Category Archives: Thornton Weather

Climatology, Thornton Weather

March 2024 weather recap: Temps near normal and an abundance of moisture

Thornton, Colorado's March 2024 Temperature Summary. (ThorntonWeather.com)
Thornton, Colorado’s March 2024 Temperature Summary. (ThorntonWeather.com)

The month of March started off pretty slow with little weather drama and dry conditions. That changed as we got close to the latter half of the month with precipitation in the form of rain and snow taking over.

Through the first 12 days of the month, we had only received 0.6 inches of snow. We had seen a few days of colder temperatures but generally, mercury readings were above average.

That changed on the 13th. A powerful storm system with an unusual setup arrived. We began with a healthy dose of rain in the evening and then, overnight, the change to snow occurred. Heavy, wet snow fell on the 14th throughout the day and into the evening. Schools and many businesses closed down for the day. Thornton saw 10.8 inches of snow and a whopping 1.73 inches of liquid precipitation.

We then strung together nine days of calm, dry conditions. On the 25th, snow returned although it wasn’t anything too dramatic. Thornton saw 4.4 inches of the white stuff. The month then closed out with temperatures not far from average.

Overall, Thornton saw a monthly average temperature of 42.4 degrees. This was just above our running 18 year average of 42.0 degrees for the month of March. Mercury readings ranged from a high of 71.8 degrees on the 2nd down to 16.8 degrees pm the 26th.

For the Mile High City, where Denver’s official records are taken, they saw an average of 41.4 degrees. That was just slightly cooler than their long term March average of 41.2 degrees.

Liquid precipitation was abundant for the month with Thornton seeing 2.32 inches, most of which came with the storm on the 13th and 14th. This was well above our March average of 1.30 inches.

Denver recorded 1.65 inches in their rain bucket. This too was well above their March average of 0.86 inches.

Snowfall was above average as well. Thornton saw 15.8 inches in March 2024. This easily bested our March average of 11.3 inches.

Our at the airport, Denver saw a mere 9.2 inches. This was a bit above the Mile High City’s long term average for March of 8.8 inches.

Click here to view Thornton’s complete March 2024 climate summary report.

Thornton, Colorado's March 2024 Precipitation Summary. (ThorntonWeather.com)
Thornton, Colorado’s March 2024 Precipitation Summary. (ThorntonWeather.com)
Climatology, Thornton Weather

Thornton’s April 2024 weather preview: Winter, spring and summer all in one month

Thornton's April weather previewApril marks a transition between winter and summer for most of the country but for Denver it is especially true as we can see a stunning variety of weather.

The proverbial April showers are certainly a possibility for Denver. Snow? Tornadoes? Thunderstorms? You bet – all can happen!

For good measure throw in a chance for hail and even dust storms and April gives every type of weather condition you could like – or hate.

Photography, Thornton Weather

March 2024 top shots: Monthly photo slideshow

A bald eagle people watches at Trail Winds Park in Thornton. (Tony's Takes)
A bald eagle people watches at Trail Winds Park in Thornton. (Tony’s Takes)

The month of March is the start of meteorological spring and while conditions do begin warming, winter weather is certainly out of the question.  From hot to cold, snow to rain, the conditions can be very conducive to great pictures as we see in our slideshow.

March in Denver typically means frequent and rapid weather changes. The days grow longer and we start enjoying more sunshine and sometimes summer-like weather. However, on occasion arctic air masses can still force their way south into Colorado dropping temperatures quickly and markedly.

With the active wildlife, increased outdoor activities by us humans, and of course the weather, March imagery contains a wide variety of subjects and extremes.

  • Slideshow updated March 14, 2024. 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!

Climatology, Thornton Weather

Last week’s snowfall totals from the storm highlight an ongoing issue

Denver's March 14 & 15, 2024 Snowfall Totals. (National Weather Service)
Denver’s March 14 & 15, 2024 Snowfall Totals. (National Weather Service)

We all know our Pi Day storm last week was a big one.

Here in Thornton we recorded 10.8 inches. Downtown Denver reported 12.2 inches.

What will Denver’s official snow records show? A mere 5.7 inches. This is a direct result of the National Weather Service’s insistence on having Denver’s official measurements taken at Denver International Airport.

Data was collected in downtown Denver from 1872 through December 1948, then at the Stapleton Airport Office from January 1950 through February 1995. In March 1995, the service made the station at DIA the city’s official station for most meteorological observations. In 2008, they began taking official snowfall measurements out there.

Being so far from the Mile High City’s population center, the data collected there is entirely unrepresentative of what residents experience. Further, the move has skewed our climate records rendering comparisons to historical data invalid.  It is highly frustrating and is a significant issue which the National Weather Service dismisses.

Local television meteorologists have long railed against the change in station, most notably Mike Nelson of Denver 7. With this storm, Ashton Altieri of CBS 4 called the National Weather Service out on it.

Thornton Weather

Time to ‘spring forward’ as Daylight Saving Time begins March 10

Daylight Saving Time
The United States returns to Daylight Saving Time at 2:00am Sunday as Standard Time comes to an end.

The biannual ritual of changing our clocks to adjust for Daylight Saving Time occurs this Saturday night providing yet another signal of the changing of seasons.  The United States will ‘spring forward’ one hour at 2:00am Sunday morning as we begin Daylight Saving Time.

The ritual of changing our clocks twice a year can be met with some resistance as some people struggle to adjust their body’s internal clock.  The start of Daylight Saving Time can be particularly problematic given the one hour less sleep people receive on the night of the change.

However, longer days as we head into the milder months are a very real benefit and for many worth the inconvenience of a lost hour of sleep.  The time change definitely has big effects on how much daylight we enjoy during our normal waking hours.

On Saturday, prior to the change, sunset will occur at 6:01pm but on Sunday the sun won’t disappear over the horizon until 7:02pm.  This affords folks more time in the evening to get started on those spring-time chores and allows us to get outside and enjoy the warming weather.

Similarly, sunrise on Saturday is at 6:19am but shifts to 7:18am on Sunday.

The March Equinox is also on the horizon.  Spring officially begins at 9:06pm on Tuesday, March 19.

This year Daylight Savings Time will come to an end on November 3.

Some of the recent history of Daylight Savings Time (from Wikipedia):

Daylight saving time in the United States was first observed in 1918. Most areas of the United States currently observe daylight saving time, with the exceptions being the states of Arizona and Hawaii along with the territories of Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands.

From 1987 to 2006, daylight saving time in the United States began on the first Sunday of April and ended on the last Sunday of October. The time was adjusted at 2:00 AM (0200) local time (as it still is done now).

Since 2007, daylight saving time starts on the second Sunday of March and ends on the first Sunday of November, with all time changes taking place at 2:00 AM (0200) local time.

Daylight Savings Time Schedule

Year DST Begins 2 a.m.
(Second Sunday in March)		 DST Ends 2 a.m.
(First Sunday in November)
2024 10 March 2024 3 November 2024
2025 9 March 2025 2 November 2025
2026 8 March 2026 1 November 2026
2027 14 March 2027 7 November 2027
2028 12 March 2028 5 November 2028
2029 11 March 2029 4 November 2029
Thornton Weather

Thornton’s March 2024 preview: Temps warm considerably but snow is often abundant

The month of March in Denver is usually one that is welcomed heartily by residents. We begin to shake off the cold of winter with warmer temperatures and calmer conditions. That does not mean we are done with snow and cold by any means.

March usually offers healthy snowfall giving us an opportunity to add to our seasonal totals.  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 2024, click here.

Climatology, Thornton Weather

February 2024 weather recap: Much warmer and wetter than normal

Thornton, Colorado's February 2024 temperature Summary. (ThorntonWeather.com)
Thornton, Colorado’s February 2024 temperature Summary. (ThorntonWeather.com)

The past month was one that started out with some excitement in the form of snow (after rain) but then became far calmer and warmer.

On the third of the month, we saw a system move in that initially offered precipitation in the form of rain, and a good bit of it. That eventually transitioned to snow giving us 3.2 inches. Our biggest snowfall of the month of 4.2 inches followed on the 10th. We then saw a few other, smaller snowfalls, enough to put the month above average in terms of snowfall and precipitation.

Temperatures never really got all that cold. There was only one single digit reading for the month, less than you would expect and, particularly toward the latter part of the month, spring-like mercury readings were pretty common.

Thornton’s average temperature for the month came in at 38.5 degrees. That was far above our 18 year running average for February of 31.8 degrees. That put February 2024 into the books in a tie with February 2016 for the second warmest February. Number one is February 2017 at 40.1.

Out at Denver International Airport where the Mile High City’s official measurements are taken, the month saw an average temperature of 37.6 degrees. That too was well above their long term average for February of 32.7 degrees.

Temperatures in Thornton ranged from a high of 68.6 degrees on the 20th down to a low of 8.9 degrees on the 17th. Denver twice saw its warmest reading of 65 degrees and its coldest reading was 7 degrees.

Precipitation was bountiful, not only due to some decent snow but mainly due to the rain on the third. Thornton saw 1.67 inches of liquid precipitation for the month, a full inch above the 18 year February average of 0.67 inches.

Denver was drier, but not by a lot. The airport recorded 1.46 inches of liquid precipitation. This versus the Mile High City’s long term February average of 0.41 inches.

In terms of snowfall, we lacked any big storms but the littler ones added up. Thornton recorded 11.8 inches of the white stuff, just above the 18 year running average of 11.6 inches.

Denver bested us on the snowfall front recording 13.7 inches, well above their long term February average of 5.7 inches.

Click here to view Thornton’s complete February 2024 climate summary report.

Thornton, Colorado's February 2024 precipitation Summary. (ThorntonWeather.com)
Thornton, Colorado’s February 2024 precipitation Summary. (ThorntonWeather.com)
Photography, Thornton Weather

February 2024 Top Shots: Monthly Photo Slideshow

February 10, 2024 - A snowy scene in Thornton. (Nay Martin)
February 10, 2024 – A snowy scene in Thornton. (Nay 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 27, 2024
  • 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!

Thornton Weather

Internet down February 29, real-time data currently unavailable – FIXED

Update, 7:30am – We are back up and running! Whew!

Unfortunately, the Internet connection that allows the updating of the website with real-time data from our weather station is currently down. We have no ETA at this time as to when it will return to operation.

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.