The Lower North Fork Wildfire Commission released yesterday its recommendations for changes in the wake of the deadly spring blaze. Improving coordination among first responders, raising limits on government liability and improved emergency notification are part of the recommended overhaul. Read the rest of this story on Examiner.com.
Related:
Much like in the United States, spring and summer bring severe weather to New Zealand and that does sometimes mean tornadoes. Following on a deadly twister in Hobsonville last month, another twister near Ashburton tore through a golf course yesterday. Read the rest of this story and check out the amazing video on Examiner.com.
We knew people across northern Colorado loved us but now we know just how much! ThorntonWeather.com experienced record-setting traffic in 2012 with over 2 million pages served.
As arguably the most popular, independent weather source in the Denver area, ThorntonWeather.com has seen tremendous growth since it was first started in October 2006. Back then the site looked much different and didn’t have near as much information as it does now.
Since our founding we have strived to provide the most accurate, timely weather information for Thornton and its surrounding communities. ThorntonWeather.com has become the go to source for residents and even local governments and organizations.
The sheer breadth of information on our website surpasses any local broadcast or print media outlet – period. And while we may not be as flashy as some of the bigger sites on the Internet, we will put up the quality of our weather and climate information against any of them.
In 2012 we didn’t stand still adding more than a dozen new pages and many more features and enhancements. We continue to field emails with weather related questions continually and pride ourselves on personal replies to each and every one of them.
You, our visitors and our neighbors, paid us back with a banner year. Nearly one quarter of a million unique visitors came to our site as we served up over 2 million individual pages. This was about a 20 percent increase over 2011.
What’s ahead for 2013? You can be certain we won’t be standing still.
We continue to raise funds for high-definition webcams to help give you a better look at what is going on outside. Remember, we make no money off of ThorntonWeather.com as it is simply run by a resident that is passionate about the weather. Any help you can provide is greatly appreciated. Click here to learn more about how to help.
Additionally, while we are in the depths of winter right now, severe weather season will be here before you know it and we have a number of enhancements in mind to help you monitor the changing conditions and keep you and your family safe.
We truly are humbled and appreciate that so many of you have make ThorntonWeather.com your source for weather. Thank you very much and we wish each of you a very prosperous and happy new year!
For all the latest with Thornton’s weather, be sure to ‘like’ us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and add us to your Google+ circles.
In the immediate days following the end of the month most of us are likely to remember the bitter cold that closed it out. However an unseasonably mild start to December 2012 made the month not only finish warmer than average but also drier than normal.
December started out very mild with the first eight days seeing overall average temperatures 12.7 degrees above normal. Colder air moved in after that for a few days before above normal temperatures returned again and continued through the 18th.
Another three day cold spell arrived but mild temperatures returned on the 21st. Christmas Eve ushered in a big chill that lingered through the end of the month.
Overall December’s average temperature in Denver as measured at Denver International Airport was 31.2 degrees. This was 1.2 degrees above the 1981 to 2000 average of 31.0 degrees. Here in Thornton we were closer to average with a monthly average temperature of 30.5 degrees.
Denver temperatures ranged from a high of 69 degrees on the 5th down to a bitter cold low of -2 on the 26th. Eight days failed to reach high temperatures above the freezing mark in the Mile High City and it recorded two days with low temperatures at or below zero.
Thornton saw its warmest temperature on the 1st of the month with a high of 67.6 degrees and its coldest temperature of 00.4 degrees on the 26th. Like Denver, Thornton recorded eight days with high temperatures failing to reach 32 degrees.
Precipitation as recorded at DIA was slightly below normal during December. 0.27 inch was recorded as compared to the average of 0.35 inch. Thornton was unfortunately drier as we only recorded 0.19 inch of precipitation.
Snowfall fell short of average as well during the month. Denver recorded 5.2 inches and Thornton 3.7 inches. On average the Mile High City records 8.4 inches during the month.
With the end of the month, Denver’s 2012 – 2013 seasonal snowfall total falls further behind average. To date it is 8.8 inches below normal. While the snowpack has rebounded considerably thanks to the storms in the latter half of the month, it is currently at 72% of normal.
Click here to view Thornton’s December 2012 Climate Summary.
From the National Weather Service:
...THE DENVER CO CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR THE MONTH OF DECEMBER 2012...
CLIMATE NORMAL PERIOD 1981 TO 2010
CLIMATE RECORD PERIOD 1872 TO 2012
WEATHER OBSERVED NORMAL DEPART LAST YEAR`S
VALUE DATE(S) VALUE FROM VALUE DATE(S)
NORMAL
................................................................
TEMPERATURE (F)
RECORD
HIGH 79 12/05/1939
LOW -25 12/22/1990
12/24/1876
HIGHEST 69 12/05 65 -4 58 12/18
LOWEST -2 12/26 -10 8 -5 12/06
AVG. MAXIMUM 44.2 42.8 1.4 38.5
AVG. MINIMUM 18.3 17.1 1.2 14.8
MEAN 31.2 30.0 1.2 26.6
DAYS MAX >= 90 0 0.0 0.0 0
DAYS MAX = .01 5 4.1 0.9 6
DAYS >= .10 1 1.1 -0.1 3
DAYS >= .50 0 0.1 -0.1 0
DAYS >= 1.00 0 0.0 0.0 0
GREATEST
24 HR. TOTAL 0.20 12/24 TO 12/25
SNOWFALL (INCHES)
RECORDS
TOTAL 57.4 1913
TOTALS 5.2 8.4
DEGREE_DAYS
HEATING TOTAL 1038 1086 -48 1182
SINCE 7/1 2233 2468 -235 2434
COOLING TOTAL 0 0 0 0
SINCE 1/1 1236 769 467 964
FREEZE DATES
RECORD
EARLIEST 09/08/1962
LATEST 06/08/2007
EARLIEST 10/07
LATEST 05/05
...................................................
WIND (MPH)
AVERAGE WIND SPEED 9.9
RESULTANT WIND SPEED/DIRECTION 3/215
HIGHEST WIND SPEED/DIRECTION 38/270 DATE 12/03
HIGHEST GUST SPEED/DIRECTION 48/290 DATE 12/03
SKY COVER
POSSIBLE SUNSHINE (PERCENT) MM
AVERAGE SKY COVER 0.60
NUMBER OF DAYS FAIR 1
NUMBER OF DAYS PC 22
NUMBER OF DAYS CLOUDY 8
AVERAGE RH (PERCENT) 49
WEATHER CONDITIONS. NUMBER OF DAYS WITH
THUNDERSTORM 0 MIXED PRECIP 0
HEAVY RAIN 0 RAIN 0
LIGHT RAIN 0 FREEZING RAIN 0
LT FREEZING RAIN 0 HAIL 0
HEAVY SNOW 0 SNOW 2
LIGHT SNOW 8 SLEET 0
FOG 10 FOG W/VIS
ThorntonWeather.com is provided as a free service to the community simply because we love the weather! However the site and the associated hardware are quite expensive to operate and occasionally we seek our vistors’ help in funding improvements.
In the past donations have helped us to replace a faulty temperature sensor. Today we are seeking help in upgrading one of our most popular features – the webcams.
Our webcams are now 5+ years old and quite frankly not very good quality by today’s standards. Heading into the winter months we are wanting to upgrade them to allow you to get a better view at the weather outside.
To that end we are asking for donations to fund the purchase of two new high-definition webcams. We have identified the cameras we would like to purchase and they provide remarkably high quality imagery far exceeding our current cameras.
If you are able, please consider making a contribution to the ‘webcam fund’ – any amount, no matter how big or small is greatly appreciated and will go directly to the purchase of the cameras. Thank you!
Click here to visit our donation page to contribute today.
Update, 10/31/12 – We have received $135.00 in donations toward new HD webcams so far. The cameras will cost $300 so if you are able, please consider contributing.
As we begin the new year the winter chill begins to set in. While January can see its share of extremes, the month historically sees stable temperatures and is usually relatively dry.
January ranks as the second coldest month in Denver next to December with average temperatures remaining virtually the same from the start to the end of the month. In terms of snowfall, the month only ranks as the fourth snowiest and it is not uncommon for it to be quite dry.
What does January 2013 hold for us? Indications are that we may very well continue the recent pattern of below normal temperatures and relatively dry conditions.
For the complete January preview including a look at historical averages and extremes, click here.
As the sun sets on 2012 and the new year dawns, we look back on the past 12 months and can see it for what it was: unusually dry and warm. While we were spared monster blizzards or much severe weather, there were still noteworthy weather events.
In terms of temperatures, Denver recorded an overall average of 53.8 degrees as recorded at Denver International Airport. This was 3.4 degrees above average and put 2012 in the history books as the third warmest year in Denver history. Here in Thornton we were, as usual, a bit cooler with an annual average temperature of 52.9 degrees.
The National Weather Service reported 73 days with temperatures at or above 90 degrees which far exceeds the average of 40 such days we normally see annually. Here in Thornton we too saw more than average with 62 days of 90 degree or hotter temperatures.
The late spring and early summer proved to be record setting in terms of heat. The month of June set a record high temperature average and July was the hottest month in Denver history. Two days, June 25th and 26th broke daily high temperature records and tied Denver’s all-time high temperature of 105 degrees.
On the opposite end of the thermometer, Denver officially recorded 132 days with temperatures at or below freezing. Here in Thornton we recorded two more with 134 days. On average the Mile High City records 157 days of freezing temperatures.
While the year was unusually warm, it was also extraordinarily dry. A mere 10.11 inches of precipitation was recorded in Denver’s rain bucket at DIA, 4.19 inches below normal. Here in Thornton we were even drier as we recorded 9.61 inches of precipitation in 2012. While extremely dry, neither measurement was low enough to make the list of top 15 driest years.
Total snowfall for the calendar year ended up at 38.5 inches at DIA and 35.1 inches in Thornton. Both locations fell well short of the Denver annual average snowfall of 53.5 inches. Denver’s snowfall was enough to keep it off the list of top 15 least snowiest years. However Thornton’s measurement would have made it the 13th least snowiest on Denver’s list.
Snowfall started out reasonably strong thanks to a healthy snowfall total in February. However while March is on average our snowiest month, that did not hold true in 2012. A mere 0.03 inch of precipitation was recorded setting the stage for the balance of a dry year.
Combined, June, July and August recorded only 1.81 inches of precipitation at DIA. This was an astonishing 4.02 inches below average for that period. Thornton fared only slightly better over the period with 2.34 inches.
While September brought above normal precipitation, the final three months of 2012 returned us to drier than normal conditions.
Extreme weather events were not particularly common in 2012. There was a distinct lack of heavy snow events and even spring’s severe weather season was relatively tame.
However, the hot summer temperatures and tinder dry conditions did lead to a deadly and destructive wildfire season.
The High Park Fire in June quickly became the second largest wildfire in Colorado history. That blaze was soon followed by the Waldo Canyon Fire west of Colorado Springs which went into the history books as the most destructive blaze in state history.
Click here for Thornton’s 2012 Climate Summary Report
From the National Weather Service:
CLIMATE REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BOULDER, CO
130 AM MST TUE JAN 1 2013
...THE DENVER CO CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR THE YEAR OF 2012...
CLIMATE NORMAL PERIOD 1981 TO 2010
CLIMATE RECORD PERIOD 1872 TO 2012
WEATHER OBSERVED NORMAL DEPART LAST YEAR`S
VALUE DATE(S) VALUE FROM VALUE DATE(S)
NORMAL
................................................................
TEMPERATURE (F)
RECORD
HIGH 105 06/26/2012
06/25/2012
07/20/2005
LOW -29 01/09/1875
HIGHEST 105R 06/26 64 41 99 08/25
06/25 07/31
07/04
LOWEST -6 01/11 36 -42 -17 02/02
AVG. MAXIMUM 68.4 64.7 3.7 64.8
AVG. MINIMUM 39.3 36.3 3.0 36.4
MEAN 53.9 50.5 3.4 50.6
DAYS MAX >= 90 73 39.6 33.4 50
DAYS MAX <= 32 19 20.0 -1.0 23
DAYS MIN <= 32 132 156.9 -24.9 158
DAYS MIN <= 0 4 5.8 -1.8 12
PRECIPITATION (INCHES)
RECORD
MAXIMUM 23.31 1196
MINIMUM 7.29 2008
TOTALS 10.11 14.30 -4.19 17.31
DAILY AVG. 0.03 0.04 -0.01 0.05
DAYS >= .01 52 79.7 -27.7 80
DAYS >= .10 23 34.9 -11.9 37
DAYS >= .50 9 7.6 1.4 10
DAYS >= 1.00 1 2.3 -1.3 6
GREATEST
24 HR. TOTAL 1.63 MM 05/11 TO 05/12
10/26 TO 10/26
10/26 TO 10/26
STORM TOTAL MM 2.52
(MM/DD(HH)) MM 05/12(00) TO 05/12(00)
10/26(00) TO 10/26(00)6
10/26(00) TO 10/26(00)6
SNOWFALL (INCHES)
RECORDS
TOTAL MM 5
24 HR TOTAL MM
SNOW DEPTH MM MM
TOTALS 38.5 53.8 -15.3 46.8
LIQUID EQUIV 3.85 5.40 -1.55 4.68
SINCE 7/1 12.4 22.5 -10.1 29.5
LIQUID 7/1 1.24 2.20 -0.96 2.95
SNOWDEPTH AVG. 0 MM MM 0
DAYS >= TRACE 36 33.3 2.7 41
DAYS >= 1.0 13 16.3 -3.3 16
GREATEST
SNOW DEPTH 11 02/04 7 01/10
01/11
24 HR TOTAL 12.5 MM 10/26 TO 10/26
10/26 TO 10/26
10/26 TO 10/26
STORM TOTAL MM 8.5
(MM/DD(HH)) MM 10/26(00) TO 10/26(00)
10/26(00) TO 10/26(00)6
10/26(00) TO 10/26(00)6
DEGREE_DAYS
HEATING TOTAL 5198 6059 -861 6069
SINCE 7/1 MM 2468 MM MM
COOLING TOTAL 1236 0 1236 964
SINCE 1/1 1236 769 467 964
FREEZE DATES
RECORD
EARLIEST 09/08/1962
LATEST 06/08/2007
EARLIEST 10/07
LATEST 05/05
.......................................................
WIND (MPH)
AVERAGE WIND SPEED 10.3
RESULTANT WIND SPEED/DIRECTION 3/205
HIGHEST WIND SPEED/DIRECTION 52/240 DATE 06/02
HIGHEST GUST SPEED/DIRECTION 67/250 DATE 06/02
SKY COVER
POSSIBLE SUNSHINE (PERCENT) MM
AVERAGE SKY COVER 0.50
NUMBER OF DAYS FAIR 86
NUMBER OF DAYS PC 235
NUMBER OF DAYS CLOUDY 45
AVERAGE RH (PERCENT) 44
WEATHER CONDITIONS. NUMBER OF DAYS WITH
THUNDERSTORM 0 MIXED PRECIP 0
HEAVY RAIN 4 RAIN 12
LIGHT RAIN 45 FREEZING RAIN 0
LT FREEZING RAIN 1 HAIL 3
HEAVY SNOW 4 SNOW 15
LIGHT SNOW 37 SLEET 0
FOG 73 FOG W/VIS <= 1/4 MILE 21
HAZE 51
- INDICATES NEGATIVE NUMBERS.
R INDICATES RECORD WAS SET OR TIED.
MM INDICATES DATA IS MISSING.
T INDICATES TRACE AMOUNT.
Cold, snow and wind are the dominant historical weather events for our look back at this week in Denver weather history.
From the National Weather Service:
25-31
In 1980…temperatures were unusually warm during the week between Christmas and New Year’s. High temperatures for the week ranged from the mid-50’s to the mid-70’s. Four temperature records were set. Record highs occurred on the 26th with 68 degrees…the 27th with 75 degrees…and the 30th with 71 degrees. A record high minimum temperature of 41 degrees occurred on the 27th.
29-30
In 1898…heavy snowfall totaled 6.2 inches in downtown Denver. Northeast winds were sustained to 35 mph with gusts to 40 mph on the 29th.
In 1912…strong winds buffeted Boulder…causing hundreds of dollars damage. The winds were described as one of the most terrific in the history of the city.
In 1923…a cold wave caused temperatures to plunge 58 degrees in 24 hours. The temperature was 54 degrees at 2:00 pm on the 29th and only 4 degrees below zero at the same time on the 30th. The low temperature of 14 degrees on the 29th was the high temperature on the 30th. The low temperature on the 30th dipped to 10 degrees below zero. Light snowfall totaled only 0.7 inch. Northeast winds were sustained to 23 mph on the 29th.
In 2008…very strong Chinook winds blasted areas in and near the foothills of Boulder and Jefferson counties. The wind blew down trees and power poles…downed electrical lines and fences…and damaged homes and vehicles. Scattered power outages were reported along the Front Range. In metropolitan Denver alone…24000 Xcel customers were affected by the outages. Four planed were damaged at the Vance Brand Municipal Airport in Longmont…one was heavily damaged. Insurance companies estimated up to 7 million dollars in damage. Peak wind gusts included 87 mph at the national wind technology center…86 mph…2 miles north of Longmont; 77 mph at Erie…and 75 mph at Lafayette. On the 30th…a peak wind gust to 47 mph was recorded at Denver International Airport. .
30
In 1875…snow fell from the early morning into the early evening. While the amount of snowfall was not recorded… Precipitation from melted snow totaled 0.53 inch. Good sleighing was reported…so snowfall must have been 5 inches or more.
In 1895…northwest winds were sustained to 60 mph in the city.
In 1897…west winds sustained to 52 mph with gusts to 60 mph warmed the temperature to a high of 55 degrees.
In 1912…west winds were sustained to 48 mph with gusts to 52 mph. The Chinook winds warmed the temperature to a high of 50 degrees.
In 1928…snowfall was 0.1 inch in downtown Denver. This was the only measurable snow of the month…ranking the month the third least snowiest on record in the city.
In 1990…strong downslope winds buffeted the eastern foothills. Wind gusts to 91 mph were recorded atop Table Mesa in southwest Boulder…while a gust to 94 mph was clocked at Rollinsville. The high winds caused whiteout conditions due to blowing snow along some highways south and north of Boulder. The high winds downed power lines near the Rocky Flats plant south of Boulder.
In 1998…high winds continued to buffet areas in and near the foothills. Near Evergreen…a 100-foot-high blue spruce crashed down on the roof of a home…splitting the corrugated metal roof in half. Fortunately…the tree… Which measured 10 feet in circumference…only penetrated the home’s interior in a few places. Peak wind reports included: 90 mph at Wondervu…88 mph at the Rocky Flats test facility…83 mph near Conifer…and 82 mph atop Blue Mountain near Coal Creek Canyon. West winds gusted to 39 mph at Denver International Airport.
Continue reading December 30 to January 5: This Week in Denver Weather History
While there are dozens of weather apps to keep adults aware of what Mother Nature has going on, kids have been left out the cold – until now. A just-released weather app designed by a meteorologist and his son brings the weather to kids in terms they can understand while educating them on the science of meteorology.
Kid Weather was created by our friend, Justin Berk, meteorologist, and his six-year-old son Brendan. With winter weather set to strike Colorado the timing of the apps release couldn’t be better!
Find out more about the app at the link and download it for your kids today.
Christmas week has seen many notable weather events which are forever emblazoned on Coloradans’ memories. The holidays of course seem to heighten these memories but the events themselves are no less significant. There was of course the infamous Christmas Eve Blizzard of 1982 and more recently in 2006, a storm hit just after the holiday that buried us in a blanket of white.
From the National Weather Service:
17-24
In 1924…a prolonged cold spell occurred after mild temperatures during the first half of the month. Most low temperatures dipped below zero with the coldest reading of 15 degrees below zero occurring on the 24th. The high temperature of only 5 degrees on the 18th was a record low maximum for the date.
18-24
In 1998…a vigorous cold front with north winds gusting as high as 38 mph at Denver International Airport on the 18th dropped temperatures from a high of 51 degrees to a low of just 6 degrees before midnight. The arctic air mass that settled over metro Denver produced intermittent light snow and a week-long protracted cold spell that caused low temperatures to plunge well below zero for 6 consecutive nights. The coldest temperature was 19 degrees below zero on the morning of the 22nd. High temperatures climbed only into the single digits on 4 consecutive days…from the 19th through the 22nd. At least 15 people…mostly homeless… Were treated for hypothermia at area hospitals. The bitter cold weather was responsible…either directly or indirectly… For at least 5 fatalities. Three of the victims died directly from exposure. The cold weather also caused intermittent power outages. Following the cold snap… Thawing water pipes cracked and burst in several homes and businesses…causing extensive damage. Only one temperature record was set. The high temperature of only 7 degrees on the 19th set a record low maximum for the date.
19-23
In 1990…a surge of very cold arctic air invaded metro Denver. Many temperature records were broken as the mercury remained at or below zero for 85.5 hours at Stapleton International Airport…making it the third longest period of subzero readings in 118 years of record keeping. On the morning of the 22nd…the mercury plunged to 25 degrees below zero…which equaled the all-time record low temperature for the month set on December 24…1876. In the foothills southwest of Denver at tiny town…the mercury plunged to 33 degrees below zero on the morning of the 21st. On the same morning at Castle Rock the temperature dipped to 26 degrees below zero. During the period…other daily temperature records were set at Denver…including: record low maximum of 3 degrees below zero on the 20th and a record low of 17 degrees below zero on the 23rd. The record low was equaled with 16 degrees below zero on the 20th and 21 degrees below zero on the 21st. Snowfall totaled 2.7 inches at Stapleton International Airport from the 19th through the 21st.
20-23
In 1918…light snowfall on each day totaled 12.0 inches over downtown Denver. Northeast winds were sustained to 16 mph on the 21st.
20-25
In 1983…an extremely bitter cold spell occurred. The temperature remained below zero for 115 hours in Denver… The longest sub-zero period on record. The mercury dipped to 21 degrees below zero on the 21st…the coldest recorded temperature in over 20 years. The cold was accompanied by winds that plunged chill factors to 50 to 70 degrees below zero. Two people froze to death in Denver; both were found outside dead of exposure. Numerous cases of frostbite were reported. Hundreds of water pipes broke from the intense cold…water mains and natural gas lines also fractured…and electricity consumption reached record levels. Light snow totaling 5.8 inches fell at times…and holiday traffic was delayed at Stapleton International Airport for several hours. Eight daily temperature records were set at the time. The all-time record low maximum temperature for the month of 8 degrees below zero on the 21st still stands today. Other temperature records still standing include record low maximum temperatures of 5 degrees below zero on both the 22nd and 23rd and 4 degrees below zero on the 24th.
21-23
In 1924…heavy snowfall totaled 7.9 inches over downtown Denver. During the storm north to northeast winds were sustained to 21 mph. Temperatures were quite cold…ranging from a high of 24 degrees on the 21st to a low of 5 degrees below zero on the 23rd.
In 1964…high winds were recorded along the eastern foothills. A wind gust to 100 mph was registered at Jefferson County Airport near Broomfield. In Boulder… Where many thousands of dollars in damage occurred…warm Chinook winds gusted in excess of 45 mph downtown. A wind gust to 82 mph was recorded at the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder. Heavy damage to power lines…homes…and roads was reported at Evergreen…Golden… And Boulder. Several people were injured by wind-caused accidents. West winds gusted to 53 mph on the 22nd and to 51 mph on the 23rd at Stapleton International Airport where some blowing dust occurred. The Chinook winds warmed temperatures in Denver to highs of 68 degrees on the 22nd and 71 degrees on the 23rd.
Continue reading December 23 to December 29: This Week in Denver Weather History