Category Archives: Thornton Weather

Photography, Thornton Weather

July 2025 top shots: Monthly photo slideshow

Columbines in an alpine meadow. (Patrick Martin)
Columbines in an alpine meadow. (Patrick Martin)

Colorado offers outdoor opportunities unlike any other state and while the summer heat settles in, photos of the amazing scenes across our state provide a view into why we love it here so much.

The weather this time of year has a pretty standard pattern of quickly warming temperatures followed by afternoon thunderstorms that can cool things down.  These storms sometimes provide a good bit of ‘excitement’ and are a prime photo subject.

  • Slideshow updated July 7, 2025

Recreationalists head outdoors and take advantage of urban, suburban and rural opportunities.  As they do, our abundant wildlife that is found just about anywhere comes into focus.

Showcasing images captured by ThorntonWeather.com readers as well as some of our own, our monthly slideshow covers the entire gamut of weather and nature related imagery.   Sunsets, sunrises, wildlife and of course every type of weather condition are vividly depicted.

To learn more about how to send your photo to us for inclusion in the slideshow, see below the slideshow.


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!

Climatology, Thornton Weather

Thornton’s July 2025 preview: Summer heat really kicks in, thunderstorms common

July

Change is of course the one constant in Denver’s weather but come July, things actually get pretty consistent.

The standard formula for a day in July is a sunny morning, clouds developing in the late morning and early afternoon. Come mid-afternoon, thunderstorms are rolling off of the foothills and into the metro area and the eastern plains. These storms do occasionally reach severe status containing hail, gusty winds and heavy downpours of rain.

Check out our July weather preview for a complete look at what is in store for the month ahead.

Climatology, Thornton Weather

Thornton’s dismal 2024 / 2025 snow season comes to an end

Thornton, Colorado snow summary for the 2024 / 2025 season. (ThorntonWeather.com)
Thornton, Colorado snow summary for the 2024 / 2025 season. Click for larger view. (ThorntonWeather.com)

The snow season in Colorado runs July 1 to June 30 and thus today ends the 2024 / 2025 season officially. With the close, we can see Thornton did not fare too well this winter.

We ended up with 36.9 inches for the season. That is far below our 18-season running average of 54.6 inches per season. It also puts the 2024 / 2025 season into the books as the fourth least snowy over that period.

Out at DIA where Denver’s official measurements are taken, they fared better with 47.7 inches. The difference is largely due to a period from November 5 to November 8 in which the bulk of the snow for that event stayed just east of Denver. Over those four days, DIA recorded 18.2 inches versus 10.8 inches here in Thornton.

More snow data here.

Photography, Thornton Weather

June 2025 top shots: Monthly photo slideshow

June 11, 2025 - Bison on parade at the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge. (© Bill Hutchinson)
June 11, 2025 – Bison on parade at the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge. (© Bill Hutchinson)

The month of June typically sees springtime severe weather reach its height of activity in northeastern Colorado.

This affords the opportunity to capture extraordinary images of amazing weather phenomena from monstrous supercell thunderstorms to heavy rain, hail and even tornadoes.

  • Slideshow updated June 30, 2025

Showcasing images captured by ThorntonWeather.com readers as well as some of our own, our monthly slideshow covers the entire gamut of weather and nature related imagery.

Sunsets, sunrises, wildlife and of course every type of weather condition are vividly depicted.  June brings some very dynamic weather and the photos are a great way to see the stunning variety.

To learn more about how to send your photo to us for inclusion in the slideshow, see below the slideshow.

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

Internet outage: Real time data currently not available (FIXED)

Update, 6/25/25, 1:00pm: Up and running – finally. Our router was replaced and all data is now feeding the website as it should.

Update, 6/21/25, 9:00am: It appears our router has died so we are still without an Internet connection. We have an appointment scheduled for Wednesday afternoon so, unfortunately, no live data will be available until then. We apologize for the outage.

Original posting, 6/20/25, 5:11am: As many across the nation experienced late yesterday, CenturyLink / Quantum fiber had a major outage. As of Friday AM, our Internet connection is still not functioning.

As a result, real-time data from our weather station is currently down. We have no ETA as to when we will be back up and running as that depends on the provider.

Much of our website, other than the real-time data, remains fully functional. This includes the forecasts, watches / warnings and more.

We apologize for the inconvenience.

Climatology, Thornton Weather

Thornton’s June 2025 weather preview: Warmer temperatures, increased severe weather

June image

Extreme weather can occur during in month in Colorado we well know.  June however is when traditional spring severe weather arrives in the state oftentimes with hail, damaging wind and tornadoes.

Over 40 percent of the tornadoes that occur in Colorado happen during the month of June.  Far more common are thunderstorms with hail and wind, each responsible for extensive damage each year.

While severe weather is common, so too are brilliantly sunny and mild days as we close out spring and enter summer.  If you are looking for cold, it isn’t likely but it is possible as the Denver area has seen freezing temperatures and yes, even snow, during the month.

Read more about Thornton and Denver’s June weather and a look ahead at this year.

Thornton Weather

NOAA’s summer 2025 outlook predicts a hot, possibly dry summer

NOAA CPC summer 2025 temperature outlook. (NOAA)
NOAA CPC summer 2025 temperature outlook. (NOAA)

The Climate Prediction Center, a division of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), released its summer 2025 outlook. The agency expects a hot summer, not only here in Colorado, but across the contiguous United States.

Much of the western United States, including western Colorado, are given the highest probabilities of above average temperatures for the June, July and August timeframe. The eastern two thirds of the state are given slightly less chances.

For northeastern Colorado including Thornton and Denver, the agency gives us a 50 to 60 percent chance of overall above normal temperatures. That certainly would seem to portend a hot one for the Centennial State.

In terms of precipitation, the outlook seems less certainly but does lean toward dryer than normal conditions. Two thirds of Colorado are given a 33 to 40 percent chance of below average levels of precipitation.

NOAA CPC summer 2025 precipitation outlook. (NOAA)
NOAA CPC summer 2025 precipitation outlook. (NOAA)
Photography, Thornton Weather

May 2025 top shots: Monthly photo slideshow

A gorgeous sunset above the Rocky Mountains. (David Canfield)
A gorgeous sunset above the Rocky Mountains. (David Canfield)

Colorado’s famously highly variable weather seems to showcase itself during the month of May when a variety of weather conditions can be seen.  This provides a prime opportunity for photos of everything weather to flora to fauna.

The month of May can bring extremes.  Snow is not entirely uncommon during the month but more common is severe weather, particularly in the latter half of the month.  Thunderstorms become more frequent and their associated hazards – lightning, wind, hail and tornadoes – are usual visitors.  Providing additional subjects for pictures are the emerging spring flowers and our abundant wildlife.

  • Slideshow updated May 27, 2025. 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.

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!

Colorado Weather, Thornton Weather

National Weather Service completes damage assessments of May 18 tornadoes

May 18, 2025 - A tornado touches down near Bennett. (Arapahoe County Sherriff's office)
May 18, 2025 – A tornado touches down near Bennett. (Arapahoe County Sherriff’s office)

The National Weather Service has completed their damage assessments of this past Sunday’s tornadoes in Arapahoe and Adams counties. The service tallied four twisters, three rated EF-2 and one EF-1.

The largest of the twisters, northeast of Bennett, hit an estimated peak wind speed of 112 mph. Its damage path was nearly five miles long and at times, 400 yards wide. It was on the ground for 15 minutes.

A second twister before that one started in Arapahoe County and ended in Adams. It saw max winds of 125 mph, a path just over 5 miles long and a maximum width of 200 yards.

Details on the twisters are:

Public Information Statement…CORRECTED
National Weather Service Denver/Boulder CO
1153 AM MDT Wed May 21 2025

…NWS Damage Survey for 05/18/25 Tornado Event…

Overview…Four tornadoes occurred just to the south and east of metro Denver in the early afternoon of Sunday, May 18th. The first tornado that produced damage in northwest Elbert County was an uncharacteristically strong landspout, as well at the last tornado that occurred northeast of Bennett. The other two tornadoes were more strongly associated with a parent thunderstorm, known as a supercell.

The following information is for four separate tornado tracks surveyed on May 19th. The first is for the initial tornado, rated EF2, in and near the Elkhorn neighborhood of extreme northwest Elbert County, Colorado. The second is an EF1 that occurred south of Manila Village. The third and fourth tornadoes were both ranked EF2. These tornadoes tracked just to the west and north of Bennett, Colorado. They were two separate tornadoes, and were both on the ground at the same time between 140 pm and 146 pm. All data is preliminary and subject to change as new information is received.

.Elkhorn Ranch…

Rating: EF2
Estimated Peak Wind: 125 mph
Path Length /statute/: 0.94 miles
Path Width /maximum/: 50 yards
Fatalities: 0
Injuries: 0

Start Date: 05/18/2025
Start Time: 01:07 PM MDT
Start Location: 6 SSW Oea Building / Elbert County / CO
Start Lat/Lon: 39.5584 / -104.6226

End Date: 05/18/2025
End Time: 01:12 PM MDT
End Location: 5 SSW Oea Building / Arapahoe County / CO
End Lat/Lon: 39.5693 / -104.6123

.Manila Rd…

Rating: EF1
Estimated Peak Wind: 95 mph
Path Length /statute/: 2.53 miles
Path Width /maximum/: 75 yards
Fatalities: 0
Injuries: 0

Start Date: 05/18/2025
Start Time: 01:23 PM MDT
Start Location: 2 NE Oea Building / Arapahoe County / CO
Start Lat/Lon: 39.6614 / -104.5519

End Date: 05/18/2025
End Time: 01:32 PM MDT
End Location: 4 SSW Manila Village / Arapahoe County / CO
End Lat/Lon: 39.6917 / -104.527

.Bennett…

Rating: EF2
Estimated Peak Wind: 125 mph
Path Length /statute/: 5.09 miles
Path Width /maximum/: 200 yards
Fatalities: 0
Injuries: 0

Start Date: 05/18/2025
Start Time: 01:30 PM MDT
Start Location: 3 SSE Manila Village / Arapahoe County / CO
Start Lat/Lon: 39.7191 / -104.4948

End Date: 05/18/2025
End Time: 01:46 PM MDT
End Location: 1 NNW Bennett / Adams County / CO
End Lat/Lon: 39.7706 / -104.4394

.NE Bennett…

Rating: EF2
Estimated Peak Wind: 112 mph
Path Length /statute/: 4.62 miles
Path Width /maximum/: 400 yards
Fatalities: 0
Injuries: 0

Start Date: 05/18/2025
Start Time: 01:40 PM MDT
Start Location: 2 NNE Bennett / Adams County / CO
Start Lat/Lon: 39.7838 / -104.4074

End Date: 05/18/2025
End Time: 01:55 PM MDT
End Location: 6 NNE Bennett / Adams County / CO
End Lat/Lon: 39.8397 / -104.379

&&

EF Scale: The Enhanced Fujita Scale classifies tornadoes into the
following categories:

EF0…..65 to 85 mph
EF1…..86 to 110 mph
EF2…..111 to 135 mph
EF3…..136 to 165 mph
EF4…..166 to 200 mph
EF5…..>200 mph

NOTE:
The information in this statement is preliminary and subject to
change pending final review of the events and publication in
NWS Storm Data.