It was almost certain today was going to bring record-setting temperatures for the date and sure enough, it did.

The old record high for May 10 was 86 degrees set in 1991 and years prior. The National Weather Service reports that at 3:51pm today the temperature hit 90 degrees, easily breaking the record.

Additionally, this is the fourth earliest in the season that Denver has seen a 90 degree mercury reading since record keeping began in the Mile High City in 1872.

Here in Thornton we managed to be just a little bit cooler with a high of 89 degrees at 3:34pm.

Tomorrow things cool down and the weather becomes a bit unsettled. Look for highs near 80 with a good chance of PM storms.  Then, this weekend gets cooler and brings even better chances for precipitation.

See the extended forecast here.

If you haven’t already done so this season, today’s the day you will likely call that air conditioner or swamp cooler into service. Unseasonably warm temperatures are likely to break the record high for the date.

We start out under clear skies then, like yesterday, will see a gradual increase in cloud coverage with partly sunny skies being above by late afternoon and evening. Winds will be light initially, getting a bit breezy in the late afternoon.

As for the temperatures, the record high for today’s date is 86 degrees set in 1991 and previous years. With a forecast high of 88, it is likely that record will fall.

Tonight, skies will be mostly cloudy with lows around 50 degrees.

Keep an eye on that mercury with our live weather gauges here.

Not much change in today’s weather versus what we saw yesterday beyond an increase in cloud cover, particularly in the afternoon.

The day starts out under sunny skies to be followed by a gradual increase in cloud cover with mostly sunny skies by noon. Early afternoon will bring a bump in the coverage leaving us with partly sunny skies for the latter part of the afternoon and evening. Winds will be calm, conditions dry. Temperatures will warm steadily toward a mid-afternoon high right around the 80 degree mark.

Tonight, skies remain partly cloudy with lows in the low 50s.

May 8, 2017 – Hail pounds an industrial area just northwest of downtown Denver. (Ed Dalton)

The weather forecast for May 8, 2017 was relatively typical for this time of year with pleasant temperatures and a sunny morning. We also wrote about the usual chance for PM thunderstorms but cautioned they could be potent saying, “Strong winds, large hail and possibly an isolated tornado will be possible.”

Little did we know just how potent they would be.

The thunderstorms that rolled through the Denver metro area that day brought monstrous hail, destroying windows, roofs, siding and vehicles.

As expected, the worst of the storms stayed south of Thornton but the areas that were hit from Golden to just north of downtown Denver were devastated. The tally to date is $2.3 billion in damage.

Fox 31 did a special on the storm last year and it makes for an interesting look back – and a reminder of the power of Mother Nature.

A very pleasant spring day ahead for us. We’ll see plenty of that golden orb and blue sky with temps 10 degrees or so above normal.

Sunny skies start things off and while there will be a cloud here and there, they won’t be numerous enough to be intrusive. Winds will be out of the north and become just a bit breezy in the late afternoon and evening. High temperatures today will top out right near the 80 degree mark.

Tonight, skies remain mostly clear with lows around 50 degrees.

Today will be one of those days where it feels like we bypassed spring and jumped straight to summer. While we will see a decent bit of cloud cover, it will do little to inhibit temps that will be 15+ degrees above normal.

Mostly sunny skies start things off them we will see an increase in cloud cover later this morning leading to partly sunny skies in the afternoon and evening. Winds will be light and out of the southwest this morning shifting to the east in the afternoon.

As for those mercury readings, we start out relatively mild in the morning and will be heading toward a high in the mid-80s.  The average high for today’s date is 68 degrees.

Tonight, skies will clear after midnight with overnight lows is the low 50s.

Keep an eye on the temperature with our live #eather gauges here.

May 6 to May 12: This week in Denver weather history

Think we are done with snow for the season? That may be the case this year but it isn’t always so. Looking back at this week in Denver history we do see snowfall has occurred along with more typical spring weather including heavy rains that led to flooding.

From the National Weather Service:

4-8

In 1969…heavy rains caused flooding on Boulder creek in Boulder…which resulted in one death on the 7th. Flooding also occurred on Bear Creek in Sheridan and on the South Platte River in Denver. Rain over most of the eastern foothills started late on the 4th and continued with only brief interruptions in many areas until the morning of the 8th. Very high rates of rainfall occurred on the 6th and 7th with the greatest intensities in a band along the foothills from about 25 miles southwest of Denver northward to Estes Park. Storm totals by both official and unofficial measurements exceeded 10 inches over much of this area and were over 12 inches in some localities. Heavy snow fell in the higher mountains and in the foothills later in the period. The saturation of the soil resulted in numerous rock and land slides…and the heavy run-off caused severe damage along many streams and flooding on the South Platte River. Many foothill communities were isolated as highways were blocked and communications disrupted. Roads were severely damaged over a wide area…and a large number of bridges washed out. Many roads were closed due to the danger from falling rocks. A building in Georgetown collapsed from the weight of heavy wet snow. In Boulder…a man drowned when caught by the flooding waters of Boulder Creek…and a patrolman was injured. Rainfall totaled 7.60 inches in Boulder with 9.34 inches recorded at the Public Service Company electric plant in Boulder Canyon. In Morrison…rainfall totaled 11.27 inches in 4 days. Heavy rainfall totaled 4.68 inches at Stapleton International Airport over 3 days from the 5th through the 7th. Rainfall of 3.14 inches was recorded in 24 hours on the 6th and 7th. Downstream flooding continued along the South Platte River until the 12th when the flood crest reached the Nebraska line.

5-6

In 1907…rain changed to snow on the 5th…continued through the night…and totaled 3.50 inches. Northeast winds were sustained to 15 mph on the 5th.

In 1917…post-frontal rain changed to heavy snow and totaled 12.5 inches over downtown Denver. Most of the snow… 12.0 inches…fell on the 5th and this was the greatest 24-hour snowfall ever measured during the month of May. This was also the only measurable snow of the month that year. Low temperatures of 27 degrees on the 5th and 23 degrees on the 6th were record minimums for the dates. High temperatures on both days were in the lower 40’s. Southeast winds were sustained to 24 mph with an extreme velocity to 26 mph.

In 1964…high winds gusted to 54 mph in Boulder and to 80 mph at Jefferson County Airport near Broomfield. Wind gusts of 50 to 60 mph were common over all of eastern Colorado. Buildings…power lines…trees…and vehicles were damaged by the wind. South-southwest wind gusts to 54 mph caused some blowing dust at Stapleton International Airport where the visibility was briefly reduced to 2 miles.

In 1973…a heavy driving rain storm with embedded thunderstorms…produced 1 to 5 inches of rain and caused local flash flooding along the east slopes of the Front Range. The greatest flash flooding occurred in metro Denver where rainfall totaled 3.56 inches at Stapleton International Airport. Flooding in metro Denver occurred on clear creek and the South Platte River…already swollen from heavy snowmelt. Numerous basements were flooded… Roads and streets were washed out…a bridge was demolished… And miscellaneous other damage was reported. North winds gusted to 39 mph at Stapleton International Airport during the storm. The storm produced major downstream flooding along the South Platte River all the way to the Nebraska border during the next two weeks. One person died and total damage was estimated at around 120 million dollars.

In 1978…heavy wet snow of around 24 inches collapsed an office and hotel building in Boulder. Many cars were abandoned in the city. Denver received 14 inches of heavy wet snow with Evergreen and Golden reporting 12 inches. Snowfall totaled 12.4 inches at Stapleton International Airport with a total accumulation of snow on the ground of 8 inches due to melting. Southeast winds gusted to 23 mph on the 5th. Temperatures both days remained in the lower to mid 30’s.

6

In 1876…heavy snow fell during the night and ended during the morning…but no amount was recorded. Light hail fell briefly during the late afternoon. Precipitation for the day totaled 1.05 inch which would give an estimated snowfall of nearly 11 inches had all of the precipitation been snow.

In 1889…northwest winds were sustained to 45 mph in the city.

In 1893…heavy snow of 8.9 inches fell over downtown Denver. Once on the ground…the snow melted rapidly. This was the only snow of the month. Northwest winds were sustained to 20 mph.

In 1904…west winds were sustained to 45 mph with an extreme velocity to 46 mph.

In 1914…an apparent dry microburst produced sustained north winds to 44 mph with gusts as high as 50 mph.

In 1920…a thunderstorm produced hail and 0.55 inch of rain. The hail of unknown size covered the ground.

In 1921…thunderstorm winds were sustained to 42 mph with gusts to 44 mph. Rainfall was only 0.17 inch.

In 1936…a light to moderate duststorm moved in from the east on southeast winds and lasted most of the day. The dust reduced the visibility to two miles at times. Winds from the northwest sustained to 21 mph swept the dust out of the city during the late afternoon.

In 1966…a funnel cloud was sighted for 7 minutes to the southwest of Stapleton International Airport. The funnel appeared to be picking up dust from the ground…but was too distant to tell. No damage was reported.

In 1968…a thunderstorm wind gust to 53 mph was recorded at Stapleton International Airport.

In 1988…high winds raked the state. Wind gusts ranged from 60 to 80 mph in Boulder…Aurora…and at centennial airport. South-southwest winds to 53 mph were recorded at Stapleton International Airport. Across metro Denver…the strong winds knocked windows out of buildings…downed power poles and wires and some fences…unroofed several buildings…and damaged signs.

In 1997…strong winds from a dry microburst blew an empty 18-wheeler on its side in the northbound lane of I-25 north of Denver near the Brighton exit. There were no injuries. West winds gusted to 46 mph at Denver International Airport.

6-7

In 1873…snowfall totaled 8.9 inches in downtown Denver. Most of the snow fell on the 6th.

7

In 1904…west winds were sustained to 48 mph with gusts to 60 mph. A shower produced 0.16 inch of rain.

In 1953…a microburst caused a brief wind gust to 58 mph at Stapleton Airport.

In 1958…3/4 inch diameter hail fell over south metro Denver… 10 miles southwest of Stapleton Airport.

In 1977…baseball size hail damaged windows in Wheat Ridge. Hail was 4 inches deep on the ground in Arvada. Hail 3/4 to 1 inch diameter fell in Westminster and Kittredge.

In 1990…a fast moving cold front produced wind gusts of 40 to 60 mph. Brighton reported a wind gust to 57 mph…while north wind gusts to 44 mph were measured at Stapleton International Airport.

In 1995…severe thunderstorms struck Aurora. Hail piled 4 to 5 inches deep in the vicinity of Quincy Reservoir in south Aurora. Lightning struck an Aurora police communications tower causing significant malfunction to the primary system. Minor damage was sustained when lightning struck an apartment building. Hail…up to 1 1/4 inches in diameter…while soft and slushy…accumulated up to 6 inches deep in 15 minutes. Many streets were closed for an hour or more due to flooding caused by heavy rain and melting hail stones. Some trees were stripped of their leaves. Hail as large as 1/2 inch diameter was measured at Denver International Airport where a funnel cloud was sighted.

In 2003…a tornado touched down briefly near Bennett…but did no reported damage.

In 2005…severe thunderstorms produced 3/4 inch hail near Brighton and a thunderstorm wind gust to 60 mph near Fort Lupton.

In 2014…Severe thunderstorms produced large hail, from 1 to 1 1/2 inches in diameter, across parts of Arvada, Broomfield, Dacono, Northglenn and Thornton.

7-8

In 1958…rainfall totaled 2.50 inches at Stapleton Airport.

8

In 1873…a very light rain fell until 5:00 am…when it turned into light snow and sleet and was accompanied by brisk northeast winds. The snow froze as it fell… Breaking the telegraph lines in many places. Precipitation totaled only 0.14 inch in the city.

In 1883…a severe rain and hailstorm struck the city. In 25 minutes the hail was 5 inches deep in the vicinity of the weather office in downtown Denver and reported as deep as 10 to 12 inches in other parts of the city. Gutters were blocked by the hail…and many cellars were flooded. Precipitation from the storm was 1.90 inches with the total for the day recorded at 2.02 inches. The size of the hail was not recorded.

In 1988…a wind gust to 68 mph was recorded at Echo Lake. Northwest winds gusted to 35 mph at Stapleton Airport.

In 1995…high winds of unknown strength blew a camper shell from the back of a pickup truck near Fort Lupton. North winds gusted to 49 mph at Denver International Airport.

In 1996…1 to 2 inch diameter hail was measured in Lochbuie northeast of Denver. Bean size hail fell in Brighton. The large hail fell from severe thunderstorms to the northeast of metro Denver.

In 2003…tornadoes touched down briefly near Brighton… Watkins…and Strasburg…but did no reported damage. Hail to 3/4 inch in diameter was measured near Hudson.

8-9

In 1957…intense heavy rain caused flash flooding on toll gate creek in Aurora where 3 people were killed in a car. Up to 4 inches of rain fell in 5 hours in the Toll Gate Creek basin. The rain also caused flash flooding on sand creek in Aurora and Denver. Rainfall totaled 3.29 inches at Stapleton Airport with most of the rain…2.34 inches… Occurring on the 9th.

» Click here to read the rest of May 6 to May 12: This week in Denver weather history

Following three days of wet, unsettled weather, we now put together three days of mild, dry and calm conditions. The weekend will be a very nice one with only a slight chance for thunderstorms late in the period.

For Friday, sunny skies will be the rule with only a few clouds in the evening. Winds will be light, conditions calm. Highs today will top out right around the 70 degree mark. Tonight, skies remain mostly clear with lows in the mid-40s.

Saturday will be the warmest day of the three days with highs in the upper 70s. We will have a few clouds but nothing that should be too intrusive. Saturday night into Sunday morning, skies will be partly clear with lows in the mid to upper 40s.

The pleasant weather continues on Sunday. Mostly sunny skies will be above with highs in the low to mid-70s. There will be a slight chance for an evening thunderstorm.

Have a fantastic weekend and enjoy that weather!

April 29 to May 5: This week in Denver weather history

May can bring a variety of conditions from snow and cold to severe thunderstorms and flooding rains. Looking back at this week in Denver weather history we see where all of those events have made an appearance in our past.

From the National Weather Service:

28-29

In 1950…snowfall totaled 6.3 inches at Stapleton Airport…but only 3.5 inches over downtown Denver.

In 1960…heavy snow fell at Stapleton Airport where 8.6 inches of snow were measured. North winds gusted to 38 mph. Most of the snow…6.9 inches…fell on the 29th.

29

In 1898…apparent thunderstorm winds were sustained from the southwest to 58 mph with gusts to 66 mph.

In 1909…north winds were sustained to 44 mph behind an apparent cold front. These were the strongest measured winds of the month that year.

In 1962…heavy snowfall totaled 6.4 inches at Stapleton Airport where northeast winds gusted to only 17 mph. Snow fell all day…but the most on the ground was only 1 inch due to melting.

In 1991…two men were struck by lightning while golfing in cherry hills just south of Denver. The two received only minor burns. Shortly afterward…lightning struck a home in cherry hills village several times…leaving numerous holes in the roof. No injuries were reported.

In 1993…localized strong winds occurred at Jefferson County Airport near Broomfield where gusts to 63 mph were recorded. The strong winds were the result of a probable microburst.

In 2000…several severe thunderstorms producing large hail and destructive winds rumbled across northern metro Denver. Thunderstorm wind gusts reached 81 mph near Hudson with hail as large as 3/4 inch in diameter at Longmont. Several homes and vehicles sustained damage. The strong winds uprooted trees and downed utility poles…causing scattered outages. Lightning sparked a house fire in Boulder. The fire damaged a portion of the roof and a bedroom on the third floor. Thunderstorm winds gusted to 53 mph at Denver International Airport.

In 2003…lightning struck a chimney at a residence in Hiwan in Evergreen…sending stones flying as far as 150 feet. Electrical equipment in some nearby homes also failed. Damage to the residence…in addition to electrical equipment…was estimated at 100 thousand dollars. Severe thunderstorms produced large hail to 1 inch in diameter near Hudson and Sedalia and to 3/4 inch near Parker. Hail as large as 1 3/4 inches was measured 9 miles north of Sedalia.

In 2014…high winds occurred east of Interstate 25. Peak wind gusts included: 71 mph just north of Strasburg; 68 mph at Denver International Airport; 62 mph near Elizabeth; 58 mph at Front Range Airport in Watkins and 11 miles east of Parker.

29-30

In 1964…several weeks of dry weather and windy conditions across the Great Plains to the east caused noticeable suspended dust to invade metro Denver. At Stapleton International Airport east winds gusted to 28 mph and visibility was reduced to 5 miles.

In 1989…a late season snowstorm dropped 2 to 4 inches of snow across metro Denver with 6 to 12 inches in the foothills. Snowfall totaled 3.9 inches at Stapleton International Airport where northeast winds gusted to 23 mph and the greatest snow depth on the ground was 2 inches due to melting.

In 1991…a pacific storm dumped heavy wet snow across metro Denver. The foothills were hit the hardest where snowfall amounts ranged from 16 inches at Evergreen to 5 inches at Idaho Springs. Lower elevations of metro Denver received 5 to 9 inches of snowfall with 5 inches in Boulder and 7.0 inches at Stapleton International Airport where northeast winds gusted to 25 mph. The weight of the snow caused power lines to fall and tree limbs to snap…producing power outages in parts of Denver…Aurora…and Westminster.

In 1999…heavy snow fell overnight in the foothills above 7500 feet elevation. Snowfall totals included: 13 inches near Rollinsville…10 inches near Evergreen…8 inches at Blackhawk and Nederland…and 7 inches at Conifer. Only rain fell across the city with 2.13 inches recorded at Denver International Airport.

29-2

In 1954…a major storm dumped 10.1 inches of snowfall at Stapleton Airport. Most of the snow…7.5 inches…fell on the 29th and 30th. The maximum snow depth on the ground was 5 inches on the 30th due to melting. No strong winds accompanied the storm.

30

In 1896…northwest winds were sustained to 55 mph with gusts as high as 64 mph in the city.

In 1960…the minimum temperature dipped to 22 degrees at Stapleton Airport. The sub-freezing cold damaged fruit trees and some other crops in the area.

In 1967…west winds gusted to 51 mph at Stapleton International Airport. Winds were strong and gusty across all of metro Denver.

In 1972…hail 1/2 to 3/4 inches in diameter fell at Stapleton International Airport. Northwest winds gusted to 35 mph.

In 1980…a cold air funnel touched down several times near Louisville.

In 1983…mothball-size hail fell in Wheat Ridge.

In 1992…the all-time highest recorded temperature in April… 90 degrees…occurred. This is also the earliest 90 degree reading for the season. In addition…the temperature dipped to a low of only 56 degrees…setting a record high minimum for the date.

In 1995…hail…up to 3/4 inch in diameter…fell at Denver International Airport. The hail was soft…lasted for only 8 to 10 minutes…and caused no damage.

In 2002…drought conditions started to have an effect on greater metro Denver. April…normally the third snowiest month of the year in Denver averaging just over 9 inches of snow…ended with only a trace of snow…ranking the month… Along with previous Aprils…the 2nd least snowiest on record. The month ended with only 0.23 inch of liquid precipitation making the month the 3rd driest on record. Mountain snowpack was less than half of normal for this time of year. A statewide drought emergency was declared by the governor.

In 2003…a small tornado touched down 10 miles east of Hudson… But did no damage. Hail as large as 3/4 inch in diameter fell in Aurora near Cherry Creek.

In 2004…post-frontal upslope flow produced light snowfall across metro Denver. Snowfall was 4.0 inches at Denver Stapleton…while the temperature hovered in the lower 30’s all day. The high temperature was only 33 degrees…a record low maximum for the date. The low temperature of 30 degrees was not a record. North winds gusted to 20 mph at Denver International Airport.

» Click here to read the rest of April 29 to May 5: This week in Denver weather history

One final day of the cool and wet weather. We’ll see a healthy dose of rain this morning but then this afternoon things will start to settle down and perhaps a bit of sun will appear.

We start out under cloudy skies then by about 1:00pm should start to see coverage break and slowly clear into tonight. Rain will be pretty persistent in the morning then ease in the afternoon and become more scattered in coverage. Temperatures will remain cooler than normal starting off a bit chilly and then reaching a high in the mid-50s.

Tonight, any lingering showers will end entirely in the evening and skies will continue to clear. Overnight low temperatures will be in the upper 30s.

Drier and warmer weather lie ahead for Friday and the weekend.

Keep an eye on current conditions here.