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Denver Climatological Preview - January 2008 |
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A Preview of Denver's January's Weather - The Coldest Month of the Year
Just how cold can January get? The record low temperature for each day of the month is at least 10 degrees below zero. In addition it is not uncommon for the mercury to drop below the freezing mark every night of the month. During the days, the normal high for every day of the month is either 43 or 44 degrees so it never really warms up much. Indeed, the coldest temperature ever recorded in Denver was 29 degrees below zero on January 9th 1875. That isn’t to say though that it can’t get warm – record high temperatures for the month have hit into the 70’s. Interestingly enough, even though January is the coldest month of the year there is usually not an abundance of inclement weather. It is the second driest month of the year in terms of total precipitation and only the 5th snowiest month. In the not so distant past, an exception to this was in January 1992 when 24.3 inches of snow fell making it the snowiest January in Denver history. Just last year Denver officially had 15.9 inches of snow (15.0 inches in Thornton) which made it the eighth snowiest January. January weather can be extremely variable but that of course is a characteristic of any month in Denver. Cold blasts of arctic air usually bring several light snows and sub-zero temperatures to the area. However, chinook winds that warm temperatures into the 50s and 60s are also common. These winds may blow as high as 100 miles per hour in and near the foothills. Boulder and the surrounding area often find themselves under high wind warnings. Chinooks are far more common than blizzards during January. January 2007 was a noteworthy month in Thornton weather history as the snow that began the month before continued. We received 8.2 inches above the 7.7 January normal which as we mentioned, made it the eighth snowiest Denver January. The month also finished as the eighth coldest in history with an average temperature of only 20.8 degrees – 8.4 degrees below normal. Despite the cool weather, no temperature records were set that month. Those cold temperatures did however cause the snow to linger for a very long time on side streets and in yards. Click here to see the January 2007 climate summary.
As it stands today, Thornton has received 23.6 inches of snow while the official Denver measurement at Stapleton is at 26.4 inches. This is just slightly above the normal for Denver of 25.6 inches through the end of December. The average total annual snowfall for Denver is 61.7 inches (July through June) but we of course have the two snowiest months yet to come – March and April. Overall snowpack levels for the state are at 106% which is good but it is important to note that the South Platte River Basin from which much of the metro area draws their water (including Thornton) is only at 91% of normal. January 2008 Outlook The National Weather Service 30-day outlook model indicates that January 2008's temperatures will be slightly above normal. The models favor at or slightly above normal precipitation for January 2008. It should also be noted that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration still expects below normal precipitation for much of Colorado for the next 90 days. Indeed, Klaus Wolter of NOAA says, “My experimental forecast guidance for the late winter season (January-March 2008) continues to show a pervasive tendency for dry conditions over the full domain. Half of Colorado, and most of Arizona and New Mexico appear most likely to experience a dry season, raising the specter of renewed drought in currently drought-free regions.” For More Information Temperature Normals and Extremes for January Monthly Temperature, Rainfall and Snowfall Extremes for January
* Historical weather statistics gathered from the National Weather Service's Denver / Boulder forecast office data archives. |
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As we finish what has been a relatively wet December, cold and dry are the key words to remember when it comes to January. The month is the coldest of the year and the second driest as well. 