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Fall Colors 2016: Top spots to view the golden foliage near the Front Range

The leaves in the high country are changing and certainly give meaning to the moniker 'Colorful Colorado.' (ThorntonWeather.com)
The leaves in the high country are changing and certainly give meaning to the moniker ‘Colorful Colorado.’ (ThorntonWeather.com)

This time of year many folks start thinking about heading to the hills west of Denver in search of gold – fall foliage gold.

Where to go?  Below are five of ThorntonWeather.com’s favorite ones near Denver – plus a few further out and some bonus ideas.  After that, we will tell you where you can find a great website that provides regular updates on viewing conditions.

 

I-70 Corridor – If you’re looking for the easiest route, then this one is for you.  Simply head west on I-70 about 110 miles to Avon.  Between Vail and Avon, both sides of I-70 are lined beautifully with aspen.

Rocky Mountain National Park – One of the most popular summer destinations in the state is of course also a prime spot to view aspen in all their glory.  Once in the park head toward Bear Lake.  Glacier Gorge Junction provides a beautiful spot and you of course also get to enjoy all the splendor that Rocky Mountain National Park has to offer.  Extend your viewing by taking Trail Ridge Road all the way through to the west side of the park and the Grand Lake and Granby area.

Peak to Peak Highway – This little road trip can be a dual purpose trip – gambling and fall foliage viewing!  Take U.S. 6 through Clear Creek Canyon and then 119 through Blackhawk and Central City.  You can of course stop there if your wallet is fat enough and donate some money to the casinos.  From there continue on 119 toward Nederland.  Take highway 72 toward Ward and Allenspark.  There you will find more golden aspen than you can imagine, all with the Continental Divide nearby.

Colorado Fall Foliage - Average Date of Peak Aspen Colors. Click for larger view. (ThorntonWeather.com)
Colorado Fall Foliage – Average Date of Peak Aspen Colors. Click for larger view. (ThorntonWeather.com)

Poudre Valley Canyon –  Heading north on I-25 take Colorado 14 west and into Poudre Canyon and Roosevelt National Forest.  As you continue west you will come very near timberline as you come to Cameron Pass.  Amazing views abound!

Guanella Pass – This is a nice, relatively short drive from Denver.  From C470 take 85 through Bailey and Conifer, a nice drive unto itself.  When you come to the town of Grant, take the Guanella Pass Scenic and Historic Byway north to Georgetown.  The air is pretty thin along the way as you climb in excess of 11,500 views through the Pike and Arapahoe National Forests.  Fair warning – about 10 miles of the road is gravel but it is well maintained.

A couple other possibilities further from the Front Range:

Leadville / Aspen – From Denver take I-70 west to Copper Mountain and then Colorado 91 south over Freemont Pass to Leadville. Along the way there are plenty of viewing opportunities and Leadville is a nice little town to make a stop. From here you can take Highway 24 north back through Minturn and Vail. To extend the drive, take Highway 24 south to Colorado 82 and head toward Aspen. You can stop by the Maroon Bells in White River National Forest to view some of the most photographed mountains in Colorado.

Cottonwood Pass – From Denver take Highway 285 to Buena Vista. Head west on Main Street for seven miles then west on County Road 344 / Colorado 82. From there you start the climb up Cottonwood Pass with absolutely stunning views from the top. If you are up for it, you can continue down the west side of the pass into the Taylor Park area. Be forewarned though that the western half of the pass is unpaved and twisty.

Honorable mentions worth considering:

  • Boreas Pass between Breckenridge and Como (County Road 10)
  • Kenosha Pass on Highway 285 between Bailey and Fairplay
  • Independence Pass (Colorado 82 between Aspen and Twin Lakes)
  • Colorado 103 from Evergreen to Echo Lake. Throw in a drive up Mount Evans for a bonus.

If you do head out, be sure to send us your pictures for inclusion in our monthly photo slideshows!

For more information:

September 18 to September 24: This week in Denver weather history

This Week In Denver Weather History
September 18 to September 24: This week in Denver weather history

The calendar may still say it is summer for a few more days but our look back at this week in Denver weather history shows that Old Man Winter can still make an appearance.

From the National Weather Service:

15-19

In 1906…rain on 5 consecutive days totaled 1.61 inches. A thunderstorm occurred on the 17th. High temperatures ranged from 48 degrees on the 16th to 65 degrees on the 15th. Low temperatures were in the lower to mid 40’s.

16-19

In 1971…a record breaking early fall snow storm caused extensive damage to trees and utility lines. The heavy wet snow occurred with little wind…but caused record breaking cold temperatures for so early in the season. Snowfall totaled 15.6 inches at Stapleton International Airport with most of the snowfall…12.0 inches…occurring on the 17th. This was the heaviest first snow of the season. The maximum snow depth on the ground was 13 inches. Record low temperatures were set on three consecutive days: 31 degrees on the 17th…23 degrees on the 18th…and 20 degrees on the 19th…which was also a new all-time record minimum for the month at that time. Record low maximum temperatures were set on 4 consecutive days: 48 degrees on the 16th…35 degrees on the 17th…40 degrees on the 18th… And 42 degrees on the 19th.

18

In 1901…northeast winds were sustained to 42 mph with gusts to 50 mph behind an apparent cold front.

In 1948…the low temperature cooled to only 69 degrees…the all-time record high minimum for the month.

In 1988…a strong cold front blasted metro Denver with high winds. Gusts reached 82 mph in Longmont and 81 mph at Jefferson County Airport near Broomfield where the winds flipped over and destroyed a small airplane. Wind gusts to 60 mph were recorded in Boulder and Wheat Ridge. West wind gusts to 54 mph were clocked at Stapleton International Airport. The strong winds downed trees and power lines and damaged homes and cars. A Longmont man was slightly injured…when a tree fell on top of his car.

In 1990…a slow moving thunderstorm over southwest metro Denver spawned an ominous looking funnel cloud near the intersection of Sheridan Blvd. and U.S. Highway 285. The funnel cloud nearly touched down a few times before lifting back into the main cloud. No damage was reported. Pea to marble size hail and 3/4 inch of rain fell over central and northeast Denver. Numerous streets and underpasses became flooded on Denver’s south side when the heavy runoff backed up storm sewers. Thunderstorm rainfall totaled 1.02 inches at Stapleton International Airport.

In 1993…a severe thunderstorm rolled through southeast metro Denver. Dime size hail was reported in many areas. Straight-line winds from the thunderstorm…measured by a weather spotter at 70 mph…tore the roof off 6 apartments of an apartment complex in Aurora. Heavy rain which accompanied the winds caused major damage to the apartments as well as the contents. Many trees…fences… And power poles were knocked down by the strong winds. Heavy rain flooded roadways in Denver and Aurora. Thunderstorm rainfall totaled 1.08 inches and north winds gusted to 44 mph at Stapleton International Airport where the visibility was briefly reduced to as low as 1/4 mile in heavy rain.

In 1996…a late summer snowstorm struck the northern mountains and Front Range eastern foothills. Golden Gate Canyon received 6 inches of new snow with 5 inches reported at both Nederland and Blackhawk. Thunderstorms produced heavy rain across metro Denver…which was mixed with snow by late evening. Rainfall totaled 0.83 inch at the site of the former Stapleton International Airport and 1.22 inches at Denver International Airport where northwest winds gusted to 39 mph.

18-19

In 1955…heavy rains caused flash flooding across portions of metro Denver. Rainfall totaled 1.71 inches at Stapleton Airport.

19

In 1955…hail stones to 2 1/2 inches in diameter were reported north of Denver. The large stones broke many automobile windshields.

In 1963…hail to 3/4 inch in diameter fell in Westminster.

In 1983…an unusually strong cold front roared through metro Denver during the afternoon hours. At Stapleton International Airport…the temperature dropped 51 degrees… From a sunny 86 degrees to a snowy 35 degrees…in just 7 hours. Strong winds and a wall of blowing dust followed the front. Northeast winds gusting to 36 mph briefly reduced the surface visibility to 1 mile in blowing dust at Stapleton International Airport where only a trace of snow fell later.

In 1996…high winds gusting to 84 mph were measured at Golden Gate Canyon in the foothills west of Denver. West winds gusted to only 25 mph at Denver International Airport.

Continue reading September 18 to September 24: This week in Denver weather history

Thornton residents launch petition to put retail marijuana on the ballot

A majority of Thornton City Council has chosen to allow drugs into our community but a group of citizens is working to reverse that.
A majority of Thornton City Council has chosen to allow drugs into our community but a group of citizens is working to reverse that.

What to do when your elected officials ignore the will of the people?  The people take it into their own hands.

Last month, Thornton City Council voted to allow retail and medical marijuana stores in the city despite overwhelming opposition by citizens.

What they should have done, if not reject it, is at least put it on the ballot so the people could have their say.

Now a group of citizens is trying to do just that – let the people have their say. It will take 6,900 signatures to get the issue on this November’s ballot and the signatures must be turned in by Monday.  It is a tall order but not impossible.

  • Editor’s note: While we wholly support the effort to put this issue on the ballot (and deliver a slap down to city council), Thornton Weather is not involved with the effort.  We are merely getting the word out.

Below are details on where you can go to sign the petition.  With time so short, the community needs you to seek out the petition and get your name on it.  Please visit one of the locations below!

Dear fellow Thornton citizens,

About three weeks ago, in a five to four vote, our City Council passed an ordinance allowing marijuana stores and test facilities within our city. This is a link to the ordinance.

Due to the significance of this issue, we think it should be put to a citywide vote. Therefore, we are sponsoring a petition that, with enough signatures, would enable you, the voters, to have a voice in the matter.

Time is short. If the petition containing at least 6,900 signatures of registered voters living in Thornton is not submitted by September 22nd the ordinance becomes law. If you want the council to reconsider, it is imperative that you EXERCISE YOUR DEMOCRATIC RIGHTS AND SIGN THE PETITION ALLOWING THE MATTER TO BE DECIDED BY THOSE MOST AFFECTED – YOU. Make your voice heard.
(See end of message for locations to sign petition.)

Finally, PLEASE email this open letter to anyone you know who might also oppose the idea that the nine members of the city council will have final say over the future of the 100,000 people in Thornton. PLEASE give everyone a chance to exercise their constitutional rights.

You are also welcomed to visit our Facebook page for more information,https://www.facebook.com/ThorntonsVoice.

Thank you,
Arend Visher
Charles Peraino
Thornton, CO

Places to sign petition:

· THURSDAY, 15 September from 9 – 11 AM; WHERE: Carpenter Rec Center (main entrance) on 112th Ave and Colorado Blvd, Thornton, CO
· SATURDAY, 17 September, Pretty much all day; WHERE: Trailwinds Park at 13385 Holly St, Thornton, CO
· SATURDAY, 17 September in the Evening; WHERE: Crossroads Church Northglenn at 10451 Huron St, Northglenn, CO
· SATURDAY, 17 September in the Evening; WHERE: Crossroads Church Thornton at 53 E 128th Ave, Thornton, CO
· SUNDAY, 18 September in the Morning; WHERE: Crossroads Church Northglenn at 10451 Huron St, Northglenn, CO
· SUNDAY, 18 September in the Morning; WHERE: Crossroads Church Thornton at 53 E 128th Ave, Thornton, CO

Moon Phases Affect Earthquakes, Study Says

What causes earthquakes? Seismologists and other scientists have been trying to understand the geological phenomenon for centuries in a bid to come up with some sort of an effective early warning system that could save many lives. And while our understanding of earthquakes is still relatively poor, a new study links the intensity of quakes to… Continue reading Moon Phases Affect Earthquakes, Study Says

Japanese Volcano ‘25 Years Away’ from Major Eruption

Scientists are warning that one of Japan’s most active volcanoes could erupt within the next 30 years due to a buildup of magma, the BBC reports. The Sakurajima volcano is situated on Japan’s Kyushu island, only 49km from a nuclear plant and not far from the city of Kagoshima. A report by experts from the U.K.’s… Continue reading Japanese Volcano ‘25 Years Away’ from Major Eruption

Japan, Taiwain, Hong Kong In Path Of Monster Tropical Cyclone

Taiwan and mainland China were in the path of a monster tropical cyclone Tuesday night that was expected to bring heavy rains and gusts of up to 225 mph. The massive Super Typhoon Meranti grew from a Category 1 equivalent storm to a top-scale Category 5 seemingly overnight, bringing winds of 185 mph barreling toward the… Continue reading Japan, Taiwain, Hong Kong In Path Of Monster Tropical Cyclone

North Korea Floods Kill 133, Displace 107,000: U.N.

More than 130 people have died and 107,000 have been forced to flee their homes in North Korea after flooding near the border with China and Russia, according to the United Nations. Flooding of the Tumen River in the country’s northeast has killed 133 people and left 395 missing, said a U.N. statement dated Sunday, AFP… Continue reading North Korea Floods Kill 133, Displace 107,000: U.N.

September 11 to September 17: This Week in Denver Weather History

This Week In Denver Weather History
September 11 to September 17: This Week in Denver Weather History

Severe weather is less common as we enter the fall season but it is not entirely unheard of. As we see in our look back at this week in Denver weather history, we have seen everything ranging from torrential rains to tornadoes and even heavy snow.

11

In 1910…west winds were sustained to 42 mph.

In 1951…a vigorous Canadian cold front produced a dust storm across metro Denver. Northeast wind gusts to 43 mph reduced the visibility at Stapleton Airport to as low as 1 1/2 miles for nearly 5 hours. The temperature dropped 47 degrees in 8 hours…from a high of 92 degrees to a low of 45 degrees.

In 1967…a microburst wind gust to 52 mph produced blowing dust and briefly reduced the visibility to 1/2 mile at Stapleton International Airport.

In 1974…a trace of snow…the first of the season…ended the shortest period without snow…94 days from June 9th through September 10th. A trace of snow also fell on June 8th.

In 1995…strong post-frontal winds associated with a fast moving pacific cold front knocked down power poles and trees as it moved through metro Denver. Numerous power outages affected nearly one thousand people in Denver and Jefferson counties. West winds gusted to 34 mph at Denver International Airport.

11-16

In 2013…a deep southerly flow over Colorado… Ahead of a nearly stationary low pressure system over the great basin… Pumped copious amounts of monsoonal moisture into the area. In addition…a weak stationary front stretched along the Front Range foothills and Palmer Divide.  This resulted in a prolonged period of moderate to heavy rain across the Front Range foothills…Palmer Divide…urban corridor. By the 14th…storm totals ranged from 6 to 18 inches… Highest in the foothills of Boulder County. The headwaters then moved down the South Platte River and caused widespread flooding with record flood stages at several locations as it made its way downstream.  The record high flood stages resulted in widespread flooding along the South Platte River basin. The flood damage encompassed 4500 square miles of the Front Range…left 7 dead… Forced thousands to evacuate…and destroyed thousands of homes and farms. Record amounts of rainfall generated flash floods that tore up roads and lines of communication… Leaving many stranded. Nearly 19000 homes were damaged… And over 1500 destroyed. Colorado department of transportation estimated at least 30 state highway bridges were destroyed and an additional 20 seriously damaged. Preliminary assessments of the state`s infrastructure showed damage of $40 million to roads and $112 million to bridges. Repair costs for state and county roads ran into the hundreds of millions of dollars. Miles of freight and passenger rail lines were washed out or submerged… Including a section servicing Amtrak`s iconic California Zephyr. The town of Lyons was isolated by the flooding of St. Vrain creek…and several earth dams along the Front Range burst or were over-topped. Floodwaters swept through Estes Park; damaged hundreds of buildings and destroyed large sections of U.S. 34 from Loveland and U.S. 36 from Lyons to Boulder. U.S. 34 suffered the most damage… With 85 percent of its roadway and bridges destroyed. In Weld County…about nearly two thousand gas wells were damaged and had to be closed off as the floodwaters inundated entire communities. Sewage treatment plants and other utilities were knocked out in a number of towns. Governor Hickenlooper declared a disaster emergency on September 13th…in 11 counties across northeast Colorado including:  Adams…Arapahoe…Broomfield…Boulder…Denver…  Jefferson…Larimer…Logan…Morgan… Washington and Weld. By the 15th…federal emergency declarations covered those counties as well as Clear Creek County. Projected losses from the flooding statewide was nearly two billion dollars in property damage…according to Eqecat… A catastrophe modeling firm.  The damage was most severe in and around Lyons and Boulder.  More than 11 thousand people were evacuated…reportedly the largest since Hurricane Katrina. President Obama declared a state of emergency for Boulder and Larimer counties.  An additional 10 counties were added on the 16th and included: Adams… Arapahoe…Broomfield…Clear Creek…Denver…Jefferson…  Morgan…Logan… Washington and Weld counties. The president also declared a major disaster specifically for Boulder County.  There were six fatalities directly attributed to flash flooding. Two 19-yr old teenagers died on the 11th…after they were swept away by floodwaters after abandoning their car on Lindon Drive in Boulder. In Jamestown…a 72-yr old man was killed when the building he was in collapsed. An 80-yr old Lyons resident died in the early morning hours of the 12th…when his truck was swept into the St. Vrain River near his home. Later on the 12th…a 79-yr old Larimer County resident was killed when she was swept away while trying to climb to safety from her home in Cedar Point. A 61-yr old cedar point resident died when her home was swept down the Big Thompson River by the floodwaters. An 80-yr old Idaho Springs resident drowned in Clear Creek when the embankment he was standing on collapsed. In Boulder…some of the monthly records broken included: one-day all-time record: 9.08 inches which shattered the previous wettest day of 4.8 inches set on July 31… 1919; one-month record of 18.16 inches…which broke the previous all-time monthly record of 9.59 inches set in May of 1995; wettest September on record which broke the previous record of 5.5 inches set in September of 1940; one-year record of 34.15 inches broke the previous wettest year of 29.93 inches set in 1995. At Denver International Airport…the total precipitation for the month of September was 5.61 inches…which was 4.65 inches above the normal of 0.96 inches. This is the most precipitation ever recorded in Denver for the month of September. Daily precipitation records included 1.11 inches on the 12th and 2.01 inches on the 14th.

11-12

In 1974…post-frontal rain changed to snow overnight for the first snow of the season. Snowfall totaled only 1.8 inches at Stapleton International Airport where north winds gusted to 40 mph on the 11th. High temperature of only 46 degrees on the 12th set a new record low maximum for the date.

Continue reading September 11 to September 17: This Week in Denver Weather History

August 2016 weather recap: Thornton enjoys cooler than normal temps but little precip

Our August weather was a bit of a mixed bag by the two biggest standards.  On one hand, it was cooler than normal which was nice.  On the other, we saw less than half the amount of precipitation we normally see during August.

August typically is when the monsoon kicks in and we see healthy doses of precipitation.  This year however, the monsoonal flow was regularly disrupted by troughs digging in from the north and west.

  • August 2016 top shots: Monthly photo slideshow

We certainly started the month hot with three days of temperatures near or above 95 degrees.  Things then cooled down for a few days as the first trough moved through.  Warmer temperatures then returned with readings not too far off of normal for the next two weeks.  The final 10 days or so of the month then saw cooler conditions with the majority of days recording readings below normal.

Thornton’s overall average temperature for the month came in at 69.5 degrees.  That was three degrees cooler than Denver’s long term average of 72.5 degrees.  Out at the airport where Denver’s official measurements are taken, the airport split the difference with an average of 71.2 degrees.

Temperature ranged from a high of 97.2 degrees on the third of the month down to a cool 46.7 degrees on the 25th.  Denver saw a maximum of 97 degrees on the 9th and a low of 47 degrees on the 25th.  Thornton saw 14 days with highs at or above 90 degrees while Denver recorded 15.

Officially, one temperature record was made.  On the morning of the 27th the mercury at DIA dropped to 48 degrees typing the record low for the date.

In terms of precipitation, Denver averages 1.69 inches during the month of August.  Thornton saw only 0.76 inches in our rain bucket.  The airport fared even worse with only 0.22 inches making the month the eight driest August on record in Denver.

Click here to view Thornton’s August 2016 climate report.

Thornton, Colorado's August 2016 temperature summary. (ThorntonWeather.com)
Thornton, Colorado’s August 2016 temperature summary. (ThorntonWeather.com)
Thornton, Colorado's August 2016 precipitation summary. (ThorntonWeather.com)
Thornton, Colorado’s August 2016 precipitation summary. (ThorntonWeather.com)

From the National Weather Service:

CLIMATE REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER/BOULDER CO
848 AM MDT THU SEP 1 2016

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

...THE DENVER CO CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR THE MONTH OF AUGUST 2016... 

CLIMATE NORMAL PERIOD 1981 TO 2010
CLIMATE RECORD PERIOD 1872 TO 2016

WEATHER         OBSERVED          NORMAL  DEPART  LAST YEAR`S
                 VALUE   DATE(S)  VALUE   FROM    VALUE  DATE(S)
                                          NORMAL
................................................................ 
TEMPERATURE (F)
RECORD
 HIGH             105   08/08/1878
 LOW               40   08/26/1910
                        08/25/1910
                        08/24/1910
HIGHEST            97   08/09                         98  08/15
LOWEST             47   08/25                         43  08/23
                        08/20
AVG. MAXIMUM     86.3              87.2    -0.9     89.8
AVG. MINIMUM     56.2              57.9    -1.7     58.3
MEAN             71.2              72.5    -1.3     74.0
DAYS MAX >= 90     15              11.5     3.5       19
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         5.85   1979
 MINIMUM         0.02   1924
TOTALS           0.22              1.69   -1.47     1.18
DAILY AVG.       0.01              0.05   -0.04     0.04
DAYS >= .01         4               8.6    -4.6        9
DAYS >= .10         1               4.3    -3.3        4
DAYS >= .50         0               1.2    -1.2        1
DAYS >= 1.00        0               0.3    -0.3        0
GREATEST
 24 HR. TOTAL    0.12   08/24 TO 08/24           08/11 TO 08/11
                                                          08/10 TO 08/11

DEGREE_DAYS
HEATING TOTAL      15                10       5       13
 SINCE 7/1         15                16      -1       18
COOLING TOTAL     218               244     -26      304
 SINCE 1/1        762               688      74      713

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

WIND (MPH)
AVERAGE WIND SPEED              9.9
RESULTANT WIND SPEED/DIRECTION   2/173
HIGHEST WIND SPEED/DIRECTION    43/010    DATE  08/19
HIGHEST GUST SPEED/DIRECTION    55/020    DATE  08/19

SKY COVER
POSSIBLE SUNSHINE (PERCENT)   MM
AVERAGE SKY COVER           0.60
NUMBER OF DAYS FAIR            4
NUMBER OF DAYS PC             22
NUMBER OF DAYS CLOUDY          5

AVERAGE RH (PERCENT)     47

WEATHER CONDITIONS. NUMBER OF DAYS WITH
THUNDERSTORM             11     MIXED PRECIP               0
HEAVY RAIN                0     RAIN                       1
LIGHT RAIN               10     FREEZING RAIN              0
LT FREEZING RAIN          0     HAIL                       0
HEAVY SNOW                0     SNOW                       0
LIGHT SNOW                0     SLEET                      0
FOG                       5     FOG W/VIS <= 1/4 MILE      3
HAZE                      4

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

September preview: The end of summer brings one of our most pleasant months

Following on what was a cool but dry August, some are certainly hoping for a bit of precipitation.  The month can bring plenty of rain and even our first snow of the season but more often than not, it is one of the most pleasant along the Colorado Front Range.

As temperatures start to drop, September usually reminds us that summer is at an end and fall is now here. Sunshine is predominant though as the month actually has the highest percentage of sun out of any month. Sunny days and clear, cool nights are the standard weather pattern for the month.

The month can bring extremes however.  We will of course forever remember last year’s devastating floods brought on by record-setting rain.  Longtime residents might remember September 1971 which brought over 17 inches of snowfall.

Get a complete look at September’s weather and more details as to what we can expect this year here.