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.
August 30 to September 5: This week in Denver weather history
As always, when looking at weather history we are reminded of the varied and sometimes dangerous weather conditions we have here in Colorado. Our look this week we see high temperatures soaring to 97 degrees but also we see the earliest snowfall on record.
From the National Weather Service:
19-30
In 1875…grasshoppers appeared in great numbers at 10:00 am on the 19th. Thousands landed on the ground. The streets were literally covered with them. Swarms of grasshoppers were seen on each day. All gardens in the city were devastated…and in the countryside the grasshoppers were very destructive to ripened grain. On the 30th the grasshoppers were so numerous as to almost darken the sun.
30
In 1981…60 mph winds were reported in Boulder.
In 2004…a severe thunderstorm produced hail as large as 1 inch in diameter in south Aurora near Cherry Creek.
31
In 1951…hail as large as 1 3/4 inches in diameter caused an estimated 300 thousand dollars damage in metro Denver. Hail as large as 1 1/2 inches in diameter was measured at Stapleton Airport.
In 1978…strong thunderstorm winds tore the roof off an apartment building in Aurora…downed trees…and damaged windows in Denver. A microburst wind gust to 58 mph was recorded at Stapleton International Airport.
In 1985…a thunderstorm wind gust to 60 mph was clocked at Buckley Field in Aurora.
In 1997…hail to 1 1/4 inches in diameter was measured in Aurora.
In 2006…a female postal worker was struck and injured by lightning while delivering mail in Westminster.
In 2008…lightning struck a home in Brighton…damaging the roof and a bedroom. The damaged totaled 20 thousand dollars.
1
In 1951…large hail pounded Boulder…causing thousands of dollars in damage to roofs and automobiles. Heavy thunderstorm rainfall flooded basements and produced widespread street flooding.
In 1966…severe thunderstorms caused local flooding in areas from Denver to the north and east. There was scattered damage from hail and lightning. Streets were flooded in Boulder…and streets and basements were flooded in several areas of metro Denver. The public reported 1 inch diameter hail in Aurora and near Cheery Creek Reservoir. Thunderstorm rainfall totaled only 0.39 inch at Stapleton International Airport.
In 1985…severe thunderstorms dumped heavy rain and hail at many locations along the Front Range from Denver south. The southern and eastern suburbs of metro Denver were especially hard hit. Rainfall from 1 1/2 to 3 inches caused extensive street flooding in Aurora where two creeks rose out of their banks. Two homes in the city suffered minor lightning damage. Almost 4 inches of rain fell in the Parker area. Hail up to ping-pong ball size piled up to a foot deep and closed a road in Evergreen. Hail as large as 1 3/4 inches in diameter was reported 8 miles northeast of Deckers. Wind gusts to 65 mph were estimated in southeast Aurora.
In 1990…marble size hail piled up to 2 inches deep in the foothills community of Kittredge…18 miles southwest of Denver. As much as half an inch of rain fell in just 15 minutes and caused minor road and small stream flooding. A thunderstorm dropped pea to marble size hail and brief heavy rain near ward road and 64th avenue in Arvada. Minor street and small stream flooding was reported in the area.
In 1995…a strong thunderstorm microburst with only a few drops of rain produced a recorded wind gust to 85 mph at the site of the former Stapleton International Airport. The wind gust occurred at 8:30 pm MDT. The all-time highest recorded temperature in September…97 degrees… Occurred. The same temperature also occurred on September 5…1899…September 4…1960…and September 4… 1995.
1-5
In 1995…record breaking heat occurred on the first 5 days of the month when the temperature climbed into the 90’s on each day. Record high temperatures of 97 degrees on both the 1st and 4th equaled the all-time record maximum for the month. High temperature of 95 degrees on the 3rd was a record for the date. High temperatures of 94 degrees on both the 2nd and the 5th were not records. The low temperature of 64 degrees on the 4th equaled the record high minimum for the date.
1-7
In 1978…the temperature reached 90 degrees or more on seven consecutive days with the highest temperature…94 degrees… Recorded on both the 4th and 6th.
2
In 1938…heavy cloudbursts in the foothills near the top of Genesee Mountain caused flash flooding on Bear Creek at Morrison. Nearly 8 inches of rain fell just north of Morrison in 6 hours and drowned 6 people in a car between Morrison and Kittredge. Damage was estimated at nearly a half million dollars. Flash flooding also occurred on south Boulder creek in Eldorado Springs. Rainfall totaled 4.42 inches in Eldorado Springs…and rainfall was estimated to more than 6 inches in the foothills west of the town. Many buildings and residences were damaged in Eldorado Springs…and bridges were swept away. The high waters forced residents from their homes as far downstream as Erie. This was the flood of record on south Boulder Creek.
In 1973…hail to 3/4 inch diameter was reported in Boulder.
In 1987…lightning struck two men who were standing under a tree in downtown Denver. Both were seriously injured and hospitalized.
In 1996…lightning sparked a brush fire in the south buffer zone of the rocky flats environmental test facility. No structures were damaged…but the fire burned about 100 acres of grassland before being contained.
2-3
In 1892…there was a trace of rainfall each day. This… Together with a trace of rain on both the 7th and 8th…was the only rainfall of the month…making the month the driest on record. The monthly record was equaled in 1944.
3
In 1901…a thunderstorm produced rain…hail of unknown size… And south winds sustained to 40 mph with gusts to 43 mph.
In 1961…Labor Day snow storm is the earliest date of the first snow…trace and measurable…of the season. The heavy wet snow broke many limbs from trees that were still in full foliage. The storm produced 4.2 inches of snowfall at Stapleton Airport with nearly a foot of snow in western suburbs and in the foothills. Minimum temperature of 33 degrees was a record for the date and the coldest ever recorded so early in the season.
In 1999…severe thunderstorms dumped large hail across metro Denver. Hail as large as 1 inch in diameter was measured near Cherry Creek in Aurora and near Bennett. Hail to 3/4 inch in diameter fell in the city of Denver.
In 2002…a thunderstorm produced a wind gust to 51 mph at Denver International Airport.
In 2003…very heavy thunderstorm rain washed out parts of the Virginia Canyon Road above Idaho Springs. Up to 4 feet of mud reportedly washed down the road during the storm. Several vehicles were trapped on the road. In Idaho Springs…several streets…including the main street… Were also buried in mud and gravel. Some buildings in town experienced minor flooding…including the basement of the town library and the police station.
3-6 in 1909…rainfall for the 4 days accumulated to 3.97 inches in Boulder…while in Denver rainfall totaled 2.45 inches on the 4th…5th…and 6th.
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).
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Within days of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s accidental release of 3 million gallons of mining wastewater into the Animas River in Colorado, portions of the Internet frothed over with conspiracy theories that the EPA spill may not have been an accident. Now, that line of thinking has found its way to the Utah legislature. And… Continue reading EPA Spill Conspiracy Theories Gain Traction in Utah Legislature→
The U.S. government is at it again, hyping meaningless records in a parameter that does not exist in order to frighten us about something that doesn’t matter. NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced this week that according to their calculations, July 2015 was the hottest month since instrumental records began in 1880.… Continue reading Global warming: Deceptive temperature record claims→
Typhoon Goni made landfall in the southwestern Kumamoto prefecture on the Japanese island of Kyushu Tuesday. The typhoon damaged buildings and cars, and flooded streets before barreling toward the Sea of Japan. While no deaths were recorded, at least 26 people were injured, Japan’s fire and disaster management agency said, according to the Associated Press (AP).… Continue reading Typhoon Goni Makes Landfall In Japan, Injures At Least 26→
The fierce group of fires burning in north-central Washington since Thursday morning has grown to be the largest blaze in the state’s history, a fire spokesman told the Associated Press. The Okanogan Complex consists of five wildfires that are burning within Washington’s largest county. Authorities believe the out-of-control fire will continue to burn throughout the week.… Continue reading Washington Fire Now Is the Largest in State’s History→
August 23 to August 29: This week in Denver weather history
Quite the interesting week in Denver weather history. Swarms of grasshoppers are the most unusual item we see but there is plenty of standard severe weather including tornadoes, landspouts, hail, lightning and much more.
From the National Weather Service:
19-30
In 1875…grasshoppers appeared in great numbers at 10:00 am on the 19th. Thousands landed on the ground. The streets were literally covered with them. Swarms of grasshoppers were seen on each day. All gardens in the city were devastated…and in the countryside the grasshoppers were very destructive to ripened grain. On the 30th the grasshoppers were so numerous as to almost darken the sun.
22-24
In 1987…some locations in metro Denver had a total 3-day rainfall of 2 to 4 inches. Rainfall totaled 0.96 inch at Stapleton International Airport.
23
In 1900…northwest winds were sustained to 42 mph with gusts to 49 mph.
In 1921…a thunderstorm cloudburst produced 2.20 inches of rainfall in an hour over downtown Denver. This is the greatest 1 hour rainfall on record at the official observing site in the city. Precipitation totaled 2.93 inches…which is the greatest calendar day precipitation ever recorded in august.
In 1941…one man was killed by lightning about 2 miles from the official weather station in downtown Denver.
In 1962…a home near Boulder was destroyed by a lightning- caused fire.
In 1968…strong winds buffeted Boulder briefly during the early morning hours. At the National Center for Atmospheric Research…winds averaged 55 mph with gusts to 85 mph. Damage was minor. Northwest winds gusted to 31 mph at Stapleton International Airport.
In 1977…lightning damaged at least 6 homes in Aurora.
In 2008…a landspout touched down near Westcreek in Douglas County. One man was seriously injured when he tried to escaped several falling trees in his ATV. One of the trees struck his back and broke two vertebra. Another camper narrowly escaped injury. Seconds after he back up his truck…a tree came down where it had been parked.
24
In 1880…a thunderstorm produced vivid lightning and heavy rainfall…which caused flooding over the eastern part of the city including the brick yards. There was no rainfall recorded in downtown Denver.
In 1910…an apparent dry cold front caused a remarkable drop in temperature. From 3:00 pm until midnight the temperature fell from a high of 93 degrees to a low of 40 degrees. Northeast winds were sustained to 44 mph during the late afternoon.
In 1946…heavy rain near Idledale caused flooding on Bear Creek at Morrison…which resulted in one death when a woman was swept from her stranded car and drowned.
In 1973…strong winds blew down a few power lines and hail up to 3/4 inch diameter fell in southeast Aurora.
In 1984…heavy rain hit the south Denver area. Over an inch fell in less than an hour at both Castle Rock and Sedalia.
In 1992…heavy rains caused flash flooding across parts of metro Denver. Rainfall amounts of 1 to 3 inches fell with the hardest hit areas being the southwest and central parts of metro Denver. Bear Creek rose above bankfull near Idledale with flood waters moving into southwest metro Denver. Mud and rock slides along Colorado highway 74 west of Morrison were reported. The confluence of Cherry Creek and the South Platte River in downtown Denver also went out of its banks…flooding bike paths. Rainfall totaled 1.98 inches at Stapleton International Airport where light to moderate rain fell most of the day. Heavy rain and fog briefly reduced the surface visibility to 1 1/2 miles. The temperature climbed to a high of only 58 degrees…which was a record low maximum for the date.
In 2002…hail to 7/8 inch in diameter was measured in southwest Denver.
In 2008…several landspout tornadoes developed along a boundary to the southeast of the Denver metropolitan area during the democratic national convention. In northwest Elbert County… Minor damage was reported. The damage consisted of downed power lines…broken windows and an out building. Severe thunderstorms also produced very heavy rain and large hail… Up to one inch in diameter. In southwest Douglas County… Heavy rain caused flash flooding near the town of Westcreek. A mudslide closed State Highway 67. The road in the YMCA camp shady brook was also washed out and some bridges were damaged.
24-26
In 1910…the lowest temperature ever recorded in August…40 degrees…occurred on each of these days and on August 22… 1904. The unusually cold weather for so early in the season brought sub-freezing minimum temperatures to much of the Colorado northeastern plains.
25
In 1951…a microburst produced a southwest wind gust to 50 mph at Stapleton Airport. Only a trace of rain was observed.
In 1964…thunderstorm winds gusted to 59 mph and caused some blowing dust at Stapleton International Airport.
In 1994…lightning struck a power pole in Louisville and caused a two-hour power outage.
In 2008…an unoccupied home was struck by lightning in Aurora… Causing 75 thousand dollars in damage to the roof.
26
In 1944…one of the most destructive hailstorms in the city in a decade caused damage estimated at nearly one million dollars. The storm occurred within a period of 10 to 30 minutes…between 2:00 pm and 3:00 pm. The hail varied in size from very small to as large as 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Hail covered the ground to a depth of 5 to 6 inches in some sections of the city. Several people were cut by broken glass. The hail and heavy rain flooded underpasses to a depth of 6 feet…and the occupants of stalled autos had to be rescued. Sewers were unable to handle the sudden amount of water and water backed up and flooded a number of basements. A few first floors of buildings were flooded. The water department had a busy time replacing manhole covers that had been displaced by the water pressure. Trees were stripped…one was severely broken…and telephone lines were downed. Roofs…windows… Automobiles…awnings…and gardens were severely damaged. Flowers and gardens in some sections of the city were a total loss. Greenhouses were extensively broken with an estimated 20 carloads of glass shattered. Vegetable and truck crops in and around the city were severely shredded. The next day the American Red Cross was designated by the War Agency to grant any and all priorities needed to obtain materials and supplies to replace and repair the damage. In downtown Denver…the thunderstorm produced 0.95 inch of rain and heavy hail along with sustained northwest winds to 25 mph.
In 1961…strong winds blew in the walls of a warehouse under construction in Denver. Two workmen suffered a fractured foot and body bruises.
In 2014…two men in central Denver were struck by lightning as they sat under a tree to avoid a heavy downpour. One of the men was unconscious and had no pulse when emergency responders arrived. He was immediately taken to Denver Health was listed in critical condition. The other victim suffered less severe injuries. He was treated at the scene and hospitalized…then released a few hours later.
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.