To say November 2017 was simply ‘warm and dry’ in many ways is an understatement. Temperatures were far above normal, our warmest November in the past 10 years in fact. It also was exceedingly dry with little precipitation and snow seen.
The month started off mild then cooled off for a few days from the 6th to the 9th. After that though, the vast majority of readings were above normal, some much higher than average.
Here in Thornton, we saw an average monthly temperature of 44.1 degrees. That is 4.7 degrees above our running 10-year average. Temperatures for us ranged from a high of 77.6 degrees on the 27th down to a low of 20.2 on the 19th.
Denver’s official average came in a bit warmer at 45.3 degrees. That was well above the Mile High City’s November average of 38.3 degrees. A reading of 81 degrees on the 27th and 22 degrees on the 15th were the highest and lowest readings at DIA.
Denver set two daily high temperature records. On the 26th, as measured at Denver International Airport, the temperature topped out at 74 degrees, a record high for the date. This was followed the next day with a record high setting of 81 degrees. The reading on the 27th also set a record for the warmest November ever on record.
In terms of precipitation, what little we saw came during the first half of the month. Thornton saw a mere 0.20 inch in the bucket. The airport saw a bit more with 0.29 inches. Both fall well short of Denver’s long term November precipitation average of 0.61 inches.
Snow was certainly lacking for the month as well. In Thornton we saw 0.8 inches on the 7th, our only measurable snowfall of the entire month. Denver officially only recorded a trace. This is in stark contrast to Denver’s long term November snowfall average of 8.7 inches.
Click here to view Thornton’s November 2017 climate report.
From the National Weather Service:
CLIMATE REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER/BOULDER CO
733 AM MST FRI DEC 1 2017
...................................
...THE DENVER CO CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER 2017...
CLIMATE NORMAL PERIOD 1981 TO 2010
CLIMATE RECORD PERIOD 1872 TO 2017
WEATHER OBSERVED NORMAL DEPART LAST YEAR`S
VALUE DATE(S) VALUE FROM VALUE DATE(S)
NORMAL
................................................................
TEMPERATURE (F)
RECORD
HIGH 81 11/27/2017
LOW -18 11/29/1877
HIGHEST 81R 11/27 73 8 80 11/16
LOWEST 22 11/15 -6 28 10 11/30
11/12
AVG. MAXIMUM 61.1 52.1 9.0 59.9
AVG. MINIMUM 29.4 24.5 4.9 30.4
MEAN 45.3 38.3 7.0 45.1
DAYS MAX >= 90 0 0.0 0.0 0
DAYS MAX <= 32 0 2.3 -2.3 1
DAYS MIN <= 32 22 23.4 -1.4 15
DAYS MIN <= 0 0 0.6 -0.6 0
PRECIPITATION (INCHES)
RECORD
MAXIMUM 3.21 1946
MINIMUM T 1899
1901
1949
TOTALS 0.29 0.61 -0.32 0.52
DAILY AVG. 0.01 0.02 -0.01 0.02
DAYS >= .01 3 4.7 -1.7 2
DAYS >= .10 1 1.6 -0.6 2
DAYS >= .50 0 0.0 0.0 0
DAYS >= 1.00 0 0.0 0.0 0
GREATEST 24 HR. TOTAL 0.23 11/17 TO 11/17
SNOWFALL (INCHES) T 8.7
SNOWFALL (INCHES) RECORDS TOTAL 42.5 1946
DEGREE_DAYS
HEATING TOTAL 586 801 -215 586
SINCE 7/1 1171 1382 -211 896
COOLING TOTAL 0 0 0 0
SINCE 1/1 881 769 112 878
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 3/214
HIGHEST WIND SPEED/DIRECTION 39/350 DATE 11/18
HIGHEST GUST SPEED/DIRECTION 52/270 DATE 11/01
SKY COVER
POSSIBLE SUNSHINE (PERCENT) MM
AVERAGE SKY COVER 0.50
NUMBER OF DAYS FAIR 5
NUMBER OF DAYS PC 21
NUMBER OF DAYS CLOUDY 4
AVERAGE RH (PERCENT) 50
WEATHER CONDITIONS. NUMBER OF DAYS WITH
THUNDERSTORMS 0 MIXED PRECIP 0
HEAVY RAIN 0 RAIN 0
LIGHT RAIN 1 FREEZING RAIN 0
LT FREEZING RAIN 1 HAIL 0
HEAVY SNOW 0 SNOW 0
LIGHT SNOW 3 SLEET 0
FOG 10 FOG W/VIS <= 1/4 MILE 4
HAZE 6
- INDICATES NEGATIVE NUMBERS.
R INDICATES RECORD WAS SET OR TIED.
MM INDICATES DATA IS MISSING.
T INDICATES TRACE AMOUNT.
November proved to be an extraordinarily warm and dry month. Does December have hope for relief?
