27°F
Thornton, Colorado, USA
UpdatedSat, 25-Mar-2023 8:00am MDT 
 

Navigation

ThorntonWeather.com on Twitter

ThorntonWeather.com on Facebook

 

Weather Geek Stuff - weathergeekstuff.com

Rocky Mountain Weather Network

Tony's Takes Photography

ThorntonWeather.com

Recent News and Posts


Temps near normal, lots of sun for Thornton’s Thursday

Thursday, October 13th, 2022 5:17am MDT

Another fine fall day for us. Lots of sun will be above and we will see temperatures top out right near average for the date.

Sunny skies will be the rule throughout the day. Overall, conditions will be calm and dry. Look for highs to top out in the mid to upper 60s.

Tonight, skies remain mostly clear with overnight lows around 40 degrees.

Join the Discussion - Post your commentJoin the Discussion!

Wednesday starts out chilly but warms up nicely, plenty of blue above

Wednesday, October 12th, 2022 4:57am MDT

If you step out early this morning you will definitely feel a bit of chill in the air. It will, however, be warming up nicely and highs should be a bit above normal.

Clear, sunny skies start us off and will be with us throughout the daytime hours. Overall, conditions will be calm. It will be slightly breezy this afternoon but not as much as yesterday. Look for highs in the low to mid-70s.

Tonight, with skies remaining mostly clear, temperatures will get on the chilly side again. Look for lows in the mid to upper 30s.

Join the Discussion - Post your commentJoin the Discussion!

Tuesday temps remain mild, a bit of wind and possibly a shower thrown into the mix

Tuesday, October 11th, 2022 5:02am MDT

A little bit of a change in the weather pattern for us today. While we will still see a good bit of sun and mild temps, breezy winds will intrude this afternoon and this evening may bring a shower.

The day starts off with sunny skies that will be around till the morning. The afternoon will see cloud cover increase leading to partly sunny conditions. High temperatures will again top out around 75 degrees. Winds will start picking up around mid-morning then it becomes a bit blustery from noon into the evening hours.

Tonight, we stand a bit of a chance to see a light shower from about 6:00pm to midnight. Winds will ease in the late evening. Overnight lows will dip to around 40 degrees.

Keep an eye on those wind speeds here.

Join the Discussion - Post your commentJoin the Discussion!

Thornton’s workweek starts out mild with lots of blue above

Monday, October 10th, 2022 4:57am MDT

Our nice weekend weather is going to continue right into the start of this week. We will see temps a good bit above normal and sunny skies for much of the day.

Clear skies start us off and will be with us till mid to late afternoon when just a few clouds arrive. Overall, conditions will be calm and dry. High temperatures will top out in the mid-70s.

Tonight, conditions remain call and skies mostly clear. Overnight lows will dip to the mid-40s.

Join the Discussion - Post your commentJoin the Discussion!

Thornton’s weekend starts out on the cool and cloudy side, will then warm up nicely

Friday, October 7th, 2022 4:59am MDT

With the passage of a cold front last night, the three-day period will start out cool. It won’t last long, however, and the balance of the weekend looks to be quite pleasant.

For today, cloudy skies will be with us most of the day then we might see the sun make an appearance toward mid to late afternoon. After some AM drizzle, mid-day will be dry then we may see a sprinkle of rain later. High temperatures will top out in the mid-50s, perhaps cooler than that depending on cloud cover. Tonight, partly cloudy skies will be above with overnight lows in the upper 30s.

Saturday sees us rebound nicely. Sunny skies will be above with highs in the mid-60s. Conditions will be calm and dry. Saturday night, lows dip to the low 40s under mostly clear skies.

Sunday warms up further. We again will have lots of sun above and highs will top out around 70 degrees.

Have a great weekend!

Join the Discussion - Post your commentJoin the Discussion!

Another fine, fall day in Thornton for Thursday

Thursday, October 6th, 2022 5:03am MDT

Mild temperatures, lots of sun, calm conditions. Absolutely nothing to complain about with today’s weather forecast.

We start off with sunny skies and those will be with us for most of the day. Late afternoon will see a few clouds arrive. Overall conditions will be calm and dry. Look for highs right around the 70 degree mark.

Tonight, it will be mostly to partly clear. Overnight lows will tip to the low to mid-40s.

Join the Discussion - Post your commentJoin the Discussion!

Wednesday to offer up lots of sun, cool fall temperatures, calm conditions

Wednesday, October 5th, 2022 4:59am MDT

A pretty much perfect early autumn day today for Thornton. We will enjoy comfortable temps and plenty of Colorado blue above.

Mostly sunny to sunny skies will be above throughout the day today. Overall conditions will be calm and dry. High temperatures will top out near the 70 degree mark.

Tonight, lows will dip to the mid-40s under mostly clear skies.

Enjoy!

Join the Discussion - Post your commentJoin the Discussion!

Leaf peeping 2022: When and where to see the fall colors

Wednesday, October 5th, 2022 4:44am MDT
Rocky Mountain National Park is a prime spot for viewing the fall foliage. (Tony's Takes)

Rocky Mountain National Park is a prime spot for viewing the fall foliage. (Tony’s Takes)

This time of year many folks start thinking about heading to the hills west of Denver in search of gold – fall foliage gold.

Where to go?  Below are five of ThorntonWeather.com’s favorite ones near Denver – plus a few further out and some bonus ideas.  After that, we will tell you where you can find a great website that provides regular updates on viewing conditions.

I-70 Corridor – If you’re looking for the easiest route, then this one is for you.  Simply head west on I-70 about 110 miles to Avon.  Between Vail and Avon, both sides of I-70 are lined beautifully with aspen.

Rocky Mountain National Park – One of the most popular summer destinations in the state is of course also a prime spot to view aspen in all their glory.  Once in the park head toward Bear Lake.  Glacier Gorge Junction provides a beautiful spot and you of course also get to enjoy all the splendor that Rocky Mountain National Park has to offer.  Extend your viewing by taking Trail Ridge Road all the way through to the west side of the park and the Grand Lake and Granby area.

Peak to Peak Highway – This little road trip can be a dual purpose trip – gambling and fall foliage viewing!  Take U.S. 6 through Clear Creek Canyon and then 119 through Blackhawk and Central City.  You can of course stop there if your wallet is fat enough and donate some money to the casinos.  From there continue on 119 toward Nederland.  Take highway 72 toward Ward and Allenspark.  There you will find more golden aspen than you can imagine, all with the Continental Divide nearby.

Colorado Fall Foliage - Average Date of Peak Aspen Colors. Click for larger view. (ThorntonWeather.com)

Colorado Fall Foliage – Average Date of Peak Aspen Colors. Click for larger view. (ThorntonWeather.com)

Poudre Valley Canyon –  Heading north on I-25 take Colorado 14 west and into Poudre Canyon and Roosevelt National Forest.  As you continue west you will come very near timberline as you come to Cameron Pass.  Amazing views abound!

Guanella Pass – This is a nice, relatively short drive from Denver.  From C470 take 85 through Bailey and Conifer, a nice drive unto itself.  When you come to the town of Grant, take the Guanella Pass Scenic and Historic Byway north to Georgetown.  The air is pretty thin along the way as you climb in excess of 11,500 views through the Pike and Arapahoe National Forests.

A couple other possibilities further from the Front Range:

Leadville / Aspen – From Denver take I-70 west to Copper Mountain and then Colorado 91 south over Freemont Pass to Leadville. Along the way there are plenty of viewing opportunities and Leadville is a nice little town to make a stop. From here you can take Highway 24 north back through Minturn and Vail. To extend the drive, take Highway 24 south to Colorado 82 and head toward Aspen. You can stop by the Maroon Bells in White River National Forest to view some of the most photographed mountains in Colorado.

Cottonwood Pass – From Denver take Highway 285 to Buena Vista. Head west on Main Street for seven miles then west on County Road 344 / Colorado 82. From there you start the climb up Cottonwood Pass with absolutely stunning views from the top. If you are up for it, you can continue down the west side of the pass into the Taylor Park area.

Honorable mentions worth considering:

  • Boreas Pass between Breckenridge and Como (County Road 10)
  • Kenosha Pass on Highway 285 between Bailey and Fairplay
  • Independence Pass (Colorado 82 between Aspen and Twin Lakes)
  • Colorado 103 from Evergreen to Echo Lake. Throw in a drive up Mount Evans for a bonus.

If you do head out, be sure to send us your pictures for inclusion in our monthly photo slideshows!

For more information:

Join the Discussion - Post your commentJoin the Discussion!

Thornton’s October 2022 preview: Generally calm conditions with our first freeze and snow

Tuesday, October 4th, 2022 1:11pm MDT

Thornton, Colorado October weather preview.With the first full month of fall here, October usually brings one of the quietest weather months in the Denver area with plenty of mild, sunny days and clear, cool nights.

October is historically the second sunniest month and conditions are generally calm.

However we also will usually see our first taste of winter during the month with the first freeze and first snowfall of the season.  Temperatures as well will start to drop and by the end of the month the average nighttime lows are below freezing.

For complete details on our historical October weather and what we can expect in the coming month, read our complete October weather preview here.

  • Don’t miss a thing when it comes to our ever-changing weather! Be sure to ‘like’ us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.
Join the Discussion - Post your commentJoin the Discussion!

October 2 to October 8: This Week in Denver Weather History

Tuesday, October 4th, 2022 1:09pm MDT

This Week in Denver Weather History

October is usually a relatively calm weather month in Denver but can see some interesting events. In our look back at this week in Denver weather history we see tornadoes, damaging wind and of course snow.

From the National Weather Service:

2

In 1903…southwest winds were sustained to 42 mph with gusts as high as 60 mph. The strong Chinook winds warmed the temperature to a high of 78 degrees.

In 1910…an apparent dry microburst produced sustained northeast winds to 43 mph.

In 1934…a trace of rain was the only precipitation of the month. This was the driest October on record.

3

In 1875…very dense haze hid the mountains from view as observed from the city.

In 1933…rainfall of just 0.01 inch was the only precipitation of the month. This was the second driest October on record.

In 1954…the low temperature cooled to only 60 degrees…the all-time record high minimum for the month October.

3-4

In 1969…the first snowfall of the season totaled 16.0 inches at Stapleton International Airport. There was a thunder snow shower on the evening of the 3rd…but otherwise little wind with the storm. The greatest snow depth on the ground was 8 inches due to melting. Heavy wet snow accumulated on trees…which were still in full leaf…and caused widespread damage from broken limbs and downed utility lines.

3-5

In 1984…the remnants of pacific hurricane Polo produced heavy rain over northeastern Colorado. Most locations received between 1.00 to 2.50 inches of rain…but 3.45 inches fell in Littleton. Rainfall totaled 1.73 inches at Stapleton International Airport…where north winds gusted to 24 mph.

4

In 1912…sustained south winds to 55 mph with gusts to 60 mph raised the temperature to a high of 83 degrees… The warmest temperature of the month that year.

In 1924…west winds were sustained to 46 mph with gusts to 50 mph in the city. The apparent Bora winds cooled the temperature to a high of 57 degrees from a high of 70 degrees on the 3rd.

In 2004…several small tornadoes touched down near Brighton… Barr lake…and Hudson in Adams and southern Weld counties. Most of these caused no damage. However…a small tornado 5 miles southeast of Brighton caused extensive damage to a recreational vehicle and severely damaged a barn. The barn was torn from its foundation…and the roof was thrown 100 feet. Four llamas in the barn were injured when it collapsed.

4-5

In 1997…unusually warm weather resulted in two temperature records. High temperature of 87 degrees on the 4th exceeded the old record set in 1922 by one degree. High temperature of 86 degrees on the 5th equaled the record set in 1990 and previous years.

» Click here to read the rest of October 2 to October 8: This Week in Denver Weather History

Join the Discussion - Post your commentJoin the Discussion!