A nice way to start the week with weather that will help melt off that lingering snow on the ground. We will enjoy lots of sun and temps above average, something that will be repeated much of the week.

Clear skies start us off and will be with us throughout the day today. Winds will be light and out of the south, overall conditions calm and dry. Look for highs to reach the low to mid-50s.

Tonight, lows will drop to the mid-20s with mostly clear skies above.

For a look at the rest of the week’s weather, click here.

February 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 bit of a disappointment although January did help and the start of February offers some relief. February is only our sixth snowiest month so we can’t count on much else.

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. 

With a blanket of white on the ground from this week’s storm, we get a break with dry conditions for the weekend. Temperatures will be on the cool side however and there will be some wind.

For Friday, we climb above freezing for the first time since Tuesday. Highs will be in the mid-30s under sunny to mostly sunny skies. Overall conditions will be calm. Friday night, it will be mostly clear with a few clouds. Lows will be dropping into the teens.

Saturday will be the warmest day of the period but, unfortunately, with some wind. Mostly sunny skies will be above and highs will climb to the mid-40s. A weak system will generate breezy west winds from late morning into the afternoon. Saturday night, lows again drop to the teens under partly cloudy skies.

The weekend closes out with a chilly, but calm day Sunday. Highs will be in the mid to upper 30s with mostly clear skies above.

Have a great weekend!

Our latest storm is out the door and we will see a return of those beautiful, blue Colorado skies. Warmth however will not be part of the equation as we will remain quite cold today.

Mostly clear skies start us off. Some low-lying areas like those along the South Platte will see fog early, sometimes quite dense. Once the sun comes up and the fog dissipates, we will be mostly clear for the rest of the morning then sunny this afternoon.

Temperatures start out the day in negative territory and while they will climb, we will remain below freezing. Look for highs only around 20 degrees.

Tonight, skies will be mostly clear and low temperatures will drop to near freezing. Keep an eye on the mercury here.

Whether or not Punxsutawney Phil sees his shadow today or not, Mother Nature is intent on delivering a wintry blast at least for the rodent’s holiday. We have already received a respectable amount of snow with more expected throughout the day.

As of 4:00am, Thornton had received 5.8 inches and temperatures were very cold and near 10 degrees. Snow will be continuing throughout the day before beginning to taper off in the mid to late afternoon. Additional accumulations of 1 to 3 inches will be possible.

The National Weather Service has upgraded the advisory to a Winter Storm Warning due to the potential for heavier bands of snow. Early this morning, residential streets were well-covered in snow, main arterials and highways were only snow packed.

The bigger story will be the temperatures today and the next 48 hours. Highs today will only be in the mid-teens.

Tonight, skies will begin to clear and that is going to allow temperatures to plummet below zero.

Tomorrow will see some improvement with highs near 20 degrees but lows Thursday night will again drop and be near zero.

If you venture out, take it slow and be safe! Our Winter Weather Briefing Page has all the latest.

The much-anticipated winter storm we have been talking about arrives later today. With it we will be seeing snow but perhaps more notable will be the cold that comes with it.

Most of Tuesday will not see anything dramatic as the storm approaches. Mostly cloudy skies start us off becoming cloudy by mid to late morning. Some breezy winds will add a chill to the high of 31 degrees. As for the snow, mid-afternoon might offer a few flakes with things waiting to get started in earnest until about 5:00pm.

Tonight, snow will continue throughout. Overnight lows will drop to near 10 degrees. Accumulations between this evening and sunrise tomorrow morning will be on the order of 2 to 4 inches.

The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Weather Advisory for our area that will be in effect from 5:00pm this evening to midnight tomorrow night. The service is calling for totals of 4 to 7 inches in our area across that period, higher amounts west of I-25.

Very cold air will be accompanying the snow with highs tomorrow and Thursday only in the mid to upper teens and lows Wednesday and Thursday night potentially being below zero.

Most of the ingredients are there for a nice snowstorm including healthy upslope. When we see this type of extreme cold though, it oftentimes seems to have a way of causing storms to underperform so it will be interesting to see how this pans out.

Our Winter Weather Briefing Page has all you need for the coming days.

A much needed snowfall covers yard art in Thornton on New Year’s Day. (ThorntonWeather.com)

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 31, 2022
• 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
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ThorntonWeather
• Google+: https://plus.google.com/+Thorntonweather
• Twitter: @ThorntonWeather (https://twitter.com/thorntonweather)

Hopefully you got out and enjoyed the warm weather of this past weekend. Today will be the last of the mild days for a while as colder weather is set to arrive tomorrow.

For today, the day starts off with clear skies but then some clouds will arrive quickly. Mostly to partly sunny skies will be above for most of the day. High temperatures today will top out in the low to mid-50s. Gusty, downslope winds from the approaching trough will be aiding those temperatures.

Tonight, winds will ease. Overnight lows will dip to around 20 degrees under partly cloudy skies.

After today, a series of systems coupled with cold air being pulled in from the north will result in some big changes. We will be seeing some very cold temperatures from Tuesday night through Thursday. Some snow will be along but it won’t be particularly extraordinary. See our extended forecast for more.

The end of January and the first week of February have historically been an active period in Denver weather.  We see many high wind events which are common this time of year as well as the usual snowstorms.  Given the extreme cold we are set to experience this week, one event 22 years ago serves as a timely reminder of the dangers of cold.  In 1989 one Arctic cold event turned deadly and dangerous.

26-1

In 1888…a protracted warm spell lasted a week.  Maximum temperatures ranged from 62 degrees on the 29th to an all time record high for the month of 76 degrees on the 27th.  Daily record high temperatures of 76…69…and 71 occurred on the 27th…28th…and 30th respectively. Record high minimum temperatures of 47 and 34 occurred on the 26th and 27th.

27-31

In 1951…a major storm dumped 10.1 inches of snowfall at Stapleton Airport.  Most of the snow…8.3 inches…fell on the 29th.  Cold arctic air accompanied the snow.  Several temperature records were set…including record low maximum temperatures of 4 on the 28th and 4 below zero on the 29th and record low temperatures of 12 below zero on the 29th and 24 below zero on the 31st.  Temperatures were below zero for 45 consecutive hours.

28-30

In 1887…winds were strong and gusty for three days in the city.  West and northwest winds were sustained to 56 mph on both the 28th and 29th and to 44 mph on the 30th. Temperatures warmed to a high of 57 degrees on the 29th.

29-30

In 1985…an arctic air mass with snow closed I-70 for a time in Denver and east of Denver.  Snowfall totaled 5.4 inches at Stapleton International Airport where north winds gusted to 29 mph on the 29th.

29-31

In 1883…a major winter storm dumped 19.3 inches of snow on downtown Denver.  Most of the snow…12.2 inches…fell on the 31st.  This was the heaviest snowfall to hit the city in years.  Temperatures plunged from a high of 52 degrees on the 29th to a low of 13 degrees on the 31st. Precipitation from the storm totaled 2.23 inches.  The 1.22 inches of precipitation on the 31st was the greatest calendar day and 24 hour precipitation ever recorded in the city during the month of January.

30

In 1886…west winds were sustained to 42 mph and were the strongest winds of the month that year.  The winds warmed the temperature to a high of 52 degrees in the city.

In 1890…west winds were sustained to 40 mph with gusts to 48 mph in the city.

In 1971…a wind gust to 102 mph was recorded in Boulder at the National Center for Atmospheric Research.  Elsewhere in Boulder…winds gusted to 76 mph.  Northwest winds gusting to 46 mph at Stapleton International Airport warmed temperatures to a high of 66 degrees.

In 1976…a rapid moving cold front produced wind gusts 50 to 70 mph causing visibilities to be reduced to less than 1/2 mile in blowing dust for 1 to 2 hours closing some major highways.  A north wind gust to 55 mph was recorded at Stapleton International Airport.

In 2003…strong winds developed in and near the foothills. Recorded wind gusts included:  86 mph near Rollinsville… 76 mph in Evergreen…and 75 mph in central Boulder. West winds gusted to 43 mph at Denver International Airport.

30-31

In 1908…an apparent strong cold front plunged temperatures 45 degrees in 24 hours from 47 degrees at noon on the 30th to only 2 degrees at noon on the 31st.  North winds were sustained to 30 mph on the 30th.  Snowfall was only 0.8 inch on the 31st.

In 1965…a major storm dumped 10.4 inches of snow over metro Denver.  After 5 inches of snow fell in Boulder… Strong Chinook winds developed…warming the temperature 25 degrees in 90 minutes.  Wind gusts to 97 mph were recorded on Table Mountain in Boulder.  Winds gusts to 53 mph were measured in downtown Boulder where some damage occurred.  Minor wind damage also occurred in western suburbs of Denver.  West winds gusted to 51 mph at Stapleton International Airport on the 31st.

In 2005…a winter storm brought heavy snow to the Front Range foothills.  Storm totals included:  17 inches at Aspen Springs…13 inches 7 miles southwest of Boulder and at Lake Eldora…12.5 inches near Blackhawk…11.5 inches at Rollinsville and near Nederland…11 inches near Evergreen and Golden and at Gross Reservoir…and 10 inches at cabin creek.  Lesser amounts of snow fell over the city.  Only 1.9 inches of snow were measured overnight at Denver Stapleton.  North winds gusted to 30 mph at Denver International Airport…where freezing fog during the early morning of the 30th reduced the surface visibility to as low as 1/8 mile.  Light rainfall… Rare in January…totaled 0.06 inch at Denver Stapleton on the early morning of the 30th.

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

In 1876…hurricane force winds caused some damage in Boulder.

In 1951…the low temperature plunged to 24 degrees below zero.

In 1933…snowfall was 0.2 inch in downtown Denver.  This was the only measurable snowfall of the month and resulted in 0.01 inch of melted snow…the only measurable precipitation of the month.

In 1964…high winds blew down a sidewalk cover where a building was under construction…injuring a young woman. Three men were injured when a brick wall at a construction site toppled on them.  All were treated for face…leg…and neck injuries.  A west-northwest wind gust to 47 mph was recorded at Stapleton International Airport.

In 1969…high winds struck Boulder with gusts to 115 mph recorded at the National Center for Atmospheric Research and 83 mph in downtown Boulder.  Schools were closed because of danger from flying debris.  Some damage and minor injuries occurred.  Northwest winds gusted to 35 mph at Stapleton International Airport.

In 1985…bitterly cold weather froze pipes and cars and forced some schools to close across metro Denver.  Minimum temperatures dipped to as low as 15 below to 20 below zero across metro Denver.  The low temperature was 15 below zero at Stapleton International Airport.

31-1

In 1963…high winds struck metro Denver.  The strong Chinook winds reached 101 mph in Littleton…80 mph in Denver…and 90 mph at Rocky Flats.  Among the hardest hit areas were Boulder where buildings under construction were blown down…porches and roofs blown off buildings…and power lines damaged.  Damage totaled 100 thousand dollars in Boulder alone.  In other areas…utility lines were damaged and many signs…antennas…and road markers were blown down.  At Stapleton Airport…west winds gusted to 44 mph on the 31st and 66 mph on the 1st.  The Chinook winds warmed maximum temperatures to 65 degrees on the 31st and to 70 degrees on the 1st.

» Click here to read the rest of January 30 to February 5: This week in Denver weather history

After a workweek that featured somewhat unsettled weather conditions, Mother Nature grants us much nicer conditions for the weekend. We will enjoy lots of sun and pleasant conditions for the three day period.

For Friday, sunny skies will be above with highs right near the average high for the date of 45 degrees. Tonight, skies remain mostly clear with lows around 20 degrees.

Saturday looks much like today but with warmer temperatures. Look for highs around 50 degrees under sunny skies. Saturday night, lows again drop to around 20 degrees under mostly clear skies.

The weekend closes out much like the other two days of the period. Look for highs again around 50 degrees under sunny skies Sunday.

Enjoy!