The best photos of 2013 as seen through ThorntonWeather.com’s lenses. View the slideshow below.
Colorado’s weather and scenery can certainly be dramatic and the past year has been no different. Armed with our camera, we captured hundreds of images and shared them with our readers.
While we are entirely amateur photographers, sometimes Colorado makes it hard to take a bad picture. Over the course of 2013 we took hundreds of photos, many of which were shared with you on Facebook, Google+ and Twitter.
Picking which of the images we liked the best was not easy. The subject matter ranged from weather to wildlife to expansive landscapes and even heavenly bodies.
As we sorted through we couldn’t help but notice the lack of real weather drama in the photos we took. While there were wildfires to our south and floods to the north, Thornton managed to escape the year relatively unscathed from Mother Nature’s wrath.
We also were unable to do any real storm chasing so severe weather imagery was lacking. Hopefully that can be rectified in 2014. 😉
When all was said and done we came up with 25 images that we thought were our best photos of the year. You can view them in the slideshow below. Leave a comment here or on our social media pages and let us know what you think.
Remember too that we love seeing your photos so be sure to share them with us!
Thornton and the Denver area closed out 2013 with a display of typically highly variable weather. We recorded some record low temperatures followed by unseasonably warm conditions. One thing that was lacking was snow.
The first three days of the month started out quite mild with highs well above normal. That changed quickly midday on the third as low pressure moved in bringing an extended Arctic blast.
For six straight days high temperatures remained stubbornly below freezing and lows dipped into the single digits. The cold snap was notable but not record-setting in terms of length. Two daily low temperature records were tied or broken however.
Warmer weather returned on the 10th as the mercury finally started to climb. Unseasonably warm temperatures became the rule for the next nine days that included a record high temperature on the 18th.
The last third of the month was a bit more variable with its ups and downs but overall warmer than normal conditions.
Overall Thornton’s monthly average temperature came in at 29.2 degrees. Out at Denver International Airport where the Mile High City’s official stats are recorded, it was a bit cooler with an average of 28.4 degrees. Both were below Denver’s December average of 30.0 degrees.
Thornton recorded nine days with high temperatures that failed to reach 32 degrees. On five days, low temperatures dropped below zero. Denver saw eight days with highs below freezing, six with lows below zero.
The warmest temperature of the month in Thornton came on the 18th when we recorded 66.8 degrees. Our coldest was -9.3 degrees on the 5th. Denver’s warmest day was on the 18th as well with a high of 68 degrees. Its lowest temperature was -15 degrees on the 5th.
Four temperature records were tied or broken in Denver.
The low temperature of -13 degrees on December 4th shattered the old record low for the date of -5 degrees last set in 2008. The following day, on December 5th, the low temperature of -15 degrees tied the record low last set in 1972.
The mild weather December 18 saw two records. The high of 68 degrees broke the previous high temperature record for the date of 66 degrees last set in 1979. Also, the day tied the record high minimum for the 18th of 40 degrees set in 1917.
Precipitation for the month of December 2013 was not as noteworthy as the temperatures. Thornton recorded only 0.24 inches in our bucket while Denver received 0.25 inches. Both were a good bit below the December average of 0.35 inches.
Snow was similarly less than extraordinary. Thornton measured 5.7 inches of the white stuff while Denver lagged that with 4.7 inches. Both totals were below the normal for December of 8.5 inches. Seasonal snowfall totals at this point are about half of what they normally are.
Thornton’s December 2013 Temperatures.Thornton’s December 2013 Precipitation.
CLIMATE REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BOULDER, CO
200 AM MST WED JAN 1 2014
...................................
...THE DENVER CO CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR THE YEAR OF 2013...
CLIMATE NORMAL PERIOD 1981 TO 2010
CLIMATE RECORD PERIOD 1872 TO 2013
WEATHER OBSERVED NORMAL DEPART LAST YEAR`S
VALUE DATE(S) VALUE FROM VALUE DATE(S)
NORMAL
................................................................
TEMPERATURE (F)
RECORD
HIGH 105 06/26/2012
06/25/2012
07/20/2005
LOW -29 01/09/1875
HIGHEST 100 07/11 64 36 105 06/26
06/11 06/25
LOWEST -15 12/05 36 -51 -6 01/11
AVG. MAXIMUM 63.9 64.7 -0.8 68.4
AVG. MINIMUM 36.3 36.3 0.0 39.3
MEAN 50.1 50.5 -0.4 53.9
DAYS MAX >= 90 54 39.6 14.4 73
DAYS MAX <= 32 29 20.0 9.0 19
DAYS MIN <= 32 169 156.9 12.1 132
DAYS MIN <= 0 11 5.8 5.2 4
PRECIPITATION (INCHES)
RECORD
MAXIMUM 23.31 1196
MINIMUM 7.29 2008
TOTALS 17.60 14.30 3.30 10.11
DAILY AVG. 0.05 0.04 0.01 0.03
DAYS >= .01 82 79.7 2.3 52
DAYS >= .10 42 34.9 7.1 23
DAYS >= .50 8 7.6 0.4 9
DAYS >= 1.00 3 2.3 0.7 1
GREATEST
24 HR. TOTAL 2.39 MM 12/31 TO 12/31
12/31 TO 12/31
12/31 TO 12/31
STORM TOTAL MM MM
(MM/DD(HH)) MM 12/31(00) TO 12/31(00)
12/31(00) TO 12/31(00)1
12/31(00) TO 12/31(00)1
SNOWFALL (INCHES)
RECORDS
TOTAL MM 5
24 HR TOTAL MM
SNOW DEPTH MM MM
TOTALS 74.1 53.8 20.3 38.5
LIQUID EQUIV 7.41 5.40 2.01 3.85
SINCE 7/1 8.1 22.5 -14.4 12.4
LIQUID 7/1 0.81 2.20 -1.39 1.24
SNOWDEPTH AVG. 0 MM MM 0
DAYS >= TRACE 60 33.3 26.7 36
DAYS >= 1.0 20 16.3 3.7 13
GREATEST
SNOW DEPTH 9 02/25 11 02/04
24 HR TOTAL 9.1 MM 12/31 TO 12/31
12/31 TO 12/31
12/31 TO 12/31
STORM TOTAL MM MM
(MM/DD(HH)) MM 12/31(00) TO 12/31(00)
12/31(00) TO 12/31(00)1
12/31(00) TO 12/31(00)1
DEGREE_DAYS
HEATING TOTAL 6302 6059 243 5198
SINCE 7/1 MM 2468 MM MM
COOLING TOTAL 999 0 999 1236
SINCE 1/1 999 769 230 1236
FREEZE DATES
RECORD
EARLIEST 09/08/1962
LATEST 06/08/2007
EARLIEST 10/07
LATEST 05/05
..................................................
WIND (MPH)
AVERAGE WIND SPEED 9.7
RESULTANT WIND SPEED/DIRECTION 2/201
HIGHEST WIND SPEED/DIRECTION 64/060 DATE 06/18
HIGHEST GUST SPEED/DIRECTION 97/040 DATE 06/18
SKY COVER
POSSIBLE SUNSHINE (PERCENT) MM
AVERAGE SKY COVER 0.60
NUMBER OF DAYS FAIR 69
NUMBER OF DAYS PC 232
NUMBER OF DAYS CLOUDY 64
AVERAGE RH (PERCENT) 52
WEATHER CONDITIONS. NUMBER OF DAYS WITH
THUNDERSTORM 0 MIXED PRECIP 0
HEAVY RAIN 14 RAIN 25
LIGHT RAIN 80 FREEZING RAIN 0
LT FREEZING RAIN 4 HAIL 0
HEAVY SNOW 11 SNOW 23
LIGHT SNOW 58 SLEET 0
FOG 105 FOG W/VIS <= 1/4 MILE 33
HAZE 88
- INDICATES NEGATIVE NUMBERS.
R INDICATES RECORD WAS SET OR TIED.
MM INDICATES DATA IS MISSING.
T INDICATES TRACE AMOUNT.
Our website is constantly changing as new features are added and old ones are updated. Check here to learn what new features have been added lately. If you have a suggestion for a new feature or changes you would like to see, please contact us and let us know!
12/24/13
Not directly weather-related but added live video feeds provided by NASA. Both are available from the Almanac > Astronomy & Space menu on the left.
NASA TV live feed – This is NASA’s television channel providing coverage of what the space agency is doing.
ISS live feed – Live video from the International Space Station. Live video of specific tasks being performed by the astronauts is shown or oftentimes live video from the station’s exterior cameras.
9/14/13
The map on our Northeastern Colorado River Heights and Flood Status page was not working due to changes in the feed from the Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service. The page has now been updated and incorporates an interactive map. It also displays river heights and flood status for locations across northeastern Colorado. You can find the page in the Almanac menu at the left.
9/11/13
We noticed our Record Weather Event page that is fed from data from the National Weather Service was not working properly. This was due to some changes by the NWS. We have fixed this now and you can always check to see what recent record-breaking weather we have experienced by selecting the Denver / Boulder office from the drop down on the page. The page itself is under the Almanac / National Weather Service menu on the left.
9/1/13
Some much-needed behind the scenes work. The computer that powers all of our weather equipment – the station software, radar, lightning detector, website, etc – was on its last leg. It served us well for 5 years and it was time to go. This weekend we replaced the computer with a brand new one with far more computing power. The upgrade will allow us to continue to bring you the best local weather information and news in Thornton.
8/12/13
Due to changes in the way the U.S. Geological Survey formats its data, we updated our earthquake pages. The new pages now use a Google map to display recent temblors. We also have two earthquake pages now: One for quakes within a 500 mile radius of Denver, and one for all earthquakes globally. You can find the pages in the Almanac menu on the left.
7/14/13
Changes to our Live Weather Gauges page. Gauges are a bit bigger and easier to read, we added a wind rose, the scrolling text display now shows the forecast and at the bottom you can select different units of measure.
6/27/13
We changed our west facing webcam orientation pointing it a bit more vertical. This will allow a better view of the skies above while still maintaining perspective of nearby trees.
9/2/12
We’ve updated our monthly tables for Denver’s “Normals, Means & Extremes” and “”Top 10″ Precipitation & Temp”. You can find them under the Almanac menu on the left then go to Climatology & Records. You can also click here.
Some time ago we added a WeatherNation TV page that allows you to view broadcasts from the network live on our site. Now we have added a National & International Video News page with the latest from NDN’s providers including CBS, AP and many more. It is available under Area Information to the left and then select Video News.
7/3/12
The National Weather Service changed their forecast pages and that necessitated changes of our page as well. While the basics are the same, we took the opportunity to do a bit of an upgrade. The page will automatically display the forecast for Thornton as always but now there is a dropdown menu that allows you to easily grab the forecast from more than a dozen other cities across Colorado. Click here to check it out or select ‘NWS 5 day forecast’ from the Forecasts menu on the left.
6/13/12
We already have a number of ways to view current weather conditions locally and from across the globe – see the Live Conditions menu at the left. One new page we added expands on that and provides conditions from Denver area METAR stations. METARs are permanent weather stations, oftentimes located at airports, that report current conditions in a standardized format (click here for details). Our METAR page reads data from locations like Denver International Airport, Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport, Buckley Air Force Base and a number of other locations and provides their reported weather conditions in an easy to view format. You can access it from the Live Conditions menu on the left or by clicking here.
6/12/12
Our Lightning Detection Center pages are among our most popular during severe weather season. We have just added a new page that uses StormVue NGX to display lightning activity. Using Flash, the display gives you the ability to zoom in and out, set alarms, choose what type of strikes to display and much more. You can check it out here or find it in the Lightning menu to the left.
6/10/12
For anyone that reads our news section or views or Facebook page, you are well aware of our fondness for satellite imagery. The ‘eyes in the sky’ can provide an amazing view of weather and disasters. We have added two new pages that allow you to view some of the most amazing imagery:
The NOAA Environmental Visualization Laboratory Image of the Day provides images on a wide variety of topics from weather to climate. We have a new page that allows you to easily view the IOTD. You can find it here or in the Almanac menu to the left.
NASA satellites and spacecraft of course take amazing imagery as well, many of which are curated by the Earth Observatory. We now feature the Natural Hazards and EO Image of the Day on a special page. You can find it here or in the Almanac menu to the left.
Santa Claus begins his whirlwind trip around the globe tonight to deliver toys to all the good little boys and girls! For more than 50 years the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) has tracked Kris Kringle on Christmas Eve and helped to ensure he completes his journey safely.
ThorntonWeather.com is pleased to be able to provide live Santa tracking from NORAD right here on our site!
For many, the holiday season isn’t complete without a chill in the air and snow on the ground. Here in Denver we historically enjoy a better chance of experiencing the proverbial white Christmas than many places in the nation.
However, how the Mile High City fares in experiencing a white Christmas does depend on your definition of one.
If it means having actual snowfall on Christmas Day the chances aren’t that good. But, if simply having snow on the ground suffices, the chances improve considerably.
Colorado’s famously inconsistent weather appears to be on full display this month. Just two weeks ago we were setting records for cold. Today we broke a record high temperature and tied the record high minimum.
At 12:59 p.m. the temperature at Denver International Airport reached 68 degrees. This broke the old record high temperature for December 18 of 66 degrees last set in 1979.
Additionally, Denver’s low temperature was 40 degrees. This tied the record low maximum for the date set in 1917.
The average high for December 18 is 42 degrees and the average low is 17 degrees.
Here in Thornton we were just slightly cooler as the mercury here topped out at 67 degrees at 12:44 p.m. Our low dropped to 39 degrees.
Thornton, Colorado temperatures during the December 2013 cold spell.
Thornton’s December 2013 Arctic blast has come to an end as the mercury finally climbed above freezing today. For nearly seven straight days we saw temperatures below 32 degrees.
Soon after noon on Tuesday, December 3 the cold front arrived along the Colorado Front Range. The mercury would plummet quickly from a high that day of 55.9 degrees and drop below freezing at 1:56 p.m.
It wasn’t until 9:12 a.m. this morning when the temperature finally climbed above 32 degrees, the rising temperatures being pushed higher by Chinook winds. In all, sub-freezing temperatures were recorded for 6 days, 19 hours and 16 minutes straight.
Looking at how the event ranks in comparison to historical Denver cold spells, it falls short of making the list of top 10 longest periods with maximum temperatures below freezing.
Number 10 on the list is a nine day streak that ended on December 25, 1983. The top spot goes to a 14 day period that ended on November 29, 1880.
Snowfall was relatively minimal however as is often the case when temperatures drop so far. Thornton measured 2.4 inches and Denver 3.1 inches.
The table below shows the high and low temperatures for Thornton and Denver during the cold spell.
Date
Thornton High
Thornton Low
Denver High
Denver Low
12/3/13
55.9
11.4
56
11
12/4/13
12.3
-4.3
11
-13 *
12/5/13
12.2
-9.3
8
-15 *
12/6/13
12.3
-6.8
8
-13
12/7/13
13.9
-6.6
9
-11
12/8/13
20.9
1.8
17
-5
12/9/13
30.5
-3.8
25
-4
12/10/13
46.9
13.2
* Record low temperatures
Denver, Colorado sub-freezing temperature streaks. (National Weather Service)
The minimum temperature at Denver International Airport dropped below zero for six consecutive days from December 4th through December 9th 2013. The longest consecutive stretch of below zero low temperatures occurred back in December of 1972. Click for a larger view. (National Weather Service)
Weather Geek Stuff is a great place to shop for gifts for weather enthusiasts, weather geeks and weather lovers.
Not everyone gets excited about blizzards, tornadoes, hurricanes and other types of extreme weather but many folks out there are passionate about Mother Nature. Weather Geek Stuff is an online shop just for those whose hearts race with the thrill of severe weather and they are offering special deals through the holiday season.
Weather Geek Stuff is an online store that provides a host of clothing items and novelties just for weather buffs. From the store’s custom ‘Weather Geek’ and ‘Weather Diva’ logoed merchandise to items imprinted with amusing weather warnings signs as well as Skywarn storm spotter logos, there is something there sure to please any weather lover.
Weather Geek Stuff’s merchandise was shown on the Weather Channel as a recommended gift so you know the quality is good. Stu Ostro, Weather Channel’s Senior Director of Weather Communications even sports a ‘Weather Geek’ t-shirt on his Facebook page and Twitter profile.
Kids and dogs aren’t left out of the weather fun either. There is a wide variety of clothing items sized just right for the little ones from babies to bigger kids. Canine companions as well can get shirts and bowls emblazoned with a weather-related logo.
The selection goes far beyond clothing too. Water bottles, clocks, mugs, bags and other novelties are part of the store’s offerings. For the tech types, cases for iPhones and iPads are available. New products this season include laptop skins, clipboards and throw blankets.
Weather Geek Stuff is owned and operated by the same folks that run ThorntonWeather.com. We provide ThorntonWeather.com as a no-cost service to the community and use the minimal amount of money made from Weather Geek Stuff to support the costs of running this website and the associated equipment. So remember, if you have a weather buff on your shopping list, by buying from Weather Geek Stuff you are supporting ThorntonWeather.com! You can also donate directly to fund the site here.
Clear skies and snow cover helped push the mercury down early this morning. The result was a second record low temperature set in the past 24 hours.
As measured at Denver International Airport, the Mile High City’s official low temperature this morning was -15 degrees. This ties the record low for December 5 last set in 1972.
Thornton managed to be slightly warmer as our temperature bottomed out at -9.2 degrees right before sunrise.
The bitter cold looks to remain with us for quite some time. Some warming in the coming days is expected however it may be the middle of next week before temperatures climb above freezing.
With snow on the ground, clear skies above and a very cold air mass in place, Denver set a new record low temperature for December 4.
Late in the evening the mercury at Denver International Airport dropped to -13 degrees. These shattered the old record low temperature for the date of -5 degrees last set in 2008.
Here in Thornton we weren’t quite as cold as our low temperature dropped to -4.4 degrees right before midnight.
The storm system that pushed through deposited a light, fluffy 2.2 inches of snowfall on Thornton which equated to 0.13 inch of liquid precipitation.
Seasonal snowfall totals continue to run well below normal. On average, by the end of November we have received 13.0 inches and by the end of December 21.2 inches.
To date Thornton’s seasonal snowfall total is at 7.3 inches and Denver’s 4.2 inches.
Weather, natural disasters & climate news and information.
Our website is constantly changing as new features are added and old ones are updated. Check here to learn what new features have been added lately. If you have a suggestion for a new feature or changes you would like to see, 
Colorado’s famously inconsistent weather appears to be on full display this month. Just two weeks ago we were setting records for cold. Today we broke a record high temperature and tied the record high minimum.
Clear skies and snow cover helped push the mercury down early this morning. The result was a second record low temperature set in the past 24 hours.