March 2017 weather recap: An extraordinarily warm month for Thornton

March 2017 was anything but typical for the Colorado Front Range.  Temperatures were well above normal and perhaps most notably, no measurable snow was recorded – a rarity for March.

Warm and windy weather dominated our weather for the first three weeks of the month.  While only one record temperature was recorded, the overall warmth led to Denver seeing its third warmest March on record.  The last week of the month finally brought about change resulting in cooler temperatures and some much-needed precipitation.

Thornton’s overall average temperature for March was 48.3 degrees.  Out at DIA where the Mile High City’s official temperature measurements are taken, it was slightly cooler with an average of 47.9 degrees.  Both were far above the long-term March average of 40.4 degrees.

Temperatures in Thornton ranged from a high of 81.7 degrees on both the 18th and 19th.  Our coldest reading of the month came on the first of the month with a low of 16.8 degrees.  Denver saw its warmest temperature of 81 degrees on the 18th and its low of 14 on the first.

In terms of precipitation, Denver averages 0.92 inches during the month of March. Both Thornton and Denver were right near that average with 0.93 and 0.90 inches recorded in their respective rain buckets.

Snow was one thing that was severely lacking.  Denver only recorded a trace and Thornton had no measurable snowfall during the month of March.  As one of our snowiest months, Denver averages 10.7 inches of snow during March so we were far off the mark this year.  This is only the third time in record Denver weather history that so little snow has been recorded.

Top 10 least snowiest Marches in Denver:

  • Trace: 2017, 2012, 1995
  • 0.3 inches: 1883
  • 0.4 inches: 1911
  • 0.5 inches: 1885
  • 1.1 inches: 1887
  • 1.8 inches: 2004
  • 2 inches: 1882
  • 2.1 inches: 1982

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

Thornton, Colorado's March 2017 Temperature Summary.
Thornton, Colorado’s March 2017 Temperature Summary.
Thornton, Colorlado's March 2017 Precipitation Summary.
Thornton, Colorlado’s March 2017 Precipitation Summary.

From the National Weather Service:

CLIMATE REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER/BOULDER CO
244 AM MDT SAT APR 1 2017

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

...THE DENVER CO CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR THE MONTH OF MARCH 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              84   03/26/1971
 LOW              -11   03/28/1886
HIGHEST            81   03/18        84      -3       74  03/11
LOWEST             14   03/01       -11      25       10  03/24
AVG. MAXIMUM     64.0              54.4     9.6     54.9
AVG. MINIMUM     31.9              26.4     5.5     28.3
MEAN             47.9              40.4     7.5     41.6
DAYS MAX >= 90      0               0.0     0.0        0
DAYS MAX <= 32      0               1.9    -1.9        1
DAYS MIN <= 32     16              23.6    -7.6       21
DAYS MIN <= 0 0 0.1 -0.1 0 
PRECIPITATION (INCHES) 
RECORD
 MAXIMUM 4.56 1983
 MINIMUM 0.03 2012 
TOTALS 0.90 0.92 -0.02 0.90 
DAILY AVG. 0.03 0.03 0.00 0.03 
DAYS >= .01         6               5.9     0.1        9
DAYS >= .10         3               2.4     0.6        2
DAYS >= .50         0               0.3    -0.3        0
DAYS >= 1.00        0               0.1    -0.1        0
GREATEST
 24 HR. TOTAL    0.45   03/24 TO 03/24           03/23 TO 03/23
                                                          03/23 TO 03/23
                                                          03/23 TO 03/23
 STORM TOTAL       MM                                 MM
 (MM/DD(HH))            MM                    03/23(00) TO 03/23(00)
                                                 03/23(00) TO 03/23(00)3
                                                 03/23(00) TO 03/23(00)3

SNOWFALL (INCHES)
RECORDS
 TOTAL             MM   5
TOTALS              T              10.7

DEGREE_DAYS
HEATING TOTAL     523               763    -240      716
 SINCE 7/1       4325              5202    -877     4704
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              12.0
RESULTANT WIND SPEED/DIRECTION   3/241
HIGHEST WIND SPEED/DIRECTION    46/290    DATE  03/07
HIGHEST GUST SPEED/DIRECTION    60/290    DATE  03/07

SKY COVER
POSSIBLE SUNSHINE (PERCENT)   MM
AVERAGE SKY COVER           0.60
NUMBER OF DAYS FAIR            3
NUMBER OF DAYS PC             22
NUMBER OF DAYS CLOUDY          6

AVERAGE RH (PERCENT)     43

WEATHER CONDITIONS. NUMBER OF DAYS WITH
THUNDERSTORM              0     MIXED PRECIP               1
HEAVY RAIN                0     RAIN                       4
LIGHT RAIN                8     FREEZING RAIN              0
LT FREEZING RAIN          0     HAIL                       0
HEAVY SNOW                0     SNOW                       5
LIGHT SNOW                5     SLEET                      0
FOG                       6     FOG W/VIS <= 1/4 MILE      2
HAZE                      2

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

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