There would be no break from the hot and dry summer of 2012 in August as records continued to tumble and the ground remained parched. While a few cold fronts provided some relief, they were short-lived and high pressure dominated during the month.
Denver recorded an average temperature of 75.0 degrees which was 2.5 degrees above normal. This ties August 1994 as the 5th warmest August since record keeping began in 1872.
In all, 20 days recorded high temperatures at or above 90 degrees at Denver International Airport. By the end of the month 2012 moved into the record books as having the most seasonal 90 degree days of any year (66 as of 8/31). Highs ranged from 98 degrees on the 3rd, 6th, 9th, and 27th to a low of 47 degrees on the 17th.
Here in Thornton our average temperature was quite a bit cooler, although still above average in comparison to recent years. Thornton’s average for the month came in at 72.7 degrees.
Thornton recorded 17 days of 90 degree or hotter high temperatures. Our hottest temperature was 96 degrees which occurred on the 27th and 29th. The coldest temperature recorded was 48 degrees on the 17th and 19th.
Precipitation continued to elude the Mile High City as a mere 0.11 inch fell into the rain bucket during the month, and that all came in a single day. This was far below the normal of 1.68 inches for August and put 2012 into the books as the 4th driest August on record.
Thornton fared only slightly better on the precipitation front as we recorded 0.31 inch of rain. As with Denver, that total came all in a single day, the 1st of the month.
More on ThorntonWeather.com:
August 2012 Graphs
Denver’s Official August 2012 Climate Summary
...THE DENVER CO CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR THE MONTH OF AUGUST 2012...
CLIMATE NORMAL PERIOD 1981 TO 2010
CLIMATE RECORD PERIOD 1872 TO 2012
WEATHER OBSERVED NORMAL DEPART LAST YEAR`S
VALUE DATE(S) VALUE FROM VALUE DATE(S)
NORMAL
................................................................
TEMPERATURE (F)
RECORD
HIGH 105 08/08/1878
LOW 40 08/26/1910
08/25/1910
08/24/1910
HIGHEST 98 08/27 87 11 99 08/25
08/03
08/06
08/09
LOWEST 47 08/17 40 7 55 08/20
AVG. MAXIMUM 91.0 87.2 3.8 92.7
AVG. MINIMUM 58.9 57.9 1.0 61.3
MEAN 75.0 72.5 2.5 77.0
DAYS MAX >= 90 20 11.5 8.5 22
DAYS MAX = .01 1 8.6 -7.6 3
DAYS >= .10 1 4.3 -3.3 1
DAYS >= .50 0 1.2 -1.2 0
DAYS >= 1.00 0 0.3 -0.3 0
GREATEST
24 HR. TOTAL 0.11 08/11 TO 08/11 08/03 TO 08/03
SNOWFALL (INCHES)
RECORDS
TOTAL 0.0 NO SNOW EVER RECORDED IN AUGUST
TOTALS 0.0 NO SNOW EVER RECORDED IN AUGUST
DEGREE_DAYS
HEATING TOTAL 0 10 -10 0
SINCE 7/1 0 16 -16 0
COOLING TOTAL 319 244 75 382
SINCE 1/1 1122 688 434 863
FREEZE DATES
RECORD
EARLIEST 09/08/1962
LATEST 06/08/2007
EARLIEST 10/07
LATEST 05/05
..................................................
WIND (MPH)
AVERAGE WIND SPEED 9.9
RESULTANT WIND SPEED/DIRECTION 3/217
HIGHEST WIND SPEED/DIRECTION 38/330 DATE 08/30
HIGHEST GUST SPEED/DIRECTION 45/330 DATE 08/30
SKY COVER
POSSIBLE SUNSHINE (PERCENT) MM
AVERAGE SKY COVER 0.50
NUMBER OF DAYS FAIR 8
NUMBER OF DAYS PC 22
NUMBER OF DAYS CLOUDY 1
AVERAGE RH (PERCENT) 34
WEATHER CONDITIONS. NUMBER OF DAYS WITH
THUNDERSTORM 4 MIXED PRECIP 0
HEAVY RAIN 0 RAIN 0
LIGHT RAIN 9 FREEZING RAIN 0
LT FREEZING RAIN 0 HAIL 0
HEAVY SNOW 0 SNOW 0
LIGHT SNOW 0 SLEET 0
FOG 0 FOG W/VIS