The weather during the month of November in Denver metro area can offer just about anything. While it is normally a quiet month, it can be prone to extremes.
November is Denver’s second snowiest month and major snowstorms are not entirely uncommon. However conditions can also be quite dry.
Temperatures during the month continue to cool as we get closer to winter and by the end of the month the low temperatures routinely dip to 20 degrees or below. At times it can in fact bring conditions more like what we see in January.
Certainly given how warm and dry we were in October, we could use some relief. Will that happen?
High pressure was the dominant weather feature for the month of October and that led to a pattern that blocked off moisture and kept temperatures well above normal. Record-setting highs were made while precipitation was a rare event.
The historical average monthly temperature for the month of October in Denver is 50.9 degrees. That number was easily eclipsed. Here in Thornton we saw an average temperature of 55.8 degrees. Out at DIA where Denver’s official numbers are kept, it was much warmer with an average of 57.8 degrees.
Both averages for October 2016 were far above normal. Officially the month was so warm it became the fourth warmest October on record in Denver. The number one spot was quite secure though with an average of 59.9 degrees back in 1950.
Temperatures in Thornton ranged from a high of 84.8 degrees on the 16th down to a low of 27.1 degrees on the morning of the 20th. Out at the airport, the warmest reading was 86 degrees and the lowest 25 degrees, both on the same days that Thornton saw its warmest and coldest readings.
Denver recorded four record daily high temperatures during the month. The first record high came on the 15th of the month to be followed by records on the 27th and 28th then a tie for the record high on the 31st.
In terms of precipitation, the same high pressure that kept things warm, kept things dry as well. Thornton recorded a mere 0.43 inches in its rain bucket, all during the first half of the month. The airport was a bit drier with 0.26 inches recorded.
On average Denver receives 1.02 inches of precipitation in October so both locations were far below normal. While it was certainly dry, it was not so much so that it was a record-setter as the month failed to make it into the top 20 driest Octobers.
No snow was recorded during the month so we are still awaiting that first event of the season. This however is not entirely unusual as historically, 27% of Denver’s October fail to see any of the white stuff.
Thornton, Colorado’s October 2016 temperature summary. (ThorntonWeather.com)Thornton, Colorado’s October 2016 precipitation summary. (ThorntonWeather.com)
From the National Weather Service:
CLIMATE REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER/BOULDER CO
244 AM MDT TUE NOV 1 2016
...................................
...THE DENVER CO CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR THE MONTH OF OCTOBER 2016...
CLIMATE NORMAL PERIOD 1981 TO 2010
CLIMATE RECORD PERIOD 1872 TO 2016
WEATHER OBSERVED NORMAL DEPART LAST YEAR`S
VALUE DATE(S) VALUE FROM VALUE DATE(S)
NORMAL
................................................................
TEMPERATURE (F)
RECORD
HIGH 89 10/16/1991
10/10/1910
LOW -2 10/29/1917
HIGHEST 86 10/16 83 3 87 10/11
LOWEST 25 10/20 22 3 28 10/28
AVG. MAXIMUM 74.5 65.3 9.2 70.1
AVG. MINIMUM 41.2 36.6 4.6 42.8
MEAN 57.8 50.9 6.9 56.5
DAYS MAX >= 90 0 0.0 0.0 0
DAYS MAX <= 32 0 0.4 -0.4 0
DAYS MIN <= 32 3 8.5 -5.5 1
DAYS MIN <= 0 0 0.0 0.0 0
PRECIPITATION (INCHES)
RECORD
MAXIMUM 4.17 1969
MINIMUM T 1934
TOTALS 0.26 1.02 -0.76 1.76
DAILY AVG. 0.01 0.03 -0.02 0.06
DAYS >= .01 3 5.3 -2.3 6
DAYS >= .10 1 2.4 -1.4 3
DAYS >= .50 0 0.5 -0.5 2
DAYS >= 1.00 0 0.1 -0.1 0
GREATEST
24 HR. TOTAL 0.22 10/05 TO 10/06 10/20 TO 10/21
SNOWFALL (INCHES)
RECORDS
TOTAL MM MM
TOTALS 0.0 4.0
DEGREE_DAYS
HEATING TOTAL 231 440 -209 274
SINCE 7/1 310 581 -271 301
COOLING TOTAL 17 5 12 16
SINCE 1/1 878 769 109 877
FREEZE DATES
RECORD
EARLIEST 09/08/1962
LATEST 06/08/2007
EARLIEST 10/07
LATEST 05/05
..................................................
WIND (MPH)
AVERAGE WIND SPEED 10.0
RESULTANT WIND SPEED/DIRECTION 4/197
HIGHEST WIND SPEED/DIRECTION 33/260 DATE 10/04
HIGHEST GUST SPEED/DIRECTION 42/270 DATE 10/03
SKY COVER
POSSIBLE SUNSHINE (PERCENT) MM
AVERAGE SKY COVER 0.50
NUMBER OF DAYS FAIR 10
NUMBER OF DAYS PC 17
NUMBER OF DAYS CLOUDY 4
AVERAGE RH (PERCENT) 40
WEATHER CONDITIONS. NUMBER OF DAYS WITH
THUNDERSTORM 0 MIXED PRECIP 0
HEAVY RAIN 0 RAIN 1
LIGHT RAIN 3 FREEZING RAIN 0
LT FREEZING RAIN 0 HAIL 0
HEAVY SNOW 0 SNOW 0
LIGHT SNOW 0 SLEET 0
FOG 4 FOG W/VIS <= 1/4 MILE 3
HAZE 0
- INDICATES NEGATIVE NUMBERS.
R INDICATES RECORD WAS SET OR TIED.
MM INDICATES DATA IS MISSING.
T INDICATES TRACE AMOUNT.
The United States returns to Standard Time at 2:00am Sunday as Daylight Saving Time comes to an end.
The biannual ritual of changing our clocks to adjust for Daylight Saving Time occurs tonight providing yet another signal of the changing of seasons. The United States will ‘fall back’ one hour at 2:00am Sunday morning as we return to Standard Time.
The ritual of changing our clocks twice a year can be met with some resistance as some people struggle to adjust their body’s internal clock. Others actually like the return to standard time as they get to enjoy an extra hour of sleep.
The time change definitely has big effects on the dawning of daylight and how early it gets dark in the evening.
Sunrise on Saturday occurs at 7:34am but on Sunday it will be at 6:35am. Similarly, sunset will occur at 5:53pm on Saturday but on Sunday the sun will disappear over the horizon at 4:52pm.
For many this means that when they get home from work it will now be dark and outdoor activities will be significantly curtailed as a result.
Arizona and Hawaii are the only states that do not observe Daylight Saving Time and remain on Standard Time year round. The U.S. territories of Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, and the United States Virgin Islands also do not observe the event.
It won’t be all that long though before Daylight Saving Time returns. On March 12, 2017 we will ‘spring forward.’
Daylight Saving Time Schedule
The mandated beginning and end of Daylight Saving Time has changed in the United States over the years.
The most recent schedule was set by the Energy Policy Act of 2005 and took effect in 2007. We now ‘spring forward’ to begin Daylight Saving Time on the second Sunday in March and ‘fall back’ with the return to Standard Time on the first Sunday in November.
A stunning sunset starts off October 2016 in fine form. (Mary Lindow)
October in Thornton can bring a wide variety of weather conditions, perfect for the photographer in all of us.
The month brings the changing of the colors at Colorado’s lower elevations and it is also is typically when we see our first freeze and first snow.
Couple those facts with our usual widely varying landscapes and wildlife and we have a month that is sure to bring in plenty of photo opportunities.
Slideshow updated October 31, 2016
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.
[flickr_set id=”72157674923421206″]
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.
The month of October is ending the same way it has been the majority of the month with above normal temperature readings. Denver has in fact tied the record high temperature for Halloween making it the fourth record high temperature set this month.
At 12:24pm the National Weather Service reported 79 degrees at Denver International Airport. This typed the record high for October 31 last set in 1950.
Here in Thornton we were just a couple degrees warmer with a high of 81 degrees at 3:12pm.
Today’s record-tying reading follows three record high temperatures set earlier this month on October 15th, the 27th and the 28th.
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The lack of measurable snow this October is not all that unusual. Click for larger view.
October will end with Denver not having seen any snow accumulation at all during the month. While that, coupled with the overall lack of precipitation is concerning, not having snow is not at all unusual.
On average, the Mile High City receives 4.2 inches during October.
However, since record-keeping began in 1882, the month failed to yield any snow at all in 19 years since. Further, in another 17 of those years we only received a trace.
This means that in 27% of the past 134 years, we saw essentially no accumulating snow in October. So, the fact we won’t have received any this month is not uncommon.
The average date for our first snowfall is October 18th so we aren’t running all that far behind. The earliest seasonal snowfall came on September 3, 1961 and the latest on November 21, 1934.
We have been exceedingly dry, really since the first part of June.
In October, Denver has recorded a mere 0.26 inches of precipitation while here in Thornton we have fared better with 0.43 inches. On average we expect to see 0.97 inches so both locations are well below normal.
Perhaps more notable than the lack of moisture is the temperatures which have been unseasonably warm.
As of right now, the average temperature for the month is at 57.2 degrees in Denver, 55.1 degrees in Thornton. This is running far above the historical October average temperature of 50.9 degrees.
Depending on temperatures between now and the end of the month, it is looking likely that October 2016 will finish somewhere in the top five or six warmest Octobers on record.
Following on yesterday’s record-setting performance, the mercury once again rose to levels never before seen on this date.
At 12:53pm the station at Denver International Airport reported 82 degrees. This easily bested the previous record for October 28 of 80 degrees last set in 1994.
Here in Thornton we were actually a bit warmer reaching 83 degrees at 3:34pm.
At this time it is certain that October 2016 will go into the record books as one of the 10 warmest Octobers in Denver history. Where it ends up on the list is yet to be determined but it is likely to be around the fourth or fifth warmest.
For the second time this month, the Mile High City broke a record high temperature. The new mark beats a reading that had stood for 50 years.
At 3:23pm today the mercury at Denver International Airport topped out at 83 degrees. This easily bests the previous record for this date of 80 degrees last hit in 1966.
Here in Thornton we were just a notch cooler with a high of 82 degrees.
This is the second time this month Denver set a record high. The first came on October 15 with a reading of 85 degrees that beat the previous mark of 83 degrees.
We may not be done setting records either. The record high for tomorrow is 80 degrees as well, set in 1994 and years prior. Right now the forecast calls for us to reach that same temperature although cloud cover may prevent that from happening.
What will this winter have in store for Thornton? Forecasters at the Climate Prediction Center have released their outlook and for the Front Range, it doesn’t hold much in the way of clues.
The CPC does show odds favor above average temperatures for much of Colorado for the period from December through February. In terms of precipitation, the agency gives equal chances of near average, well above average, or well below average precipitation for most of the state. The one exception is the southern third of Colorado which they peg at having above average chances of a drier than normal year.
From NOAA:
U.S. Winter Outlook predicts warmer, drier South and cooler, wetter North
Drought expected to persist in California and expand in the Southeast
Winter 2016 – 2017 temperature outlook. Click for larger view. (NOAA)
October 20, 2016 – Forecasters at NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center issued the U.S. Winter Outlook today, saying that La Nina is expected to influence winter conditions this year. The Climate Prediction Center issued a La Nina watch this month, predicting the climate phenomenon is likely to develop in late fall or early winter. La Nina favors drier, warmer winters in the southern U.S and wetter, cooler conditions in the northern U.S. If La Nina conditions materialize, forecasters say it should be weak and potentially short-lived.
“This climate outlook provides the most likely outcome for the upcoming winter season, but it also provides the public with a good reminder that winter is just up ahead and it’s a good time to prepare for typical winter hazards, such as extreme cold and snowstorms,” said Mike Halpert, deputy director, NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center. “Regardless of the outlook, there is always some chance for extreme winter weather, so prepare now for what might come later this winter.”
Other factors that often play a role in the winter weather include theArctic Oscillation, which influences the number of arctic air masses that penetrate into the South and create nor’easters on the East Coast, and the Madden-Julian Oscillation, which can affect the number of heavy rain events in the Pacific Northwest.
The 2016 U.S. Winter Outlook (December through February):
Wetter than normal conditions are most likely in the northern Rockies, around the Great Lakes, in Hawaii and in western Alaska
Drier than normal conditions are most likely across the entire southern U.S. and southern Alaska.
Temperature
Warmer than normal conditions are most likely across the southern U.S., extending northward through the central Rockies, in Hawaii, in western and northern Alaska and in northern New England.
Cooler conditions are most likely across the northern tier from Montana to western Michigan.
The rest of the country falls into the “equal chance” category, meaning that there is not a strong enough climate signal in these areas to shift the odds, so they have an equal chance for above-, near-, or below-normal temperatures and/or precipitation.
Drought
Drought will likely persist through the winter in many regions currently experiencing drought, including much of California and the Southwest
Drought is expected to persist and spread in the southeastern U.S. and develop in the southern Plains.
New England will see a mixed bag, with improvement in the western parts and persistence to the east.
Drought improvement is anticipated in northern California, the northern Rockies, the northern Plains and parts of the Ohio Valley.
This seasonal outlook does not project where and when snowstorms may hit or provide total seasonal snowfall accumulations. Snow forecasts are dependent upon the strength and track of winter storms, which are generally not predictable more than a week in advance. However, La Nina winters tend to favor above average snowfall around the Great Lakes and in the northern Rockies and below average snowfall in the mid-Atlantic.
NOAA produces seasonal outlooks to help communities prepare for what’s likely to come in the next few months and minimize weather’s impacts on lives and livelihoods. Empowering people with actionable forecasts and winter weather tips is key to NOAA’s effort to build aWeather-Ready Nation.
Our unseasonably warm and dry weather of recent months has continued right into October and culminated with a record high for the date.
At Denver International Airport, where the Mile High City’s official measurements are taken, the high temperature today topped out at 85 degrees. That bests the previous record high for the date of 83 degrees set in 2014.
Here in Thornton, we came close to Denver’s mark with our high of 83.5 degrees coming at 1:35pm.
Looking ahead, we’ll see similar high temperature readings tomorrow. We will then start to cool down as a system moves through from the Pacific Northwest. Get the forecast here.
Weather, natural disasters & climate news and information.
The weather during the month of November in Denver metro area can offer just about anything. While it is normally a quiet month, it can be prone to extremes.
