4February in Colorado typically brings to an end an extended period when average temperatures are at their lowest. Winter begins to loosen its grip and temperatures get warmer but precipitation is not a particularly common event during the month.
Thus far, our snow season has been a mixed bag. We started fast in October and November but December and January added very little to the totals. February is only our sixth snowiest month so we may not see much snowfall for the balance of the month.
Temperatures however do usually see a nice rebound during the month. Average high temperatures climb from an average of 44 degrees at the start to 50 degrees by the end of February.
After a cold and snowy start to the season in October and November, December saw things dry out and warm up. Unfortunately, January 2020 continued the most recent trend with temps well above normal and very little precipitation.
The month was largely uneventful with no notable weather events. Daytime high temperatures were routinely warmer than normal and no precipitation was seen until the very end of the month. When we did finally see some snow on the 29th and 30th, it was minimal, amounting to little more than a dusting.
Thornton’s overall average temperature for the month came in at 34.1 degrees. This is well above the long term Denver average for January of 30.7 degrees. As usual, the Mile High City’s official reading at Denver International Airport came in warmer than us at 34.6 degrees.
Temperatures in Thornton ranged from a high of 61.4 degrees on the 4th down to a low of 10.8 degrees on the 11th. Denver saw its maximum reading of 62 degrees on the 4th and 8th and its lowest of 7 degrees on the 11th.
In terms of precipitation, Denver averages 0.27 inches in January. Both Thornton and Denver fell well short with 0.03 inches and 0.14 inches respectively.
Snow was in short supply with 0.6 inches falling in Thornton and 0.9 inches in Denver. Both were far short of the average of 7 inches for Denver in January.
In the end, the month was Thornton’s warmest, driest and least snowy January since ThorntonWeather.com came online in 2007.
Thornton, Colorado’s January 2020 temperature summary. Click for larger view. (ThorntonWeather.com)Thornton, Colorado’s January 2020 precipitation summary. Click for larger view. (ThorntonWeather.com)
From the National Weather Service:
CLIMATE REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER/BOULDER CO
717 AM MST SAT FEB 1 2020
...................................
...THE DENVER CO CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR THE MONTH OF JANUARY 2020...
CLIMATE NORMAL PERIOD 1981 TO 2010
CLIMATE RECORD PERIOD 1872 TO 2020
WEATHER OBSERVED NORMAL DEPART LAST YEAR`S
VALUE DATE(S) VALUE FROM VALUE DATE(S)
NORMAL
................................................................
TEMPERATURE (F)
RECORD
HIGH 76 01/27/1888
LOW -29 01/09/1875
HIGHEST 62 01/08 76 -14 62 01/04
01/04
LOWEST 7 01/11 -29 36 -5 01/01
AVG. MAXIMUM 48.0 44.0 4.0 44.6
AVG. MINIMUM 21.1 17.4 3.7 19.5
MEAN 34.6 30.7 3.9 32.0
DAYS MAX >= 90 0 0.0 0.0 0
DAYS MAX <= 32 1 5.5 -4.5 6
DAYS MIN <= 32 31 29.4 1.6 29
DAYS MIN <= 0 0 1.7 -1.7 1 PRECIPITATION (INCHES) RECORD MAXIMUM 2.35 1883 MINIMUM 0.01 1933 1934 1952 TOTALS 0.14 0.41 -0.27 0.75 DAILY AVG. 0.00 0.01 -0.01 0.02 DAYS >= .01 2 4.1 -2.1 6
DAYS >= .10 1 0.9 0.1 2
DAYS >= .50 0 0.0 0.0 0
DAYS >= 1.00 0 0.0 0.0 0
GREATEST
24 HR. TOTAL 0.13 01/27
SNOWFALL (INCHES)
TOTALS 0.9 7.0 6.2 2019
RECORD 24.3 1992
TOTAL
DEGREE_DAYS
HEATING TOTAL 937 1063 -126 1016
SINCE 7/1 3436 3531 -95 3388
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 10.1
RESULTANT WIND SPEED/DIRECTION 4/220
HIGHEST WIND SPEED/DIRECTION 40/290 DATE 01/01
HIGHEST GUST SPEED/DIRECTION 53/290 DATE 01/01
SKY COVER
POSSIBLE SUNSHINE (PERCENT) MM
AVERAGE SKY COVER 0.50
NUMBER OF DAYS FAIR 10
NUMBER OF DAYS PC 17
NUMBER OF DAYS CLOUDY 4
AVERAGE RH (PERCENT) 49
- INDICATES NEGATIVE NUMBERS.
R INDICATES RECORD WAS SET OR TIED.
MM INDICATES DATA IS MISSING.
T INDICATES TRACE AMOUNT.
We closed out 2019 with a change from the cool, wet conditions of the previous two months. December saw the opposite conditions as average temperatures were above normal and snow a rarity.
Storm systems did move through Colorado and the Rocky Mountain region and while the high country saw plenty of snow, these storms evaded the Front Range for most of the month. Temperatures were never particularly warm but overall, the average temp was warmer than normal in Thornton.
On the 5th of the month, we saw a respectable bit of rain instead of snow. Finally, a light snowfall on the 14th was the first snow of the month. We then stayed dry until the 28th when we received our first – and only – appreciable snowfall of the month.
Thornton’s overall average temperature for the month came in at 31.9 degrees. This was a good bit warmer than Denver’s long term average for December of 30.0 degrees. Out at Denver International Airport where the Mile High City’s official records are kept, it was warmer with an average of 33.7 degrees.
Temperatures in Thornton ranged from a high of 64.6 degrees on the 22nd down to a low of 7.2 degrees on the morning of the 30th. Denver recorded a maximum of 67 degrees and its minimum of 3 degrees on the same dates.
In terms of precipitation, Denver averages 0.35 inches during December. Thornton fell short of that with 0.28 inches while Denver had just a touch more with 0.30 inches.
A mere 2.8 inches of snow was recorded in Thornton during the month and Denver had an identical number. These were well short of the 8.7 inches December typically brings.
Thornton, Colorado’s December 2019 Temperature Summary. (ThorntonWeather.com)Thornton, Colorado’s December 2019 Precipitation Summary. (ThorntonWeather.com)
CLIMATE REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER/BOULDER CO
851 AM MST WED JAN 1 2020
...................................
...THE DENVER CO CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR THE MONTH OF DECEMBER 2019...
CLIMATE NORMAL PERIOD 1981 TO 2010
CLIMATE RECORD PERIOD 1872 TO 2019
WEATHER OBSERVED NORMAL DEPART LAST YEAR`S
VALUE DATE(S) VALUE FROM VALUE DATE(S)
NORMAL
................................................................
TEMPERATURE (F)
RECORD
HIGH 79 12/05/1939
LOW -25 12/22/1990
12/24/1876
HIGHEST 67 12/22 62 5 63 12/21
LOWEST 3 12/30 -4 7 0 12/31
12/29
AVG. MAXIMUM 45.3 42.8 2.5 46.1
AVG. MINIMUM 22.1 17.1 5.0 18.8
MEAN 33.7 30.0 3.7 32.5
DAYS MAX >= 90 0 0.0 0.0 0
DAYS MAX <= 32 6 5.8 0.2 4
DAYS MIN <= 32 27 29.4 -2.4 31
DAYS MIN <= 0 0 2.0 -2.0 1 PRECIPITATION (INCHES) RECORD MAXIMUM 5.21 1913 MINIMUM 0.00 1881 TOTALS 0.30 0.35 -0.05 0.03 DAILY AVG. 0.01 0.01 0.00 0.00 DAYS >= .01 2 4.1 -2.1 1
DAYS >= .10 2 1.1 0.9 0
DAYS >= .50 0 0.1 -0.1 0
DAYS >= 1.00 0 0.0 0.0 0
GREATEST
24 HR. TOTAL 0.18 12/28 TO 12/28 12/31 TO 12/31
SNOWFALL (INCHES)
RECORDS
TOTAL 2.8 8.7
RECORD DECEMBER 57.4 1913
DEGREE_DAYS
HEATING TOTAL 964 1086 -122 999
SINCE 7/1 2499 2468 31 2372
COOLING TOTAL 0 0 0 0
SINCE 1/1 916 769 147 1026
FREEZE DATES
RECORD
EARLIEST 09/08/1962
LATEST 06/08/2007
EARLIEST 10/07
LATEST 05/05
.................................................................
WIND (MPH)
AVERAGE WIND SPEED 9.1
RESULTANT WIND SPEED/DIRECTION 4/217
HIGHEST WIND SPEED/DIRECTION 33/350 DATE 12/28
HIGHEST GUST SPEED/DIRECTION 43/270 DATE 12/11
SKY COVER
POSSIBLE SUNSHINE (PERCENT) MM
AVERAGE SKY COVER 0.50
NUMBER OF DAYS FAIR 7
NUMBER OF DAYS PC 19
NUMBER OF DAYS CLOUDY 5
AVERAGE RH (PERCENT) 56
- INDICATES NEGATIVE NUMBERS.
R INDICATES RECORD WAS SET OR TIED.
MM INDICATES DATA IS MISSING.
T INDICATES TRACE AMOUNT.
As we begin the new year the winter chill begins to set in. While January can see its share of extremes, the month historically sees stable temperatures and is usually relatively dry.
January ranks as the second coldest month in Denver next to December with average temperatures remaining virtually the same from the start to the end of the month.
In terms of snowfall, the month only ranks as the fourth snowiest and it is not uncommon for it to be quite dry.
What does January 2020 hold for us? Follow the link to find out.
Winter officially begins at 9:28am MST on Thursday, December 21, 2017. (NOAA)
Astronomical winter arrives in Thornton Saturday evening and with the solstice also comes the shortest day of the year.
Winter officially begins at 9:19pm MST on Saturday, December 21, 2019.
The Winter Solstice occurs when the North Pole is tilted at its furthest from the sun – 23.5 degrees away. This results in the shortest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere.
Here in Denver, with sunrise at 7:17am and sunset at 4:38pm, our day Saturday will be 9 hours, 21 minutes and 16 seconds long.
The following day, Sunday, it will be about a second longer and each day from now through to the Summer Solstice in June will get gradually longer as well.
While we have a short day on the solstice, it is nothing like what will be experienced in the Arctic Circle. Areas north of there to the North Pole will have no direct sunlight at all. Conversely, areas south of the Antarctic Circle toward the South Pole will have 24 hours of daylight and have a midnight sun.
Did you know that there is a difference between the astronomical seasons that we are discussing here and meteorological seasons?
Meteorological seasons differ slightly and are geared toward matching the calendar with the annual temperature cycle. This is done primarily for meteorological observing and forecasting and in many ways it is more logical than the astronomical seasons.
For the Northern Hemisphere, the meteorological spring covers the months of March, April and May. Summer brings the hottest months of the year and so meteorological summer is June, July and August. Meteorological fall then is September, October and November followed by the coldest months of December, January and February as meteorological winter.
For the second month in a row, Mother Nature kept us cold and delivered a healthy dose of snow. Thornton experienced its second coldest November of the past 13 years and the snowiest of the past 13 years.
The month started out chilly but soon saw things stabilize and turn seasonal. Then, the 8th and 9th offered up our two warmest days of the month with readings of 71 and 79 degrees respectively. We quickly chilled out and saw our first snowfall of the month on the 9th although it was minimal.
From the 12th to the 19th, weather was relatively calm and temperatures for the most part warmer than normal.
After that, things went downhill with most of the balance of the month seeing temperatures well below normal. Light snow on the 20th, 21st and 22nd was followed by our most significant storm of the season on the 26th.
Thornton saw an overall overage temperature for November of 35.6 degrees. This was a good ways below the long term Denver average for the month of 38.3 degrees. Out at Denver International Airport where Denver’s official measurements are taken, the average temperature for the month was 36.2 degrees.
Temperatures in Thornton ranged from a high of 79 degrees on the 9th down to a low of 2 degrees on the 27th. Out at the airport, Denver saw its warmest reading of 77 degrees on the 9th also and its coldest temperature of -2 degrees on the 27th. The high temperature on the 9th was a record high for the date.
A generous amount of precipitation was received with Thornton recording 1.46 inches of rain and snowmelt. Denver lagged a bit with 1.31 inches. Both readings were well above the long term Denver average of 0.61 inches for November.
In terms of snowfall, the Mile High City averages 8.7 inches in November. Thornton’s reading of 16.7 inches and Denver’s of 13.7 inches easily bested the average.
CLIMATE REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER/BOULDER CO
905 AM MST SUN DEC 1 2019
...................................
...THE DENVER CO CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER 2019...
CLIMATE NORMAL PERIOD 1981 TO 2010
CLIMATE RECORD PERIOD 1872 TO 2019
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 77 11/09 73 4 65 11/02
LOWEST -2 11/27 -6 4 10 11/12
AVG. MAXIMUM 49.7 52.1 -2.4 50.6
AVG. MINIMUM 22.7 24.5 -1.8 25.0
MEAN 36.2 38.3 -2.1 37.8
DAYS MAX >= 90 0 0.0 0.0 0
DAYS MAX <= 32 7 2.3 4.7 2
DAYS MIN <= 32 25 23.4 1.6 27
DAYS MIN <= 0 1 0.6 0.4 0
PRECIPITATION (INCHES)
RECORD
MAXIMUM 3.21 1946
MINIMUM T 1899
1901
1949
TOTALS 1.31 0.61 0.70 0.35
DAILY AVG. 0.04 0.02 0.02 0.01
DAYS >= .01 8 4.7 3.3 6
DAYS >= .10 4 1.6 2.4 1
DAYS >= .50 1 0.0 1.0 0
DAYS >= 1.00 0 0.0 0.0 0
GREATEST
24 HR. TOTAL 0.80 11/26 TO 11/26 11/11 TO 11/11
SNOWFALL (INCHES)
RECORDS
TOTAL 13.7 8.7
RECORD NOVEMBER 42.5 1946
DEGREE_DAYS
HEATING TOTAL 860 801 59 808
SINCE 7/1 1535 1382 153 1373
COOLING TOTAL 0 0 0 0
SINCE 1/1 916 769 147 1026
FREEZE DATES
RECORD
EARLIEST 09/08/1962
LATEST 06/08/2007
EARLIEST 10/07
LATEST 05/05
.................................................................
WIND (MPH)
AVERAGE WIND SPEED 9.3
RESULTANT WIND SPEED/DIRECTION 2/197
HIGHEST WIND SPEED/DIRECTION 37/020 DATE 11/16
HIGHEST GUST SPEED/DIRECTION 48/010 DATE 11/16
SKY COVER
POSSIBLE SUNSHINE (PERCENT) MM
AVERAGE SKY COVER 0.50
NUMBER OF DAYS FAIR 7
NUMBER OF DAYS PC 18
NUMBER OF DAYS CLOUDY 5
AVERAGE RH (PERCENT) 65
- INDICATES NEGATIVE NUMBERS.
R INDICATES RECORD WAS SET OR TIED.
MM INDICATES DATA IS MISSING.
T INDICATES TRACE AMOUNT.
October and November brought Thornton cooler than normal temperatures and a good bit more snow than usual. What will December hold for us?
The month of December brings with it the official start of winter and oftentimes, colder and snowier weather conditions.
It however can also offer unseasonably warm temperatures and bone dry conditions. Given our recent mild and dry weather, we are certainly hoping for a change in the coming month.
Overall December’s monthly mean temperature of 30.0 degrees (1981 – 2010 averages) makes it our coldest month. Snow is always on everyone’s mind this time of year but December is only our 3rd snowiest month behind March and November with an average of 8.5 inches of the white stuff.
We knew today would be the warmest day of the weekend and not only did that hold true, it was a record setting performance.
As measured at DIA, Denver’s high temperature today reached 77 degrees (as of this writing). That bested the record high temperature for November 9th of 76 degrees set in 1927.
Here in Thornton, we were a bit warmer with a high of 79 degrees.
The weather during the month of November in Denver metro area can offer just about anything. While it is normally a quiet month, it can be prone to extremes.
November has historically been one of Denver’s snowiest months and major snowstorms are not entirely uncommon. However conditions can also be quite dry.
Temperatures during the month continue to cool as we get closer to winter and by the end of the month the low temperatures routinely dip to 20 degrees or below. At times it can in fact bring conditions more like what we see in January.
There is little doubt that when folks’ memories go back October 2019’s weather, they will remember the snow and even more so, the cold. Numerous cold temperature records were broken and the month ended up as one of the coldest Octobers on record.
Things started off cool for the first few days and a bit of precipitation. We then warmed up and dried out, seeing our warmest temperatures of the month on the 7th, 8th and 9th. From there, it was mostly downhill.
The evening of the 9th saw a powerful storm system and cold front move across northeastern Colorado. Temperatures plummeted and we saw our first snowfall of the season. Denver officially saw a 70 degree temperature change from the 9th to the 10th, tying the period for the second largest two-day temperature swing in Denver history.
High pressure returned on the 12th and we warmed up and dried out again. Cool but non-dramatic conditions arrived for the 18th through the 23rd. We then saw our second snowfall on the 24th of the month.
A brief rebound saw us warm up and enjoy a day of warmer than normal temperatures on the 26th. Once again, Mother Nature dropped the hammer with cold and snow returning on the 27th. The final five days of the month saw us receive two shots of snow and temperatures more akin to what we would expect to see in January.
Overall, Thornton’s average temperature for the month was 42.8 degrees. This was far below the long term Denver average for October of 50.9 degrees and was Thornton’s second coldest October since ThorntonWeather.com came online in the fall of 2006.
Out at Denver International Airport where the Mile High City’s official measurements are taken, it was slightly warmer with an average of 43.7 degrees. That made the month the fourth coldest October in Denver weather history.
Denver saw six cold weather daily temperature records fall. Among them were a record low of 13 degrees on the 10th, a record low on the 11th, record low maximums on the 28th and the 29th, and then two more record low temperatures on the 30th and 31st.
In terms of precipitation, Denver averages 1.02 inches of liquid during the month of October. Thornton bested that handily with 1.54 inches in our rain bucket. At DIA, it was drier with only 0.91 inches officially.
Snow was abundant in Thornton and Denver. Thornton received 17.6 inches of the white stuff while Denver came in at 12.5 inches. The Denver measurement made the month the 12th snowiest in Denver weather history.
Thornton, Colorado’s October 2019 Temperature Summary.Thornton, Colorado’s October 2019 Precipitation Summary.
CLIMATE REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER/BOULDER CO
230 PM MDT FRI NOV 1 2019
...................................
...THE DENVER CO CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR THE MONTH OF OCTOBER 2019...
CLIMATE NORMAL PERIOD 1981 TO 2010
CLIMATE RECORD PERIOD 1872 TO 2019
WEATHER OBSERVED NORMAL DEPART LAST YEAR`S
VALUE DATE(S) VALUE FROM VALUE DATE(S)
NORMAL
................................................................
TEMPERATURE (F)
RECORD
HIGH 90 10/01/1892
LOW -2 10/29/1917
HIGHEST 83 10/09 83 0 86 10/03
LOWEST 3 10/30 22 -19 18 10/15
AVG. MAXIMUM 58.5 65.3 -6.8 61.5
AVG. MINIMUM 28.9 36.6 -7.7 36.8
MEAN 43.7 50.9 -7.2 49.2
DAYS MAX >= 90 0 0.0 0.0 0
DAYS MAX <= 32 5 0.4 4.6 1
DAYS MIN <= 32 18 8.5 9.5 7
DAYS MIN <= 0 0 0.0 0.0 0
PRECIPITATION (INCHES)
RECORD
MAXIMUM 4.17 1969
MINIMUM T 1934
TOTALS 0.91 1.02 -0.11 0.99
DAILY AVG. 0.03 0.03 0.00 0.03
DAYS >= .01 9 5.3 3.7 9
DAYS >= .10 4 2.4 1.6 3
DAYS >= .50 0 0.5 -0.5 0
DAYS >= 1.00 0 0.1 -0.1 0
GREATEST
24 HR. TOTAL 0.22 10/29 TO 10/29
SNOWFALL (INCHES)
RECORDS
TOTAL 12.5 4.0
RECORD OCTOBER 31.2 1969
DEGREE_DAYS
HEATING TOTAL 653 440 213 487
SINCE 7/1 675 581 94 565
COOLING TOTAL 1 5 -4 4
SINCE 1/1 916 769 147 1026
FREEZE DATES
RECORD
EARLIEST 09/08/1962
LATEST 06/08/2007
EARLIEST 10/09 10/07
LATEST 05/05
.................................................................
WIND (MPH)
AVERAGE WIND SPEED 10.0
RESULTANT WIND SPEED/DIRECTION 1/209
HIGHEST WIND SPEED/DIRECTION 46/040 DATE 10/09
HIGHEST GUST SPEED/DIRECTION 57/030 DATE 10/09
SKY COVER
POSSIBLE SUNSHINE (PERCENT) MM
AVERAGE SKY COVER 0.40
NUMBER OF DAYS FAIR 13
NUMBER OF DAYS PC 13
NUMBER OF DAYS CLOUDY 5
AVERAGE RH (PERCENT) 51
- INDICATES NEGATIVE NUMBERS.
R INDICATES RECORD WAS SET OR TIED.
MM INDICATES DATA IS MISSING.
T INDICATES TRACE AMOUNT.
Weather, natural disasters & climate news and information.
February in Colorado typically brings to an end an extended period when average temperatures are at their lowest. Winter begins to loosen its grip and temperatures get warmer but precipitation is not a particularly common event during the month.
As we begin the new year the winter chill begins to set in. While January can see its share of extremes, the month historically sees stable temperatures and is usually relatively dry.
The weather during the month of November in Denver metro area can offer just about anything. While it is normally a quiet month, it can be prone to extremes.
