…10.0 inches…fell on the 3rd.

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In 1918…snowfall totaled 12.4 inches over downtown Denver. Most of the snow fell on the 3rd and 4th.  Temperatures were in the 20’s and 30’s.  Northwest winds were sustained to 24 mph on the 2nd.

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In 2017…a storm system brought a period of locally heavy snow to portions of the Front Range Foothills. The heaviest snowfall occurred in and near the foothills of Clear Creek… southern Boulder…northern Jefferson and Gilpin Counties. Storm totals included: 16 inches at Eldorado Springs…15 inches at Echo Lake…14 inches at St. Mary`s Glacier and Winter Park Ski Area…13.5 inches at Genesee…13 inches near Tiny Town…12.5 inches near Allenspark and Idaho Springs and 11 inches near Conifer. Across the rest of the Front Range mountains and foothills…the western suburbs of Denver and Boulder…storm totals ranged from 4 to 8 inches. At Denver Interational Airport…only 0.1 inch of snowfall was observed.

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In 1996…the foothills west of Denver received 6 to 8 inches of new snow.  Only 0.8 inch of snow fell at the site of the former Stapleton International Airport…along with some freezing drizzle on the 4th and 5th.  North-northeast winds gusted to 30 mph at Denver International Airport on the 3rd.

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In 1898…snowfall totaled 8.7 inches in downtown Denver over the 4 days.  Northeast winds were sustained to 48 mph with gusts as high as 60 mph on the 3rd.

In 1983…a prolonged heavy snow storm blanketed the area along with very cold temperatures.  The greatest amounts of snow fell in the foothills where 24 to 42 inches were measured.  A foot of snow fell in Boulder.  Snow fell for 50 consecutive hours at Stapleton International Airport on the 3rd through the 5th with a total snowfall of 8.8 inches and a maximum accumulation on the ground of 6 inches on the 5th.  In Denver…the mercury failed to rise above freezing for 3 consecutive days…on the 4th…5th…and 6th…for the first time ever in April.  Five daily temperature records were set from the 4th through the 6th. Record low temperatures of 12 degrees occurred on the 5th with 7 degrees on the 6th.  Record low maximum temperatures of 25 degrees occurred on the 4th…27 degrees on the 5th… And 28 degrees on the 6th.

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In 1888…southwest winds were sustained to 40 mph.

In 1915…Chinook winds from the northwest were sustained to 40 mph with gusts to 43 mph.  The winds warmed the temperature from a low of 44 degrees to a high of 67 degrees.

In 1935…light dust enveloped the city during the day on southwest winds sustained to 23 mph with gusts to 27 mph.

In 1985…north winds gusted to 53 mph at Stapleton International Airport where the visibility was briefly reduced to less than a mile by blowing dust and a snow shower.

In 1987…microburst winds gusted to 51 mph at Stapleton International Airport.

In 1997…heavy snow developed over western portions of metro Denver and along the palmer divide.  As a strong surface low pressure system intensified over the plains…moist upslope flow developed across metro Denver producing strong north winds at 20 to 40 mph and some blowing snow. Snowfall totaled 12 inches at Conifer with 4 to 7 inches at Crow Hill…Evergreen…and Morrison.  Thunderstorm rain changed to snow across the city with 2.0 inches of snowfall measured at the site of the former Stapleton International Airport where precipitation (rain and melted snow) totaled 0.70 inch.  North-northwest winds gusted to 43 mph at Denver International Airport.

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In 1900…rain changed to heavy snow and totaled 7.8 inches in downtown Denver overnight.  A thunderstorm on the 4th produced hail.  Precipitation totaled 1.50 inches.

In 1911…north to northwest winds were sustained to 42 mph on the 4th and to 41 mph on the 5th.

In 2002…a whitish-colored haze engulfed metro Denver on both days.  The haze was the result of a huge wind storm that kicked up dust and sand from the Gobi desert in Mongolia and China during the latter half of March.  Westerly winds aloft transported the dust cloud across the Pacific Ocean and over the western United States…depositing some of it on Colorado.

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In 1909…post-frontal rain changed to heavy snow on the afternoon of the 4th and continued through mid-morning of the 7th.  Total snowfall was 18.7 inches…but most of the snow…14.0 inches…fell from 6:00 pm on the 4th to 6:00 pm on the 5th.  North to northeast winds were sustained to 32 mph on the 4th and to 30 mph on the 7th.  Total precipitation from the storm was 1.78 inches.

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In 1873…a heavy rain and hail shower in the afternoon changed to snow…and accumulated to 6 inches on the streets at 9:00 pm.  Precipitation (rain and melted snow) totaled 0.56 inch.

In 1925…southeast winds were sustained to 46 mph with gusts to 50 mph.  This was the strongest wind of the month that year.

In 1950…a well developed dust devil was observed 4 to 5 miles south-southwest of Stapleton Airport for about 8 minutes.

In 1977…the earliest date of the last freeze of the season occurred when the temperature dipped to a low of 31 degrees.

In 1988…a wind gust to 74 mph was recorded at Rollinsville. West winds gusted to 35 mph at Stapleton International Airport.

In 1990…a heavy…wet snow fell in many areas in and along the Colorado Front Range.  Snowfall amounts of 4 to 7 inches were common around the Boulder area with lesser amounts elsewhere.  Only 2.0 inches of snow fell at Stapleton International Airport where north winds gusted to 28 mph.  Icy roads contributed to numerous fender-benders and a 20-vehicle pileup near the junction of I-70 and I-25 in the city.

In 2000…high winds developed in the Front Range foothills… From about I-70 northward.  Peak wind gusts included:  83 mph at the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder…75 mph near Louisville…and 70 mph at the national wind technology center…south of Boulder.  West winds gusted to 41 mph at Denver International Airport.

In 2005…a surface low pressure center deepened over eastern Colorado and produced damaging high winds across metro Denver.  The strong wind gusts ranging from 50 to 70 mph damaged roofs and fences.  Cross-winds blew several empty semi-trailers on their sides along I-70 and I-76 east of Denver.  Peak north wind gusts included:  60 mph near Bennett and Keenesburg…59 mph near Brighton…and 53 mph at Denver International Airport.  Over the palmer divide south of Denver…the high winds combined with heavy snow to produce blizzard conditions.  Snowfall accumulations ranged from 3 to 8 inches over eastern Douglas and western Elbert Counties.  Snowfall totals included:  8 inches at Sedalia…4 inches near Castle Rock…and 3.5 inches near Franktown.

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In 1939…3.0 inches of snow fell in downtown Denver.  North winds were sustained to 34 mph on the 5th and to 26 mph on the 6th.  The strong winds caused considerable drifting of snow.  Several highways leading into the city were closed during the height of the storm due to poor visibility. Streets and highways became coated with ice in places. The temperature dipped to 11 degrees early on the 6th. This was the coldest reading of the month that year. Most vegetation was not far enough advanced to be injured by the cold temperatures…although a few buds froze on early shrubbery.

In 1949…strong winds in Boulder caused limited minor damage. West-northwest winds were sustained to 24 mph with some higher gusts at Stapleton Airport.

» Click here to read the rest of April 4 to April 10: This week in Denver weather history

A beautiful day along the Colorado Front Range and one that has entered the record books.

As measured at Denver International Airport, the official high temperature today in the Mile High City topped out at 78 degrees. This tied the record high for April 3 set in 1943.

Here in Thornton, we were just a touch warmer with a high of 79 degrees.

Tomorrow looks to be a record-setter as well. The record high for April 4 is 76 degrees set in 1967 and years prior. With a forecast indicating highs near 80 degrees, that record will likely fall.

Spring has sprung as we will enjoy our warmest weekend in months. Conditions will be calm and dry and mercury readings about 20 degrees above normal.

For Friday, overall mostly sunny skies will be above with some light AM clouds then clear skies by the mid-afternoon. High temperatures today will top out in the mid-70s. Tonight, lows will drop to around 40 degrees under mostly clear skies.

Saturday will offer up sunny skies with few clouds to be seen. Highs will reach the upper 70s. Saturday night into Sunday morning, it will be mostly clear with lows in the low 40s.

Easter Sunday will be the warmest day of the three-day period, possibly record-breaking. Mostly sunny skies will be above as we push toward the upper 70s, perhaps hitting 80 degrees.

Denver’s record high for April 3rd (Saturday) is 78 degrees and the record for April 4th (Sunday) is 76 degrees. It is quite possible those records will be tied, if not broken, especially Sunday. Get outside and enjoy that weather!

It is no April Fools joke to say that we are set to begin a period of very pleasant weather conditions. Today starts an extended period of mild, dry weather that will last well into next week.

The day starts off with sunny skies and we can expect those to stick around all day. There might be a cloud or two but nothing that will be intrusive. High temperatures today will top out in the mid to upper 60s. Conditions will be calm and dry.

Tonight, mostly clear skies will be above with overnight lows in the mid-30s.

Today is nice but will actually be the coolest day out of the next five or so. Highs in the mid-70s lie in wait for Friday and Saturday and Sunday and Monday may bring our first 80 degree readings of the season. Enjoy!

A beautiful evening in Thornton. (LE Worley)

The month of March is the start of meteorological spring and while conditions do begin warming, winter weather is certainly out of the question.  From hot to cold, snow to rain, the conditions can be very conducive to great pictures as we see in our slideshow.

March in Denver typically means frequent and rapid weather changes. The days grow longer and we start enjoying more sunshine and sometimes summer-like weather. However, on occasion arctic air masses can still force their way south into Colorado dropping temperatures quickly and markedly.

With the active wildlife, increased outdoor activities by us humans, and of course the weather, March imagery contains a wide variety of subjects and extremes.

• Slideshow updated March 29, 2021. 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.

← Older photos

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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Anyone else hear or see this last night? A lone storm cell popped up near DIA and put on a nice little show (we had graupel at Thornton Weather HQ). Thank you to Jessica Fey Photography for sending us this. Just awesome stuff!

After what has been a cold, wet month, we wrap it up today with calm, dry conditions. Mercury readings will be on the cool side but mark the beginning of a nice warm up.

Sunny skies start us off and will be with us throughout today and tonight. Nary a cloud will be seen. Highs will top out right around the 50 degree mark. Overall conditions will be calm and dry.

Tonight, skies remain clear with overnight lows in the mid-20s.

Looking ahead, temperatures are going to continue to warm tomorrow and through the weekend. By Sunday, highs will be approaching close to the 80 degree mark.

We are waking up to a light blanket of white today but that the snow won’t amount to much. It will be coming to an end later this morning and we will remain cold.

The day starts out with cloudy skies and light snow. The snow will be coming to an end by mid-morning and then the cloud cover will begin to break up a little bit. Additional accumulations will be minimal. High temperatures today will top out around the 40 degree mark.

Tonight, skies will be partly to mostly clear with overnight lows in the low to mid-20s.

A bit of good and bad for Thornton’s weather today. While we will enjoy our warmest temperatures in weeks, we also will be subject to a good bit of wind.

The day starts off with sunny to mostly sunny skies and we will see similar throughout the daytime hours, a few more clouds in the PM. High temperatures today will climb to the low 70s. As for those winds, they will be gaining speed this morning and by early afternoon, gusts to 40mph or so will be possible.

Tonight, the wind will persist for much of the nighttime period but decreasing in speed. Overnight lows will drop to the low to mid-20s. A cold front arrives by late evening and with it we will have a chance for snow. Accumulations overnight, if any, will be light.