As yesterday’s cold front slips away, high pressure returns to northeastern Colorado. This will result in increasing temperatures and calm, dry conditions.

The day starts out with sunny skies that will last through the morning. A few clouds will arrive this afternoon but nothing intrusive. Overall conditions will be calm and we don’t expect to see any storms in our area. Temperatures will top out in the upper 80s, perhaps hitting the 90 degree mark.

Tonight, skies remain mostly clear with lows in the mid to upper 50s.

Following yesterday’s very warm temperatures and wind, Thornton gets a nice break today. We will be nearly 20 degrees cooler and see just a slight chance for storms.

The day starts out with mostly sunny skies and will have more of the same for much of the day until mid-afternoon when a few more clouds arrive.

The cold front that moved through early this morning will help limit highs today to the mid-70s. The mid to late afternoon through the evening brings just a slight chance for some showers / thunderstorms.

Tonight, skies will clear and lows will be in the low to mid-50s.

August 26 to September 1: This week in Denver weather history

Significant events on Denver’s weather history calendar get a bit less numerous as we enter what is historically a relatively quiet period of the year. That isn’t to say however that major weather events can’t occur. Our look back at this week in Denver weather history includes a massive hail storm in 1944, many events in which lightning injured people and the warmest temperature ever recorded in September.

From the National Weather Service:

19-30

In 1875…grasshoppers appeared in great numbers at 10:00 am on the 19th. Thousands landed on the ground. The streets were literally covered with them. Swarms of grasshoppers were seen on each day. All gardens in the city were devastated…and in the countryside the grasshoppers were very destructive to ripened grain. On the 30th the grasshoppers were so numerous as to almost darken the sun.

24-26

In 1910…the lowest temperature ever recorded in August…40 degrees…occurred on each of these days and on August 22… 1904. The unusually cold weather for so early in the season brought sub-freezing minimum temperatures to much of the Colorado northeastern plains.

26

In 1944…one of the most destructive hailstorms in the city in a decade caused damage estimated at nearly one million dollars. The storm occurred within a period of 10 to 30 minutes…between 2:00 pm and 3:00 pm. The hail varied in size from very small to as large as 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Hail covered the ground to a depth of 5 to 6 inches in some sections of the city. Several people were cut by broken glass. The hail and heavy rain flooded underpasses to a depth of 6 feet…and the occupants of stalled autos had to be rescued. Sewers were unable to handle the sudden amount of water and water backed up and flooded a number of basements. A few first floors of buildings were flooded. The water department had a busy time replacing manhole covers that had been displaced by the water pressure. Trees were stripped…one was severely broken…and telephone lines were downed. Roofs…windows… automobiles…awnings…and gardens were severely damaged. Flowers and gardens in some sections of the city were a total loss. Greenhouses were extensively broken with an estimated 20 carloads of glass shattered. Vegetable and truck crops in and around the city were severely shredded. The next day the American Red Cross was designated by the war agency to grant any and all priorities needed to obtain materials and supplies to replace and repair the damage. In downtown Denver…the thunderstorm produced 0.95 inch of rain and heavy hail along with sustained northwest winds to 25 mph.

In 1961…strong winds blew in the walls of a warehouse under construction in Denver. Two workmen suffered a fractured foot and body bruises.

In 2014…two men in central Denver were struck by lightning as they sat under a tree to avoid a heavy downpour. One of the men was unconscious and had no pulse when emergency responders arrived. He was immediately taken to Denver Health was listed in critical condition. The other victim suffered less severe injuries. He was treated at the scene and hospitalized…then released a few hours later.

26-27

In 1980…two heavy thunderstorms hit Arvada and Westminster… Dumping up to 1.50 inches of rain in less than an hour. At least two streets were washed out and a number of homes and cars were damaged when a creek flooded. Three homes in Arvada sustained minor lightning damage.

27

In 1910…a thunderstorm produced south winds sustained to 40 mph.

In 1961…strong thunderstorm winds and heavy rain occurred at 79th and federal blvd. In Westminster. The strong winds blew the roofs off lumber sheds onto parked cars.

In 1967…a young woman was killed by lightning while horseback riding in the suburbs just west of Denver. Her horse died several hours after the incident. A young man and another young woman were also knocked from their horses by the impact of the lightning and required hospitalization.

In 1991…heavy thunderstorm rainfall totaled 0.91 inch at Stapleton International Airport…where 1/4 inch diameter hail was measured.

In 1996…localized street flooding occurred in the Fort Lupton area when 2 to 3 inches of rain fell in 45 minutes. The roof of a community college began leaking…which caused damage to ceiling tiles. The roof was under repair from hail damage which had occurred earlier in the summer. A weak tornado (f0) was sighted near Fort Lupton. No damage was reported.

In 1999…a slow moving thunderstorm dumped 5 inches of rain in 2 hours near Dacono. A severe thunderstorm produced 3/4 inch diameter hail in Castle Rock.

In 2002…severe thunderstorms spread large hail over metro Denver. Hail as large as 2 inches in diameter fell in Jefferson County 5 to 11 miles northwest of Golden. Other large hail reports included: 1 1/2 inches near Golden and in Lakewood; 1 1/4 inches in Nederland; 1 inch hail near Elizabeth…Louviers…Rollinsville…and Blackhawk; 7/8 inch hail near Acequia in Douglas County. A thunderstorm produced a trace of rain and a microburst wind gust to 52 mph at Denver International Airport.

In 2003…lightning struck a house and sparked a fire in Arvada. Damage to the roof and ceiling was extensive.

In 2005…lightning struck an unoccupied home in Parker. The resulting fire damaged the roof…attic…and second floor bedroom. Damage was estimated at 15 thousand dollars.

27-28 » Click here to read the rest of August 26 to September 1: This week in Denver weather history

Another day with temps a good bit above normal and dry conditions. We will also be throwing in a good bit of wind that will lead to heightened fire danger.

The day starts out with mostly sunny skies and those will continue throughout the day. Temperatures today will be topping out close to the mid-90s, nearly 10 degrees above normal for the date.

The biggest story is going to be the wind. It started blowing early and will continue through the day and not settling down until near sunset. Gusts to 40+ mph will be possible.

The wind coupled with low humidity and dry fuels have prompted a Red Flag Warning to be issued for the elevated fire danger. Caution should be exercised.

Tonight, winds will ease and skies will remain mostly clear. Overnight lows will dip to the mid-50s.

Keep an eye on the temps and wind speeds here.

A pretty decent looking three-day period ahead for us. Temperatures will be warmer than normal throughout but storm activity will be very low.

For Friday, sunny skies start things off then we may see a few clouds this afternoon. Like yesterday, smoke is expected to create haze later in the day. Temperatures will top out in the low 90s. Tonight, partly cloudy skies will be above with lows near 60.

Saturday will continue the unseasonably warm weather but with highs a degree or two cooler than today. There will be more cloud cover as moisture aloft increases. Tomorrow evening gives us just a slight chance for a thunderstorm. Overnight Saturday into Sunday, skies will clear some and lows again will be near the 60 degree mark.

The weekend closes out on Sunday in fine fashion. Mostly sunny skies will be above with highs right near 90 degrees.

Have a fantastic weekend!

We have enjoyed nearly a week of below average temperatures but that period is now coming to an end. Today Thornton bounces back to normal and will also see some wind along with smoke.

The day starts off with a few clouds then we will see clearing through the morning leading to mostly sunny skies. Smoke is expected to stage a return this afternoon as it moves in from the west.

Winds will be calm initially then by late morning and lasting into the evening expect it to become breezy. As for temperatures, the average high for today’s date is 86 degrees and we should top out close to that, perhaps a couple degrees warmer than that.

Tonight, smoke will persist with mostly clear skies. Overnight lows will dip to around e60 degrees.

Keep an eye outside with our live webcams.

August 19 to August 25: This week in Denver weather history

Funnel clouds, tornadoes, deadly flooding and more highlight our look back at this week in Denver weather history.

From the National Weather Service:

16-19

In 1979…heavy thunderstorm rains on each of 4 consecutive days dumped a total of 2.62 inches of rain on Stapleton International Airport. The heaviest rain…1.05 inches… On the 19th was accompanied by 1/4 inch diameter hail.

18-19

In 1875…nearly 0.75 inch of rainfall in the city overnight… Possibly assisted by heavier rainfall upstream…produced a decided and rapid rise in Cherry Creek…which washed out some bridges. Other small creeks and streams were filled to overflowing.

19

In 1983…heavy rain fell across the northern metro Denver suburbs with 1.50 to 1.80 inches of rain in Broomfield… Arvada…and Thornton.

In 1989…lightning killed a 31-year-old man and injured his 10 year old nephew when it hit a tree they were walking under in the foothills about 5 miles west of Boulder. The boy received mouth to mouth resuscitation on the scene and recovered after being hospitalized overnight. Three other people were knocked to the ground by the bolt…but were uninjured.

In 1990…3/4 inch diameter hail was reported in Wheat Ridge. A thunderstorm over west Denver dumped an inch of rain in 20 minutes…causing minor street flooding. One inch diameter hail was reported over east Denver. Ping pong to golf ball size hail was reported 14 miles northeast of Denver at the intersection of 122nd Ave. and Brighton Blvd. The hail stones knocked out windows and did an unspecified amount of damage to the roof of a house. Close by…heavy thunderstorm rains caused gullies…irrigation ditches…and small streams to overflow their banks near the intersection of 120th Avenue and Riverdale Road. Flood waters 1 to 2 feet deep covered the river bottom land along the South Platte River. However…no structures were threatened by the flood waters.

In 1999…heavy rain…up to 5 inches in two hours…caused east tollgate creek to jump its banks. The bike path adjacent to the creek was underwater at several locations. Several underpasses were also flooded…halting traffic. In addition…an unfinished playground at a local elementary school was completely flooded. Lightning struck a vehicle at east Evans Avenue and Tower Road. The woman inside the vehicle was not injured.

19-30

In 1875…grasshoppers appeared in great numbers at 10:00 am on the 19th. Thousands landed on the ground. The streets were literally covered with them. Swarms of grasshoppers were seen on each day. All gardens in the city were devastated…and in the countryside the grasshoppers were very destructive to ripened grain. On the 30th the grasshoppers were so numerous as to almost darken the sun.

20

In 1980…winds to 55 to 60 mph were recorded in south Boulder.

In 1982…strong thunderstorm winds blasted the Jefferson County Airport near Broomfield…causing an estimated 3 million dollars in damage. At least 5 hangars and 15 airplanes were damaged…many seriously; one hangar was completely destroyed. Torrential rains accompanied the winds. Heavy rains also dumped on Boulder where 1.65 inches fell in just 15 minutes…causing street flooding. Wind gusts to 72 mph were recorded in Boulder. Over half an inch of rain fell in just 5 minutes in Littleton where two homes were struck by lightning. Lightning also struck a house in Arvada where over an inch of rain sent Ralston Creek over its banks. Strong winds accompanied the storms.

In 1984…slow moving thunderstorms dumped 1.25 inches of rain in Evergreen…causing street flooding. A half inch of rain fell in just 18 minutes in southeast Denver. Littleton and Boulder were also drenched with about an inch of rain. Rainfall totaled 0.92 inch at Stapleton International Airport.

In 2001…severe thunderstorms produced damaging winds and large hail across metro Denver. Hail as large 1 inch in diameter fell in Aurora near Cherry Creek. Strong thunderstorm winds gusting as high as 58 mph blew the roof from a building between Thornton and Denver and toppled several trees in Denver. One tree landed on a mail truck. Other thunderstorm winds were clocked to 60 mph near Parker… 62 mph in Broomfield…and 61 mph at Denver International Airport.

In 2006…a tornado (f0) touched down near Bennett…but caused no reported damage.

In 2013…severe thunderstorms pounded the southern Denver suburbs and other parts of the Front Range. In Jefferson County…water rescues were reported for some people in stranded cars. In the Ken Caryl area…large hail from one inch to 1 3/4 inches in diameter was reported. On West Chatfield Avenue in Jefferson County…hail runoff gathered six inches deep in spots and “hail plows” were sent out to clear some streets. Hail up to one inch in diameter was also reported near Castle Rock.

21

In 1876…heavy thunderstorm rain and hail struck the city. Hail stones as large as partridge eggs accumulated to a depth of 1 1/2 feet over eastern portions of the city. The heavy rainfall flooded streets and gutters. However… No significant damage was reported. Rainfall totaled 0.85 inch in central Denver.

In 1903…a thunderstorm produced west winds sustained to 42 mph with gusts to 48 mph.

In 1957…heavy thunderstorm rainfall and hail over the bear creek basin flooded portions of State Highway 8 in and near Morrison. There was also minor property damage in Morrison.

In 1995…a 68-year-old woman was struck by lightning while standing near a tree in Brighton.

In 2006…a severe thunderstorm produced 7/8 inch diameter hail in Franktown.

» Click here to read the rest of August 19 to August 25: This week in Denver weather history

A day in Thornton today not unlike what we have experienced the last couple. Temperatures will warm up a few degrees and while we see some slight chances for precipitation, they are not that great.

We start out under mostly cloudy skies then see some lightening of the coverage as morning progresses and by this afternoon should be seeing a good bit of sun. Temperatures will top out in the mid-70s.

A few sprinkles of rain may be seen this morning then this afternoon, perhaps some thunderstorms mixed in. There isn’t a good deal of moisture or instability so coverage of any precipitation looks to be scattered.

Tonight, skies will be partly clear with lows in the mid to upper 50s.

An approaching storm system is going to mix things up a bit for us today. Temperatures will be a bit cooler than yesterday and we will see a decent chance for showers, particularly this evening.

The day starts with mostly cloudy skies then we will see a few breaks in the coverage for the mid-day before clouds increase in the mid to late afternoon. Smoke will still be lingering although it should be a bit less than yesterday’s soup.

High temperatures today will be in the low to mid-70s, a good bit below the average high of 87 degrees for the date.

A few sprinkles of rain may occur in the morning and early afternoon but if they do, they aren’t expected to amount to much. After about 3:00pm chances for showers and coverage increase with the best opportunity coming between about 6:00pm and midnight.

Tonight, showers may linger into the early morning tomorrow. Lows will be in the mid-50s.

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

If you were thinking you were feeling fall in the air the last day or two you had good reason.  Temperatures this morning almost felt chilly and Denver tied the record low temperature for the date.

At 6:25am this morning, the mercury at Denver International Airport where the Mile High City’s official records are taken dipped to 46 degrees. This tied the record low temperature for August 20 last set in 1939.

Here in Thornton we were just a touch warmer with a low of 47 degrees.  That was our second chilliest temperature since May 21.

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