The month of February was quite an interesting one in terms of its weather.  Overall temperatures for the first half of the month were well above normal but the latter half saw the bottom fall out and as it did, significant snowfall accumulated.

The first day of February brought a healthy shot of snowfall and cold temperatures.  From there, things dried out and warmed up considerably.  Thirteen consecutive days were then seen with above normal mercury readings.  Only one of those thirteen saw precipitation in the form of a light snow on the 4th of the month.

From the 15th through the end of the month, the mercury plunged and only two temperature readings were at or above normal – all the rest were below, some significantly so.  Additionally, Thornton saw 8 days in the last two weeks of the month with measureable snowfall.  Out at the airport, Denver saw similarly snowy conditions and set a record for snowfall during the month of February.

• February 2015 top shots: Monthly photo slideshow

Despite the cold close to the month, overall the month of February saw warmer than average temperatures.  Thornton’s month averaged 34.3 degrees, just a bit above the long term Denver average for the month of 32.5.  The Mile High City was warmer than normal as well with an average reading of 33.8 degrees for the month.

Temperatures in Thornton ranged from a spring-like high of 75.9 degrees on the 7th of the month down to a low of 0 degrees on the morning of the 27th.  Denver’s warmest and coldest readings came on those same dates with 74 degrees and -6 degrees.

Denver set or tied four temperature records for the month.  On February 6th a maximum reading of 70 degrees was a record for the date.  That same day a low temperature of 46 degrees set a record high minimum for the date.  The next day, the 7th, a record high of 74 degrees was set as was a record high minimum of 41 degrees.

In terms of precipitation, the month was quite generous.  On average Denver receives 0.37 inch of liquid precipitation during February.  Thornton saw 1.81 inches while Denver tallied 1.25 inches.

Snowfall was a big part of the month’s story.  We did not receive any large storms but rather prolonged ones that delivered steady, healthy doses.  Thornton totaled 26.7 inches during the month.  Out at Denver International Airport, they lagged the totals in the rest of the metro area with a reading of 22.4 inches.

Denver’s reading of 22.4 inches, while lower than ours, allowed February 2015 to go into the weather history books as the snowiest February on record in the Mile High City.  This just eased out the now number two, February 1912, which recorded 22.1 inches.

Click here to view Thornton’s February 2015 climate report.

CLIMATE REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BOULDER, CO
1124 AM MST MON MAR 2 2015

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

...THE DENVER CO CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR THE MONTH OF FEBRUARY 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              77   02/28/2006
                        02/04/1890
 LOW              -25   02/01/1951
                        02/08/1936
HIGHEST            74   02/07        66       8       68  02/16
LOWEST             -6   02/27        -2      -4      -19  02/05
AVG. MAXIMUM     46.6              46.2     0.4     42.3
AVG. MINIMUM     21.0              18.9     2.1     14.1
MEAN             33.8              32.5     1.3     28.2
DAYS MAX >= 90      0               0.0     0.0        0
DAYS MAX <= 32      7               3.9     3.1        8
DAYS MIN <= 32     24              26.9    -2.9       26
DAYS MIN <= 0       2               1.3     0.7        5 
PRECIPITATION (INCHES) 
RECORD  
MAXIMUM         2.01   1934  
MINIMUM         0.01   1970 
TOTALS           1.25              0.37    0.88     0.19 
DAILY AVG.       0.04              0.01    0.03     0.01 
DAYS >= .01        10               5.3     4.7        4
DAYS >= .10         5               0.7     4.3        1
DAYS >= .50         0               0.0     0.0        0
DAYS >= 1.00        0               0.0     0.0        0
GREATEST
 24 HR. TOTAL    0.40   02/15 TO 02/16           02/04 TO 02/04

SNOWFALL (INCHES)
RECORDS
 TOTAL           22.4   2015
TOTALS           22.4               5.7

DEGREE_DAYS
HEATING TOTAL     864               908     -44     1022
 SINCE 7/1       4113              4439    -326     4519
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              9.4
RESULTANT WIND SPEED/DIRECTION   2/205
HIGHEST WIND SPEED/DIRECTION    44/010    DATE  02/21
HIGHEST GUST SPEED/DIRECTION    43/040    DATE  02/04

SKY COVER
POSSIBLE SUNSHINE (PERCENT)   MM
AVERAGE SKY COVER           0.60
NUMBER OF DAYS FAIR            5
NUMBER OF DAYS PC             15
NUMBER OF DAYS CLOUDY          8

AVERAGE RH (PERCENT)     60

WEATHER CONDITIONS. NUMBER OF DAYS WITH
THUNDERSTORM              0     MIXED PRECIP               0
HEAVY RAIN                0     RAIN                       0
LIGHT RAIN                1     FREEZING RAIN              0
LT FREEZING RAIN          0     HAIL                       0
HEAVY SNOW                4     SNOW                       8
LIGHT SNOW               13     SLEET                      0
FOG                      12     FOG W/VIS <= 1/4 MILE      8
HAZE                      9

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