It is kind of hard to get enthusiastic about writing these forecasts when it is the same thing every day. I probably should just copy and paste yesterday’s forecast and save myself some time. ?
Sunny skies are going to be the rule today with calm, dry conditions. Highs will be climbing to the low to mid-70s, 10+ degrees above average for the date.
Tonight, we remain calm with mostly clear skies above. Lows will dip to the mid-40s.
October in Thornton can bring a wide variety of weather conditions, perfect for the photographer in all of us.
The month brings the changing of the colors at Colorado’s lower elevations and it is also is typically when we see our first freeze and first snow.
Couple those facts with our usual widely varying landscapes and wildlife and we have a month that is sure to bring in plenty of photo opportunities.
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.
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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!
Temperatures continue to cool as we get further into fall and our look back at this week in Denver weather history provides some insight into the types of extreme weather that are possible this time of year. Noteworthy events include many incidences of damaging wind and some monstrous snowstorms.
From the National Weather Service:
18-23
In 2003…an extended warm spell resulted in 5 new temperature records. The high temperature of 84 degrees on the 18th equaled the record high for the date. High temperatures of 86 degrees on the 19th…83 degrees on the 21st…and 84 degrees on the 22nd were record highs for the dates. Low temperature of 49 degrees on the 23rd was a record high minimum for the date. Low temperatures during the period were in the 40’s and lower 50’s.
19-20
In 1990…an early winter storm dumped heavy snow across metro Denver. Snowfall amounts ranged from 4 to 8 inches in the foothills above 6500 feet elevation…4 to 7 inches in the Castle Rock area…and 2 to 5 inches across most of metro Denver and Boulder. Snowfall totaled 3.6 inches at Stapleton International Airport where northwest winds gusting to 48 mph kicked up some blowing dust shortly after a cold frontal passage on the 19th. However… Temperatures were warm enough to keep most roadways wet and slushy at lower elevations.
19-23
In 1906…heavy snowfall totaled 22.7 inches in the city over the 5 days. Rain changed to snow on the evening of the 19th…and snow continued through the late afternoon of the 23rd. The heaviest amount of snowfall…16.0 inches…fell from 8:00 pm on the 20th to 8:00 pm on the 22nd. The most snow on the ground was 13.3 inches on the evening of the 23rd. This was the first snow of the season and the only snow of the month. Winds during the storm were from the north at sustained speeds of 20 to 30 mph each day. Temperatures during the storm were generally in the 20’s.
20
In 1878…between 3:00 pm and 4:00 pm wind speeds averaged 48 mph with a maximum 1 minute sustained velocity to 96 mph at both 3:27 pm and 3:48 pm in downtown Denver. This is the highest sustained wind speed ever recorded in the city.
In 1986…a rare late October thunderstorm produced 3/4 inch diameter hail at Centennial Airport. Hail piled up 2 1/2 inches deep…causing some street flooding in south metro Denver.
In 2019…strong bora winds swept across the foothills and adjacent plains. Peak gusts included: 82 mph…3 miles southwest of Rocky Flats; 78 mph near White Ranch Open Space; 75 mph near Genesee and Georgetown; with 63 mph at Firestone. At Denver International Airport…a peak gust of 49 mph was observed from the west.
20-21
In 2007…a storm system brought heavy snow to the southern Denver suburbs as well as the Palmer Divide south of Denver. Storm totals included: 7.5 inches near Castle Rock…Lone Tree and Greenwood Village…with 6.5 inches at Elizabeth. Snow drifts up to 2 feet deep were observed 6 miles south-southwest of Elizabeth. In the Denver Stapleton area…2.0 inches of snow was observed.
In 2009…heavy snow developed along the Palmer Divide south and southeast of Denver as a storm system tracked across southern Colorado and northern New Mexico. Storm totals included: 15 inches…15 miles north of Elizabeth…9 inches…5 miles south-southwest of Arapahoe Park; 8 inches in Highlands Ranch…5 miles south- southeast of Sedalia; 6.5 inches…8 miles southwest of Bennett and 6 inches in Parker. At Denver international… Only 1.5 inches of snowfall was observed.
20-22
In 1936…5.5 inches of snow fell over downtown Denver. Most of the snow…4.5 inches…fell on the 20th.
21
In 1920…the rare event of snow from a thunderstorm occurred in the city during the evening. Brilliant flashes of lightning and loud peals of thunder were first noted at 7:35 pm. Light rain began falling at 8:30 pm…and light moist snow began falling a few minutes later. Some soft hail was also seen falling with the rain and snow…but both melted almost as fast as they fell. The hail only continued for a few minutes…and the rain and snow ceased about 9:40 pm. The snowfall was the first to occur in Denver this season. The amount of precipitation at the station measured only 0.01 inch…but heavier amounts were reported from other parts of the city. Snowfall was only a trace.
21-22
In 1978…heavy rain on the 21st changed to snow by daybreak on the 22nd and continued the rest of the day. This was the first measurable snowfall of the season…but totaled only 1.7 inches at Stapleton International Airport where east winds gusted to 29 mph. While only a trace of snow covered the ground…precipitation totaled 1.27 inches.
22
In 1878…winds were sustained to 42 mph.
In 1887…the first measurable snow of the season occurred… Ending the longest snow-free period in Denver…232 days… Since the last snow on March 5th.
In 1947…the first snow of the season totaled only 1.6 inches. Post-frontal north winds caused temperatures to plunge from a high of 60 degrees at midnight to a low of only 30 degrees 24 hours later. This was the only snow of the month.
In 1985…high winds gusting from 60 to 80 mph buffeted the Front Range foothills. The strongest reported wind gust was 89 mph in eastern Boulder. A treehouse east of Boulder was set on fire by a downed power line. Two people in Boulder were injured. A woman broke her arm when the strong winds knocked her to the ground. A carpenter in the city suffered a severely cut hand while he was trying to repair a roof that was being torn from a building. At Stapleton International Airport…northwest winds gusted to 41 mph.
In 2001…west-northwest winds gusting as high as 54 mph warmed the temperature to a high of 70 degrees at Denver International Airport.
22-23
In 1914…post-frontal rain changed to snow. Precipitation totaled 2.72 inches…most of which was in the form of moist snow which melted as it fell in the business section of the city. About 3 inches of snow was measured on lawns in the residential areas on the morning of the 24th. Official snowfall totaled only 0.4 inch downtown… But an estimated 8.0 inches of snow melted as it fell. North to northeast winds were sustained to 29 mph with gusts to 30 mph on both days.
In 1975…a vigorous cold front moving across metro Denver followed by strong northeast winds gusting to 52 mph produced billows of blowing dust and plunged the temperature 21 degrees in an hour. The surface visibility was reduced to 1/4 mile in blowing dust at Stapleton International Airport. The temperature cooled from a daily record high of 81 degrees to a low of 38 degrees by day’s end. The first snowfall of the season totaled 2.7 inches on the 23rd. This was the only measurable snow of the month at Stapleton International Airport.
In 1995…heavy snow fell on the Palmer Ridge south of Denver and in the foothills west of Denver where snow amounts ranged from 4 to 8 inches. Sedalia…south of Denver… Received 8 inches of snow. Winds strengthened on the plains and produced blizzard conditions…reducing surface visibilities to less than 1/4 mile. I-70 was closed from just east of Denver at Gun Club Road to the Kansas border. Ten inches of snow fell at Strasburg east of Denver where north winds at sustained speeds of 35 to 45 mph with gusts as high as 60 mph produced 2 to 4 foot drifts. Snowfall totaled only 2.2 inches at the site of the former Stapleton International Airport. North winds gusted to 51 mph at Denver International Airport.
Continue reading October 20 to October 26: This Week in Denver Weather History
Certainly snow begins to enter the equation as we get further into the season and our look back at Denver weather history for the week shows many such notable events. Others including damaging winds and even a tornado and monstrous hail storm.
From the National Weather Service:
11-13
In 1892…apparent post-frontal rainfall totaled 3.33 inches in downtown Denver over the 3 days. A trace of snow on the 12th melted as it fell. Rainfall of 2.58 inches on the 12th into the 13th was the greatest 24-hour precipitation ever recorded during the month of October. Northwest winds were sustained to 48 mph with gusts as high as 55 mph on the 12th.
12-13
In 2001…overnight peak wind gusts to 82 mph and 70 mph were measured atop Niwot Ridge and Squaw Mountain… Respectively.
12-14
In 1969…record breaking extremely cold temperatures for so early in the season occurred. The high temperature of 26 degrees on the 13th was two degrees lower than the previous record minimum temperature of 28 degrees for the date set in 1885. The high temperature of 24 degrees on the 12th exceeded the record low temperature (22 degrees set in 1885) for the date by only 2 degrees. In addition… 3 new record low temperatures for the dates were set. The low temperature dipped to 10 degrees on the 12th breaking the old record (22 degrees in 1885) by 12 degrees. On the 13th the mercury plunged to a low of 3 degrees breaking the old record (28 degrees in 1885) by 25 degrees. On the 14th the temperature reached a minimum of 4 degrees breaking the old record (25 degrees in 1966) by 21 degrees.
13
In 1990…strong downslope winds stirred up clouds of dust and gravel…rattled windows…and stripped autumn-colored leaves from trees in Boulder. A wind gust to 78 mph was clocked in southwest Boulder…while a 96 mph gust was recorded in northwest Boulder. West winds gusted to only 36 mph at Stapleton International Airport.
13-14
In 1910…light smoke from nearby forest fires drifted over the city.
In 1966…the first measurable snow of the season caused widespread damage to trees and shrubs. The heavy wet snow totaled 6.9 inches at Stapleton International Airport where north-northwest winds sustained at 20 to 25 mph and gusting to 45 mph caused much blowing and drifting snow. South and east of Denver…up to a foot of snow fell. Heavy wet snow accumulations followed by freezing temperatures and strong winds resulted in extensive damage to trees…cars… And utility lines by falling limbs. A woman was killed by a falling snow laden tree limb in Denver. Several other people received minor injuries from falling tree limbs.
In 1987…rain drenched metro Denver. The South Platte Canyon area southwest of Denver received the most with 1.11 inches at Kassler and 1.49 inches upstream at Strontia Springs. At Stapleton International Airport…0.62 inch of rain was measured…northwest winds gusted to 29 mph…and thunder was heard.
In 2007…a new 24-hour record of 2.65 inches of precipitation was set at Denver International Airport for the month of October; breaking the previous record of 2.58 inches set in 1892.
13-16
In 1873…smoke from several large forest fires in the mountains made the air very hazy in the city.
14
In 1952…the first measurable snowfall of the season left 1.2 inches of snow at Stapleton Airport. North winds gusted to 38 mph.
In 1974…rain changed to snow early in the day…but snowfall totaled only 1.0 inch at Stapleton International Airport where northeast winds gusted to 20 mph.
In 2021…very strong wind gusts developed over the higher mountain areas. Peak wind gusts atop Berthoud Pass ranged from 90 to 104 mph. At Denver International Airport…a peak wind gust to 41 mph was observed from the northwest.
15
In 1871…a terrible wind occurred during a snow storm in the foothills above Boulder. Damage was minor.
In 1878…high winds reached sustained speeds of 60 mph at times.
In 1911…post-frontal northwest winds were sustained to 41 mph with gusts to 43 mph.
In 1948…strong winds struck the Boulder area. Winds averaged 50 mph at Valmont just east of Boulder. Wind gusts in excess of 60 mph were recorded at the Boulder airport. Wind gusts to 40 mph briefly reduced the visibility to 1 1/2 miles in blowing dust at Stapleton Airport.
In 1980…a rare October tornado touched down in Boulder… Damaging a vocational training building and throwing three nearby cars together damaging them extensively. A mile and half away several camper vehicles were thrown 200 feet. The storm also produced 1 inch diameter hail in the Boulder area.
15-16
In 1928…a thunderstorm produced hail shortly after midnight on the 15th. Rain changed to snow by evening. Through the afternoon of the 16th…the heavy snowfall totaled 7.3 inches in the city. North winds were sustained to 23 mph on the 15th.
In 1984…the heaviest October snowstorm in several years hit eastern Colorado with a vengeance. The storm was known as the “Bronco Blizzard” since it occurred during a nationally televised Monday Night Football game in Denver. One to two feet of snow fell near the foothills in west metro Denver with 2 to 3 feet in the foothills. Wind gusts up to 55 mph whipped the snow into drifts as high as 4 feet. The storm closed schools…roads…and airports. I-70 was closed both east and west of Denver. I-25 was closed south to Colorado Springs. Flights were delayed for several hours at Stapleton International Airport. Power outages were widespread. Snowfall totaled 9.2 inches at Stapleton International Airport where north winds gusting as high as 40 mph caused frequent surface visibilities of 1/4 to 1/2 mile in moderate to heavy snow and blowing snow overnight. The high temperature of only 35 degrees on the 15th was a record low maximum for the date.
Continue reading October 13 to October 19: This Week in Denver Weather History
Wind is arguably one of the most annoying weather conditions and as our look back at this week in Denver weather history shows, it is often present this time of year. We also notice some decent shots of snow, including one in 2005 that brought nearly a foot to the Mile High City.
From the National Weather Service:
6
In 1900…northwest winds were sustained to 40 mph with gusts as high as 50 mph in downtown Denver.
In 1903…northwest winds were sustained to 40 mph with gusts to 50 mph. The strong winds warmed the temperature to a high of 71 degrees in the city. The low reading was only 46 degrees.
In 1910…light smoke from forest fires drifted over the city.
In 1976…an arctic cold front brought light snow over the foothills above 6 thousand feet. Traffic was snarled at many locations. Only a trace of snow fell at Stapleton International Airport where rainfall totaled 0.20 inch and northeast winds gusted to 41 mph.
In 1991…the brilliant orange sunset was apparently the result of an extensive volcanic smoke layer in the upper atmosphere.
In 1994…strong west to northwest winds developed in the foothills above 9500 feet. A wind gust to 78 mph was recorded atop squaw mountain west of Denver and to 72 mph at Ward northwest of Boulder. Northwest winds gusted to 35 mph at Stapleton International Airport.
In 2011…strong winds developed in and around the Denver area ahead of an approaching storm system. At the National Wind Technology Center…peak wind gusts ranged from 79 to 92 mph during the early morning hours. Across metro Denver…the strong winds toppled a few trees and damaged patio furniture. The wind caused a few flight delays at Denver International Airport due to a partial ground stoppage of incoming flights. Peak wind reports also included: 66 mph at Cedar Point…63 mph at Denver International Airport…60 mph at Buckley Air Force Base; 59 mph at Highlands Ranch; 58 mph at Deer Trail and Rocky Mountain Metro Airport in Broomfield; 55 mph at Bennett…Centennial Airport and City Park in Denver.
7
In 1903…north winds were sustained to 40 mph with gusts to 48 mph.
In 1917…post-frontal northwest winds were sustained to 45 mph with gusts to 52 mph. Rain was mixed with a trace of snow…the first of the season. Precipitation totaled 0.22 inch and included the occurrence of hail… Even though no thunder was heard.
In 1950…strong winds caused a power outage in Boulder. This was the heaviest windstorm since January. Damage was minor. Northwest winds gusted to only 35 mph at Stapleton Airport.
In 1985…strong Chinook winds buffeted the Front Range foothills. Wind gusts between 60 and 70 mph were reported in Boulder and atop Squaw Mountain west of Denver. Southwest winds gusted to 41 mph at Stapleton International Airport.
7-8
In 1990…the season’s first snow occurred. Snowfall amounts varied from 3 to 7 inches across metro Denver. Snowfall totaled 4.0 inches at Stapleton International Airport where north winds gusted to 29 mph.
8
In 1923…southeast winds were sustained to 44 mph with gusts to 47 mph. The strong winds persisted through the afternoon. The high temperature of 77 degrees was the warmest of the month that year.
In 1975…a wind gust to near 100 mph was recorded in Boulder. Frequent wind gusts to 60 mph were reported along the foothills causing only minor damage. West winds gusted to 45 mph at Stapleton International Airport.
8-9
In 2017…an early season snowstorm produced heavy wet snow which broke branches and downed power lines. About ninety-eight thousand outages occurred in Denver and the surrounding metro area. Almost half the outages were very short…while 54210 were sustained outages that lasted longer than five minutes. Some however lasted for several hours. Snow amounts varied greatly along the Interstate 25 Corridor. West of I-25…storm totals included: 7.5 inches in Arvada…7 inches in Broomfield…6 inches Boulder and Louisville…with 5 inches at Ralston Reservoir. East of I-25…storm totals ranged from a trace to 4 inches. In the mountains and foothills…storm totals included: 12.5 inches near Genesee…10 inches at Eldorado Springs… Idledale and Nederland…with 8.5 inches near Jamestown.
9
In 1910…light smoke from forest fires in the mountains was sighted over the city.
In 1982…northwest winds gusted to 49 mph at Stapleton International Airport.
9-10
In 2005…a major winter storm brought heavy…wet snowfall to the Front Range mountains…eastern foothills…portions of metro Denver…and the palmer divide. Snow accumulations ranged from 8 to 26 inches with drifts from 3 to 4 feet in places. The heaviest snow occurred to the east and southeast of the city…closing most major highways in that area…including I-70 from Denver to Limon. The Red Cross opened four shelters for people who were stranded along I-70 in eastern Colorado. Since many trees had not yet shed their leaves…the storm caused significant tree damage. One woman in Denver was killed when a tree branch… 8 to 10 inches in diameter…snapped under the weight of the heavy…wet snow and struck her as she was shoveling her driveway. Xcel Energy reported power outages to about 35 thousand customers. Several incoming flights were delayed at Denver International Airport. Snow totals included: 16 inches in the foothills near Boulder…12 inches at Genesee and near Golden…22 inches near Watkins…19 inches near Bennett…17 inches southeast of Aurora…14 inches near Parker…13 inches near Castle Rock…12 inches in Centennial… 11 inches in Parker…and 10 inches at Denver International Airport and in Littleton. While many areas of metro Denver received heavy snow…others experienced almost entirely rain. This included west and northwest metro Denver…Boulder…and Longmont. Rainfall amounts were significant as storm totals ranged between 1.50 and 2.50 inches. The steady rainfall triggered 3 rockslides in foothills canyons. Two of the slides occurred on State Highway 119 in Boulder Canyon and the longest slide…7 feet in length…on State Highway 74 in Bear Creek Canyon at Idledale. North winds were sustained to around 23 mph with gusts to 31 mph at Denver International Airport on the 9th. The high temperature of only 34 degrees on the 10th was a record low maximum for the date. The low temperature on both days was 32 degrees.
In 2019…a vigorous winter like storm system brought intense northerly winds and the cold front blasted through the urban corridor. Peak wind gusts from 50 to 60 mph accompanied the front. Some trees in Denver were uprooted by the strong winds. Light rain and drizzle overnight…changed over to the season`s first snow during the predawn hours of the 10th. Bands of moderate to heavy snow brought 2 to 6 inches of snow in the Front Range mountains…foothills and urban corridor. The morning commute was especially hazardous as falling temperatures froze wet roads. Multiple crashes occurred including: I-25 in Denver…I-70 from Denver west to the Eisenhower Tunnel and State Highway 285 towards Fairplay. Over 300 crashes were reported in Denver and Aurora alone. After reaching a maximum temperatures of 83 degrees on the afternoon of the 9th…the temperature plummeted to 13 degrees on the 10th. A temperature change of 70 degrees…the second largest 2-day swing for the month of October in Denver weather history.
Continue reading October 6 to October 12: This Week in Denver Weather History
Mother Nature can be so fickle. While September brings the start of autumn, she was intent on keeping summer rolling along and in doing so, delivered mercury readings well above normal.
The month was a calm one, lacking much of any kind of drama beyond the temperatures. We started out very warm and dry for the first three days then, finally, a little bit of relief arrived. Temperatures cooled a bit and we received a nice shot of rain on the 4th and 5th.
For the next two weeks, dry conditions dominated with no precipitation. Over the period temperatures remained well above normal.
Finally, on the 21st, we saw some relief and temperatures on the 21st and 22nd were only in the 60s. We also received a welcome shot of rain totaling 0.81 inches.
Temperatures rebounded on the 23RD and dry weather continued through the end of the month.
In the end, Thornton saw an average temperature for September 2024 of 67.9 degrees. This was far above the running 17-year average for the month of 64.2. In fact, it was Thornton’s warmest September over the period. Temperatures in Thornton ranged from a high of 93.1 degrees on the 3rd down to a low of 42.7 degrees on the 23rd.
For Denver, as measured at Denver International Airport, the month was a good bit warmer recording an average of 70.0 degrees. This too was far above the month’s average of 64.8 degrees. Further, it put September 2024 into the books as the Mile High City’s warmest September on record.
Thornton really only saw two rain events but both were pretty decent ones, dropping 1.26 inches into the rain bucket for the month. That was a bit below our September average of 1.48 inches.
Denver recorded very similar numbers with 1.24 inches of precipitation. This was just shy of the Mile High City’s September average of 1.35 inches.
Neither Thornton nor Denver recorded any snow during September 2024.
Click here to view Thornton’s complete September 2024 climate summary report.
With the first full month of fall here, October usually brings one of the quietest weather months in the Denver area with plenty of mild, sunny days and clear, cool nights.
October is historically the second sunniest month and conditions are generally calm.
However we also will usually see our first taste of winter during the month with the first freeze and first snowfall of the season. Temperatures as well will start to drop and by the end of the month the average nighttime lows are below freezing.
For complete details on our historical October weather and what we can expect in the coming month, read our complete October weather preview here.
The month of September is typically one of the more pleasant months in Colorado. Temperatures are usually comfortable and there is not normally a lot of weather drama. That however does not mean there aren’t plenty of photo opportunities.
Wildlife is still quite active along the Front Range and flowers will hold on to their petals for at least the first part of the month. Then of course there is the weather which you never know what to expect. Thunderstorms, heavy rain, and even snow are a possibility.
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.
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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!
It may be the end of September, but Mother Nature is intent on keeping the summer heat coming.
As measured at Denver International Airport, Denver hit a high temperature today of 92 degrees. This ties the record high for September 29 last set in 1892.
The Mile High City also tied the record for the warmest low temperature for the date. The mercury only descended to 61 degrees, tying the record mark last set in 1981.
Here in Thornton, we matched DIA with a high of 92 degrees. We were, however, a good bit cooler with a low of 55 degrees. At Stapleton, where historical Denver weather records were taken from 1950 to 1995, the high was 90 degrees and the low 56 degrees.
While it appears Denver will escape September snow, our look back at this week in weather history shows that isn’t always the case. Additionally, while not common, even early fall can bring severe weather with damaging wind, lightning and even tornadoes.
From the National Weather Service:
28-29
In 1959…one of the heaviest September snow storms of record began as rain and changed to heavy wet snow. The storm caused heavy damage to trees and shrubbery…which were still in full leaf. The storm dumped 10.6 inches of snow at Stapleton Airport…the third heaviest September snow amount to date. Falling trees and limbs disrupted traffic…broke power and communication lines…and damaged buildings and cars. One man was killed in Denver by a falling tree limb…and four others died of heart attacks while shoveling snow or trying to move heavy tree limbs. Direct costs of the storm for cleaning up debris…repairing utility lines…and damage to buildings and other property across all of eastern Colorado were estimated to be over a half million dollars. The value of trees destroyed or damaged was estimated to exceed five million dollars. North-northeast winds gusted to 32 mph at Stapleton Airport on the 28th.
In 1985…an unusually cold air mass for this time of year settled over the area. Metro Denver received 8 to 12 inches of powdery snow. The 8.7 inches of snow that fell at Stapleton International Airport was the first measurable snow of the season and the city’s heaviest September snowfall since 1971. The snow caused flight delays of over 2 hours at Stapleton International Airport. I-70 was closed for a time west of Denver. Snow-laden tree limbs snapped over all of metro Denver…causing widespread power outages. Ten thousand people were without electricity for a time in Boulder. The morning of the 29th saw mid-winter temperatures along the Front Range. The temperature dipped to 17 degrees…the lowest temperature ever recorded in September in Denver. The high temperature of only 29 degrees on the 29th was a new record low maximum for the date and lowest ever recorded during the month of September. The low temperature of 21 degrees on the evening of the 28th set a new record low for the date. The cold weather persisted through the 1st with record minimum temperatures of 25 degrees set on the 30th and 27 degrees set on October 1st.
29
In 1966…a vigorous cold front moved thru metro Denver. North winds gusting to 51 mph kicked up billows of blowing dust…which briefly reduced the visibility to 1 mile at Stapleton International Airport. The cold air caused temperatures to drop rapidly from a high of 86 degrees to a low of 46 degrees by days end.
In 1985…the lowest temperature ever recorded in September… 17 degrees…occurred. The high temperature warmed to only 29 degrees…the all-time record low maximum for the month.
In 1994…the temperature reached a high of 91 degrees at Stapleton International Airport. This was the 60th day of the year that the temperature had reached 90 degrees or more…establishing a new record at that time. The previous record of 52 “90 degree days” occurred in 1978. Only 43 “90 degree days” were recorded at Denver International Airport during 1994.
In 1995…lightning struck a couple in Aurora as they were walking in the rain. The bolt struck the umbrella the man was carrying…injuring both the man and his wife.
In 2000…late afternoon thunderstorms produced strong wind gusts to 76 mph in Westminster…to 69 mph near Boulder…and to 60 mph at Jefferson County Airport near Broomfield. No damage was reported.
In 2014…a storm system that moved through the area produced large hail and street flooding in parts of metro Denver and then spread east into the plains. The storm also caused multiple accidents. A semi became detached from a trailer… blocking traffic on westbound Interstate 70 west of Tower Road. Downed power poles blocked a roadway on CO 79 near Bennett…at mile marker 10. In addition to the damaging winds…the storms produced large hail…from nickel to golfball size across southern and eastern portions of metro Denver. The hailstorm was the most damaging of the 2014 summer season…with insured losses that topped 213 million dollars. Insurance claims included 29297 automobile claims worth more than 87.2 million dollars and 14287 property claims for 126 million dollars…ranking the storm as the eighth most expensive to hit the state. At Denver International Airport…1.01 inches of rainfall was recorded which was the greatest 24-hr rainfall for the date. In addition…a peak wind gust to 38 mph was observed at the airport
In 2015…severe thunderstorms developed over the foothills of Boulder County and Jefferson Counties…then moved south along the western suburbs of Denver. Areas north of Golden… around Lakewood and into northern Douglas County saw the heaviest rain and hail. The hail ranged in size from nickel to ping pong size
30
In 1898…south winds were sustained to 41 mph with gusts to 54 mph.
In 1940…a late season thunderstorm in the city caused one lightning death.
In 1944…the month ended with a trace of rain on this date and for the month. A trace of rain also occurred on the 4th…9th…and 10th. There was no measurable precipitation for the month. The total of a trace of precipitation for the month equaled the driest September on record first set in 1892.
In 2009…a trained spotter in Coal Creek Canyon…recorded a peak wind gust to 88 mph.
30-1
In 1959…heavy snowfall totaled 5.9 inches at Stapleton Airport. Winds were light.
Continue reading September 29 to October 5: This Week in Denver Weather History