Category Archives: Thornton Weather

Climatology, Thornton Weather

Denver sets record low maximum temperature for October 26

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Record Cold Temperatures

Oh, yes, it was a surprisingly cold one today with temperature readings more like what we would expect in January, not the end of October.

As measured at Denver International Airport, the Mile High City’s official high temperature today topped out at 16 degrees. That shatters the record for the coldest maximum temperature ever recorded on October 26 of 31 degrees set in 1923.

Perhaps more notable, that 16 degree high temperature is the coldest October high temperature EVER recorded in Denver.

Here in Thornton we managed to be just a little bit warmer with a high of 17 degrees.

Given the cold today and clear skies tonight, it is likely Denver will be setting a record low temperature tomorrow morning.

Thornton Weather

Thornton’s October 2020 preview: Cooler, calm conditions typical for the first full month of fall

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Thornton, Colorado October weather preview.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.

October is historically the second sunniest month and conditions are generally calm.

However we also will usually see our first taste of winter during the month with the first freeze and first snowfall of the season.  Temperatures as well will start to drop and by the end of the month the average nighttime lows are below freezing.

For complete details on our historical October weather and what we can expect in the coming month, read our complete October weather preview here.

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Thornton Weather

September 2020 top shots: Monthly photo slideshow

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Smoke from the Cameron Peak Fire makes for a beautiful sunset. (John Stavola)
Smoke from the Cameron Peak Fire makes for a beautiful sunset. (John Stavola)

The month of September is typically one of the more pleasant months in Colorado.  Temperatures are usually comfortable and there is not normally a lot of weather drama.  That however does not mean there aren’t plenty of photo opportunities.

Wildlife is still quite active along the Front Range and flowers will hold on to their petals for at least the first part of the month.  Then of course there is the weather which you never know what to expect.  Thunderstorms, heavy rain, and even snow are a possibility.

  • Slideshow updated October 1, 2020
  • 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

Fall colors 2020: When and where to go for leaf peeping

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Rocky Mountain National Park is a prime spot for viewing the fall foliage. (Tony's Takes)
Rocky Mountain National Park is a prime spot for viewing the fall foliage. (Tony’s Takes)

This time of year many folks start thinking about heading to the hills west of Denver in search of gold – fall foliage gold.

Where to go?  Below are five of ThorntonWeather.com’s favorite ones near Denver – plus a few further out and some bonus ideas.  After that, we will tell you where you can find a great website that provides regular updates on viewing conditions.

I-70 Corridor – If you’re looking for the easiest route, then this one is for you.  Simply head west on I-70 about 110 miles to Avon.  Between Vail and Avon, both sides of I-70 are lined beautifully with aspen.

Rocky Mountain National Park – One of the most popular summer destinations in the state is of course also a prime spot to view aspen in all their glory.  Once in the park head toward Bear Lake.  Glacier Gorge Junction provides a beautiful spot and you of course also get to enjoy all the splendor that Rocky Mountain National Park has to offer.  Extend your viewing by taking Trail Ridge Road all the way through to the west side of the park and the Grand Lake and Granby area.

Peak to Peak Highway – This little road trip can be a dual purpose trip – gambling and fall foliage viewing!  Take U.S. 6 through Clear Creek Canyon and then 119 through Blackhawk and Central City.  You can of course stop there if your wallet is fat enough and donate some money to the casinos.  From there continue on 119 toward Nederland.  Take highway 72 toward Ward and Allenspark.  There you will find more golden aspen than you can imagine, all with the Continental Divide nearby.

Colorado Fall Foliage - Average Date of Peak Aspen Colors. Click for larger view. (ThorntonWeather.com)
Colorado Fall Foliage – Average Date of Peak Aspen Colors. Click for larger view. (ThorntonWeather.com)

Poudre Valley Canyon –  Heading north on I-25 take Colorado 14 west and into Poudre Canyon and Roosevelt National Forest.  As you continue west you will come very near timberline as you come to Cameron Pass.  Amazing views abound!

Guanella Pass – This is a nice, relatively short drive from Denver.  From C470 take 85 through Bailey and Conifer, a nice drive unto itself.  When you come to the town of Grant, take the Guanella Pass Scenic and Historic Byway north to Georgetown.  The air is pretty thin along the way as you climb in excess of 11,500 views through the Pike and Arapahoe National Forests.

A couple other possibilities further from the Front Range:

Leadville / Aspen – From Denver take I-70 west to Copper Mountain and then Colorado 91 south over Freemont Pass to Leadville. Along the way there are plenty of viewing opportunities and Leadville is a nice little town to make a stop. From here you can take Highway 24 north back through Minturn and Vail. To extend the drive, take Highway 24 south to Colorado 82 and head toward Aspen. You can stop by the Maroon Bells in White River National Forest to view some of the most photographed mountains in Colorado.

Cottonwood Pass – From Denver take Highway 285 to Buena Vista. Head west on Main Street for seven miles then west on County Road 344 / Colorado 82. From there you start the climb up Cottonwood Pass with absolutely stunning views from the top. If you are up for it, you can continue down the west side of the pass into the Taylor Park area.

Honorable mentions worth considering:

  • Boreas Pass between Breckenridge and Como (County Road 10)
  • Kenosha Pass on Highway 285 between Bailey and Fairplay
  • Independence Pass (Colorado 82 between Aspen and Twin Lakes)
  • Colorado 103 from Evergreen to Echo Lake. Throw in a drive up Mount Evans for a bonus.

If you do head out, be sure to send us your pictures for inclusion in our monthly photo slideshows!

For more information:

Climatology, Thornton Weather

Denver ties one cold weather temperature record for September 9, breaks another

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As our first taste of wintry weather for the season comes to an end, we close it out with two more weather records in the books.

This morning, as measured at Denver International Airport, the temperature dropped to 31 degrees. This ties the Mile High City’s record low for September 9 set in 1962.

The daytime didn’t bring much relief as the high at the airport only reached 42 degrees. This shatters the old record low maximum for the date of 53 degrees set in 1989.

Here in Thornton, we matched both of those marks with a low of 31 degrees and a high of 42 degrees.

The past few days have seen an extraordinary bout of weather as we went from record heat to record cold. The graphic below shows just some of what has occurred.

Some of the weather records tied or broken in the first part of September 2020. Click for a larger view. (National Weather Service)
Some of the weather records tied or broken in the first part of September 2020. Click for a larger view. (National Weather Service)
Climatology, Thornton Weather

Denver ties two cold weather records for September 8, sees second earliest snow on record

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Record Cold Temperatures

From record heat to record cold. You must live in Colorado. 😉  Today, Denver tied two cold weather records and saw its second earliest snow on record.

As measured at Denver International Airport, the low temperature in the Mile High City dropped to 31 degrees at 7:33pm. This ties the record low temperature for September 8 last set in 1962. Going hand-in-hand with that record, it tied the record for the earliest freeze in Denver history last set on the same date.

Here in Thornton, we managed to stay just a hair warmer with a low of 32 degrees.

Notable as well is that the Mile High City’s official 1.0 inch of snow is the second earliest snowfall on record. The snow was also the first September snowfall seen in 20 years. The number one spot for earliest snow on record, September 3, 1962, remains secure.

Climatology, Thornton Weather

Denver sets record high minimum and ties record high for September 6

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Record High Temperature

Our recent warm weather not only impacts daily high temperatures, it also impacts overnight lows as seen by the record set tonight.

As measured at Denver International Airport, the Mile High City saw a low of 67 degrees. This set a record high minimum for the date, beating the old mark of 66 degrees set in 1933.

Here in Thornton, we were quite a bit cooler seeing a low of 56 degrees.

Additionally, Denver’s official high temperature came in at 97 degrees. This tied the record high for September 6, last set in 2013. Thornton was actually hotter with a high of 99 degrees.

Climatology, Thornton Weather

Multiple high temperature records broken on September 5

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Record High Temperature

While snow and cold are on the horizon, that will wait and until then, we continue to experience extraordinarily warm weather. Today, September 5, Denver actually broke three records.

As measured at Denver International Airport, the high temperature topped out at 101 degrees. This easily bested the record high temperature for the date of 98 degrees set just last year.

Additionally, the 101 degree reading is the warmest temperature ever recorded in Denver during the month of September. Only one other time has it been 100 degrees or warmer in the month, that coming on September 2, 2019 with a 100 degree reading.

Lastly, this is the latest in the year a 100 degree or higher reading has been recorded.

Here in Thornton, we managed to stay just a bit cooler with a high of 99 degrees.

Climatology, Thornton Weather

September snow in Denver is not entirely uncommon

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Denver September Snow History. (ThorntonWeather.com)
Denver September Snow History. Click for larger view. (ThorntonWeather.com)

There is lots of talk (and hype!) about next week’s storm and the potential for our first snowfall of the season. While it is somewhat unusual to get snow so early in the season, it is far from unprecedented and not near as rare as you might think.

Whipping out the weather history books, we see that snow has fallen in 28 Septembers in the 139 years since the National Weather Service began recording snow in the Mile High City. That equates to about 20% of the years.

It has, however, been quite a while since we have seen one, the most recent occurring in 2000. That was the last in a stretch in which six out of eight years saw September snow.

Our earliest snowfall on record came on September 3, 1961 when 4.2 inches of the white stuff fell. The average date of Denver’s first snow is October 18th.

Most concerning about these early season snows is the potential for tree damage and power outages. Like spring storms, early season snows are usually quite wet and heavy and have the potential to wreak havoc, even if there isn’t much to them.

Climatology, Thornton Weather

Thornton’s September weather preview: Usually a calm, pleasant month

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Following an August that was unseasonably warm and dry, we find ourselves heading into September hoping for relief.  The month can bring plenty of rain and even our first snow of the season but more often than not, it is one of the most pleasant along the Colorado Front Range.

As temperatures start to drop, September usually reminds us that summer is at an end and fall is now here. Sunshine is predominant though as the month actually has the highest percentage of sun out of any month. Sunny days and clear, cool nights are the standard weather pattern for the month.

The month can bring extremes however.  We will of course forever remember 2013’s devastating floods brought on by record-setting rain.  Longtime residents might remember September 1971 which brought over 17 inches of snowfall.

Get a complete look at September’s weather and more details as to what we can expect this year here.