Our normally widely varied weather settles into a somewhat standard pattern during the month of July. The mercury climbs each day in what is our hottest month and thunderstorms become very common during the afternoon and evening hours.
The average monthly high temperature for July is 88 degrees and can oftentimes get much higher than that. In fact, the record high temperature for all but seven days during the month are at or above 100 degrees.
Afternoon thunderstorms occur on average every three days during July. These events can be extreme and are known to bring heavy rains and damaging wind and hail.
Yesterday’s thunderstorms brought powerful winds and lightning to the Colorado Front Range and may have been part of the reason for a plane crash in Adams County. The small plane crashed in a field near Thornton killing its pilot.
The single-engine Cessna 182, owned by Jewel Aviation of Marshfield, Wisconsin, went down in a field near 124th Avenue and Quebec Street. The pilot is believed to have been killed instantly when the plane exploded on impact.
The flight had just taken off from Front Range Airport approximately 20 miles away from the crash site. Witnesses described seeing the plane struggling to stay airborne as it approached the field surrounded by residential homes.
Resident Catherine Von Axelson told 9News, “All of a sudden, this great big gust of wind hit. His wing just completely flipped up and he nosedived into the ground and the plane exploded.”
The crash reportedly occurred at 3:25pm. At that same time, ThorntonWeather.com reported gusts approaching 35 mph less than two miles from the crash site. The owner of the station said that the actual gusts were likely much higher but measurements from the wind instrument are inhibited by nearby trees.
Microbursts, powerful straight line winds, often accompany Colorado’s thunderstorms and present a particular hazard to aviation. Soon after the crash Denver International Airport halted takeoffs and landings and the facility reported a gust of 72mph.
The 156th Avenue Weather Station provides local weather conditions. Click the image for a larger view.
ThorntonWeather.com is billed as Thornton’s only truly local source for weather news, forecasts and information. One resident however pointed out a neighboring weather station that while more primitive, provides an alternative look at the weather.
The 156th Avenue Weather Station is located just off of 156th Ave and Colorado Boulevard in unincorporated Adams County surrounded by the City of Thornton. The station is provided by “Mr. Schafer” according to the accompanying sign.
Analog instruments for the time, wind and temperature provide the basics while a hanging rock gives more detailed weather conditions. Residents can easily determine the current weather by glancing at the rock.
If the Rock is Wet…….Raining
If the Rock is Warm……Sunny
If the Rock is Cold……Overcast
If the Rock is White…..Snowing
If the Rock is Swinging…..Windy
If the Rock is Bouncing…..Earthquake
If the Rock is Gone…….Weather Station Closed
We’re glad to see the 156th Avenue Weather Station join the local weather scene. Next time you want to know the current weather, you have an alternative to ThorntonWeather.com. 😉
Hat tip to Thornton resident Dana West for letting us know about the 156th Avenue weather station!
Denver easily broke the 24 hour precipitation record for June 20th.
It was a wet day in Denver yesterday and the statistics bear that one out. The official Denver weather monitoring station at Denver International Airport recorded 1.05 inches of precipitation on June 20th. This easily broke the previous record for the date of 0.50 inch set in 1938.
Here in Thornton we recorded a bit less but still a considerable amount – 0.87 inch.
The record setting rain in Denver does once again highlight the problems with having Denver’s monitoring station at DIA used for comparison to historical records. The 12 mile move of the station in 1995 from its previous location has skewed Denver’s climate records.
With the event yesterday we see that the station in Denver City Park recorded no rain at all. Had the National Weather Service logically choose to use this location, or the previous one at Stapleton, as the official source for Denver weather, no record would have been set.
The bottom of a growing supercell thunderstorm near Denver International Airport. (ThorntonWeather.com) View a slideshow of other images from the day below.
Yesterday’s forecast warned of the chance for severe storms and while Thornton escaped with just a few light rain showers, further to the east it was much more exciting. As storms rolled off the foothills ThorntonWeather.com followed them east of DIA.
Many of the storms that formed yesterday were cut-off by mid-level winds that kept them from reaching their full potential. One storm cell however reached full maturation eventually towering to an altitude of more than 25,000 feet.
The storm grew as it entered south-central Adams County south of Denver International Airport. As it moved to the east side it exploded in height and soon had a classic anvil with an overshooting top.
While the storm was high-based and did not generate a tornado, it did eventually drop large hail in north-central Adams and southern Morgan counties.
Being the only real action in the area the storm drew a great deal of attention from area storm chasers, including ThorntonWeather.com. At least a couple dozen chasers surrounded and followed the storm. Below are some of the photos we took.
North Metro Fire Rescue District's Reserve Engine 4 loaded up for transport to Arizona to battle the Wallow Fire. (North Metro Fire) Click the image to view a slideshow from the massive wildfire.
Four firefighters from North Metro Fire Rescue will be joining nearly 2,000 others from across the nation in battling a monstrous wildfire in Arizona. In less than two weeks the Wallow Fire has exploded to cover more than 600 square miles and sent smoke as far as the Denver area.
The hometown heroes from North Metro will be taking along a reserve fire engine to help battle the blaze. Two firefighters and a watertender from Eagle River Fire will round out a Colorado contingent of personnel with additional deployments possible.
The fire, believed to have been started by an unattended campfire, has burned 389,000 acres making it the second largest fire in Arizona history. It is burning largely in the Apache National Forest in the eastern part of the state and now threatens to cross into New Mexico.
More than 3,000 firefighters from across the nation, 197 engines, 61 watertenders and 16 helicopters and a number of aerial tankers were battling the blaze as of this morning. Personnel and equipment continue to pour into the area.
Size: 348,235 acres based on last night’s infared flight
Aircraft: 16 helicopters
Percent Contained: 0%
Injuries to Date: 3 minor injuries
Structures:
4,018 threatened; 1 damaged; 16 lost
Area Command Team 3 (Jim Loach, Area Commander) is now managing the Wallow Fire
Media should call 480-331-9554 to coordinate interviews.
There will be media briefings today at 10am and 9pm at the Rest Stop on Hwy 60, north of Springerville.
Current Evacuations
· Full evacuation of Eagar and Springerville. The evacuations were ordered by the Apache County Sheriff’s Office about 4:00 p.m. on June 8.
· Sunrise, Greer, Blue River, Alpine, Nutrioso, and the following subdivisions along highways 180/191: Escudilla Mountain Estates, Bonita, White Mtn. Acres, and the H-V Ranch. This area includes County Road (CR) 4000, CR 4001, and CR 4225.
· The evacuation center is located at Blue Ridge High School, 1200 W. White Mtn. Blvd., Pinetop-Lakeside.
Pre-Evacuation Alert
A pre-evacuation alert has been issued by Apache County for Greens Peak, Hidden Meadow and the surrounding areas.
· A pre-evacuation alert has been issued by Catron County Sheriff’s Office for Luna, New Mexico.
Residents in the communities affected by this fire are asked to remain prepared in the event an evacuation order is needed.
Residents with livestock or animals that need care should contact the Apache County Sheriff’s Office (928) 337-4321 or the Greenlee County Sheriff’s Office (928) 865-4149.
Road Closures
· The Arizona Department of Transportation reminds motorists traveling that the following closures on state highways remain in effect:
-more-
· Nearly 20 miles of U.S. 60 has been closed from Springerville to the New Mexico state line due
· to the Wallow Fire in eastern Arizona. This closure stretches from milepost 384 to 401.
· State Route 260 is closed in both directions east of the Hawley Lake turnoff (State Route 473 junction) and Eagar. SR 260 is closed between mileposts 372-398 near Eagar.
· State Route 373, a 4.5 mile-long highway that connects the town of Greer in eastern Arizona with SR 260 west of Eagar, is closed.
· U.S. 191 is closed between Alpine and north of Clifton (mileposts 176-253).
· State routes 261 and 273, the main access roads to Big Lake and Crescent Lake in the White Mountains, are closed. SR 261 is closed starting approximately seven miles south of SR 260 to Crescent Lake (mileposts 395-413) and SR 273 is closed between the SR 260 junction and to the SR 261 junction (mileposts 378-394).
· U.S. 180 is closed between the SR 260 junction near Eagar and the New Mexico state line (mileposts 403-433).
Last night, fire crews concentrated their efforts prepping roads and dozer lines for burnout operations south of Route 851 and Circle Flat area that leads into New Mexico. Fire activity increased on the west side of the fire towards the communities of Greer and Eagar due to high wind and low humidity.
Crews are currently stationed at Big Lake to reduce travel times, ensuring firefighter safety. Structural protection is in place in Greer, South Fork, Eagar, Alpine, Nutrioso, and Escudillo Flats. Firefighters will be conducting burnout operations on the northern and eastern portions of the fire to p limit the fire’s spread. Firefighters continue to hold line, mop-up, and patrol other areas of the fire. Creeping, smoldering, and active backing fire with short upslope runs was observed yesterday on the southern portion of fire. Firefighters are constructing indirect line and conducting burnout operations. Today southwest winds of 8-15mph with gusts to 25 mph are expected.
Closures
Due to extreme fire conditions, the Apache National Forest is closed to all public entry. See website for closure order details. Please see the Forest website for more information:http://www.fs.fed.us/r3/asnf/.
Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests Fire Restrictions: A Temporary Emergency Closure Order
was issued effective June 3 at 12:00 p.m. (noon). For more information, please call the Arizona fire restrictions hotline 1-877-864-6985 or visit http://www.publiclands.org/firenews/AZ.php.
Public Information
For Wallow Fire Information, please visit http://www.inciweb.org/, www.twitter.com/AS NF, andwww.flickr.com/apachesitgreavesnf or call (928) 333-3412, (702) 308-3238, (702) 308-3357, or (702) 308-8227. Please let us know if you would like to receive updates via e-mail. Public information officers are also posting information in local communities and the evacuation center located at Blue Ridge High School in Pinetop-Lakeside.
Satellite imagery shows smoke from the Wallow Fire in Arizona entering Colorado. Click the image for a larger view.
Recent days have brought hazy conditions to the Denver area and all along the Colorado Front Range. At times residents have even smelled smoke and the culprit lies hundreds of miles to our south.
Two fires burning near Trinidad as well as one in southern New Mexico were attributed to the hazy conditions early last week. Now a massive fire in eastern Arizona is sending smoke our way and causing the horizon to be obscured
The fire burning 250 miles northeast of Phoenix has been dubbed the Wallow Fire and is burning through lush but dry forest. At latest estimates the blaze has scorched 144,000 acres making it the third largest blaze in Arizona’s history.
More than 1,300 firefighters from across the nation are on the scene and battling the blaze. Zero containment has been established but firefighters have made progress in recent days slowing its advance.
The images to the top right and below were taken by NASA and NOAA satellites and clearly show the smoke from the blaze.
In this image from NASA, the smoke from the Wallow Fire in Arizona as well as others further to the south and in Mexico is seen.
May 2011 will go into the books as the 11th coldest and 5th wettest May on record in Denver.
There was little doubt that last month was a wet one and now that May 2011 has come to a close we can see that it certainly was. In fact, it was one of the wettest Mays on record and also one of the coldest.
Up until the last few days of the month it looked like we were going to make the top 10 list for coldest Mays on record. But, thanks to a few near-normal days, our average temperature for the month ended at 53.1 degrees. This fell just short of the number 10 spot on the list of 53.0 degrees recorded in 1950.
Nevertheless the month’s average temperature was 4.1 degrees below the normal of 57.2 degrees. Our warmest temperature of the month of 86 degrees was recorded on both the 7th and the 8th and those were two of only three days with temperatures above 80 degrees.
On the low end the coldest temperature was seen on the 5th when the mercury dropped to 28 degrees. This is also the last time we saw a temperature at or below freezing and will almost certainly be the last for the 2010 – 2011 winter season. Coincidentally, May 5th is the average date of our last freeze so we were right on the mark this year.
Here in Thornton we saw an average temperature of 52.9 degrees. Our warmest temperature was 86.8 degrees and our coldest 29.2 degrees.
May brought an abundance of precipitation eliciting many jokes about Denver having swapped locations with Seattle. In all, 4.79 inches of moisture was recorded at Denver International Airport during the month putting it in the books as the 7th wettest May on record. This was 2.47 inches above the May average of 2.32 inches.
Here in Thornton we recorded nearly an inch of precipitation more than what was recorded at DIA. ThorntonWeather.com saw 5.67 inches fall into our bucket for the month.
On average we record 1.3 inches of snow in May but last month continued the trend we saw all winter of a severe lack of snowfall. Only 1.0 inch of the white stuff was recorded at DIA and most of the metro area saw nothing during the month (including Thornton).
Given that it is highly unlikely June will bring any snow to Denver, the 2010 to 2011 season will wrap up with only 22.8 inches of snow – far below the 61.7 inches average. This will put the season into the history books as the 2nd least snowiest snow season on record. Only the 1888 to 1889 season saw less with 21.3 inches.
Thornton actually fared worse throughout the entire snow season and we are going to wrap it up with a paltry 21.2 inches.
June is historically Denver’s severe weather month and severe thunderstorms, tornadoes and hail are notorious visitors to Denver and across eastern Colorado during the month.
In fact, over 40 percent of the tornadoes that occur in Colorado are observed in June and these are typically the most destructive of the year. Thornton of course knows this fact well as this year we celebrate the 30th anniversary of the infamous Thornton tornado of June 3, 1981.
Severe thunderstorms have also caused major property damage across the Front Range during the month. Just last year hail the size of golf balls caused damage across parts of central and northeastern Thornton.
Trail Ridge Road will be unable to open before Memorial Day as Rocky Mountain National Park has received more snow this year than in any of the past 20 years. View a slideshow of the piled up snow below. (RMNP / NPS)
Historically the highest continuous road in the United States, Trail Ridge Road, opens right before the Memorial Day weekend. That won’t be the case this year as with snow falling as recently as just a couple of days ago, the snow is just too deep.
The Denver Weather Examiner has a story about the mountains of snow up in Rocky Mountain National Park. The snow up there approaches levels not seen in the past 20 years.
Just last week a winter storm dumped snow across the northern Colorado mountains and along the Continental Divide. On the east side of Rocky Mountain National Park, snow drifts reached 17 feet high above Rainbow Curve.
The heavy snow accumulation, snow drifts and rock slides are hampering efforts to open the road this season. Snowplow operators said they were battling the most snow this late in the season in the past 30 years.
The central and northern Colorado mountains have seen an extraordinary amount of snowfall this year with the snowpack approaching record levels. In stark contrast, Denver is likely to finish the snow season with the second least amount of snow on record.
To date Denver has officially recorded a paltry 22.8 inches of the white stuff. Here in Thornton we have fared worse with only 21.8 inches. Recent rains have helped to ease the drought but we will need to keep moisture coming to prevent a bad fire season this summer.
Our normally widely varied weather settles into a somewhat standard pattern during the month of July. The mercury climbs each day in what is our hottest month and thunderstorms become very common during the afternoon and evening hours.
Website Info: 
June is historically Denver’s severe weather month and severe thunderstorms, tornadoes and hail are notorious visitors to Denver and across eastern Colorado during the month.
