Saturday's sunset was stunning as seen in this photo from Thornton. (Steve Hill)
Colorado is home to some of the most beautiful sunsets and sunrises as more often than not, Mother Nature begins and ends the day with a light show of her own. Yesterday a mountain wave cloud sat over the Front Range and when the day came to close, it was lit fiery red.
Also, just a friendly reminder that we are raising money to upgrade our webcams to HD, something that would allow us to capture such stunning events and share them with the community.
November 25 to December 1 - This Week in Denver Weather History
From powerful, damaging wind to snowstorms that snarled Thanksgiving holiday traffic, this week in Denver weather history has been an eventful one.
From the National Weather Service:
21-25
In 1952…snowfall of 6.2 inches was measured at Stapleton Airport where northeast winds gusted to 17 mph on the 21st.
24-25
In 1908…heavy snowfall totaled 7.0 inches over downtown Denver overnight. North winds were sustained to 15 mph.
In 1930 strong winds raked the Front Range eastern foothills. Winds gusted to 40 mph at Valmont just east of Boulder where minor damage occurred.
In 1970…strong Chinook winds warmed Boulder. At the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder…wind gusts reached 97 mph…while in downtown Boulder winds peaked to 69 mph. Some minor damage occurred. Northwest winds gusted to 39 mph at Stapleton International Airport…and the high temperature warmed to 76 degrees on the 25th…setting a new record maximum for the date.
25
In 1877…northwest winds were sustained to 50 mph.
In 1902…northwest winds were sustained to 45 mph with gusts to 48 mph. The strong apparent bora winds warmed the temperature to a high of only 45 degrees.
In 1943…snowfall of 4.0 inches was the only measurable snow of the month. North winds were sustained to 17 mph.
In 1958…strong pre-frontal Chinook winds struck Boulder and the eastern foothills. A wind gust to 100 mph was recorded northwest of Denver. A gust to 88 mph occurred at Rocky Flats south of Boulder. The windstorm caused considerable structural damage to residential sections of north metro Denver.
In 1959…strong winds raked the eastern foothills including Boulder and Eldorado Springs. Wind gusts to 100 mph were estimated at the Matterhorn Restaurant located atop Rocky Flats south of Boulder.
In 1993…a wind gust to 99 mph was recorded atop Squaw Mountain near Idaho Springs.
In 1998…strong winds developed over portions of the Front Range foothills for a brief time following the passage of a weak upper level disturbance. A wind gust to 71 mph was measured atop Blue Mountain near Coal Creek Canyon.
In 1999…strong Chinook winds developed in and near the foothills. Peak wind reports included 100 mph at the Eldora Ski Resort and 77 mph at the National Center for Atmospheric Research mesa lab above Boulder. West winds gusted to 38 mph at Denver International Airport.
In 2010…high winds developed in the foothills of Boulder County. A gust to 75 mph occurred 5 miles northwest of Boulder with a gust to 72 mph at the National Center for Atmospheric Research Mesa Lab above Boulder. West winds gusted to 24 mph at Denver International Airport.
25-26
In 1887…snowfall totaled 2.9 inches in the city. This was the only measurable snow of the month. Northeast winds were sustained to 18 mph on the 26th when the temperature dipped to 12 degrees below zero.
In 1959…a sharp cold front produced a northwest wind gust to 51 mph…followed by snow and falling temperatures from a high of 60 degrees to a low of 23 degrees at midnight on the 25th. Snowfall totaled 4.4 inches at Stapleton Airport before ending early on the 26th.
In 1972…winds gusted to 104 mph at the Rocky Flats plant south of Boulder. Gusts to 70 mph were recorded at the National Bureau of Standards in Boulder…while in downtown Boulder winds peaked to 68 mph. Some damage was reported. Northwest winds gusted to 47 mph at Stapleton International Airport on the 26th.
In 1984…blowing snow closed I-70 east of Denver…stranding over a thousand travelers in Limon. Denver received only 2.3 inches of snowfall. North winds gusted to 31 mph at Stapleton International Airport.
In 1999…strong Chinook winds redeveloped overnight in and near the foothills. Peak wind gusts included 72 mph atop Blue Mountain near Wondervu and at the National Center for Atmospheric Research mesa lab above Boulder.
25-27
In 1978…heavy snowfall of 6.0 inches was measured at Stapleton International Airport where north winds gusted to 20 mph. Most of the snow…4.8 inches…fell on the 25th. The greatest amount of snow measured on the ground was 5 inches due to settling and melting.
The normally tranquil ocean front of New South Wales, Australia saw much different conditions as Mother Nature brought severe thunderstorms to the area on Sunday. In addition to lightning and hail, a massive waterspout ripped through Batemans Bay’s waters. Read the rest of this story on Examiner.com or click here to watch the video.
A large waterspout appeared in Batemans Bay, Australia on Sunday as severe thunderstorms moved through the area. Click to watch the amazing video. (YouTube / TheGrazla)
November 18 to November 24 - This Week in Denver Weather History
Powerful winds and heavy snow make up the majority of significant weather events in our look back at this week in Denver weather history.
From the National Weather Service:
14-18
In 1964…the first measurable snowfall of the season totaled 6.0 inches at Stapleton International Airport where northeast winds gusted to 32 mph on the 14th. Most of the snow…4.2 inches…fell on the 14th. This was the only measurable snow of the month.
16-18
In 1921…heavy snowfall totaled 6.5 inches over downtown Denver. This was the only measurable snow of the month. East winds were sustained to 14 mph on the 17th.
17-18
In 1869…the heaviest wind storm in 5 or 6 years raked the eastern foothills including Boulder…Denver…Georgetown… And Golden. Some hundreds of dollars in damage occurred in Boulder.
18
In 1872…fresh west winds contributed to the relative humidity dipping to zero at 2:43 pm. The maximum temperature was 54 degrees.
In 1907…heavy snowfall totaled 6.0 inches over downtown Denver. Snow fell all day. North winds were sustained to 19 mph.
In 1915…northwest winds were sustained to 42 mph with gusts as high as 48 mph. It was windy most of the day.
In 1996…high winds struck the foothills west of Denver. Wind gusts ranged from 70 to 75 mph. A few power lines were downed…but no major outages were reported.
In 1998…strong downslope winds developed during the morning. Wind gusts reached a peak of 72 mph at Jefferson County Airport near Broomfield. West winds gusted to 41 mph at Denver International Airport.
In 1999…high winds developed in and near the Front Range foothills. The strong winds downed power lines…which sparked several small brush fires. In Broomfield… Scaffolding was damaged at the Wadsworth Recreation Center…while flying rocks broke several windows at a local bank building. Peak wind gusts included: 91 mph atop Blue Mountain near Wondervu…88 mph atop the Gamow Tower on the University of Colorado campus in Boulder… 83 mph at Jefferson County Airport…81 mph at the National Center for Atmospheric Research mesa lab above Boulder…and 80 mph at Wondervu. West-northwest winds gusted to 48 mph at Denver International Airport.
18-19
In 1975…snowfall totaled only 5.5 inches and north winds gusted to 35 mph causing some blowing snow at Stapleton International Airport…while a major blizzard struck southeastern Colorado.
In 1985…4 to 7 inches of snow fell across metro Denver. Snowfall totaled 4.4 inches at Stapleton International Airport where north winds gusted to 23 mph.
In 1991…another strong winter storm produced heavy snow over metro Denver. Snowfall totaled 9.5 inches at Stapleton International Airport with 9 inches at Parker… And 8 inches in southeast Denver…Morrison…and Wheat Ridge. This second storm brought the 5 day (15th-19th) snowfall total at Stapleton International Airport to 21.1 inches. The greatest depth of snow on the ground was 13 inches on the morning of the 19th. The adverse effects of the two storms were diminished by the lack of significant winds.
November 11th is one of two holidays in the United States that we have set aside to ensure that those that have served and sacrificed for this nation are never forgotten. We are asked to take the time to say a simple ‘thank you’ to these men and women while not always fully comprehending their contributions.
For 237 years men and women have stepped forward and answered the nation’s call to arms.
From the bloody birth of our nation to a devastating war that would pit brother against brother and threaten to tear the country apart, veterans have served.
From a time when a cowardly attack at Pearl Harbor woke a sleeping giant to another, similar event 60 years later on our shores in New York, Pennsylvania and Washington DC, veterans have answered the call.
Not all have served in combat but they have served with distinction and honor. These men and women are the real “1%” – the ones who have stood up for something greater than themselves.
They chose not to whine or cry about the hand life dealt them or their own failures and inability but instead saw an opportunity. Our veterans did not point their fingers and blame others. They instead donned the nation’s uniforms proudly and bettered themselves, served their fellow man and defended freedom across the globe.
The legacy of these men and women is seen not only in the peoples they liberate and protect but also close to home.
In my own family, my dad served in Guam in the Air Force. My brother and I served in the Navy and I did a tour in the Persian Gulf. At this very moment my nephew is ‘boots on the ground’ in Afghanistan.
My family is not unique however. Many have seen grandfathers, fathers and sons serve our nation as the values they hold dear are passed on to subsequent generations.
The lessons of honor, courage, commitment and love of God and country are part of the very fiber that makes up our veterans and have formed the backbone of this great nation. Whether they served at home or abroad, behind a desk or in a jungle or desert, veterans have made a difference and for that we are grateful.
Rudyard Kipling famously wrote:
God and the Soldier, we adore,
In time of danger, not before.
The danger passed and all things righted,
God is forgotten and the Soldier slighted.
Today we honor our soldiers, sailors, Marines, airmen and Coast Guardsmen and we thank them for their service. It is our solemn promise to them that they will not be forgotten and they will not be slighted. That is the least we can do.
November 11 to November 17 - This Week in Denver Weather History
Two conditions seem to dominate Denver weather this time of year – snow and wind. Both of those make numerous appearances in our look back at this week in Denver weather history.
From the National Weather Service:
10-11
In 1911…a strong cold front produced snow and a cold wave. The temperature dropped 68 degrees from a high of 66 degrees at 12:40 pm on the 10th to a low of 2 degrees below zero at 7:15 am on the 11th. The low temperature of 23 degrees at midnight on the 10th was also the high temperature on the 11th. Northeast winds were sustained to 42 mph with gusts to 51 mph. Snowfall was only 2.5 inches.
In 1982…up to 4 inches of snow fell over the higher terrain between Denver and Colorado springs. Winds gusted to 50 mph along the foothills. Rainfall totaled 0.27 inch with only 0.1 inch of snow on the 11th at Stapleton International Airport where north winds gusted to 39 mph. Dense fog with visibilities as low as zero persisted all day on the 10th.
11
In 1901…a trace of rain fell in the morning…and a trace of snow fell in the afternoon. This was the only snowfall and precipitation for the month…ranking it the driest November on record…along with November of 1899 and 1949. The month also ranks as the second least snowiest November…along with Novembers in other years.
In 1903…northwest winds sustained to 45 mph with gusts to 56 mph warmed the temperature to a high of 56 degrees.
In 1912…rain changed to snow…which became heavy…and totaled 6.5 inches over downtown Denver. Precipitation was 1.02 inches…the greatest calendar day precipitation ever recorded in November. Northeast winds were sustained to 27 mph with gusts to 29 mph.
In 1919…light snow fell from an apparent clear sky during the early afternoon. The first snow was observed at about 12:40 pm and continued at least 30 minutes before clouds could be seen forming…followed by the sky becoming totally cloudy. During this time the temperature fell from 50 degrees at noon to only 18 degrees at 100 pm and plunged to 6 degrees at 5:45 pm. A low temperature of 2 degrees was recorded overnight. Northeast winds were sustained to 33 mph with gusts to 36 mph between noon and 1:00 pm behind an apparent arctic cold front. Snowfall was only 0.1 inch.
In 1949…north winds gusted to 50 mph at Stapleton Airport. A trace of rain fell. Another trace of rain on the 15th was the only precipitation of the month…making the month one of the driest Novembers on record and the least snowiest with no snow. This was the first November since 1882 without snow.
In 1959…strong northwest winds struck Boulder and the foothills causing some damage. West winds gusted to 37 mph at Stapleton Airport.
In 1995…strong downslope winds gusting to 84 mph blew out a few car windows in Boulder County. Winds gusted to 69 mph at Golden…Lakewood…and Table Mesa in Boulder. West-northwest winds gusted to 43 mph at Denver International Airport.
In 2000…heavy snow occurred in the foothills southwest of Denver and over Monument Ridge south of Denver. Snowfall totals included: 6.5 inches near Parker… 6 inches near Bergen Park…5 inches at Genesee and near Sedalia…and 4 inches at Coal Creek Canyon and St. Mary’s glacier. Snowfall totaled 1.6 inches at the site of the former Stapleton International Airport.
In 2003…strong downslope winds developed along the Front Range. Peak wind reports included 91 mph atop Blue Mountain near Wondervu and 75 mph in Boulder. Damaging winds downed power lines in Boulder County. North of Golden…a semi-truck was blown over by the winds near the intersection of State Highways 72 and 93 atop Rocky Flats. At the same location…blowing rocks shattered several car windows at an RTD Park and Ride. West winds gusted to 40 mph at Denver International Airport.
Weather – The true determining factor of who will be president?
We oftentimes hear about how weather can affect voter turnout but is there truly a link? If there is, who does it benefit – Republicans or Democrats? Studies seem to indicate that what might be thought of as an urban myth is indeed true.
In 2005, political science researchers Brad Gomez, Thomas Hansford and George Krause completed the first comprehensive study on the correlation between weather and voter turnout. Their paper, “The Republicans Should Pray for Rain: Weather, Turnout, and Voting in U.S. Presidential Elections” confirmed the conventional wisdom that weather does affect voter turnout, bad weather benefits Republicans and most interestingly, two presidential elections in the last 60 years may have had different results had the weather been different.
Looking back at presidential elections from 1948 to 2008, the study takes into account the weather in 3,000 U.S. counties. They in turn looked at key areas of the nation and how weather, good and bad, affected voter turnout. In the end, the study determined that precipitation is the key weather condition to affect voter turnout.
An area of southern Colorado known to be seismically active once again sprang to life Monday morning generating a magnitude 2.9 earthquake. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) said the temblor occurred at 8:13 a.m. local time (15:13 UTC) and was centered 19 miles west-southwest of Cokedale or 25 miles west-southwest of Trinidad. Read the rest of this story on Examiner.com
November 4 to November 10 - This Week in Denver Weather History
Our look back at this week in Denver weather history is shorter than what we often see which shows the normally quiet weather we see in November. However there are still significant weather events in the past, most of which involved heavy snow and powerful winds.
From the National Weather Service:
2-5
In 1946…a major snow storm dumped 30.4 inches of heavy snowfall downtown and 31.0 inches at Stapleton Airport. The winter storm closed schools and disrupted all forms of transportation in the city. The greatest depth of snow on the ground was 28 inches at the airport. The duration of the snowfall…from 4:22 am on the 2nd to 3:08 am on the 5th… A total of 70 hours and 46 minutes…is the second longest period of continuous precipitation on record and the second heaviest snowfall of record at the time in Denver. The 17.7 inches of snowfall on the 2nd and 3rd was the greatest 24- hour snowfall ever recorded during the month of November. Buses and street cars had a difficult time…and many cars were abandoned along roadsides and streets for several days. Secondary roads in rural areas were blocked for 2 to 3 weeks. Several buildings in the city collapsed or were damaged from the weight of the heavy snow. Football games were canceled. Livestock losses were high over eastern Colorado. The precipitation from this storm alone exceeded the greatest amount ever recorded in Denver during the entire month of November previously. The precipitation recorded downtown was 2.03 inches…and the previous record for the entire month of November was 1.95 inches in 1922. North winds were sustained to 26 mph on the 2nd.
3-4
In 1994…a fast moving snow storm dumped 8 to 9 inches of snow on Boulder…Broomfield…and Lafayette. Snowfall totaled only 1.8 inches at Stapleton International Airport where on the 3rd east winds gusted to 20 mph and some freezing drizzle fell.
4
In 1940…a trace of snow fell in downtown Denver. This marked the start of the shortest snow season on record… 167 days…through April 19…1941…when 0.4 inch of snow fell.
In 1959…high winds caused damage in many areas of the eastern plains.
In Denver…winds averaged 40 mph with gusts to 70 mph. Some damage was reported to utility lines…signs…and vehicles. Northeast winds were sustained to 30 mph at Stapleton Airport.
4-5
In 1933…the first measurable snow of the season totaled only 2.5 inches. This was the only measurable snow of the month. Northwest winds were sustained to 27 mph on the 4th.
In 1951…heavy snowfall of 5.7 inches was measured at Stapleton Airport where northwest winds gusted to 32 mph.
5
In 1896…west Chinook winds sustained to 44 mph with gusts to 46 mph warmed the temperature to a high of 56 degrees in the city.
In 1919…a rare November thunderstorm produced a mixture of rain and snow during the evening. Precipitation totaled only 0.14 inch with only a trace of snow. Northeast winds were sustained to 39 mph with gusts to 44 mph.
In 1948…a west-northwest wind gust to 50 mph was recorded at Stapleton Airport.
In 1994…winds gusted to 76 mph on the summit of Squaw Mountain…5 miles south of Idaho Springs.
In 2000…snow fell in the foothills west of Denver and across the southern suburbs. Snow totals included 6 inches near Evergreen…11 miles southwest of Morrison… And 7 miles south of tiny town and 5 inches in Aurora and Parker. Snowfall totaled 5.5 inches at the site of the former Stapleton International Airport. Northeast winds gusted to 26 mph at Denver International Airport where the visibility was reduced to 1/4 mile in heavy snow at times.
November 11th is one of two holidays in the United States that we have set aside to ensure that those that have served and sacrificed for this nation are never forgotten. We are asked to take the time to say a simple ‘thank you’ to these men and women while not always fully comprehending their contributions.
