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Weather History

March 4 to March 10: This week in Denver weather history

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This week in Denver weather history
March 4 to March 10: This week in Denver weather history

March is Denver’s snowiest month and it is not unusual for us to receive heavy, wet snows during this time. Our look back at this week in Denver weather history highlights many such events.

From the National Weather Service:

2-4

In 1963…heavy wet snow was accompanied by strong gusty winds across metro Denver. Snowfall totaled 11.6 inches at Stapleton Airport where north winds gusting to 44 mph caused much blowing and drifting snow. Hazardous driving conditions resulted in many traffic accidents.

In 1976…snowfall totaled 8.0 inches at Stapleton International Airport where…on the 4th…northeast winds gusted to 31 mph reducing the visibility to as low as 1/4 mile. Maximum snow depth on the ground was 7 inches. Nine inches of snow were measured in Boulder.

3-4

In 1932…a dust storm occurred on the 3rd during the late afternoon. North winds gusting as high as 38 mph behind a cold front kicked up much blowing dust. Light snow developed during the evening and continued through the early morning of the 4th. Snowfall totaled 2.7 inches.

In 1934…strong winds raked Boulder. A wind gust to 62 mph was recorded at Valmont just east of Boulder. The strong winds caused hundreds of dollars of damage in Boulder.

In 1981…the most vigorous snow storm of the season struck the state…closing many schools and most highways connecting Denver…Colorado Springs…and Limon. North winds gusting to 43 mph whipped nearly 10 inches of snow in Denver into 3-foot drifts and snarled traffic on the morning of the 4th. Snowfall totaled 9.8 inches at Stapleton International Airport.

In 1989…a storm dumped 2 to 6 inches of snow across metro Denver. The snow caused 2-hour air traffic delays at Stapleton International Airport where 3.0 inches of snow fell and north winds gusted to 23 mph on the 3rd. There were many traffic accidents across metro Denver. I-70 was closed east of Denver for a time on the 3rd.

In 1991…high winds raked the eastern foothills. Wind gusts of 60 to 90 mph were common with 119 mph recorded at Wondervu southwest of Boulder…106 mph on Shanahan Ridge and 92 mph at Table Mesa…both in southwest Boulder. Several trees were uprooted and traffic signs and lights blown over. Flying debris caused damage to homes… Buildings…and cars. In Boulder…a stop sign was blown onto a car. There were no reports of injuries. Southwest winds gusting as high as 48 mph briefly reduced the prevailing visibility to as low as 1/16th mile in blowing dust at Stapleton International Airport on the 4th.

3-5

In 1961…snowfall totaled 8.3 inches at Stapleton Airport over the 3-day period with most of the snow…4.4 inches… falling on the 3rd. Winds were generally light gusting to only 23 mph.

4

In 1887…snowfall was only 0.1 inch. This was the earliest last measurable snow of the season.

In 1971…a wind gust to 102 mph was recorded at the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder. A wind gust to 83 mph was measured at the National Bureau of Standards. In downtown Boulder…sustained winds reached 35 mph with gusts as high as 57 mph. No significant damage was reported. West winds gusted to only 28 mph at Stapleton International Airport.

In 1982…brief heavy snow accompanied by a few thunderstorms struck metro Denver. Lightning struck a house in Arvada setting it afire. The thunderstorm produced 5 inches of snowfall in a 2-hour period in Wheat Ridge. The snow made roads very icy and slick causing a 59-car pile-up on I-70 in north Denver. Snowfall with thunder totaled only 1.3 inches at Stapleton International Airport.

In 1997…a fast moving Pacific storm produced heavy snow in the foothills. Snowfall at Conifer measured 9 inches. Only light snow fell elsewhere over metro Denver. Snowfall totaled only 1.2 inches at the site of the former Stapleton International Airport. North northeast winds gusted to 28 mph at Denver International Airport.

4-5

In 1971…heavy post-frontal snowfall totaled 7.7 inches at Stapleton International Airport where north winds gusted to 28 mph.

In 1992…snow spread from the mountains into the eastern foothills where 19 inches fell in Coal Creek Canyon. Rain fell over lower elevations of metro Denver with 1.12 inches of precipitation recorded at Stapleton International Airport and only one half inch of snow. North winds gusted to 32 mph.

In 2004…snowfall totaled 1.8 inches at the Denver Stapleton site. This was the only measurable snowfall of the month. Northeast winds gusted to 29 mph at Denver International Airport.

4-6

In 1931…a cold front with north winds gusting to 35 mph on the evening of the 4th brought snowfall on the 5th into the early morning of the 6th. Heavy snowfall totaled 6.2 inches. Temperatures plunged from a high of 58 degrees on the 4th to a low of only 22 degrees by midnight…which was also the high reading on the 5th.

In 1983…a slow moving moisture laden storm produced heavy snow and rain. Two to three feet of snow fell in the foothills at Wondervu and Nederland. The southern portion of metro Denver was buried with 26 inches of snow in southeast Aurora…25 inches at Franktown…and 19 inches at Littleton. Snowfall totaled 18.7 inches at Stapleton International Airport with most of the snow…18.0 inches… Falling on the 5th. Brighton received only 11 inches of new snow. Boulder was drenched by rain and received no snow. Precipitation from the storm totaled 3.06 inches at Stapleton International Airport where north winds gusted to 28 mph. The heavy wet snow snapped many tree limbs…which fell on power and phone lines causing many outages. Numerous highways were closed. Two thousand travelers were stranded at Stapleton International Airport where only one runway was open for a time. Many flights were canceled. One home in Denver was severely damaged when its roof collapsed under the weight of the heavy snow. The 2.68 inches of precipitation on the 5th was the greatest calendar day precipitation ever recorded in the city during March. The 2.79 inches of precipitation on the 4th and 5th was the greatest 24 hour precipitation ever measured during March.

5

In 1887…the longest snow-free period on record…232 days…  Began.  The last measurable snowfall of the season…0.1 inch…occurred on the 4th.  The first measurable snow of the next season…0.3 inch… Occurred on October 23rd.

In 1900…northwest winds were sustained to 51 mph with gusts to 60 mph.  The strong Bora winds warmed the temperature to a high of 44 degrees.

In 1926…post-frontal north winds were sustained to 44 mph with gusts as high as 54 mph.  The cold front also produced a thunderstorm.

In 1990…the southern portion of metro Denver was hit by a line of thunderstorms.  Heavy rain…0.90 to 2.40 inches…  And pea to marble size hail piled to a depth of 2 to 3 inches over portions of northern and eastern Douglas and western Arapahoe counties.  Thunderstorm winds to 50 mph were clocked at Centennial airport.  Thunderstorm rainfall was 0.62 inch at Stapleton International Airport.

5-6

In 1935…3.0 inches of snow fell in downtown Denver. This was the only measurable snow of the month. Northwest winds gusted to 29 mph on the 5th.

In 1940…heavy snowfall totaled 9.1 inches over downtown Denver. North winds gusted to 22 mph.

In 2000…high winds developed in and near the foothills just prior to the passage of an upper level storm system moving in from the west. Peak gusts from the windstorm included: 88 mph at the National Center for Atmospheric Research near Boulder…82 mph in Boulder…80 mph at the national wind technology center south of Boulder…79 mph on Rocky Flats…and 71 mph in Golden Gate Canyon. Several power lines were downed causing a few brief outages. Thunderstorms produced southeast wind gusts to 51 mph at Denver International Airport on the 5th.

In 2003…high winds spread from the mountains down the eastern slopes. The highest wind gusts were 85 mph atop the Gamow Tower on the University of Colorado campus in Boulder and 70 mph at the national wind technology center on Rocky Flats west of Broomfield. West winds gusted to 44 mph at Denver International Airport on the 6th.

6

In 1900…west winds were sustained to 41 mph with gusts to 49 mph.

In 1920…the high temperature warmed to only 6 degrees… The all-time record low maximum temperature for the month of March. The same reading also occurred on March 10…1948.

In 1972…a wind gust to 100 mph was recorded at Jefferson County Airport in Broomfield. Winds gusted in Boulder at speeds of 50 to 65 mph. A light plane was overturned… And there was damage to other planes at Boulder airport. The roof of a garage was blown off…and a mobile home was overturned in Boulder. A truck was blown off the highway 15 miles east of Boulder. West winds gusted to 51 mph at Stapleton International Airport. The warm Chinook winds were responsible for setting a new record high temperature for the date of 75 degrees…exceeding the old record of 72 degrees set in 1925.

In 1990…a blizzard pummeled metro Denver. Snow fell at a rate of 2 to 3 inches an hour. Gusty north winds whipped the snow into 2- to 3-foot drifts by noon. During the afternoon many stores and schools closed. By rush hour sustained winds of 35 to 46 mph and gusts to 58 mph reduced visibilities to near zero and whipped the new snow into 3- to 4-foot drifts. Many residential as well as secondary and primary roads became impassable. I-25 and I-70 were closed in and out of the city. Road crews cleared drifts as high as 12 feet in southeast Boulder and northwest Adams counties. Several hundred rush hour commuters…including the state’s governor…were caught in the blizzard conditions along a 15-mile stretch of the Denver-Boulder turnpike. Many remained snowbound in their vehicles up to 8 hours until rescued by police and the National Guard. The highway remained closed until mid-day on the 7th. Shelters for stranded commuters and travelers were opened in Broomfield and Castle Rock. Many workers didn’t even try to go home…but filled downtown hotels to near capacity. By early evening…Stapleton International Airport was shut down after an airliner with 82 passengers aboard skidded off a runway. Snowfall totals for the storm varied from 18 to 50 inches in the foothills above 6 thousand feet…9 to 24 inches west of I-25…and 2 to 12 inches over eastern metro Denver. Snowfall from the storm totaled 11.8 inches at Stapleton International Airport where the maximum snow depth on the ground was 7 inches due to melting.

In 2004…very strong downslope winds developed in and near the eastern foothills…causing numerous traffic accidents and extensive property damage to roofs and aluminum sheds. Three semi-trucks were toppled by the strong winds near the I-70 and C-470 interchange. One of the trucks was carrying a modular home…while another was hauling hazardous material. I-70 had to be closed in both directions until the accidents could be cleaned up. Strong winds forced the closure of State Highway 93 between Golden and Boulder…when the road became icy and snowpacked from localized ground blizzards. Another semi- truck was blown over near the intersection of State Highways 72 and 93 atop Rocky Flats. Scattered power outages were reported across northern and western sections of metro Denver…affecting around 2000 residents. In Boulder…several pine trees were uprooted by the high winds.

6-7 Continue reading March 4 to March 10: This week in Denver weather history →

Thornton Weather

February 2018 weather recap: Colder than normal temps, near normal precip

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If you felt like the past month was a bit chilly you would be correct. February saw temps a good bit below normal.  We did see some help with our lack of seasonal snow and precipitation was a bit above average as well.

The first third of the month continued the dry, warmer than normal conditions we had for much of January.  On the 10th of the month we experienced a very cold day and our first snowfall of the month. However, we soon returned to overall dry and warm conditions.

From there we saw things change significantly and quickly. Following an extraordinarily mild day on the 18th, temperature plummeted over the next 48 hours or so. So much so that the high temperature on the 20th was a record low maximum for the date.

Chilly temperatures lingered through the 25th as we saw a week of cold.  The 19th, 20th and 22nd also brought snow that helped to add to the seasonal totals.

The final three days of the month saw mercury readings at or above normal.

Overall average temperature for the month of February was 29.2 degrees.  At Denver International Airport where the Mile High City’s official records are kept, it was just slightly warmer with an average of 29.9 degrees. Both came a good bit short of the historical February average temperature of 32.5 degrees.

Temperatures in Thornton ranged from a high of 69 degrees on the 18th down to a low of 4 degrees below zero on the 21st.  Denver’s highest temperature matched ours while their coldest was 7 degrees below on the 21st.

On average, Denver receives 0.37 inches of precipitation in February. This year, Thornton was a bit above that with 0.45 inches while Denver was below with 0.31 inches.

Both Thornton and Denver saw above average levels of snow although we bested the Mile High City on that front. Thornton recorded 9.5 inches while Denver saw 6.2 inches. Average for the month is 5.7 inches.

Click here to view Thornton’s February 2018 climate report.

Thornton, Colorado's February 2018 weather and climate graph. (ThorntonWeather.com)
Thornton, Colorado’s February 2018 weather and climate graph. (ThorntonWeather.com)

From the National Weather Service:

CLIMATE REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER/BOULDER CO
805 AM MST THU MAR 1 2018

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

...THE DENVER CO CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR THE MONTH OF FEBRUARY 2018...

CLIMATE NORMAL PERIOD 1981 TO 2010
CLIMATE RECORD PERIOD 1872 TO 2018

WEATHER         OBSERVED          NORMAL  DEPART  LAST YEAR`S
                 VALUE   DATE(S)  VALUE   FROM    VALUE  DATE(S)
                                          NORMAL
................................................................
TEMPERATURE (F)
RECORD
 HIGH              80   02/10/2017
 LOW              -25   02/01/1951
                        02/08/1936
HIGHEST            69   02/18        66       3       80  02/10
LOWEST             -7   02/21                -6       11  02/26
AVG. MAXIMUM     44.4              46.2    -1.8     53.9
AVG. MINIMUM     15.4              18.9    -3.5     26.6
MEAN             29.9              32.5    -2.6     40.2
DAYS MAX >= 90      0               0.0     0.0        0
DAYS MAX <= 32      6               3.9     2.1        3
DAYS MIN <= 32     26              26.9    -0.9       21
DAYS MIN <= 0       3               1.3     1.7        0

PRECIPITATION (INCHES)
RECORD
 MAXIMUM         2.01   1934
 MINIMUM         0.01   1970
TOTALS           0.31              0.37   -0.06     0.23
DAILY AVG.       0.01              0.01    0.00     0.01
DAYS >= .01         5               5.3    -0.3        3
DAYS >= .10         2               0.7     1.3        1
DAYS >= .50         0               0.0     0.0        0
DAYS >= 1.00        0               0.0     0.0        0
GREATEST
 24 HR. TOTAL    0.14   02/10 TO 02/10           02/23 TO 02/24

 SNOWFALL (INCHES)
RECORDS
 TOTAL            6.2               5.7
RECORD FEBRUARY  22.4                     2015

DEGREE_DAYS
HEATING TOTAL     975               908      67      685
 SINCE 7/1       4057              4439    -382     3802
COOLING TOTAL       0                 0       0        0
 SINCE 1/1          0                 0       0        0

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   2/230
HIGHEST WIND SPEED/DIRECTION    38/270    DATE  02/24
HIGHEST GUST SPEED/DIRECTION    47/270    DATE  02/24

SKY COVER
POSSIBLE SUNSHINE (PERCENT)   MM
AVERAGE SKY COVER           0.60
NUMBER OF DAYS FAIR            7
NUMBER OF DAYS PC             12
NUMBER OF DAYS CLOUDY          9

AVERAGE RH (PERCENT)     60

WEATHER CONDITIONS. NUMBER OF DAYS WITH
THUNDERSTORMS 0
HEAVY RAIN             0    MIXED PRECIP            6
LIGHT RAIN           0    RAIN                    0
LT FREEZING RAIN       6    FREEZING RAIN           0
HEAVY SNOW             1    HAIL                    0
LIGHT SNOW            15    SNOW                    6
FOG                   20    FOG W/VIS <=1/4 MILE    9
HAZE                   9

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

March preview: Arrival of spring brings warmer temps but snow remains a significant threat

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The month of February brought some relief to our snow season which up until then had been extremely anemic.  However, we still have a long ways to go to reach normal levels.

March usually offers healthy snowfall giving us an opportunity to add to those numbers.  While there is good snow potential in March, the month also typically brings much warmer temperatures.

March is historically Denver’s snowiest month and brings about 20% of our annual snowfall.  Heavy, wet spring snow storms can oftentimes bring the entire month’s snowfall total in one monstrous snow.

We also start the transition to spring and severe weather season and the month typically brings our first thunderstorms of the year.  Temperatures climb throughout the month and by the end our average daytime highs are near 60 degrees.

For a complete look at what lies ahead in March 2018, click here.

World Weather

Deadly blizzards lash Europe, poor hardest hit

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Heavy snowfall and deadly blizzards lashed Europe Thursday, forcing Geneva’s busy airport to close, as the region shivered in a deep freeze that has gripped countries from the far north to Mediterranean beaches in the south. … were often hardest hit. The Siberian cold front — dubbed the “Beast from the East” in Britain, “Siberian bear” by the Dutch and the ” snow cannon” by Swedes — on Thursday forced Geneva airport… Continue reading Deadly blizzards lash Europe, poor hardest hit →
National Weather, Natural Disasters

Hurricane Maria stripped Puerto Rico’s forests bare, work begins to replenish them

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When Hurricane Maria tore through Puerto Rico last September, the physical destruction was not limited to houses, buildings, the electricity grid and other infrastructure. The storm also toppled or stripped bare an estimated 480 million trees, or a third of all the forests. Continue reading Hurricane Maria stripped Puerto Rico’s forests bare, work begins to replenish them →
Thornton Weather

February 2018 top shots: Monthly photo slideshow

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Thornton residents turned out to support law enforcement and honor Adams County Sheriff's Deputy Heath Gumm. (Patrick Martin)
Thornton residents turned out to support law enforcement and honor Adams County Sheriff’s Deputy Heath Gumm. (Patrick Martin)

February signifies the start of the climb toward warmer temperatures for the year.  Cold and snow though do intrude but, coupled with milder conditions, there are lots of photo opportunities as can be seen in our monthly slideshow.

The month is one of our least snowiest of the year but it isn’t unusual to see the landscape blanketed in white.  Warming temperatures through the month can bring the onset of spring fever and gives residents the opportunity to enjoy some prolonged time outdoors on the mild days.

Cold or mild, snowy or dry, our scenery is almost always gorgeous – and photo worthy.

  • Slideshow updated February 20, 2018
  • To learn more about how to send your photo to us for inclusion in the slideshow, see below the slideshow.

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.

[flickr_set id=”72157669246273889″]

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!

Thornton Weather

Denver sets record low temperature for February 21

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Record Cold TemperaturesIn the wake of our most recent storm system, we have seen some exceedingly cold temperatures and the proof is the mercury readings this morning that set a record.

Denver’s official low temperature, as measured at Denver International Airport, dropped to 7 degrees below 0 this morning.

This easily beats the record low temperature for today’s date of -2 degrees set in 1955.  Additionally, the record is the first record low recorded in the Mile High City since December 17, 2016.

Here in Thornton, we were not quite as cold with a low of -4 degrees coming at 5:51am.  This is also Thornton’s coldest temperature reading of the season.

This morning’s cold followed on another record yesterday where Denver saw its coldest maximum temperature for February 20.

While it will remain quite cold today, we will thankfully see some improvement in those mercury readings (although not a lot).  Additionally, long range forecasts portend colder than normal conditions are likely in the extended period.

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Thornton Weather

Denver sets record low maximum temperature for February 20

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Record Cold TemperaturesIn the wake of yesterday’s snow the Mile High City experienced lingering cold today.  The so-called “high” temperature in fact was a record-setter.

The high temperature for Denver today, as measured at Denver International Airport, came in at 13 degrees.  That is the coldest high temperature ever recorded on February 20, breaking the old record low maximum of 16 degrees set in 1911.

Here in Thornton, we matched the Mile High City’s high with a 13 degree reading at 3:08pm.

It may be a while before we see any truly warm temperatures.  Short range forecasts indicate it could be Monday or Tuesday before mercury readings return to normal. Additionally, long range forecasts currently point to overall colder than normal temps in the 8 to 14 day period.

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