Following on a drier and slightly warmer than normal August, the month of September arrives and one can’t help but wonder if an early fall lies in wait. The month can bring 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 last year’s devastating floods brought on by record-setting rain. Longtime residents might remember September 1971 which brought over 17 inches of snowfall.
High pressure was the dominant feature across much of Colorado during the month of August 2015. This helped keep temperatures quite warm and while there were occasional storms, they failed to deliver much in the way of precipitation.
We started out the month very warm and dry. This was interrupted on the 9th when a series of disturbances finally brought some measurable precipitation. Dry weather returned for a few days but then a strong cold front moved bring much cooler temperatures from the 17th to the 19th. The break was short-lived and warmer mercury readings and drier conditions dominated the balance of the month.
Thornton’s average temperature for the month came in at 71.8 degrees, not far off Denver’s long term average for August of 72.5 degrees. Out at DIA where the Mile High City’s official readings are taken, it was much warmer with an average of 74.0 degrees.
Temperatures in Thornton ranged from a high of 98.1 degrees on the 15th down to a low of 45.3 degrees on the morning of the 19th. Denver’s maximum reading of 98 degrees came on the 15th as well and its lowest reading of 43 degrees came on the 23rd.
We saw 18 days with high temperature readings above the 90 degree mark. Denver saw one more than that.
Two daily high temperature records were tied in Denver during the month, those coming on the 18th and 26th with readings of 98 and 97 degrees respectively. Additionally, two mornings in a row fell to record lows. The record low temperature for the 18th (47 degrees) was tied and the following day a new record low of 47 degrees was set.
In terms of precipitation, a paltry 0.87 inches fell in Thornton’s rain bucket. Out at the airport, Denver recorded 1.18 inches. Both were well below Denver’s long term average of 1.69 inches for August.
Thornton, Colorado’s August 2015 temperatur?e summary. (ThorntonW?eather.com?)Thornton, Colorado’s August 2015 precipitat?ion summary. (ThorntonW?eather.com?)
From the National Weather Service:
CLIMATE REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BOULDER, CO
244 AM MDT TUE SEP 1 2015
...................................
...THE DENVER CO CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR THE MONTH OF AUGUST 2015...
CLIMATE NORMAL PERIOD 1981 TO 2010
CLIMATE RECORD PERIOD 1872 TO 2015
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
HIGHEST 98 08/15 105 -7 91 08/19
08/17
LOWEST 43 08/23 40 3 52 08/31
08/30
08/25
AVG. MAXIMUM 89.8 87.2 2.6 83.8
AVG. MINIMUM 58.3 57.9 0.4 57.4
MEAN 74.0 72.5 1.5 70.6
DAYS MAX >= 90 19 11.5 7.5 4
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 1.18 1.69 -0.51 2.73
DAILY AVG. 0.04 0.05 -0.01 0.09
DAYS >= .01 9 8.6 0.4 13
DAYS >= .10 4 4.3 -0.3 5
DAYS >= .50 1 1.2 -0.2 3
DAYS >= 1.00 0 0.3 -0.3 0
GREATEST
24 HR. TOTAL 0.68 08/11 TO 08/11 08/25 TO 08/26
08/10 TO 08/11 08/31 TO 08/31
08/11 TO 08/11 08/31 TO 08/31
STORM TOTAL MM MM
(MM/DD(HH)) MM 08/26(00) TO 08/26(00)
08/31(00) TO 08/31(00)1
08/31(00) TO 08/31(00)1
SNOWFALL (INCHES)
RECORDS
TOTAL MM MM
TOTALS 0.0 0.0
DEGREE_DAYS
HEATING TOTAL 13 10 3 2
SINCE 7/1 18 16 2 7
COOLING TOTAL 304 244 60 182
SINCE 1/1 713 688 25 613
FREEZE DATES
RECORD
EARLIEST 09/08/1962
LATEST 06/08/2007
EARLIEST 10/07
LATEST 05/05
..................................................
WIND (MPH)
AVERAGE WIND SPEED 9.6
RESULTANT WIND SPEED/DIRECTION 3/189
HIGHEST WIND SPEED/DIRECTION 38/260 DATE 08/31
HIGHEST GUST SPEED/DIRECTION 47/340 DATE 08/09
SKY COVER
POSSIBLE SUNSHINE (PERCENT) MM
AVERAGE SKY COVER 0.50
NUMBER OF DAYS FAIR 6
NUMBER OF DAYS PC 23
NUMBER OF DAYS CLOUDY 2
AVERAGE RH (PERCENT) 45
WEATHER CONDITIONS. NUMBER OF DAYS WITH
THUNDERSTORM 15 MIXED PRECIP 0
HEAVY RAIN 1 RAIN 4
LIGHT RAIN 12 FREEZING RAIN 0
LT FREEZING RAIN 0 HAIL 5
HEAVY SNOW 0 SNOW 0
LIGHT SNOW 0 SLEET 0
FOG 4 FOG W/VIS <= 1/4 MILE 0
HAZE 8
- INDICATES NEGATIVE NUMBERS.
R INDICATES RECORD WAS SET OR TIED.
MM INDICATES DATA IS MISSING.
T INDICATES TRACE AMOUNT.
A gorgeous Thornton, Colorado sunset as captured by LE Worley. Scroll down for more images in our slideshow.
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 30, 2015
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=”72157656784854999″]
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.
As measured at Denver International Airport, the Mile High City’s high temperature reached 97 degrees at 2:33pm. This ties the record for the date set in 1985 and 1936.
Today, here in Thornton we were just a bit cooler topping out at 95 degrees.
The event makes it the fourth temperature record set or tied in Denver this month.
On August 15 Denver tied the record high for the date (98 degrees). This was followed by record lows on August 18 and 19 (47 degrees on both days).
Stay up to date with Thornton’s weather: Be sure to ‘like’ us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and add us to your Google+ circles.
For the second day in a row, the Mile High City has set or tied a record low temperature. The events certainly bring to mind the quickly approaching fall.
This morning, as measured at Denver International Airport, Denver’s temperature officially dropped to a low temperature of 47 degrees. This bests the previous record low temperature for August 19 of 48 degrees last set in 2002.
Here in Thornton we actually were a bit cooler as we dipped to 45 degrees, our coldest reading since May 30. This was also the coldest temperature on August 19 we have recorded in Thornton since ThorntonWeather.com came online in 2006.
From record heat to record cold. As measured at Denver International Airport, the temperature in the Mile High City dropped to 47 degrees at 5:17am. This tied the record low temperature for the date last set in 1960.
The mercury climbed fast today and it was unrelenting as it did so. As measured at Denver International Airport, the Mile High City officially reached a high of 98 degrees. This tied the record high for the date last set in 1960.
Here in Thornton, we matched that with a 98 degree maximum as well. This was actually our warmest temperature reading of the year, topping the 96 degrees we registered on July 27 and August 1.
Thankfully, relief from the heat is not too far away. A cold front will move through tomorrow keeping highs right around 90 degrees. This will be followed by a trough which will bring temperatures down another 10 degrees (or more) Monday through Wednesday.
Stay up to date with Thornton’s weather: Be sure to ‘like’ us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and add us to your Google+ circles.
The month of July continued the recent trend of cool, damp weather. By the time it was said and done though, while temperatures overall were below average, precipitation fell short of normal.
Temperatures were at or above normal for the first few days allowing for a pleasant Independence Day.
The day after, however, a monsoonal weather pattern cooled things down and brought most of the month’s moisture over the following 10 days.
Ridging then built and we settled into a relatively normal period for the final two weeks although precipitation became scarcer.
Thornton saw an average temperature for July 2015 of 71.2 degrees. This was a good bit below the long term Denver average of 74.2 degrees. Out at Denver International Airport where the Mile High City’s official measurements are taken, the average for the month was 72.8 degrees.
Our temperatures ranged from a high of 96.1 degrees on the 27th down to a low of 53 degrees on the 11th. Denver saw a maximum of 97 degrees and a minimum of 52 degrees.
Denver averages 2.16 inches of precipitation during July. Thornton fell a bit short of that mark recording 1.76 inches. At the airport, only 1.06 inches was recorded.
Thornton, Colorado July 2015 temperatur?e summary. (ThorntonW?eather.com?)Thornton, Colorado July 2015 precipitat?ion summary. (ThorntonW?eather.com?)
CLIMATE REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BOULDER, CO
202 PM MDT SAT AUG 1 2015
...................................
...THE DENVER CO CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR THE MONTH OF JULY 2015...
CLIMATE NORMAL PERIOD 1981 TO 2010
CLIMATE RECORD PERIOD 1872 TO 2015
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 97 07/27 100 07/07
LOWEST 52 07/28 55 07/17
07/16
AVG. MAXIMUM 87.6 89.4 -1.8 88.3
AVG. MINIMUM 57.9 58.9 -1.0 60.6
MEAN 72.8 74.2 -1.4 74.5
DAYS MAX >= 90 16 16.0 0.0 17
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 1.06 2.16 -1.10 3.85
DAILY AVG. 0.03 0.07 -0.04 0.12
DAYS >= .01 12 8.3 3.7 8
DAYS >= .10 3 4.3 -1.3 6
DAYS >= .50 0 1.4 -1.4 2
DAYS >= 1.00 0 0.7 -0.7 2
GREATEST
24 HR. TOTAL 0.33 07/18/15 2.85 07/29/14
07/18/15 07/30/14
SNOWFALL (INCHES)
TOTAL 0.0 0.0
DEGREE_DAYS
HEATING TOTAL 5 6 -1 5
SINCE 7/1 5 6 -1 5
COOLING TOTAL 251 289 -38 304
SINCE 1/1 409 444 -35 431
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 3/176
HIGHEST WIND SPEED/DIRECTION 46/320 DATE 07/15
HIGHEST GUST SPEED/DIRECTION 60/330 DATE 07/15
SKY COVER
POSSIBLE SUNSHINE (PERCENT) MM
AVERAGE SKY COVER 0.60
NUMBER OF DAYS FAIR 4
NUMBER OF DAYS PC 22
NUMBER OF DAYS CLOUDY 5
AVERAGE RH (PERCENT) 52
WEATHER CONDITIONS. NUMBER OF DAYS WITH
THUNDERSTORM 0 MIXED PRECIP 0
HEAVY RAIN 3 RAIN 1
LIGHT RAIN 16 FREEZING RAIN 0
LT FREEZING RAIN 0 HAIL 0
HEAVY SNOW 0 SNOW 0
LIGHT SNOW 0 SLEET 0
FOG 7 FOG W/VIS <= 1/4 MILE 0
HAZE 6
- INDICATES NEGATIVE NUMBERS.
R INDICATES RECORD WAS SET OR TIED.
MM INDICATES DATA IS MISSING.
T INDICATES TRACE AMOUNT.
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.
July 11, 2015 – Corn fields on the plains serve as the foreground while the gorgeous Rocky Mountains lie behind. (Jennifer McNeil)
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 31, 2015
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=”72157656079164135″]
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.
Following on a drier and slightly warmer than normal August, the month of September arrives and one can’t help but wonder if an early fall lies in wait. The month can bring our first snow of the season but more often than not, it is one of the most pleasant along the Colorado Front Range.
As measured at Denver International Airport, the Mile High City’s high temperature reached 97 degrees at 2:33pm. This ties the record for the date set in 1985 and 1936.
For the second day in a row, the Mile High City has set or tied a record low temperature. The events certainly bring to mind the quickly approaching fall.
