March 3 to March 9: This Week in Denver Weather History

The month of March sometimes brings with it some of our most interesting weather with a wide variety of conditions possible. Our look back at this week in Denver weather history showcases this fact as we see damaging, high wind events, monster snow storms, and even thunderstorms.

From the National Weather Service:

2-3

In 1901…strong northwest winds raked the city for 2 days. On the 2nd…winds were sustained to 55 mph with gusts to 62 mph. The Chinook winds warmed the temperature to a high of 72 degrees…a record maximum for the date. On the 3rd…winds were sustained to 61 mph with gusts as high as 65 mph. The high temperature was 59 degrees.

In 1964…heavy snowfall of 6.3 inches was measured at Stapleton International Airport. East winds gusted to only 20 mph behind a cold front.

In 1978…5.0 inches of snowfall were measured at Stapleton International Airport where northeast winds gusted to 24 mph on the 2nd. The passage of a cold Canadian front kept temperatures only in the teens and 20’s on the 2nd after a high temperature of 33 degrees shortly after midnight. The temperature…after a morning low of 3 degrees below zero…climbed to only 14 degrees on the 3rd…setting a record low maximum for the date.

2-4

In 1963…heavy wet snow was accompanied by strong gusty winds across metro Denver. Snowfall totaled 11.6 inches at Stapleton Airport where north winds gusting to 44 mph caused much blowing and drifting snow. Hazardous driving conditions resulted in many traffic accidents.

In 1976…snowfall totaled 8.0 inches at Stapleton International Airport where…on the 4th…northeast winds gusted to 31 mph reducing the visibility to as low as 1/4 mile. Maximum snow depth on the ground was 7 inches. Nine inches of snow were measured in Boulder.

3

In 1875…six inches of snow fell in Georgetown.

In 1895…northwest bora winds were sustained to 45 mph with gusts to 58 mph in the city.

In 1966…cold northwest wind gusts of 50 to 90 mph occurred across metro Denver. Both cars and trucks were blown off an icy highway just east of Denver where some highways were closed by either blowing dust or blowing snow. A northwest wind gust to 43 mph was recorded at Stapleton International Airport. The strong winds caused limited minor damage.

In 1972…winds gusted to 55 mph in Boulder causing no reported damage. West winds gusted to 49 mph at Stapleton International Airport.

In 1985…snow struck metro Denver. Heaviest hit was Boulder where 6 to 8 inches were measured. Icy roads caused the closure of I-25 north and south of Denver due to traffic accidents. The snow also caused long delays at Stapleton International Airport where snowfall totaled only 2.6 inches.

In 1997…west winds gusted to 52 mph at Denver International Airport.

3-4

In 1932…a dust storm occurred on the 3rd during the late afternoon. North winds gusting as high as 38 mph behind a cold front kicked up much blowing dust. Light snow developed during the evening and continued through the early morning of the 4th. Snowfall totaled 2.7 inches.

In 1934…strong winds raked Boulder. A wind gust to 62 mph was recorded at Valmont just east of Boulder. The strong winds caused hundreds of dollars of damage in Boulder.

In 1981…the most vigorous snow storm of the season struck the state…closing many schools and most highways connecting Denver…Colorado Springs…and Limon. North winds gusting to 43 mph whipped nearly 10 inches of snow in Denver into 3-foot drifts and snarled traffic on the morning of the 4th. Snowfall totaled 9.8 inches at Stapleton International Airport.

In 1989…a storm dumped 2 to 6 inches of snow across metro Denver. The snow caused 2-hour air traffic delays at Stapleton International Airport where 3.0 inches of snow fell and north winds gusted to 23 mph on the 3rd. There were many traffic accidents across metro Denver. I-70 was closed east of Denver for a time on the 3rd.

In 1991…high winds raked the eastern foothills. Wind gusts of 60 to 90 mph were common with 119 mph recorded at Wondervu southwest of Boulder…106 mph on Shanahan Ridge and 92 mph at Table Mesa…both in southwest Boulder. Several trees were uprooted and traffic signs and lights blown over. Flying debris caused damage to homes… Buildings…and cars.

In Boulder…a stop sign was blown onto a car. There were no reports of injuries. Southwest winds gusting as high as 48 mph briefly reduced the prevailing visibility to as low as 1/16th mile in blowing dust at Stapleton International Airport on the 4th.

3-5

In 1961…snowfall totaled 8.3 inches at Stapleton Airport over the 3-day period with most of the snow…4.4 inches… Falling on the 3rd. Winds were generally light gusting to only 23 mph.

4

In 1887…snowfall was only 0.1 inch. This was the earliest last measurable snow of the season.

In 1971…a wind gust to 102 mph was recorded at the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder. A wind gust to 83 mph was measured at the National Bureau of Standards. In downtown Boulder…sustained winds reached 35 mph with gusts as high as 57 mph. No significant damage was reported. West winds gusted to only 28 mph at Stapleton International Airport.

In 1982…brief heavy snow accompanied by a few thunderstorms struck metro Denver. Lightning struck a house in Arvada setting it afire. The thunderstorm produced 5 inches of snowfall in a 2-hour period in Wheat Ridge. The snow made roads very icy and slick causing a 59-car pile-up on I-70 in north Denver. Snowfall with thunder totaled only 1.3 inches at Stapleton International Airport.

In 1997…a fast moving pacific storm produced heavy snow in the foothills. Snowfall at Conifer measured 9 inches. Only light snow fell elsewhere over metro Denver. Snowfall totaled only 1.2 inches at the site of the former Stapleton International Airport. North northeast winds gusted to 28 mph at Denver International Airport.

4-5

In 1971…heavy post-frontal snowfall totaled 7.7 inches at Stapleton International Airport where north winds gusted to 28 mph.

In 1992…snow spread from the mountains into the eastern foothills where 19 inches fell in Coal Creek Canyon. Rain fell over lower elevations of metro Denver with 1.12 inches of precipitation recorded at Stapleton International Airport and only one half inch of snow. North winds gusted to 32 mph.

In 2004…snowfall totaled 1.8 inches at the Denver Stapleton site. This was the only measurable snowfall of the month. Northeast winds gusted to 29 mph at Denver International Airport.

» Click here to read the rest of March 3 to March 9: This Week in Denver Weather History

The month of March in Denver is usually one that is welcomed heartily by residents. We begin to shake off the cold of winter with warmer temperatures and calmer conditions. That does not mean we are done with snow and cold by any means.

March usually offers healthy snowfall giving us an opportunity to add to our seasonal totals.  While there is good snow potential in March, the month also typically brings much warmer temperatures.

March is historically Denver’s snowiest month and brings about 20% of our annual snowfall.  Heavy, wet spring snow storms can oftentimes bring the entire month’s snowfall total in one monstrous snow.

We also start the transition to spring and severe weather season and the month typically brings our first thunderstorms of the year.  Temperatures climb throughout the month and by the end our average daytime highs are near 60 degrees.

For a complete look at what lies ahead in March 2018, click here.

Colorado Flood Safety and Wildfire Preparedness Week, March 3 – 9, 2019.

Floods and wildfires are arguably the two most common disasters Coloradans face with numerous such events occurring each year.  To better prepare residents for the danger of these disasters, this week is Colorado Flood Safety and Wildfire Preparedness Week.

Each day this week the National Weather Service will be posting public information statements covering a number of different topics about floods and wildfires.  These important messages should be required reading for all Coloradans so they know what to do to prepare for these events and handle them when they occur.

ThorntonWeather.com will be posting each of these messages as a service to our readers.  The first of these messages is below.  Check back each day this week for further topics.

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BOULDER CO
600 AM MDT SUN MARCH 3 2019

Flood and wildfire season is approaching…know your risks…make your plans…improve your outcome…

The National Weather Service wants everyone in the United States to be part of a Weather-Ready Nation. Colorado has more than its fair share of floods, flash floods, and wildfires. You should be weather alert and weather-ready, knowing how to stay safe when floods and wildfires affect your area.

Now is the time to learn about flood and wildfire risks in Colorado, and to develop your plans to improve your outcome.

Flood-prone areas have been identified in over 250 cities and towns and in all 64 counties in Colorado. Over 250 thousand people live in floodplains in Colorado. There are estimated to be 65 thousand homes and 15 thousand commercial, industrial, and business structures in identified floodplains. There are likely many more structures located within unmapped flood hazard areas. The value of the property, structures, and contents located in the identified floodplains is estimated to be around 15 billion dollars.

Floods and flash floods have killed over 400 people in Colorado since the turn of the 20th century. The historic weather pattern of September 2013 reminds us all that floods are a major concern across the Centennial state. Floods have caused billions of dollars of damage in Colorado.

On average, 2500 wildfires occur across Colorado each year. Since 2012, 8 people have been killed when wildfires occurred in the wildland-urban interface.

The National Weather Service forecast offices which serve Colorado will issue a series of public information statements during this Flood Safety and Wildfire Preparedness Week…covering the following topics…

Sunday…Introduction to the week
Monday…Flood watches and warnings
Tuesday…River floods
Wednesday…Flash floods
Thursday…Fire forecasts…watches…and warnings
Friday…Wildfire safety and mitigation
Saturday…Review of the week

More information on floods and wildfires is available at your local National
Weather Service web sites…

http://www.weather.gov/denver NWS Dnver/Boulder web site
http://www.weather.gov/pueblo NWS Pueblo web site
http://www.weather.gov/goodland NWS Goodland web site
http://www.weather.gov/gjt NWS Grand Junction web site

Colorado Flood Safety and Wildfire Preparedness Week

• Colorado Flood Safety and Wildfire Preparedness Week Introduction
• Types of Floods
• Long Time Frame Flooding
• Flash Flooding
• Wildfire Awareness
• Wildfire Safety and Mitigation
• Colorado Flood Safety and Wildfire Preparedness Week in Review

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
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ThorntonWeather
• Google+: https://plus.google.com/+Thorntonweather
• 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.