17 and still going – the heat wave continues

17 days - the 90 degree streak continues.This is beginning to sound like a broken record – pun intended. 🙂 As for Tuesday our streak of consecutive 90 degree days hit 17, moving us into a tie for second place. Assuming today reaches 90 degrees or more – and it almost certainly will – we will then tie the record that has been set twice previously (in 1901 and 1874).

An end in sight? Not yet. High pressure continues to hold over the area and temperatures are most likely going to actually climb to near 100 on Friday and through the weekend. Beyond that it is hard to say but things aren’t looking good to cool down anytime soon.

Certainly this streak is significant but we haven’t reached records for “hottest summer” just yet. Thus far we have had 34 days this year of 90+ degree temperatures. The number 10 slot for most 90+ degree days in a summer is held by 1960 when there were 50 days. The most? 2000 when there were 61.

Click here to view the updated statistics about our current streak and historical streaks.

16 days with 90+ degrees, the record certain to be broken

As on Monday, Denver has seen 16 consecutive days with 90 degrees or higher temperatures.  There was some hope the streak might be broken today but that quickly vaporized as we reached 95 degrees.

The current streak moves into a tie for fourth (with 2000).  The record of 18 days consecutive set in 1901 and 1874 is looking to be sure to be broken before the heat eases.  The next couple of days will see us remain in the mid 90’s and by Thursday and Friday we will be in the upper 90’s (possibly 100).  The weekend shows no relief with temps well into the 90’s as well.  At the current time it looks like we will thouroughly eclipse the 18 day record and there is no end in sight at this time.

Click here to view the updated statistics about our current streak and historical streaks.

August Preview – Summer coming to an end

August 2008 Weather PreviewAs summer vacations wind down and families prepare to send kids back to school in August, Colorado weather also starts to settle down.  The chances for severe weather decrease markedly during August and by the end of the month daytime temperatures are dropping quite a bit as well.  For more information on what to expect in August, click here to view our August 2008 Preview.

Editor’s note:  Somehow we forgot to post the July 2008 preview last month and we apologize for our error.  Should you wish to read it, it is posted here.

12 days and counting – the 90 degree streak continues

The 90 degree streak continues.As of today, Thursday, we are at 12 consecutive days with 90 plus degrees.  Unfortunately there doesn’t appear to be an end in sight although some coming days may drop just below the 90 degree mark.

Friday we can expect 91 degrees, Saturday 93, and Sunday 94.  Monday is currently looking to be around 90 so maybe the streak will end then – keep your fingers crossed! Continue reading 12 days and counting – the 90 degree streak continues

What are those zones?

National Weather ServiceRecently we were asked what are the “zones” that the National Weather Service uses and what is their purpose. This is a very good question.

The National Weather Service in Boulder breaks down Colorado (and other states) into various zones for use when issuing forecasts, watches, warnings, etc. If you look at the text of these, you will see something like this:

SHORT TERM FORECAST
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER CO
1125 AM MDT MON JUL 07 2008

COZ040-041-043-045-071930-

Notice the part in bold. That tells you which zones are affected by the warning – in this case, the CO of course means Colorado.  The “Z” part tells you zones 40, 41, 43 and 45 are affected. So what zone do you live in? In general, if you are in the Denver metro area, you are in either zone 39 or zone 40. You can click here for a PDF map of all Colorado zones.

Sentinel revisits 1981 Thornton tornado

On June 3, 1981 a tornado struck Thornton in what is the worst twister to have struck the Denver metro area. Image courtesy the City of Thornton archives.

I always tell the story of me being in 6th grade at Hillcrest Elementary in Northglenn on June 3, 1981.  Sitting at our desks the principal comes over the intercom and announces that all students need to get under their desks.  I look outside and see that it is dark as night – at least it seemed to be to a scared 12 year old! 

Not long after, a tornado touched down a few miles away along Washington Street in Thornton destroying 25 homes and injuring 53 people. 

In a recent series on the history of Washington Street, the Northglenn-Thornton Sentinel revisited that day and the damage the tornado caused.  It is fascinating reading whether you have lived here long enough to remember it or not. 

Click here to read the article (3MB PDF). 

The heat is on, the fire danger is high!

As we head into the hot days of summer, the lack of moisture begins to drive the fire danger up. Tuesday we are expecting highs temperatures to reach 93 in the Denver metro area before a brief cool down begins but by Saturday those temps will be back up to the mid-90’s.

Much of the western slope once again finds itself under Red Flag Warnings. Frisco in Summit County and Guffey in Park County have recently battled small blazes. With the long holiday weekend approaching, lots of folks will be heading to the high country. More people means there is a greater chance for fire so everyone should be careful.

A grass fire burns near Wiggins, CO.Closer to the Front Range, while we are not currently under any fire related advisories, we are still very dry and the danger exists. Just yesterday a grass fire near Wiggins quickly blew up and consumed 2,500 acres and took six hours to contain.

Please be aware of the danger and leave the fireworks to the pros! Remember that fireworks are illegal in Thornton and can get you a $1,000 fine if you are caught using them.