Cold and snow. Those were certainly the operative words for the month of February 19. Thornton recorded its coldest February in the past 12 years and its snowiest month overall since March 2016.

Mild temperatures started things off for the first four days of the month and fooled us into thinking of an early spring. Those dreams were soon crushed though as the first extended period of below normal temperatures arrived on the 6^th. Six straight days of below normal temperatures then arrived as did our first shot of snow for the month.

• February 2019 top shots: Monthly photo slideshow

We rebounded briefly for a four day period from the 12th to the 15th with mild temperatures. Once again though, the mercury plunged delivering 13 straight days of below normal temperatures and five days of measurable snowfall.

Thornton recorded an average temperature for the month of 26.3 degrees. This was our coldest February since ThorntonWeather.com came online in 2007 – by more than two degrees. Out at Denver International Airport where the Mile High City’s official readings are taken it was slightly warmer with an average of 28.0 degrees.  Both were well below Denver’s long term February average of 32.5 degrees for February.

While certainly cold, neither average reading for the month could crack Denver’s list of top 10 coldest Februarys.

Thornton saw its warmest mercury reading for the month of 62.3 degrees on the second. Its coldest reading of -7.7 degrees came on the 7th of the month. Denver saw a maximum of 65 degrees on the 3rd and its low of -11 degrees on the 7th.

February is usually a dry month with Denver averaging 0.37 inches of liquid precipitation. Thornton recorded 0.60 inches this year while Denver saw 0.72 inches.

Similarly, snow was a good bit above normal for February as well. Thornton saw 11.2 inches of the white stuff while out at the airport 13.4 inches was recorded.

Click here to view Thornton’s January 2019 climate report.

Thornton, Colorado’s temperature summary for February 2019. (ThorntonWeather.com)

Thornton, Colorado’s precipitation summary for February 2019. (ThorntonWeather.com)

CLIMATE REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER/BOULDER CO
555 AM MST FRI MAR 1 2019

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

...THE DENVER CO CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR THE MONTH OF FEBRUARY 2019...

CLIMATE NORMAL PERIOD 1981 TO 2010
CLIMATE RECORD PERIOD 1872 TO 2019

WEATHER         OBSERVED          NORMAL  DEPART  LAST YEAR`S
                 VALUE   DATE(S)  VALUE   FROM    VALUE  DATE(S)
                                          NORMAL
................................................................
TEMPERATURE (F)
RECORD
 HIGH              80   02/10/2017
 LOW              -25   02/01/1951
                        02/08/1936
HIGHEST            65   02/03
LOWEST            -11   02/07
AVG. MAXIMUM     40.8              46.2    -5.4     44.4
AVG. MINIMUM     15.3              18.9    -3.6     15.4
MEAN             28.0              32.5    -4.5     29.9
DAYS MAX >= 90      0               0.0     0.0        0
DAYS MAX <= 32      8               3.9     4.1        6
DAYS MIN <= 32     26              26.9    -0.9       26
DAYS MIN <= 0       3               1.3     1.7        3

PRECIPITATION (INCHES)
RECORD
 MAXIMUM         2.01   1934
 MINIMUM         0.01   1970
TOTALS           0.72              0.37    0.35     0.31
DAILY AVG.       0.03              0.01    0.02     0.01
DAYS >= .01         6               5.3     0.7        5
DAYS >= .10         3               0.7     2.3        2
DAYS >= .50         0               0.0     0.0        0
DAYS >= 1.00        0               0.0     0.0        0
GREATEST
 24 HR. TOTAL    0.41   02/22

             OBSERVED            NORMAL   DEPART   LAST YEAR`S
SNOWFALL (INCHES)
TOTAL            13.4               5.7      7.7     6.2
RECORD FEB       22.4   2015
SEASON TOTAL     27.8              35.2

DEGREE_DAYS
HEATING TOTAL    1029               908     121      975
 SINCE 7/1       4417              4439     -22     4057
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              9.5
RESULTANT WIND SPEED/DIRECTION   1/176
HIGHEST WIND SPEED/DIRECTION    35/060    DATE  02/14
HIGHEST GUST SPEED/DIRECTION    42/070    DATE  02/14

SKY COVER
POSSIBLE SUNSHINE (PERCENT)   MM
AVERAGE SKY COVER           0.60
NUMBER OF DAYS FAIR            3
NUMBER OF DAYS PC             20
NUMBER OF DAYS CLOUDY          5

AVERAGE RH (PERCENT)     66

WEATHER CONDITIONS. NUMBER OF DAYS WITH
THUNDER        0   FREEZING RAIN    0      LIGHT SNOW    14
MIXED PRECIP   0   LGT FR RAIN      0      ICE PELLETS    0
HEAVY RAIN     0   HAIL             0      FOG           17
RAIN           0   HEAVY SNOW       2      HEAVY FOG     11
LIGHT RAIN     0   MODERATE SNOW    3      HAZE           8

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

After all the cold of last month, it was nice to warm up some yesterday and today will be seasonal. However, Mother Nature is set to deliver a reminder this weekend that winter is not over.

For today, mostly sunny skies start things off but cloud cover will be increasing as a cold front moves in. High temperatures today will be right near 50 degrees at about noon then begin descending. This evening and overnight we may see some light snow but with only minimal accumulations, if any.

Saturday is when things look to get interesting as a more powerful system sets up. Mostly cloudy to cloudy skies will be above with high temperatures only around 30 degrees. We’ll see some light, accumulating snow during the daytime hours.

Saturday evening, snow intensity and coverage should increase and be persistent overnight. Thornton could see 3 to 5 inches by sunrise Sunday morning.

Sunday, things will settle down but with some light snow possible through the day. It will be very cold with highs only in the teens.

A Winter Storm Watch has been issued and is in effect from 9:00am Saturday to 5:00am Sunday. The service warns of 4 to 8 inches snow during that period but the heaviest amounts should be to our west and south. Certainly travel is likely to be impacted. Read the complete watch here.

February 4, 2019 – A bison and bird boop noses on a mild winter day. (Jessica Fey)

February signifies the start of the climb toward warmer temperatures for the year.  Cold and snow though do intrude but, coupled with milder conditions, there are lots of photo opportunities as can be seen in our monthly slideshow.

The month is one of our least snowiest of the year but it isn’t unusual to see the landscape blanketed in white.  Warming temperatures through the month can bring the onset of spring fever and gives residents the opportunity to enjoy some prolonged time outdoors on the mild days.

Cold or mild, snowy or dry, our scenery is almost always gorgeous – and photo worthy.

• Slideshow updated February 27, 2019
• 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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• Twitter: @ThorntonWeather (https://twitter.com/thorntonweather)

We close out what has been distinctly chilly February with a day finally seeing highs get near normal. The warm up however will be short-lived as more cold and snow arrive for the weekend.

For today, some patchy fog may be seen a few spots early but nothing as dense as the last couple of days. Mostly sunny skies start things off with a gradual increase in cloud cover through the morning. Partly sunny skies will be above this afternoon.

Winds will be light and out of the south. Temperatures should top out right near the 50 degree mark, perhaps even a degree or two warmer.

Tonight, mostly cloudy skies will be above with lows in the mid to upper 20s.

Looking ahead, Friday will be relatively mild but cold arrives before the end of the day and a bit of snow may as well. Another system pushes in Saturday and that will have the potential to bring a more significant snowfall. We’ll have a better handle on the coming storms this afternoon. In the meantime, see our extended forecast page for more details.

Fog and some freezing drizzle start things off today. After that clears, we will have a decent bit of cloud cover and temps will be below normal.

A Dense Fog Advisory is in effect until 9:00am. The limited visibility coupled with freezing fog / drizzle will have the potential to create hazardous driving conditions. You will want to be sure to leave a bit early for work and slow down.

Once the fog clears, partly clear to mostly cloudy skies will be above. Temperatures will top out only in the low 40s. Tonight, skies will clear some with overnight lows dipping to the low 20s.

Use our webcams to get a live look at the fog outside.

Not too bad a late February day ahead for us. Fog starts us off but we will see sun later in the day with temperatures similar to yesterday.

A Dense Fog Advisory is in effect until 8:00am. With limited visibility, travel may be impacted so please slow down and be aware. For the complete advisory, please see.

Once the fog clears, we will see partly sunny skies initially then a decrease in clouds leading to mostly sunny skies in the afternoon. Temperatures today will top out in the mid-40s, a few degrees short of normal for the date.

Tonight, clouds will be increasing with low temperatures in the low 20s. We may see another round of fog overnight and into tomorrow morning.

Finally a day with temperatures near normal for this time year. Highs today should be right where averages say they should be despite having some cloud cover.

The day starts out with mostly clear skies but we will see an increase in clouds leading to partly sunny skies for most of the day. Winds will be generally calm. Highs today will top out close to the average high for the date of 48 degrees.

Tonight, skies remain partly clear with lows near 20 degrees.

Looking ahead, we will continue to enjoy reasonably seasonal conditions through Thursday. Our next storm system arrives Friday bringing cold and a chance for snow. More in the extended forecast here.

February 24 to March 2: This Week in Denver Weather History

As February comes to a close, one of our snowiest months, March, is ahead.  Our look back at this week in Denver weather history shows there have indeed been some significant snowfalls as well as high wind events.

From the National Weather Service:

22-29

In 1960…heavy snowfall of 6.1 inches at Stapleton Airport on the 22nd and 23rd marked the beginning of a protracted cold spell which lasted until the end of the month. The cloudy… Cold weather was accompanied by occasional light snow or flurries and fog. New record low temperatures for the dates were set on the 24th thru the 29th with the lowest temperature of 11 degrees below zero on the 28th. The seven consecutive days of low temperatures of zero or below had been exceeded in duration only 4 times previously. New low maximum temperatures for the dates were set on the 23rd… 24th…and the 26th thru the 29th with the lowest maximum temperature of 8 degrees recorded on the 26th.

23-24

In 1935…northwest winds sustained to 37 mph with gusts as high as 47 mph produced considerable blowing dust behind a cold front on the 23rd. The dust was dampened by 7.0 inches of snowfall over downtown Denver from the late evening of the 23rd through the evening of the 24th.

In 1997…heavy snow fell in the foothills. Snowfall totals included 8 inches at sunshine canyon northwest of Boulder… And 6 inches at Morrison. Snowfall totaled only 2.4 inches at the site of the former Stapleton International Airport. East winds gusted to only 22 mph at Denver International Airport on the 23rd.

23-25

In 1912…a severe winter storm dumped 14.2 inches of snowfall over downtown Denver. Snow fell continuously from 9:40 am on the 23rd until 9:15 pm on the 25th with most of the snow… 9.2 inches…on the 24th. Temperatures were mostly in the 20’s. Northeast winds were sustained to 20 mph on the 24th.

24

In 1908…a duststorm occured in the city from mid-morning through mid-day. North winds were sustained from 30 to 35 mph.

In 1927…northwest winds were sustained to 42 mph with an extreme velocity to 46 mph.

In 1924…fog deposited a light coating of glaze…which was very thin and only accumulated on the windward side of cold objects. Streets and sidewalks became slippery.

In 1956…a strong cold front produced north wind gusts to 54 mph…but left only 2.0 inches of snowfall at Stapleton Airport.

In 1959…heavy snowfall totaled 7.5 inches at Stapleton Airport…where north-northeast winds gusted to only 18 mph.

In 1968…west-northwest winds gusted to 49 mph at Stapleton International Airport. The strong Chinook winds warmed the maximum temperature to 61 degrees…the highest temperature of the month that year.

In 1986…wind gusts to 65 mph were reported at Table Mesa in Boulder. West winds gusted to only 28 mph at Stapleton International Airport where the high temperature of 70 degrees equaled the record for the date.

In 1991…the only measurable snowfall for the month totaled only 0.8 inch at Stapleton International Airport where north winds gusted to 28 mph. The light snow fell for most of the day.

In 1994…high winds raked the eastern foothills. Wind speeds of 70 to 80 mph were common. Wind gusts to 110 mph were recorded at the National Center for Atmospheric Research in south Boulder…while in north Boulder winds gusted to 95 mph. The strong winds blew the roof off a building at red rocks community college in Lakewood…causing the evacuation of about 1500 people. A semi-trailer and a delivery truck were overturned. In Lakewood…a home under construction was destroyed by the winds. There were numerous reports of vehicles damaged by flying debris…and many automobile windshields were shattered. West wind gusts to 47 mph were recorded at Stapleton International Airport.

In 2013…A storm system near the Four Corners region produced heavy upslope snowfall in and near the Front Range with blizzard conditions further east as it made its way across southern Colorado. In the Front Range Mountains and Foothills storm totals included: 27 inches near Pinecliffe; 24 inches…13 miles northwest of Golden; 20 inches near Genesee; 17 inches near Conifer; 15 inches near Jamestown; 14 inches…just southwest of Eldorado Springs; 12.5 inches near Aspen Springs; 12 inches near Evergreen and Ward; 10 inches at Eldora Ski Area; with 8 inches near Gross Reservoir…Idaho Springs and Nederland. Across the Urban Corridor storm totals included: 12 inches in Aurora; 11.5 inches near Highlands Ranch; 11 inches in Lakewood; 10.5 inches just north of Longmont and Westminster; 10 inches in Lone Tree and Thornton; 8.5 inches in Aurora…6 miles southwest of Denver and near Loveland; 8 inches at Boulder… Broomfield…and Ralston Reservoir; 7.5 inches near Frederick…with 7 inches at Commerce City. The storm prompted the cancellation of 200 flights in and out of Denver International Airport. Officially…the storm system produced 9.1 inches of snow at DIA which established a new daily snowfall record in Denver for the date. Along and south of the I-70 corridor and east of Denver…the combination of heavy snow and strong wind produced blizzard conditions. Storm totals included: 14 inches…10 miles south-southeast of Buckley AFB…10.5 inches…8 miles southeast of Watkins; with 6 inches near Byers. Northerly winds of 25 to 30 mph were common with gusts to 40 mph. At DIA…a peak wind gust of 32 mph was observed.

25

In 1887…northwest winds were sustained to 47 mph.

In 1904…the low temperature cooled to only 49 degrees…the all-time record high minimum temperature for February.

In 1957…north winds gusted to 49 mph at Stapleton Airport.

In 1998…a bora wind storm developed in the Front Range foothills and adjacent plains as winds gusted between 60 and 75 mph. Peak wind gusts during the storm included: 75 mph atop Blue Mountain near Wondervu…60 mph in south Boulder and at Jefferson County Airport near Broomfield. West winds gusted to 32 mph at Denver International Airport.

In 2000…high winds occurred in and near the foothills. Winds gusted to 84 mph at the Rocky Flats Environmental Test Facility south of Boulder and to 71 mph atop Niwot Ridge in the mountains west of Boulder. West winds gusted to only 36 mph at Denver International Airport.

25-26

In 1971…a wind gust to 100 mph was recorded in Boulder at the National Center for Atmospheric Research. The cold west winds gusted to 53 mph in downtown Boulder. No damage was reported. Northwest winds gusted to 31 mph on the 25th and to 38 mph on the 26th at Stapleton International Airport.

In 1984…a heavy snow storm left 1 to 2 feet of new snow in the foothills west of Denver. I-70 was closed…stranding skiers returning from the mountains. Most had to spend several hours in Idaho Springs. The snow spread over metro Denver with 9 inches at Littleton…Castle Rock…and Boulder and up to 5 inches in Aurora and Denver. Snowfall totaled only 3.6 inches at Stapleton International Airport where north winds gusted to 31 mph.

26

In 1884…heavy snowfall totaled 6.0 inches in downtown Denver.

In 1908…a duststorm occurred in the city during the afternoon. Northwest winds were sustained from 14 to 24 mph.

In 1918…pre-frontal Chinook winds from the southwest… Sustained to 43 mph with a maximum velocity to 52 mph… Warmed temperatures to a high of 62 degrees.

In 1954…strong Chinook winds gusting to 52 mph during the morning warmed the temperature in Denver to a balmy 65 degrees by early afternoon. A vigorous Canadian cold front during the late afternoon produced north winds at sustained speeds of 52 mph with gusts as high as 65 mph and billows of blowing dust…which reduced the visibility to as low as 1 mile at Stapleton Airport. Showers left half an inch of snow on the ground as the temperature dipped to a low of 27 degrees before midnight.

In 1989…a brief rain shower produced a microburst wind gust to 51 mph at Stapleton International Airport.

In 1997…snowfall totaled 4 to 6 inches in and near the foothills. Only 0.8 inch of snow fell at the site of the former Stapleton International Airport. Northeast winds gusted to 29 mph at Denver International Airport.

In 2013…a storm system produced heavy snow in the Front Range Foothills. Storm totals included: 12 inches near Black Mountain and Pine Junction…10 inches near Conifer and Nederland; 9 inches…12 miles northwest of Golden; 8 inches near Evergreen…with 6 inches near Eldorado Springs. Snow and blowing snow produced blizzard conditions along and south of the Interstate 70 corridor…just east of Denver. Storm totals generally ranged from 3 to 7 inches. North winds of 25 to 30 mph were reported with gusts around 40 mph. Roads became impassable as snow and blowing snow produced 3 to 4 ft snow drifts. Interstate 70 was closed from Aurora to the Kansas state line. At Denver International Airport…a peak wind gust to 31 mph was reported along with 1.0 inch of snow.

» Click here to read the rest of February 24 to March 2: This Week in Denver Weather History

The three day period will feature a bit of a mixed bag of weather. Friday will be the coldest day with a wintry mix of precipitation but then Saturday and Sunday improve with dry conditions and warmer temperatures.

For today, a few snow flurries and freezing drizzle will fall this morning. As the day progresses, the drizzle will end but some non-accumulating snow may continue. Temperatures today will be cold with highs only around 29 degrees.

This evening we do expect to see an intensification of the snow and could see some light accumulations from about 4:00pm to midnight. After midnight, precipitation will taper off and toward dawn skies will begin to clear. Overnight lows tonight will be around 18 degrees.

Saturday will see a return of the sun and dry conditions but also, unfortunately a good bit of wind. Mostly sunny skies will be above throughout the day with highs around the 40 degree mark. Winds however will be quite breezy with gusts to 30mph or so possible.

Saturday night into Sunday morning, skies remain mostly clear with lows in the mid-teens.

Sunday will be the most pleasant day of the three day period and at least see temperatures come close to normal. Sunny to mostly sunny skies will be above with highs in the mid-40s. Conditions should be calm and dry.

Have a great weekend!

We are just not quite ready to break out of the chill yet. Today offers another day with well-below normal temperatures and tonight a wintry mix of precipitation could make it a bit tricky tomorrow morning.

Today starts with partly clear skies then we see some easing of cloud cover for mid-day with an increase in clouds in the afternoon as a cold front moves in. Temperatures will struggle to even reach freezing today, continuing our cold February.

This evening, some flurries of snow may be seen with minimal, if any accumulation. Overnight, a wintry mix of light snow and freezing drizzle will be possible. If we get that freezing drizzle, your commute tomorrow could be a slick one. Lows tonight will dip to the teens.

Looking ahead, Friday looks to remain cold and bring just a bit of a chance for some light snow. Saturday and Sunday should see things dry out and warm up a bit though. Get more details in the extended weather forecast here.