Category Archives: Thornton Weather

Colorado Weather, Thornton Weather

Colorado fall colors 2018: When and where to go

Leave a comment
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. Be forewarned though that the western half of the pass is unpaved and twisty.  Editor’s note: The west side of Cottonwood Pass is closed until sometime this fall so that it can be paved.

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:

Thornton Weather

Denver ties record high for September 13, second high temp record of the week

Leave a comment

Record High TemperaturesAnd down goes another record! We didn’t expect it to get quite as hot as it did but Mother Nature gave the mercury a little extra push into record-setting territory today.

Denver’s official high temperature, as measured at DIA, came in at 96 degrees today.  This tied the record high temperature for September 13 set in 1990 and 1895.

Here in Thornton, we were just a touch cooler as is the norm with a high of 94 degrees.

This is the second high temp record of this week as summer continues to hang on.  Two days ago, Denver broke the record high for September 11.

We wish we could say we were done with the 90+ degree readings for the season but that does not appear to be the case.

Currently it looks like we will be at or a bit above the 90 degree mark through Monday.  It may be the end of next week before we see any appreciable cooling.  Check out the extended forecast here.

Thornton Weather

Denver sets new record high temperature for September 11

Leave a comment

Record High TemperaturesWe said this morning it was a possibility and sure enough, the record high for today’s date was broken.

The National Weather Service reports that Denver’s official high, as measured at DIA, hit 93 degrees this afternoon.  That tops the old record of 92 degrees set in 1951.

Here in Thornton, we fell short of the mark, likely due to afternoon cloud cover reaching us before it did the airport. Our high came in at 91 degrees at 12:44pm.

Believe it or not, we may see another record or two fall before the end of the week.

Tomorrow’s high is forecast at 94 degrees, the same as the record high for the date. Thursday’s record high of 96 is not likely to be broken but we could come within a couple of degrees.  Friday and Saturday’s record highs are both 92 degrees and we may come very, very close to those marks.

Check out the extended weather forecast here.

Thornton Weather

Thornton’s September weather preview: Typically a very pleasant month for us

Leave a comment

Following on an August that saw seasonal temperatures but little precipitation, some are certainly hoping for a bit of the wet stuff in September.  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.

Thornton Weather

August 2018 weather recap: Month sees cooler than normal temps, well below normal precipitation

Leave a comment

Somewhat of a mixed bag for Thornton’s weather in August.  While we enjoyed temperatures near normal without too many extremes, precipitation was lacking considerably from what we expect during the month.

The month started out toward the cool side but with days of above normal temps interspersed.  For the first few weeks it appeared we would end up a good bit cooler than normal but then the heat returned for much of the last week driving up average temperatures.

Precipitation was quite disappointing with only a couple decent rainfalls during the month and a few minimal events.

Probably the most notable thing for the month was the relatively persistent haze from smoke from wildfires to our west.  While it made for pretty sunrises and sunsets, it obscured our normally beautiful blue skies.

Thornton finished the month with an average temperature of 70.4 degrees.  That is more than two degrees cooler than Denver’s long term August average of 72.5 degrees. As is the norm, Denver’s official measurement came in a good bit warmer with an average of 72.4 degrees.

Our highs ranged from a maximum of 94.9 degrees on the 4th of the month down to a low of 47 degrees on the morning of the 20th.  Denver matched our maximum on the same date and saw a low of 46 degrees on the 20th which also tied the record low for the date.

The month saw a paltry 0.52 inches fall in Thornton’s rain bucket.  Denver actually fared better with 0.93 inches.  Both measurements however fell short of the August average of 1.69 inches.

Click here to view Thornton’s August 2018 climate report.

Thornton, Colorado's August 2018 temperature summary. (ThorntonWeather.com)
Thornton, Colorado’s August 2018 temperature summary. (ThorntonWeather.com)
Thornton, Colorado's August 2018 precipitation summary. (ThorntonWeather.com)
Thornton, Colorado’s August 2018 precipitation summary. (ThorntonWeather.com)
CLIMATE REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER/BOULDER CO
318 PM MDT SAT SEP 1 2018

...................................

...THE DENVER CO CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR THE MONTH OF AUGUST 2018...

CLIMATE NORMAL PERIOD 1981 TO 2010
CLIMATE RECORD PERIOD 1872 TO 2018

WEATHER         OBSERVED          NORMAL  DEPART  LAST YEAR`S
                 VALUE   DATE(S)  VALUE   FROM    VALUE  DATE(S)
                                          NORMAL
................................................................
TEMPERATURE (F)
RECORD
 HIGH             105   08/08/1878
 LOW               40   08/26/1910
                        08/25/1910
                        08/24/1910
                        08/22/1904
HIGHEST            95   08/04       105     -10       95  08/19
LOWEST             46   08/20        40       6       51  08/04
AVG. MAXIMUM     86.8              87.2    -0.4     85.7
AVG. MINIMUM     58.0              57.9     0.1     57.3
MEAN             72.4              72.5    -0.1     71.5
DAYS MAX >= 90     11              11.5    -0.5       10
DAYS MAX <= 32      0               0.0     0.0        0
DAYS MIN <= 32      0               0.0     0.0        0
DAYS MIN <= 0       0               0.0     0.0        0

PRECIPITATION (INCHES)
RECORD
 MAXIMUM         5.85   1979
 MINIMUM         0.02   1924
TOTALS           0.93              1.69   -0.76     1.86
DAILY AVG.       0.03              0.05   -0.02     0.06
DAYS >= .01         7               8.6    -1.6        6
DAYS >= .10         2               4.3    -2.3        4
DAYS >= .50         0               1.2    -1.2        2
DAYS >= 1.00        0               0.3    -0.3        0

GREATEST
 24 HR. TOTAL    0.38   08/14 TO 08/14

SNOWFALL (INCHES)
 TOTAL            0.0
RECORD
 TOTAL            0.0               0.0

DEGREE_DAYS
HEATING TOTAL       9                10      -1        8
 SINCE 7/1          9                16      -7        8
COOLING TOTAL     247               244       3      216
 SINCE 1/1        862               688     174      749

FREEZE DATES
RECORD
 EARLIEST     09/08/1962
 LATEST       06/08/2007
EARLIEST                        10/07
LATEST                          05/05
.................................................................

WIND (MPH)
AVERAGE WIND SPEED              10.3
RESULTANT WIND SPEED/DIRECTION   3/176
HIGHEST WIND SPEED/DIRECTION    41/280    DATE  08/27
HIGHEST GUST SPEED/DIRECTION    60/270    DATE  08/27

SKY COVER
POSSIBLE SUNSHINE (PERCENT)   MM
AVERAGE SKY COVER           0.50
NUMBER OF DAYS FAIR           12
NUMBER OF DAYS PC             17
NUMBER OF DAYS CLOUDY          2

AVERAGE RH (PERCENT)     48

WEATHER CONDITIONS. NUMBER OF DAYS WITH
THUNDERSTORMS             9   MIXED PRECIP           0
HEAVY RAIN                1   MODERATE RAIN          3
LIGHT RAIN               12   FREEZING RAIN          0
LT FREEZING RAIN          0   HAIL                   0
HEAVY SNOW                0   SNOW                   0
LIGHT SNOW                0   FOG W/VIS <=1/4 MILE   2
FOG                       4   HAZE                   8

-  INDICATES NEGATIVE NUMBERS.
R  INDICATES RECORD WAS SET OR TIED.
MM INDICATES DATA IS MISSING.
T  INDICATES TRACE AMOUNT.
Thornton Weather

August 2018 top shots: Monthly photo slideshow

Leave a comment
Black and white of a scene in Thornton. (LE Worley)
Black and white of a scene in Thornton. (LE Worley)

As the calendar turns to August, the summertime heat begins to fade and that makes it easier to get out and enjoy all of the outdoor activities Colorado has to offer.  From a walk in a park to afternoon thunderstorms to an abundance of wildlife, photo opportunities abound as is seen in our slideshow.

Our monsoon season typically arrives about now and that means better chances for moisture.  However with limited instability, the intensity of storms are more sedate.  That doesn’t mean however that the weather is any less photographic.

  • Slideshow updated August 31, 2018

By the end of the month some of our seasonal feathered friends will be looking to leave the state giving our last chance to see them till spring.  Larger mammals are gearing up for the rut (mating season) and that can make for some intense scenes.

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.

[flickr_set id=”72157699591892514″]

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

Denver ties record low temperature for August 20

Leave a comment

Record Cold TemperaturesIf you were thinking you were feeling fall in the air the last day or two you had good reason.  Temperatures this morning almost felt chilly and Denver tied the record low temperature for the date.

At 6:25am this morning, the mercury at Denver International Airport where the Mile High City’s official records are taken dipped to 46 degrees. This tied the record low temperature for August 20 last set in 1939.

Here in Thornton we were just a touch warmer with a low of 47 degrees.  That was our second chilliest temperature since May 21.

  • Stay up to date with Thornton’s weather: ‘Like’ us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and add us to your Google+ circles
Climatology, Thornton Weather

Thornton’s August 2018 preview: Temperatures moderate, severe weather decreases

Leave a comment

As summer vacations wind down and families prepare to send their kids back to school in August, Colorado weather also starts to settle down. The chances for severe weather decrease markedly during August and by the end of the month daytime temperatures are dropping quite a bit as well.

Find out more about what lies ahead with Thornton’s August weather here.

Thornton Weather

July 2018 weather recap: After a hot start, month cools down, gets wet

Leave a comment

The month of July was somewhat a tale of two months in one.  The first half was most notable for their unseasonably warm temperatures and relatively dry conditions.  The second half saw a few days of heat but for the most part was considerably cooler and wetter.

Thornton saw an average temperature for the month of 73.5 degrees.  Out at Denver International Airport where the Mile High City’s official readings are taken, the month saw an average of 75.3 degrees.  Long term, the month of July sees an average of 74.2 degrees in Denver so while Thornton was cooler than that, Denver was warmer.

Thornton had its highest temperature reading of 99.9 degrees on the 19th and its coldest of 47.7 degrees on the 1st.  Denver saw its warmest reading of 99 degrees on the 3rd and its coldest of 47 degrees on the 1st.

In terms of precipitation, Denver’s long term July average is 2.16 inches.  Thornton easily bested that number with 3.66 inches in our rain bucket.  The Mile High City fell well short with only 1.03 inches.

Click here to view Thornton’s July 2018 climate report.

Thornton, Colorado's July 2018 temperature summary. (ThorntonWeather.com)
Thornton, Colorado’s July 2018 temperature summary. (ThorntonWeather.com)
Thornton, Colorado's July 2018 precipitation summary. (ThorntonWeather.com)
Thornton, Colorado’s July 2018 precipitation summary. (ThorntonWeather.com)
CLIMATE REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER/BOULDER CO
305 PM MDT WED AUG 1 2018

...................................

...THE DENVER CO CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR THE MONTH OF JULY 2018...

CLIMATE NORMAL PERIOD 1981 TO 2010
CLIMATE RECORD PERIOD 1872 TO 2018

WEATHER         OBSERVED          NORMAL  DEPART  LAST YEAR`S
                 VALUE   DATE(S)  VALUE   FROM    VALUE  DATE(S)
                                          NORMAL
................................................................
TEMPERATURE (F)
RECORD
 HIGH             105   07/20/2005
 LOW               42   07/04/1903
                        07/31/1873
HIGHEST            99   07/03        99       0      100  07/19
                                                          07/06
LOWEST             47   07/01        51      -4       51  07/01
AVG. MAXIMUM     90.2              89.4     0.8     91.5
AVG. MINIMUM     60.3              58.9     1.4     61.3
MEAN             75.3              74.2     1.1     76.4
DAYS MAX >= 90     19              16.0     3.0       20
DAYS MAX <= 32      0               0.0     0.0        0
DAYS MIN <= 32      0               0.0     0.0        0
DAYS MIN <= 0       0               0.0     0.0        0

PRECIPITATION (INCHES)
RECORD
 MAXIMUM         6.41   1965
 MINIMUM         0.01   1901
TOTALS           1.03              2.16   -1.13     0.47
DAILY AVG.       0.03              0.07   -0.04     0.02
DAYS >= .01         8               8.3    -0.3        6
DAYS >= .10         3               4.3    -1.3        3
DAYS >= .50         0               1.4    -1.4        0
DAYS >= 1.00        0               0.7    -0.7        0
GREATEST
 24 HR. TOTAL    0.43   07/23 TO 07/23

SNOWFALL (INCHES)
 TOTAL            0.0               0.0
RECORDS
 TOTAL            0.0

DEGREE_DAYS
HEATING TOTAL       0                 6      -6        0
 SINCE 7/1          0                 6      -6        0
COOLING TOTAL     326               289      37      360
 SINCE 1/1        615               444     171      533

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   2/138
HIGHEST WIND SPEED/DIRECTION    47/140    DATE  07/02
HIGHEST GUST SPEED/DIRECTION    64/150    DATE  07/02

SKY COVER
POSSIBLE SUNSHINE (PERCENT)   MM
AVERAGE SKY COVER           0.50
NUMBER OF DAYS FAIR           10
NUMBER OF DAYS PC             20
NUMBER OF DAYS CLOUDY          1

AVERAGE RH (PERCENT)     50

WEATHER CONDITIONS. NUMBER OF DAYS WITH
THUNDERSTORMS            13   MIXED PRECIP           0
HEAVY RAIN                3   RAIN                   5
LIGHT RAIN               11   FREEZING RAIN          0
LT FREEZING RAIN          0   HAIL                   0
HEAVY SNOW                0   SNOW                   0
LIGHT SNOW                0   FOG W/VIS <=1/4 MILE   3
FOG                       8   HAZE                   5

-  INDICATES NEGATIVE NUMBERS.
R  INDICATES RECORD WAS SET OR TIED.
MM INDICATES DATA IS MISSING.
T  INDICATES TRACE AMOUNT.
Photography, Thornton Weather

July 2018 top shots: Monthly photo slideshow

Leave a comment
Smoke from area wildfires helps color the sky orange at sunrise. (Jessica Fey)
Smoke from area wildfires helps color the sky orange at sunrise. (Jessica Fey)

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 29, 2018

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.

[flickr_set id=”72157697199001551″]

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!