Colorado witnessed an absolutely devastating wildfire season in 2012. We were not alone however as many locations across the U.S. saw a year of record burning and yesterday NOAA named the wildfire activity one of its top weather and climate events of 2012. Read the rest of this story on Examiner.com
If you thought last year was warmer than normal the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) says you thought correctly. The agency announced yesterday that the contiguous United States experienced its hottest year since record-keeping began in 1895. Read the rest of this story on Examiner.com.
January brings the NFL playoffs and in Denver that oftentimes means difficult weather conditions for players and fans. Today’s divisional playoff game between the Denver Broncos and the Baltimore Ravens will be less notable for snow than for the bitter cold. Get the complete forecast for the game on Examiner.com
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s comment last week that those who suffered the effects of Hurricane Katrina had it easy as compared to the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy has sparked a quick and vicious response. Sen. David Vitter called the Democrat leader ‘an idiot’ Monday and Reid was forced to issue an apology. Read the rest of this story and see video of Reid’s comments on Examiner.com
One of the great joys of winter in Colorado is an increase in appearances of bald eagles. The national bird of the United States is majestic to see and here in Thornton the birds routinely roost during the cold months.
Bald eagles can be found virtually anywhere in the United States and while Benjamin Franklin would have preferred the turkey, eagles won the right to become one of our nation’s most important symbols.
Here in Colorado there are some year-round nesting pairs, most notably for those in the north Denver metro area are some at Barr Lake. More common are eagles that come to Colorado seasonally and then return north when we start to warm up in the spring.
In recent years we have admired a number of these great birds on the South Platte River Greenway Trail between Colorado Blvd and McKay Road.
This year as many as four have been spotted in the area. While they don’t appear to have nested in the area, they do roost daily along the river.
Yesterday we went for a bike ride and were able to spot one of the eagles as well as a hawk, ducks and the ever-present geese. The slideshow below shows you some of the images we captured.
Extreme cold would be the first thing to come to your mind when you think of January. While there have been many such notable events of that nature, our look back at this week in Denver weather history actually is more remarkable for the damaging wind that has raked the area in the past.
From the National Weather Service:
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In 1973…the 31st marked the start of a protracted cold spell that extended into January of 1974 when temperatures dipped below zero on 7 consecutive days. Record daily minimum readings occurred on the 3rd and 5th when the temperature plunged to 17 degrees below zero on both days. A record low daily maximum temperature of only 4 degrees occurred on the 5th.
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In 1941…a protracted cold spell through January 7…1942… Produced below zero low temperatures on 7 of the 8 days. A low temperature of 2 degrees on the 3rd prevented a string of 8 days below zero. The coldest days during the period were the 1st with a high of 2 degrees and a low of 9 degrees below zero…the 4th with a high of 2 degrees and a low of 11 degrees below zero…and the 5th with a high of 26 degrees and a low of 12 degrees below zero.
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In 1940…snowfall totaled 5.9 inches in downtown Denver.
In 1975…high winds gusting to over 75 mph caused considerable damage in the Boulder area and minor damage in Jefferson County.
In Boulder…one home was unroofed… Several power lines were blown down…and a number of homes and commercial buildings were damaged. Northwest winds gusted to 36 mph on the 5th and 38 mph on the 6th at Stapleton International Airport.
In 1980…high winds in and near the foothills shattered windows…tore roofs from buildings…and caused many power outages. Much of the damage was in Boulder…where winds gusted to at least 82 mph. Wind gusts of 80 to 100 mph were common in the foothills. West winds gusted to only 37 mph at Stapleton International Airport on the 6th.
In 1982…2 to 6 inches of snow fell across metro Denver. Only 1.1 inches of snow were measured at Stapleton International Airport.
In 1983…high winds buffeted the foothills with gusts of 60 to 75 mph recorded in the Boulder area. West winds gusted to only 38 mph at Stapleton International Airport on the 6th.
In 1998…heavy snow blanketed the Front Range foothills. Snowfall totals included: 15 inches 8 miles north of Blackhawk; 13 inches at Evergreen and 5 miles east of Nederland; 12 inches in Coal Creek Canyon; 11 inches 8 miles west of Conifer; 10 inches in sunshine canyon northwest of Boulder; 10 inches 11 miles southwest of Morrison; 9 inches in south turkey canyon; and 8 inches at Eldora Ski Area. Snowfall totaled only 1.8 inches at the site of the former Stapleton International Airport.
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In 1903…northwest winds were sustained to 45 mph with an extreme velocity of 48 mph. The Chinook winds warmed the temperature to a high of 66 degrees…which was a record maximum for the date. The low temperature dipped to only 35 degrees.
In 1962…strong winds caused nearly 14 hundred dollars in damage 2 miles north of Boulder. West-northwest Chinook winds gusted to 33 mph at Stapleton Airport in advance of a cold front that produced northeast wind gusts to 43 mph along with some blowing dust and 0.1 inch of snow.
In 1972…a wind gust to 69 mph was recorded at the National Bureau of Standards in Boulder. Only minor damage occurred. Northwest winds gusted to 33 mph at Stapleton International Airport.
In 2007…a large avalanche swept two vehicles off U.S. Highway 40…near Berthoud Pass…and partially buried them. The slide covered all three lanes of the highway. Eight people were in the vehicles…but only one person was seriously injured. He suffered several broken ribs. The slide was approximately 200 feet wide and 15 feet deep.
Continue reading January 6 to January 12: This Week in Denver Weather History
A record-setting heat wave and tinder dry conditions have sparked dozens of blazes across Australia. Hardest hit Tasmania has seen dozens of homes destroyed and with nearly 100 people missing, officials fear the possible loss of life. Read the rest of this story on Examiner.com.
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!
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