Snow covers Loveland Ski Area this morning as they prepare to open for the first time of the season. (Loveland Ski Area)
Down here along the Front Range we continue waiting for our first snow but in the high country Mother Nature brought white gold in recent days. The 2010 ski season will kick off this morning as Loveland Ski Area opens and Arapahoe Basin will follow suit tomorrow.
The annual race to be the first ski area in Colorado to open is running a bit behind schedule as warmer than normal weather postponed the openings. The contest usually comes down to Loveland and A-Basin and for the second year in a row Loveland will be the winner.
Check out the announcement from Loveland in the video below
Loveland recorded five inches of snow Friday night and more throughout the day Saturday to add to their manmade base. Overnight Saturday and into Sunday morning snow has continued to fall assuring conditions will be more than adequate for the scheduled 9:00am opening.
On the other side of the Continental Divide in Summit County, A-Basin will open at 9:00am on Monday. The resort will also be opening with its new Black Mountain Express high speed chairlift.
A series of winter weather systems are forecast to move across the Colorado mountains in the coming days helping to add to the snow totals and pushing other areas closer to their openings. Winter Storm Warnings have been posted for mountain areas west of the Divide and Winter Storm Watches for the north central mountains on the west side.
October 24 to October 30 - This week in Denver weather history
This year Denver is still waiting for its first snow and we have already passed the average date we see it (October 19). That however isn’t always the case and October can bring monster snowstorms as we see in our look back at this week in Denver weather history.
From the National Weather Service:
23-24
In 1887…the first measurable snowfall of the season totaled 3.1 inches. North winds to 20 mph were recorded on the 23rd. This was the only measurable snow of the month.
In 1932…post-frontal snowfall from the late evening of the 23rd continued through the late afternoon of the 24th and totaled 6.2 inches. Southeast winds were sustained to 25 mph with gusts to 26 mph on the 23rd. Temperatures cooled from a high of 68 degrees on the 23rd to a low of 25 degrees on the 24th…the coldest reading of the month that year. Many trees that had not shed their leaves became heavily laden by the wet snow. Many branches were broken… And a few trees toppled under the weight of the snow. The landscape became one of rare beauty.
24
In 1956…southwest winds gusted to 56 mph and produced some blowing dust at Stapleton Airport. A cold front produced a thunderstorm with 1/8 inch hail. Rain later changed to snow. Precipitation totaled only 0.11 inch and snowfall only 0.3 inch.
In 1973…strong winds raked the eastern foothills…causing damage in Boulder and Jefferson counties. The heaviest damage occurred in the Boulder area where 20 to 25 mobile homes were hit…some power and telephone lines were blown down…and a store was damaged. A wind gust to 76 mph was recorded in Boulder at the National Bureau of Standards. Northwest winds gusted to 46 mph at Stapleton International Airport.
24-25
In 1921…rainfall totaled 0.35 inch overnight behind an apparent cold front. North winds were sustained to 40 mph with gusts to 46 mph on the 25th. Temperatures plunged from a high of 73 degrees on the 24th to a low of 39 degrees on the 25th.
In 1923…rain overnight changed to snow during the morning. The heavy snowfall accumulated to 12.0 inches before ending on the morning of the 25th. Post-frontal north winds were sustained to 22 mph with gusts to 23 mph on the 24th.
In 1997…one of the worst and deadliest blizzards of the decade developed over eastern Colorado as deep east to northeast flow associated with a vigorous upper level low pressure system over the Four Corners…combined with a strong arctic air mass over the central Great Plains. Snowfall totals across metro Denver ranged from 14 to 31 inches. The heaviest snowfall occurred in the foothills west and southwest of Denver where 2 to 4 feet of snow were measured. Sustained winds to 40 mph with gusts as high as 60 mph produced zero visibilities and extremely cold wind chill temperatures from 25 below to 40 below zero. Winds whipped the snow into drifts 4 to 10 feet deep. Several major and interstate highways were closed as travel became impossible. Red Cross shelters were set up for hundreds of travelers who became stranded when they had to abandon their vehicles. Four people died in northeastern Colorado as a result of the blizzard. None of the deaths were in metro Denver. At Denver International Airport…4 thousand travelers were stranded when the airport was forced to shut down. At least 120 cars were abandoned along Pena Blvd….the only arterial leading into and out of DIA. The blizzard cost air carriers at least 20 million dollars. Thousands of cattle died in the storm over northeastern Colorado…resulting in losses totaling 1.5 million dollars. Some of the more impressive snowfall totals included: 51 inches at Coal Creek Canyon; 48 inches at Silver Spruce Ranch…near Ward; 42 inches at Intercanyon…in the foothills southwest of Denver; 37 inches at Sedalia; 35 inches at Aspen Springs and Conifer in the foothills west of Denver; 31 inches at Eldorado Springs… Southeast Aurora…and Englewood; and 30 inches on Table Mesa in Boulder. Snowfall totaled 21.9 inches at the site of the former Stapleton International Airport…setting a new 24-hour snowfall record of 19.1 inches for the month. Snowfall totaled only 14 inches at Denver International Airport where north winds gusted to 39 mph on the 24th. High temperature of only 21 degrees on the 25th equaled the record low maximum for the date first set in 1873. Low temperature of only 3 degrees on the 26th set a new record minimum for the date.
NOAA's winter 2010 temperature outlook forecasts warmer than normal temperatures for Colorado. (NOAA)
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration released its winter 2010 outlook yesterday and the effects of La Niña are forecast to bring extremes to many places. Closer to home Colorado’s outlook is for a warm winter with equal chances of above, near or below normal precipitation.
La Niña conditions have been strengthening in the Pacific which means that water temperatures are cooler than normal. By contrast, El Niño is the opposite – warmer than normal sea temperatures. These conditions can have a big effect on weather patterns and can lead to extreme weather events.
“La Niña is in place and will strengthen and persist through the winter months, giving us a better understanding of what to expect between December and February,” said Mike Halpert, deputy director of the Climate Prediction Center – a division of the National Weather Service. “This is a good time for people to review the outlook and begin preparing for what winter may have in store.”
The outlook forecasts a colder and wetter than normal winter for the Pacific Northwest stretching across to the northern Rockies. Much of the south and southwest is expected to see warmer and drier than normal conditions.
NOAA says Colorado can expect warmer than average conditions in the period through February 2011. In terms of precipitation, the service does not see any factors that would push us toward one extreme or the other. As such we have equal chances of above, near or below normal precipitation – essentially a 33 1/3% chance of each.
The precipitation outlook gives Colorado equal chances of above, near and below normal precipitation for the upcoming winter season. (NOAA)
Highlights from other regions include:
Pacific Northwest: colder and wetter than average. La Niña often brings lower than average temperatures and increased mountain snow to the Pacific Northwest and western Montana during the winter months, which is good for the replenishment of water resources and winter recreation but can also lead to greater flooding and avalanche concerns;
Southwest: warmer and drier than average. This will likely exacerbate drought conditions in these areas. All southern states are at risk of having above normal wildfire conditions starting this winter and lasting into the spring;
Northern Plains: colder and wetter than average. Likely to see increased storminess and flooding;
Southern Plains, Gulf Coast States & Southeast: warmer and drier than average. This will likely exacerbate drought conditions in these areas. All southern states are at risk of having above normal wildfire conditions starting this winter and lasting into the spring;
Florida: drier than average, with an equal chance for above-, near-, or below-normal temperatures. Above normal wildfire conditions;
Ohio and Tennessee Valleys: warmer and wetter than average. Likely to see increased storminess and flooding;
Northeast and Mid-Atlantic: equal chances for above-, near-, or below-normal temperatures and precipitation. Winter weather for these regions is often driven not by La Niña but by weather patterns over the northern Atlantic Ocean and Arctic. These are often more short-term, and are generally predictable only a week or so in advance. If enough cold air and moisture are in place, areas north of the Ohio Valley and into the Northeast could see above-average snow;
Central U.S.: equal chances of above-near-or below normal temperatures and precipitation;
Hawaii: drier than normal through November, then wetter than normal December through February. Statewide, the current drought is expected to continue through the winter, with several locations remaining on track to become the driest year on record. Drought recovery is more likely on the smaller islands of Kauai and Molokai, and over the windward slopes of the Big Island and Maui;
Alaska: odds favor colder than average temperatures with equal chances of above or below normal precipitation. The interior and southern portions of the state are currently drier than normal. A dry winter may set Alaska up for a greater chance of above normal wildfire conditions in the spring.
A weather balloon launched by a father and son from Brooklyn captured high definition video from the stratosphere. (Luke Geissbuhler)
How hard would it be to send a craft into space and capture video? Apparently it isn’t all that difficult as evidenced by a father and son who launched a weather balloon carrying an iPhone and high definition video camera to an astounding altitude of nearly 100,000 feet.
Calling themselves the Brooklyn Space Program, Luke Geissbuhler and his seven-year-old son Max created the craft that flew into the stratosphere. The flight lasted 102 minutes, reached an altitude 19 miles and landed 30 miles from its launch location in rural New York.
On board the craft was a high definition video camera that captured all but the final two minutes of the flight. Tracking of the balloon was done using an Apple iPhone with a GPS application that allowed for a real time tracking and a quick recovery.
Geissbuhler said he had always been one to tinker and enjoyed working on projects with his son. He had not given this endeavor a very good chance telling the U.K.’s Daily Mail, “Even after months of research and testing – we only had a 30 per cent chance it would work. We got very lucky.”
You can watch the amazing video from the flight below.
October 17 to October 23 – This week in Denver weather history
This year Denver is still waiting for its first snowfall but that certainly has not been the case throughout history. Many times in our past we have seen not only snow around this time of October but heavy snow as well, oftentimes damaging in nature.
15-17
In 1989…an autumn snowstorm hit metro Denver with 2 to 6 inches of snow. Snowfall totaled 4.4 inches at Stapleton International Airport where the maximum snow depth on the ground was only 3 inches due to melting and north winds gusted to 25 mph on the 15th. The heavy wet snow caused leafy branches to sag onto power lines…resulting in a number of power outages. Five thousand homes were blacked out in Boulder on the 16th. Up to a foot of snow fell in the higher foothills with 19 inches recorded at Echo Lake.
16-17
In 1990…strong downslope winds raked the eastern foothills. Wind gusts from 60 to 75 mph were common. Strong winds in metro Denver resulted in wave damage to a dock used to moor several private sail boats at Cheery Creek Reservoir. Damage was confined to the dock and two anchor cables. A northwest wind gust to 43 mph was recorded at Stapleton International Airport.
17
In 1878…strong winds reached sustained speeds of 48 mph.
In 1988…a wind gust to 62 mph was recorded in central Boulder. The strong winds caused a few brief power outages. An old smoldering brush fire in the foothills west of Boulder was re-ignited by the wind gusts.
In 1994…winds gusted to 85 mph atop Squaw Mountain…5 miles south of Idaho Springs.
In 2006…a potent storm system brought heavy snowfall to the mountains and eastern foothills. Snowfall totals in the foothills included: 14 inches at Blackhawk…13.5 inches near Idaho Springs…13 inches at cabin creek…12.5 inches at Aspen Springs and Echo Lake…11.5 inches at Georgetown and Rollinsville…10.5 inches near Jamestown…and 10 inches at grant and Lake Eldora. Lesser snow amounts…from 4 to 9 inches…were recorded elsewhere in the foothills. Snowfall totaled only 3.5 inches in the Denver Stapleton area. At Denver International Airport…north winds gusted to 31 mph.
October 10 to October 16 – This week in Denver weather history
The farther we get into fall the more we start seeing significant snow events in our look back at the week in history. None of these is more famous than the “Bronco Blizzard” of 1984 that saw the Mile High City buried under nearly a foot of snow – on live television.
From the National Weather Service:
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.
10
In 1901…an evening thunderstorm produced east winds to 43 mph with gusts to 48 mph.
In 1949…strong winds believed to be the worst in Boulder’s history at the time caused over 100 thousand dollars damage in the city. Peak winds were estimated to 85 mph at Valmont…just east of Boulder. High winds also occurred over most of metro Denver and caused damage to trees…window glass…and utility lines. The damage was most pronounced over the northwest metro area…including north Denver and Lakewood. Falling tree branches caused damage to parked autos and houses. Wind gusts to 70 mph were recorded at Stapleton Airport.
In 1964…lightning struck and killed a 13-year-old boy…while he was riding his bicycle along a tree-lined residential street in south Denver. Apparent microburst winds gusted to 54 mph at Stapleton International Airport.
"Tornado tourism" is becoming a quickly growing industry as folks look for alternatives to a trip to the beach. Check out the slideshow below to see what a one week tour yielded this past summer. (ThorntonWeather.com)
While many might view a tornado something to flee from, an increasing number of vacationers are flocking to the Great Plains for the chance to get up close and personal with a twister. A new study shows that storm chasing tours are becoming a vacation of choice for not only many Americans but also visitors from overseas.
A University of Missouri research team found that interest in tornado chasing is being fed by popular television shows like the Discovery Channel’s Storm Chasers. Further, thanks to the power of the Internet, live video streams by storm chasers showing tornadoes as they rip across the landscape have skyrocketed in popularity.
Tornado Alley stretches across the nation’s midsection and is a unique location as most of the world’s tornadoes occur in this broad swath from South Dakota to Texas. Tour operators like Silver Lining Tours have capitalized on tourists seeking something more adventurous than a day at the beach.
Researchers Sonja Wilhelm Stanis and Carla Barbieri said that while the majority of participants in these tours were American, there was an international flavor to them as well. “While more than half of the surveyed travelers lived in North America, 11 percent came from Australia and nearly a third traveled from Europe to get a close encounter with a tornado.”
Demographics for the group ran the entire gamut from married couples to singles aged from 25 to 55. Their backgrounds were as varied as one would expect at any vacation destination with blue collar workers and urban professionals all among the participants.
The study found that most that chose this high-risk activity were satisfied with the experience, even if they did not see a tornado. One-third of them saw a tornado while 50% saw funnel clouds. The vast majority, 95%, at least saw a “significant atmospheric event.”
The Dominator team led by Reed Timmer are one of three groups of chasers in this season of Storm Chasers. (Discovery Channel)
Every spring and summer storm chasers take to the Great Plains on a single-minded quest to experience a tornado up close and personal. While many people may find this odd, the cast of the Discovery Channel series Storm Chasers relishes the annual ritual and the channel is set to kick off the fourth season of the hit series.
The 1996 movie Twister brought storm chasing on to the big screen and to the forefront of the public consciousness. On the small screen, Storm Chasers has become one of the most popular shows on Discovery Channel as camera crews follow teams of professional chasers hunting tornadoes. Both have been responsible for the increasing interest in “tornado tourism” during severe weather season.
For the 2010 season the show sees the return of familiar faces for those that have seen the show before but also a notable one appears to be missing.
The Mile High City's September weather was unusually dry and warm. (iStockphoto / johnnyscriv)
Wildfires and record-setting temperatures provided a clue as to what the highlights of September’s weather would be and with the month over we now see it in the statistics. September 2010 will go down in the record books as not only one of the driest Septembers on record but also one of the warmest.
A mere 0.06 inch of precipitation was recorded at the official monitoring station at Denver International Airport over the month. Most of that fell during a four-day period from the 18th to the 22nd and in the end 25 days had no moisture at all. That scarcity of precipitation allowed the month to finish in a tie with 1882 and 1920 for the 5th driest September on record. Here in Thornton we fared a bit better having recorded 0.09 inch of precipitation but that paltry difference is not hardly worth noting.
Not only was precipitation in short supply, so too were even clouds. Zero days were reported as cloudy, 10 days as partly cloudy and 20 days were fair (sunny). Thornton recorded over 200 hours of sunshine for the month – more than any other month in 2010.
Temperatures were well above normal for the month and into top 10 status as well. The average temperature of 67.0 degrees was 4.6 degrees above normal. This puts September 2010 in a tie with 1939 as the seventh warmest September on record. Thornton was thankfully quite a bit cool as we recorded an average temperature of 64.7 degrees.
Four record high temperatures were tied or broken during the month. On the 19th a scorching 96 degrees was recorded easily besting the old record for the date of 93 degrees last set in 1980. That also was the hottest temperature ever recorded that late in the season. Other dates this past month setting records were: 94 on the 20th beating the old record of 92 last set in 1956; tied the record on the 26th with 1892; 92 on the 28th topping the old record of 89 last set in 1994.
In all the month recorded eight 90 degree days, well above the normal of 2 for September. An amazing 25 days had temperature at or above 80 degrees which is the highest number of 80 degree temperatures in September since 1872. Overall temperatures ranged from the high of 96 on the 19th down to a low of 40 on the 3rd. Thornton’s temperatures ranged from a high of 93.6 on the 19th to a low of 40.7 degrees on the 7th.
Looking beyond the statistics, the most noteworthy events of September 2010 were the wildfires in the foothills west of Denver. The Fourmile Canyon Fire northwest of Boulder became the most destructive in state history in terms of the number of homes destroyed. West of Loveland the Reservoir Road Fire claimed homes as well but was thankfully controlled relatively quickly due to the quick response of firefighters.
What does the October 2010 weather hold for Denver and the Colorado Front Range? Right now the dry and warm weather is expected to continue. Get all the details in our October 2010 preview.
From the National Weather Service:
...THE DENVER CO CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR THE MONTH OF SEPTEMBER 2010...
CLIMATE NORMAL PERIOD 1971 TO 2000
CLIMATE RECORD PERIOD 1872 TO 2010
WEATHER OBSERVED NORMAL DEPART LAST YEAR'S
VALUE DATE(S) VALUE FROM VALUE DATE(S)
NORMAL
................................................................
TEMPERATURE (F)
RECORD
HIGH 97 09/04/1995
09/01/1995
09/04/1960
09/05/1899
LOW 17 09/29/1985
HIGHEST 96 09/19 97 -1 91 09/01
LOWEST 40 09/03 17 23 36 09/28
AVG. MAXIMUM 84.8 77.4 7.4 78.0
AVG. MINIMUM 49.1 47.3 1.8 48.9
MEAN 67.0 62.4 4.6 63.5
DAYS MAX >= 90 8 2.2 5.8 1
DAYS MAX <= 32 0 0.2 -0.2 0
DAYS MIN <= 32 0 0.8 -0.8 0
DAYS MIN <= 0 0 0.0 0.0 0
PRECIPITATION (INCHES)
RECORD
MAXIMUM 4.67 1961
MINIMUM T 1892
1944
TOTALS 0.06 1.14 -1.08 0.74
DAILY AVG. T 0.04 -0.04 0.02
DAYS >= .01 3 6.3 -3.3 5
DAYS >= .10 0 MM MM 4
DAYS >= .50 0 MM MM 0
DAYS >= 1.00 0 MM MM 0
GREATEST
24 HR. TOTAL 0.03 09/22 TO 09/22 0.42 09/22 TO 09/23
SNOWFALL (INCHES)
RECORDS
TOTAL 17.2 1971
TOTALS 0.0 2.1 0.0
DEGREE_DAYS
HEATING TOTAL 32 136 -104 117
SINCE 7/1 35 146 -111 139
COOLING TOTAL 100 57 43 78
SINCE 1/1 862 696 166 533
FREEZE DATES
RECORD
EARLIEST 09/08/1962
LATEST 06/08/2007
EARLIEST 10/07
LATEST 05/05
.................................................................
WIND (MPH)
AVERAGE WIND SPEED 9.3 9.2
RESULTANT WIND SPEED/DIRECTION 2/190
HIGHEST WIND SPEED/DIRECTION 37/310 09/06 36/210 09/30
HIGHEST GUST SPEED/DIRECTION 44/320 09/06 45/280 09/30
SKY COVER
POSSIBLE SUNSHINE (PERCENT) MM
NUMBER OF DAYS FAIR 20
NUMBER OF DAYS PC 10
NUMBER OF DAYS CLOUDY 0
AVERAGE RH (PERCENT) 36
WEATHER CONDITIONS. NUMBER OF DAYS WITH
THUNDERSTORM 3 MIXED PRECIP 0
HEAVY RAIN 0 RAIN 0
LIGHT RAIN 4 FREEZING RAIN 0
LT FREEZING RAIN 0 HAIL 0
HEAVY SNOW 0 SNOW 0
LIGHT SNOW 0 SLEET 0
FOG 4 FOG W/VIS <= 1/4 MILE 2
HAZE 2
- INDICATES NEGATIVE NUMBERS.
R INDICATES RECORD WAS SET OR TIED.
MM INDICATES DATA IS MISSING.
T INDICATES TRACE AMOUNT.
October 3 to October 9 - This week in Denver weather history
The first half of October historically is quiet for the most part but there have been years with plenty of excitement. We have seen damaging tornadoes and winds and of course significant snowstorms.
From the National Weather Service:
3
In 1875…very dense haze hid the mountains from view as observed from the city.
In 1933…rainfall of just 0.01 inch was the only precipitation of the month. This was the second driest October on record.
In 1954…the low temperature cooled to only 60 degrees…the all-time record high minimum for the month October.
3-4
In 1969…the first snowfall of the season totaled 16.0 inches at Stapleton International Airport. There was a thunder snow shower on the evening of the 3rd…but otherwise little wind with the storm. The greatest snow depth on the ground was 8 inches due to melting. Heavy wet snow accumulated on trees…which were still in full leaf…and caused widespread damage from broken limbs and downed utility lines.
3-5
In 1984…the remnants of Pacific Hurricane Polo produced heavy rain over northeastern Colorado. Most locations received between 1.00 to 2.50 inches of rain…but 3.45 inches fell in Littleton. Rainfall totaled 1.73 inches at Stapleton International Airport…where north winds gusted to 24 mph.
4
In 1912…sustained south winds to 55 mph with gusts to 60 mph raised the temperature to a high of 83 degrees… The warmest temperature of the month that year.
In 1924…west winds were sustained to 46 mph with gusts to 50 mph in the city. The apparent Bora winds cooled the temperature to a high of 57 degrees from a high of 70 degrees on the 3rd.
In 2004…several small tornadoes touched down near Brighton… Barr Lake…and Hudson in Adams and southern Weld counties. Most of these caused no damage. However…a small tornado 5 miles southeast of Brighton caused extensive damage to a recreational vehicle and severely damaged a barn. The barn was torn from its foundation…and the roof was thrown 100 feet. Four llamas in the barn were injured when it collapsed.
4-5
In 1997…unusually warm weather resulted in two temperature records. High temperature of 87 degrees on the 4th exceeded the old record set in 1922 by one degree. High temperature of 86 degrees on the 5th equaled the record set in 1990 and previous years.
