Category Archives: Thornton Weather

Thornton Weather

Is Denver Halloween snow fact or fiction?

Leave a comment
Snow on Halloween? Popular belief is that we seem to have a lot of snow when the trick or treaters are out on the street.
Snow on Halloween? Popular belief is that we seem to have a lot of snow when the trick or treaters are out on the street.

Conventional wisdom in the Denver area is that it always seems to rain or snow on Halloween.   I know as a kid growing up here it seemed like Mother Nature always put a damper on our trick or treating. 

But, is there any truth to this urban legend?  Or is this just one of those times where our memory doesn’t serve us quite right? 

This year it looks like we have nothing to worry about but  the National Weather Service has been kind enough to compile weather statistics just for Halloween.  As it turns out, the thought of snow and rain on Octboer 31st isn’t just in our minds! 

Get all the details in our Denver Halloween statistics and info page!  Click here!

Will it snow this Halloween?  Get the latest forecast here.

Site News, Thornton Weather

So what is the story with Examiner.com?

Leave a comment
Why does ThorntonWeather.com share stories and links with Examiner.com?
Why does ThorntonWeather.com share stories and links with Examiner.com?

We are oftentimes asked why we have links to Examiner.com on ThorntonWeather.com and why we plug stories from them.  The reasons stem from our interest on the topics at hand but also because by your visiting Examiner.com, you support ThorntonWeather.com.  

Some background on Examiner.com might be useful.  Examiner.com was launched in 2008 by Clarity Media Group, a company owned by Phillip Anschutz.  The site is essentially a living example of ‘citizen journalism’ featuring local news stories on hundreds of topics written by people titled ‘Examiners’ who are knowledgeable in their given topic area.  There are now hundreds of local editions of Examiner.com including of course Denver. 

We were recruited to write for Examiner.com when it first launched, initially as the Denver Weather Examiner and more recently we are also writing as the Natural Disasters Examiner and Climate Change Examiner.  

Why do we write for Examiner.com?  

First and foremost it is because we are passionate about weather and climate and enjoy sharing news stories about those topics.  Weather is one of the things that affect the lives of every single person on earth and that is fascinating to us.  

By writing for Examiner.com, we have a pretty big stage on which to have our topic features – the site is one of the fastest growing on the Internet and now ranks 82nd in overall traffic on the Internet with more than 12 million people a month visiting it.  That ranks higher than popular sites like drudgereport.com, cbs.com and newsweek.com! 

Examiner.com - Get inside Denver weatherSecondly, quite frankly we do get paid for writing for Examiner.com and that money directly supports and helps to pay for ThorntonWeather.com.  The weather station hardware, software, lightning detectors, and more that we use here on ThorntonWeather.com is very expensive.  Factor in computer costs, website services and more and it isn’t cheap.  We don’t charge for ThorntonWeather.com and never will but Examiner.com helps to offset the very real costs we do incur in operating the site.  

By reading an Examiner.com story we post in our news section or checking out the links on the left to our Examiner.com topic areas, you are supporting ThorntonWeather.com directly.  So, if you like ThorntonWeather.com, we ask you to check out our stories on Examiner.com – not only is Examiner.com a great, local news source, it also is a great way to help us!  You can also support us by checking out the few advertisers you see on the site.  

If you ever have any questions about our site, Examiner.com or any weather-related topic, please contact us.  Thank you as always for supporting ThorntonWeather.com. 

On the net: 

Thornton Weather

Denver ties high temperatures record for the date

Leave a comment
Denver tied the record high temperature for the date today.
Denver tied the record high temperature for the date today.

At 3:44pm today, the temperature at Denver International Airport reached 84 degrees.  This tied the record high temperature for October 18th set in 2003 and 1958.  The average temperature for this date is 68 degrees so we exceeded that by a large margin. 

From record setting cold last week to record setting warmth this week – you have to love Colorado weather! 

Was it really a record though?  Examiner.com investigates: Do Denver weather and climate records have an asterisk attached?

Here in Thornton we were actually a touch warmer reaching 85.9 degrees.  We have one more day of above normal temperatures ahead on Monday before we see a change that will bring cooler temps and possibly rain and snow.

Thornton Weather

Three temperature records fall to frigid cold in Denver

Leave a comment
Record setting cold arrived in Denver, breaking three records and nearly hitting a fourth.
Record setting cold arrived in Denver, breaking three records and nearly hitting a fourth.

Following on two low temperature records Friday and Saturday, a third was set Saturday when the mercury climbed to a high of only 26 degrees. That easily smashed the previous record low maximum for the date of 34 degrees set in 2005.

Friday night the cold front moved in and temperatures plummeted 23 degrees in five hours. Before midnight the mercury read 18 degrees thus shattering the old low temperature record for October 9th of 25 degrees. That record dated to 1970.

Saturday morning the low temperature at Denver International Airport dropped to 17 degrees. That set a new record low temperature for October 10th as well. The previous record low of 25 degrees was set more than a century ago in 1905.

A fourth record, for Sunday’s low temperature, was within reach but the mercury didn’t quite dip far enough. The record low for the date is 22 degrees, set in 1946. This morning the temperature at DIA dropped to 24 degrees which while chilly, didn’t quite go far enough.

The Arctic blast of cold air sent temperature plunging and forced the postponement of game 3 of the National League Divisional Series against the Colorado Rockies and Philadelphia Phillies. That game has been rescheduled for tonight at 8:07pm.

Sunday will be the first time since Friday night with temperatures above the freezing mark in Denver although it will remain 20 degrees cooler than normal. The forecast high today is 49 degrees whereas the average for this date is 69 degrees.

For the Rockies game, at the first pitch the temperature will be around 38 degrees. The mercury will slowly drop during the game and be down to around 35 by 11:00pm.

Denver BroncosThe Rockies aren’t the only game in town today either. The Denver Broncos host the New England Patriots at 2:00pm. For the game at Invesco Field at Mile High, it should be great football weather. It will be 47 degrees at kickoff and remain right in that vicinity throughout. A slight breeze around 5 mph will make it feel a touch cooler than that.

For the longer term, temperatures throughout the week will remain cooler than normal. Columbus Day temps will actually be a touch cooler than today before we start a slight warm-up for the rest of the week.

Thornton Weather

Denver breaks 104 year old cold temperature record as Arctic chill sets in

Leave a comment

Record setting cold temperatures arrive in DenverThe Arctic blast of cold air that has settled in across much of the nation’s midsection arrived in Colorado Friday night and allowed the Mile High City to set two low temperature records. Two more records may be set today and tonight before we start to warm up on Sunday.

Friday night the cold front moved in and temperatures plummeted 23 degrees in five hours. Before midnight the mercury read 18 degrees thus shattering the old low temperature record for October 9th of 25 degrees. That record dated to 1970.  Thornton was a touch warmer than the official station at DIA as we recorded a low of 19.7 yesterday.

This morning the low temperature at Denver International Airport has dropped to 17 degrees. That sets a new record low temperature for October 10th as well. The previous record low of 25 degrees was set more than a century ago in 1905.  At ThorntonWeather.com we have been a bit chillier having recorded a low of 16.3 degrees this morning. 

The forecast for today and tonight also portends the potential to set two more cold temperature records.

  • The record low maximum temperature for today is 34 degrees, set in 2005. With temperatures today forecast to struggle to get above freezing, that could be the third record set.
  • Lastly, a fourth record is possible and indeed, quite likely. The record low temperature for the 11th of October (Sunday) is 22 degrees set in 1946. Current forecasts put the overnight low Saturday night / Sunday morning as possibly hitting down the mid to upper teens thus setting up the potential to break that record.

That would be four record setting cold temperature records in a 48 hour span!

Related – Examiner.com:

Colorado Weather, Thornton Weather

Record setting cold may be on the way

Leave a comment

As the Colorado Rockies return home to play game 3 of the National League Divisional Series against the Philadelphia Phillies, the weather could prove to be a tougher opponent than the opposing team. As we forecast early this week, a major blast of Arctic air will be arriving over Colorado tonight and will send thermometers plunging, possibly into record setting territory.

Over the next 48 hours, Denver could break three, very chilly records:

  • The record low temperature for Denver on the 10th of October (Saturday), the day of the game, is 25 degrees. That was set more than 100 years ago in 1905.  Tonight’s / tomorrow morning’s forecast low temperatures are expected to be in the low 20’s.
  • The record low maximum temperature for the 10th is 34 degrees, set in 2005. Tomorrow’s forecast high temperature is expected to be in the mid 30’s.
  • The record low temperature for the 11th of October (Sunday) is 22 degrees set in 1946. Current forecasts put the overnight low Saturday / Sunday morning as possibly hitting down to 17 degrees.

Of the three, it seems pretty likely we will break the first and the third record listed. The second one is a bit up in the air.

There's more to this story on the Denver Weather Examiner's site!For a detailed look at what the weather forecast holds for the Rockies and Phillies, check out our forecast at Examiner.com.

Thornton Weather

Record setting cold in Denver kicks off October

Leave a comment

Cold weatherTwo days in a row Denver has set or tied record low temperatures. 

On Friday at 5:55am the temperature at Denver International Airport dropped to 26 degrees easily setting a new low temperature record for October 2nd. The previous record of 30 degrees was set in 1999 and also in 1959.  This was the first freeze of the season.  Thornton however remained above the freezing mark with a low of 33.1 degrees.

Following on yesterday’s record setting cold, the Mile High City tied a 109 year old low temperature record this morning. The temperature at Denver International Airport dipped to 31 degrees tying the record low for this date last set in 1900.  Unlike yesterday, Thornton was actually cooler than the official Denver temperature having recorded a low of 28.2.

The average date of Denver’s first freeze is October 7th so we are a bit ahead on timing. The earliest date Denver has received freezing temperatures is September 8th which occurred in 1962. The latest date was in 1944 when the mercury didn’t dip to freezing until November 15th.

For a look at Denver’s cold weather statistics click here.

Climatology, Thornton Weather

Preview of Thornton’s October Weather – Fall is Here

Leave a comment
What does October weather hold for Denver?
What does October weather hold for Denver?

With the first full month of fall here, October usually brings one of the quietest weather months in the Denver area with plenty of mild, sunny days and clear, cool nights. The month actually has our second highest amount of sunshine with 72 percent with September having the most with 74 percent. Interestingly enough, the month following, November, is one of the lowest sunshine months with only 64 percent. Typically October brings our first real taste of winter with the first freeze on average coming on the 7th of the month and the first snow on the 15th of the month.

Average temperatures in October steadily drop throughout the month. On the first we average 72 degree highs but by the 31st that drops to 59 degrees. October also sees our average low temperatures start to reach below freezing as well. At the start of the month we will average 42 degrees as the low temperature but by the end of the month the mercury dips to 30 degrees. This truly begins the sign that winter is approaching.

Get all the details on Denver’s October weather in our complete preview here.

Site News, Thornton Weather

ThorntonWeather.com featured on the City of Thornton’s cable channel

2 Comments

ThorntonWeather.com logoThorntonWeather.com has been featured on the City of Thornton’s cable access channel show Thornton 360.  The interview which was conducted in June 2009 features the site’s chief amateur meteorologist Tony Hake discussing the features of ThorntonWeather.com, his interest in the weather and more.

Be sure to check out the video below and let us know what you think.  You can also watch it on channel 8 throughout the month of September if you have Comcast cable TV.

ThorntonWeather.com would like to thank the City of Thornton’s Communications Department for their work.  Oftentimes we forget how many people it takes to make a city of over 100,000 residents run as well as Thornton does and the city’s employees continually perform above and beyond! 

On to the show:

Colorado Weather, Severe Weather, Thornton Weather

Summer 2009 in review – The summer of storms

1 Comment
This funnel cloud was seen from the Thornton Civic Center (looking north) on June 10th. Image courtesy Lisa Wilson, the City of Thornton.
This funnel cloud was seen from the Thornton Civic Center (looking north) on June 10th. Image courtesy Lisa Wilson, the City of Thornton.

As summer 2009 comes to a close, it is perhaps most fitting that fall arrives with nearly winter-like weather. We ushered in the summer a month early with a record setting high temperature and soon followed that up with a near constant stream of severe weather for weeks. In fact, most of the events during what was a very active summer season actually occurred in the weeks leading up to the official start of summer.

Even though the official start of summer was a month away, May 19th seemed to be an unofficial start as the mercury climbed to 90 degrees that day setting a new record for the date. The very next day in perhaps what was a sign of things to come, a tornado touched down in Mesa County – only the ninth to strike in that county since 1950.

On May 24th, the first of many severe weather days arrived bringing rain totals of more than an inch to some areas of the Front Range and a funnel cloud over Aurora. As the afternoon progressed the severe weather continued and three tornadoes had been reported in the metro area.

After a couple weeks of relative calm, the severe weather once again appeared and on June 7th funnel clouds and tornadoes seemed to be appearing everywhere. From the north metro area in Broomfield to Aurora, most of the Front Range had some sort of direct severe weather threat. Most notably,the Southlands Shopping Center was struck by an EF1 tornado where extensive damage to the mall occurred.

There's more to this story on the Denver Weather Examiner's site!All of that was only a start to what was a very eventful summer for Thornton and Denver!  Read the rest of this story on Examiner.com!