April 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.
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.
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.
| [flickr_set id=”72157694184902845″] |
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!
Severe weather is a fact of life in Colorado – from blizzards to tornadoes we can and do see it all. Each year the weather is responsible for claiming lives in our state and across the nation and the threat is very real. Storm spotter training allows you to learn how to protect yourself and your family while providing a public service.
Education is key to knowing how to protect you and your family. Whether you want to be an official storm spotter or maybe just want to learn more about severe weather, storm spotter training can provide you an incredible opportunity to learn.
The National Weather Service Denver / Boulder office has announced a series of Skywarn storm spotter training dates for Colorado for the 2017 season.
The storm spotter program is a nationwide program with more than 280,000 trained spotters. These volunteers report weather hazards to their local National Weather Service office providing vital information when severe strikes. Data from spotters include severe wind, rain, snow measurements, thunderstorms and hail and of course tornadoes.
Storm spotters are part of the ranks of citizens who form the Nation’s first line of defense against severe weather. There can be no finer reward than to know that their efforts have given communities the precious gift of time–seconds and minutes that can help save lives.
By completing one of these training classes you can become an official storm spotter. When severe weather strikes, you can report it by calling a special toll free number or submit your report via the National Weather Service’s website.
These are great sessions for anyone wanting to learn more about the severe weather we experience in Colorado, whether you want to be an official spotter or not. All training is free. Topics include:
To learn more about the program, see here: http://www.crh.noaa.gov/bou/awebphp/spotter.php
Below are the dates, times and locations announced thus far. The embedded calendar should automatically update with new dates and changes but be sure to check the National Weather Service site for the latest.
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If you felt like the past month was a bit chilly you would be correct. February saw temps a good bit below normal. We did see some help with our lack of seasonal snow and precipitation was a bit above average as well.
The first third of the month continued the dry, warmer than normal conditions we had for much of January. On the 10th of the month we experienced a very cold day and our first snowfall of the month. However, we soon returned to overall dry and warm conditions.
From there we saw things change significantly and quickly. Following an extraordinarily mild day on the 18th, temperature plummeted over the next 48 hours or so. So much so that the high temperature on the 20th was a record low maximum for the date.
Chilly temperatures lingered through the 25th as we saw a week of cold. The 19th, 20th and 22nd also brought snow that helped to add to the seasonal totals.
The final three days of the month saw mercury readings at or above normal.
Overall average temperature for the month of February was 29.2 degrees. At Denver International Airport where the Mile High City’s official records are kept, it was just slightly warmer with an average of 29.9 degrees. Both came a good bit short of the historical February average temperature of 32.5 degrees.
Temperatures in Thornton ranged from a high of 69 degrees on the 18th down to a low of 4 degrees below zero on the 21st. Denver’s highest temperature matched ours while their coldest was 7 degrees below on the 21st.
On average, Denver receives 0.37 inches of precipitation in February. This year, Thornton was a bit above that with 0.45 inches while Denver was below with 0.31 inches.
Both Thornton and Denver saw above average levels of snow although we bested the Mile High City on that front. Thornton recorded 9.5 inches while Denver saw 6.2 inches. Average for the month is 5.7 inches.
Click here to view Thornton’s February 2018 climate report.
From the National Weather Service:
CLIMATE REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER/BOULDER CO
805 AM MST THU MAR 1 2018
...................................
...THE DENVER CO CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR THE MONTH OF FEBRUARY 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 80 02/10/2017
LOW -25 02/01/1951
02/08/1936
HIGHEST 69 02/18 66 3 80 02/10
LOWEST -7 02/21 -6 11 02/26
AVG. MAXIMUM 44.4 46.2 -1.8 53.9
AVG. MINIMUM 15.4 18.9 -3.5 26.6
MEAN 29.9 32.5 -2.6 40.2
DAYS MAX >= 90 0 0.0 0.0 0
DAYS MAX <= 32 6 3.9 2.1 3
DAYS MIN <= 32 26 26.9 -0.9 21
DAYS MIN <= 0 3 1.3 1.7 0
PRECIPITATION (INCHES)
RECORD
MAXIMUM 2.01 1934
MINIMUM 0.01 1970
TOTALS 0.31 0.37 -0.06 0.23
DAILY AVG. 0.01 0.01 0.00 0.01
DAYS >= .01 5 5.3 -0.3 3
DAYS >= .10 2 0.7 1.3 1
DAYS >= .50 0 0.0 0.0 0
DAYS >= 1.00 0 0.0 0.0 0
GREATEST
24 HR. TOTAL 0.14 02/10 TO 02/10 02/23 TO 02/24
SNOWFALL (INCHES)
RECORDS
TOTAL 6.2 5.7
RECORD FEBRUARY 22.4 2015
DEGREE_DAYS
HEATING TOTAL 975 908 67 685
SINCE 7/1 4057 4439 -382 3802
COOLING TOTAL 0 0 0 0
SINCE 1/1 0 0 0 0
FREEZE DATES
RECORD
EARLIEST 09/08/1962
LATEST 06/08/2007
EARLIEST 10/07
LATEST 05/05
.................................................................
WIND (MPH)
AVERAGE WIND SPEED 9.9
RESULTANT WIND SPEED/DIRECTION 2/230
HIGHEST WIND SPEED/DIRECTION 38/270 DATE 02/24
HIGHEST GUST SPEED/DIRECTION 47/270 DATE 02/24
SKY COVER
POSSIBLE SUNSHINE (PERCENT) MM
AVERAGE SKY COVER 0.60
NUMBER OF DAYS FAIR 7
NUMBER OF DAYS PC 12
NUMBER OF DAYS CLOUDY 9
AVERAGE RH (PERCENT) 60
WEATHER CONDITIONS. NUMBER OF DAYS WITH
THUNDERSTORMS 0
HEAVY RAIN 0 MIXED PRECIP 6
LIGHT RAIN 0 RAIN 0
LT FREEZING RAIN 6 FREEZING RAIN 0
HEAVY SNOW 1 HAIL 0
LIGHT SNOW 15 SNOW 6
FOG 20 FOG W/VIS <=1/4 MILE 9
HAZE 9
- INDICATES NEGATIVE NUMBERS.
R INDICATES RECORD WAS SET OR TIED.
MM INDICATES DATA IS MISSING.
T INDICATES TRACE AMOUNT.
The month of February brought some relief to our snow season which up until then had been extremely anemic. However, we still have a long ways to go to reach normal levels.
March usually offers healthy snowfall giving us an opportunity to add to those numbers. 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 2018, click here.
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.
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.
| [flickr_set id=”72157669246273889″] |
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!
In the wake of our most recent storm system, we have seen some exceedingly cold temperatures and the proof is the mercury readings this morning that set a record.
Denver’s official low temperature, as measured at Denver International Airport, dropped to 7 degrees below 0 this morning.
This easily beats the record low temperature for today’s date of -2 degrees set in 1955. Additionally, the record is the first record low recorded in the Mile High City since December 17, 2016.
Here in Thornton, we were not quite as cold with a low of -4 degrees coming at 5:51am. This is also Thornton’s coldest temperature reading of the season.
This morning’s cold followed on another record yesterday where Denver saw its coldest maximum temperature for February 20.
While it will remain quite cold today, we will thankfully see some improvement in those mercury readings (although not a lot). Additionally, long range forecasts portend colder than normal conditions are likely in the extended period.
In the wake of yesterday’s snow the Mile High City experienced lingering cold today. The so-called “high” temperature in fact was a record-setter.
The high temperature for Denver today, as measured at Denver International Airport, came in at 13 degrees. That is the coldest high temperature ever recorded on February 20, breaking the old record low maximum of 16 degrees set in 1911.
Here in Thornton, we matched the Mile High City’s high with a 13 degree reading at 3:08pm.
It may be a while before we see any truly warm temperatures. Short range forecasts indicate it could be Monday or Tuesday before mercury readings return to normal. Additionally, long range forecasts currently point to overall colder than normal temps in the 8 to 14 day period.
The month of January saw little in the way of weather drama. Temperatures definitely trended toward the warm side though and while the month’s snowfall came it close to normal, we head into March with a seasonal deficit.
New Year’s Day started the month off cold but then we began a warming trend that saw average temperatures dominantly above normal for the first two weeks of the month. Precipitation was almost entirely absent during the period other than a bit of rain on the 10th.
On the 15th conditions like we expect in January returned – but only for two days. A quick, light shot of snow arrived and temperatures cooled to below normal.
We then returned to largely warmer than normal conditions until the 21st when we got not only our biggest snow of the month, but our biggest of the season so far. Sadly, that was only 4.9 inches of the white stuff.
From there, eight of the last ten days of the month saw above normal temperatures and no precipitation.
Thornton’s average temperature for January 2018 came in at 32.9 degrees. Denver’s long term average for the month is 30.7 degrees. Out at the airport where the Mile High City’s official measurements are taken, it was considerably warmer with an average of 34.7 degrees.
Our high temperatures ranged from a high of 69.3 degrees on the 9th down to a low of 0 degrees on the morning of the 16th. DIA recorded highs of 68 degrees and a low of -4 degrees on those same dates.
On average, Denver receives 0.41 inches of liquid precipitation in January. Thornton was just a hair above that with 0.44 inches and Denver bested that with 0.54 inches.
We recorded 6.1 inches of snow in Thornton during the month while the airport was just a bit higher with 6.4 inches. Both were short of Denver’s January average of 7.0 inches.
Click here to view Thornton’s January 2018 climate report.
CLIMATE REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER/BOULDER CO
650 AM MST THU FEB 1 2018
...................................
...THE DENVER CO CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR THE MONTH OF JANUARY 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 76 01/27/1888
LOW -29 01/09/1875
HIGHEST 68 01/09 76 -8 63 01/30
LOWEST -4 01/16 -29 25 -7 01/06
AVG. MAXIMUM 49.2 44.0 5.2 42.3
AVG. MINIMUM 20.1 17.4 2.7 17.7
MEAN 34.7 30.7 4.0 30.0
DAYS MAX >= 90 0 0.0 0.0 0
DAYS MAX <= 32 3 5.5 -2.5 8
DAYS MIN <= 32 28 29.4 -1.4 30
DAYS MIN <= 0 2 1.7 0.3 2
PRECIPITATION (INCHES)
RECORD
MAXIMUM 2.35 1883
MINIMUM 0.01 1933
1934
1952
TOTALS 0.54 0.41 0.13 0.54
DAILY AVG. 0.02 0.01 0.01 0.02
DAYS >= .01 5 4.1 0.9 3
DAYS >= .10 2 0.9 1.1 3
DAYS >= .50 0 0.0 0.0 0
DAYS >= 1.00 0 0.0 0.0 0
GREATEST
24 HR. TOTAL 0.30 01/21 TO 01/21
SNOWFALL (INCHES)
TOTALS 6.4 7.0
RECORD
MAX TOTAL 24.3 1992
DEGREE_DAYS
HEATING TOTAL 932 1063 -131 1075
SINCE 7/1 3082 3531 -449 3117
COOLING TOTAL 0 0 0 0
SINCE 1/1 0 0 0 0
FREEZE DATES
RECORD
EARLIEST 09/08/1962
LATEST 06/08/2007
EARLIEST 10/07
LATEST 05/05
.................................................................
WIND (MPH)
AVERAGE WIND SPEED 9.3
RESULTANT WIND SPEED/DIRECTION 4/193
HIGHEST WIND SPEED/DIRECTION 37/260 DATE 01/30
HIGHEST GUST SPEED/DIRECTION 48/270 DATE 01/30
SKY COVER
POSSIBLE SUNSHINE (PERCENT) MM
AVERAGE SKY COVER 0.50
NUMBER OF DAYS FAIR 6
NUMBER OF DAYS PC 21
NUMBER OF DAYS CLOUDY 4
AVERAGE RH (PERCENT) 49
WEATHER CONDITIONS. NUMBER OF DAYS WITH
THUNDERSTORMS 0
HEAVY RAIN 2 MIXED PRECIP 3
LIGHT RAIN 0 RAIN 1
LT FREEZING RAIN 0 FREEZING RAIN 0
HEAVY SNOW 3 HAIL 0
LIGHT SNOW 0 SNOW 7
FOG 1 FOG W/VIS <=1/4 MILE 1
HAZE 4
- INDICATES NEGATIVE NUMBERS.
R INDICATES RECORD WAS SET OR TIED.
MM INDICATES DATA IS MISSING.
T INDICATES TRACE AMOUNT.
February in Colorado typically brings to an end an extended period when average temperatures are at their lowest. Winter begins to loosen its grip and temperatures get warmer but precipitation is not a particularly common event during the month.
Thus far our snow season has been relatively dismal with the seasonal total in Thornton more than 10 inches below average. In the high country, the snowpack is not faring much better. February is only our sixth snowiest month so we may not see much snowfall for the balance of the month.
Temperatures however do usually see a nice rebound during the month. Average high temperatures climb from an average of 44 degrees at the start to 50 degrees by the end of February.