July 2017 weather recap: Thornton sees average temps but little precipitation

The month of July might have seemed quite hot but in fact mercury readings were right near normal. What likely caused the misconception is the fact that we saw far less than normal rain.

High pressure did dominate for much of the month and while monsoonal flow did bring rain to eastern Colorado, it largely missed our area.  The Palmer Divide and southeastern Colorado were beneficiaries for much of the month but for us it wasn’t until the last week that we saw relief.

Thornton’s average temperature for the month came in at 74.1 degrees.  This is almost exactly matches Denver’s long-term July average of 74.2 degrees.  Out at DIA where the Mile High City’s official temperatures are taken, it shows a far warmer month with an average of 76.4 degrees.

Temperatures here ranged from a maximum of 99.2 degrees on the 19th down to a low of 50.1 degrees on the morning of the 1st.  Out at the airport, their highest reading was actually 100 degrees seen on the 6th and again on the 19th.  The low out there was 51 degrees on the 1st.

On average Denver receives 2.16 inches of precipitation during July.  Both Thornton and Denver fell far short of that mark.  We managed to record 0.61 inches in our bucket during the month, more than half of which fell on the second to last day of the month. At DIA, Denver recorded 0.47 inches.

Click here to view Thornton’s July 2017 climate report.

Thornton, Colorado's July 2017 temperature summary. (ThorntonWeather.com)
Thornton, Colorado’s July 2017 temperature summary. (ThorntonWeather.com)
Thornton, Colorado's July 2017 precipitation summary. (ThorntonWeather.com)
Thornton, Colorado’s July 2017 precipitation summary. (ThorntonWeather.com)

From the National Weather Service:

CLIMATE REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER/BOULDER CO
656 AM MDT TUE AUG 1 2017

...................................

...THE DENVER CO CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR THE MONTH OF JULY 2017...

CLIMATE NORMAL PERIOD 1981 TO 2010
CLIMATE RECORD PERIOD 1872 TO 2017

WEATHER         OBSERVED          NORMAL  DEPART  LAST YEAR`S
                 VALUE   DATE(S)  VALUE   FROM    VALUE  DATE(S)
                                          NORMAL
................................................................
TEMPERATURE (F)
RECORD
 HIGH             105   07/20/2005
 LOW               42   07/04/1903
                        07/31/1873
HIGHEST           100   07/19        99      -5      102  07/10
                        07/06
LOWEST             51   07/01        51       9       51  07/12
AVG. MAXIMUM     91.5              89.4     2.1     92.0
AVG. MINIMUM     61.3              58.9     2.4     60.5
MEAN             76.4              74.2     2.2     76.2
DAYS MAX >= 90     20              16.0     4.0       22
DAYS MAX <= 32      0               0.0     0.0        0
DAYS MIN <= 32      0               0.0     0.0        0
DAYS MIN <= 0 0 0.0 0.0 0 
PRECIPITATION (INCHES) 
RECORD
 MAXIMUM 6.41 1965
 MINIMUM 0.01 1901 
TOTALS 0.47 2.16 -1.69 1.07 
DAILY AVG. 0.02 0.07 -0.05 0.03 
DAYS >= .01         6               8.3    -2.3        6
DAYS >= .10         3               4.3    -1.3        4
DAYS >= .50         0               1.4    -1.4        1
DAYS >= 1.00        0               0.7    -0.7        0
GREATEST
 24 HR. TOTAL    0.15   07/21 TO 07/21           07/01 TO 07/01
                                                          06/30 TO 07/01
                                                          07/01 TO 07/01

SNOWFALL (INCHES)
RECORDS TOTAL      0.0
 TOTALS            0.0 2017         0.0

DEGREE_DAYS
HEATING TOTAL       0                 6      -6        0
 SINCE 7/1          0                 6      -6        0
COOLING TOTAL     360               289      71      356
 SINCE 1/1        533               444      89      544

FREEZE DATES
RECORD
 EARLIEST     09/08/1962
 LATEST       06/08/2007
EARLIEST                        10/07
LATEST                          05/05
..................................................

WIND (MPH)
AVERAGE WIND SPEED              9.6
RESULTANT WIND SPEED/DIRECTION   3/204
HIGHEST WIND SPEED/DIRECTION    45/120    DATE  07/15
HIGHEST GUST SPEED/DIRECTION    53/120    DATE  07/15

SKY COVER
POSSIBLE SUNSHINE (PERCENT)   MM
AVERAGE SKY COVER           0.50
NUMBER OF DAYS FAIR            6
NUMBER OF DAYS PC             21
NUMBER OF DAYS CLOUDY          4

AVERAGE RH (PERCENT)     45

WEATHER CONDITIONS. NUMBER OF DAYS WITH
THUNDERSTORM              9     MIXED PRECIP               0
HEAVY RAIN                0     RAIN                       3
LIGHT RAIN                9     FREEZING RAIN              0
LT FREEZING RAIN          0     HAIL                       0
HEAVY SNOW                0     SNOW                       0
LIGHT SNOW                0     SLEET                      0
FOG                       3     FOG W/VIS <= 1/4 MILE      1
HAZE                      3

-  INDICATES NEGATIVE NUMBERS.
R  INDICATES RECORD WAS SET OR TIED.
MM INDICATES DATA IS MISSING.
T  INDICATES TRACE AMOUNT.

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