And 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.
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.
We 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.
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.
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.
Thornton, Colorado’s August 2018 temperature 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.
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.
If 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.
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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.
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.
Thornton, Colorado’s July 2018 temperature 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.
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.
With 1.80 inches having fallen in the bucket yesterday afternoon and evening, Thornton saw a big boost in our rainfall totals for July and the entire year.
In fact, the 1.80 inches from that one storm was more precipitation than we had seen in any single month yet this year.
It did push the month’s rainfall total to above the 11 year average for July however, for 2018 we are still lagging almost 2 inches below what we would normally see by the end of July.
There are still seven days left in the month and monsoonal flow does look to be present in the coming days so we certainly could see things improve further.
And 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.
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.
