Every spring Mother Nature comes to life and visits her wrath on the central United States with a ferocious onslaught of tornadoes. Storm chasers flock to Tornado Alley during these times and while some only care about the thrill…
Colorado media and government agencies to conduct tornado warning test
As part of Colorado Severe Weather Awareness Week, communities across the state will participate in a tornado warning test Tuesday morning. Residents, businesses and schools are encouraged to participate and use the test as an opportunity to…
ThorntonWeather.com announces Severe Weather Awareness Week contest
As the nation’s midsection digs out from an extraordinary day of severe weather and tornadoes, Colorado’s Severe Weather Awareness Week kicks off. To raise awareness of the dangerous weather Thornton residents face each year, ThorntonWeather.com is going to give away a NOAA All Hazards Weather Radio *.
We have long said that every resident should own a weather radio. These devices tap directly into the National Weather Service and sound an alarm when severe weather is approaching. Life saving information and instructions are then broadcast giving you the precious moments that you may have to take action before disaster strikes.
To help raise awareness of severe weather and these devices, we are giving away a Midland WR-120B weather radio. The radio has all of the essential features including SAME alert programming, a siren and voice alert, battery backup and it is trilingual.
It is our goal that even if you don’t win the radio, you will take action and purchase a weather radio on your own. To learn more about these important devices and why you should own one, click here.
So how do you win? It is easy!
All you have to do is share our Facebook page or Google+ page with all of your friends telling them how great a resource ThorntonWeather.com is and ask them to ‘like’ us or add us to their ‘circles.’
Simply follow the links below and click ‘Share’ if on Facebook or ‘Share this post’ on Google+. Be sure to do this from the postings linked below so that we can see that you shared it and in doing so you are automatically entered.
We will then randomly pick a winner on Monday, April 23 after Severe Weather Awareness Week is over.
Click here for the Facebook posting to share
Click here for the Google+ posting to share
* Contest is open to residents of the Denver / Boulder metropolitan area (verified by shipping address). Weather radio will be shipped directly to the winning contestant from Amazon.com. Allow up to 2 weeks for delivery after the contest ends.
April 15 to April 21 – This Week in Denver Weather History
Snowstorms, tornadoes and wind, oh my! Our look back at this week in Denver weather history highlights the wide variety of weather we can receive this time of year as we transition from winter to spring.
From the National Weather Service:
12-15
In 1927…snowfall totaled 8.5 inches in downtown Denver. Most of the snow fell on the 14th. Northwest winds were sustained to 27 mph during the storm.
13-15
In 1945…heavy snowfall totaled 9.8 inches in downtown Denver. Most of the snow…4.8 inches…fell on the 14th. Snow fell for a total of 53 consecutive hours. This was the second big snow in less than 2 weeks. The air mass was very cold for April. High temperatures of 21 degrees on the 14th and 32 degrees on the 15th were record low maximums for the those dates.
13-17
In 2001…a huge dust storm over southern and inner Mongolia during April 3rd through the 6th lifted desert dust into the jet stream. This dust cloud moved over metro Denver on the 13th and persisted through the 17th. The cloud created widespread haze…giving the sky a milkish cast due to the scattering of incoming solar radiation.
14-15
In 1873…north winds blew a gale during the afternoon on both days. Winds were brisk throughout each day.
In 1902…snowfall totaled 6.0 inches in downtown Denver. Most of the snow melted as it fell. Northeast winds were sustained to 20 mph.
In 1910…strong winds occurred on both days. Northeast winds were sustained to 52 mph on the 14th. North winds were sustained to 44 mph on the 15th.
In 1921…heavy snowfall and strong winds produced near- blizzard conditions in the city. Snowfall totaled 10.0 inches. Strong north winds sustained to 48 mph with gusts to 54 mph on the 15th produced drifts to several feet in depth. The heavy wet snow caused extensive damage to trees…utility poles…and buildings. Precipitation from the storm was 1.73 inches. Very heavy snow also fell in the foothills. At Silver Lake…in the mountains west of Boulder…95 inches of snow fell in 32.5 hours on the 14th and 15th.
In 1935…dense dust…apparently behind a dry cold front… Enveloped the city at 1:00 pm on the 14th and persisted through the night. The dust blew into the city on northeast winds sustained to 30 mph with gusts to 32 mph. By mid-morning on the 15th…the dust had become light and continued as such into the evening. North winds were sustained to only 13 mph on the 15th.
In 1999…a spring storm dumped heavy snow over portions of metro Denver. Nearly 2 feet of snow fell in the foothills with half a foot to a foot over western and southern suburbs. The heavy snow alleviated drought conditions and associated high fire danger that prevailed during much of the winter season. Snowfall totals included: 22 inches in Coal Creek Canyon…20 inches at Wondervu…19 inches at Genesee…17 inches near Evergreen and Nederland and at Idaho Springs and Tiny Town…14 inches at Georgetown…13 inches at Morrison…10 inches near Sedalia…9 inches in south Boulder… 8 inches at Highlands Ranch and Wheat Ridge…and 7 inches at Littleton and Parker. Only 3.4 inches of snow fell at the site of the former Stapleton International Airport. North- northwest winds gusted to 41 mph on the 15th at Denver International Airport.
15
In 1874…light snow developed around daybreak and became moderate to heavy by mid-morning and continued into the early evening. While most of the snow melted as it fell… Total precipitation from the melted snow was 0.95 inch. This would make the estimated snowfall nearly 10 inches.
In 1963…high winds were widespread across metro Denver. West winds gusted to 63 mph in Denver at Stapleton Airport with sustained winds of 35 mph and gusts to 70 mph in downtown Boulder. The winds caused extensive damage to buildings and other property. Visibility was briefly reduced to 1/2 mile in blowing dust at Stapleton Airport.
In 1998…another spring storm brought heavy snow to the foothills. Thirty to 40 vehicles were involved in accidents along I-70 near Georgetown. The combination of poor visibilities…slick roads…and careless drivers led to the multi-car pileups. Only minor injuries were reported. The accidents forced the closure of all of I-70’s eastbound lanes. Snowfall totals included 12 inches at Genesee and 10 inches at Aspen Springs…Chief Hosa…Georgetown…near Morrison…and on North Turkey Creek. Only 0.1 inch of snow fell at the site of the former Stapleton International Airport. East winds gusted to 30 mph at Denver International Airport.
In 2002…unseasonable warm weather resulted in two records being broken. The high temperature of 84 degrees was a record maximum for the date. The low temperature of 57 degrees was a record high minimum for the date.
Continue reading April 15 to April 21 – This Week in Denver Weather History
Scores of tornadoes rake the nation’s heartland, at least 5 killed by twisters
A tornado outbreak stretching hundreds of miles across the central plains yesterday and last night spared most populated areas but not all. As dawn breaks the damage assessments begin on the event that claimed at least five lives and…
The Great Plains prepares for massive severe weather outbreak
Forecasters have been warning in recent days about a major severe weather outbreak set to strike the nation's midsection. Saturday all of the parameters are in place for damaging winds and hail as well as tornadoes across…
April 8 to April 14 – This Week in Denver Weather History
April in Denver can bring a wide array of weather conditions, many of which appear in their most extreme form. Our look back at this week in Denver weather history demonstrates this with everything from major snowstorms to damaging windstorms to even a tornado.
From the National Weather Service:
6-8
In 1973…a major spring snow storm dumped 11.6 inches of snowfall over metro Denver. North wind gusts of 30 to 35 mph produced some blowing snow. Most of the heavy wet snow… 10.1 inches…fell on the 7th when temperatures remained in the 20’s. Snow accumulated on the ground to a maximum depth of 9 inches. Low temperature of 5 degrees on the 8th was a new record minimum for the date and the lowest for so late in the season.
7-9
In 1913…heavy snowfall totaled 10.9 inches in downtown Denver behind a cold front. Most of the snow fell on the 8th. Northeast winds were sustained to 35 mph with gusts to 38 mph on the 9th.
In 1935…moderate dust blew into the city around 9:00 pm on the 7th and persisted until early afternoon on the 9th. Southeast winds were sustained to around 20 mph on the 7th and 8th. Winds shifting to the west at sustained speeds to 20 mph cleared the dust from the air on the 9th.
7-12
In 1959…snow falling over a 5-day period totaled 20 to 30 inches just east of the mountains…while over the plains blizzard conditions closed schools and blocked highways. The second big storm in two weeks dumped 16.4 inches of snowfall on Stapleton Airport with the most…11.6 inches… Occurring on the 8th. East winds gusted to 37 mph on the 9th. Temperatures dipped into the single digits on the mornings of the 7th and 12th when 7 degrees were registered. Low temperature records for the dates were set on the 9th…10th…and 12th. The cold temperatures caused streets to glaze with ice…resulting in the death of a pedestrian who was struck by a car in Denver. Three people died from heart attacks while shoveling the heavy… Wet snow.
8
In 1885…dense smoke polluted the air until noon.
In 1887…south winds were sustained to 42 mph.
In 1890…northwest winds were sustained to 48 mph with gusts as high as 60 mph.
In 2005…a mixture of strong pressure gradient winds coupled with thunderstorm outflow winds produced high winds across metro Denver. The high winds downed power lines and knocked out electricity to about 19 thousand customers on the east side of metro Denver. High wind reports included gusts to 68 mph in Longmont…61 mph near Castle Rock…59 mph at Centennial Airport…and 54 mph at Denver International Airport.
8-10
In 1999…a windstorm caused 20 million dollars in damage along the Front Range urban corridor from Fort Collins south to Pueblo and to the east over the plains…making the storm equal to the costliest windstorm ever…which occurred in Boulder on January 17…1982. In metro Denver… Several homes were damaged as shingles were blown off roofs. Large pieces of a roof torn off a strip mall in Lakewood damaged several cars in a parking lot. Most of the damage to homes consisted of broken fences…awnings…doors…and windows. Scores of automobiles suffered broken or cracked windshields and paint damage from flying debris. Multiple accidents were triggered as several tractor-trailer rigs were blown on their sides by the strong cross-winds. Blowing dust and dirt caused near zero visibilities at times. Both I-25 and I-76 were closed north and northeast of Denver. State Highway 93 was closed between Golden and Boulder. Several trees…power poles…and power lines were downed…causing a number of outages as well as sparking a few small grass fires. Highest wind gusts reached 112 mph atop Niwot Ridge near the Continental Divide west of Boulder…102 mph at Wondervu…100 mph at the National Center for Atmospheric Research mesa lab in Boulder…98 mph at the national wind technology center near Broomfield…96 mph on Rocky Flats…92 mph at Jefferson County Airport near Broomfield and on the University of Colorado campus in Boulder…and 90 mph at Highlands Ranch in southwest metro Denver. Winds gusted to 48 mph at Denver International Airport.
9
In 1950…strong southwest winds gusting to 58 mph reduced the visibility to 1 mile in blowing dust at Stapleton Airport. Scattered minor wind damage…consisting of falling tree branches and damage to signs…occurred across metro Denver.
In 1989…6 to 12 inches of snow fell at many locations in the Front Range foothills. Boulder received 6 to 8 inches. Five inches (5.0 inches) of snow fell at Stapleton International Airport…causing 2 hour flight delays. I-25 south of Denver was closed for 4 hours due to a 100- car traffic pileup. North winds gusted to 33 mph at Stapleton International Airport where the maximum snow depth on the ground was only 3 inches due to melting.
Continue reading April 8 to April 14 – This Week in Denver Weather History
Examiner.com wildfires coverage round-up March 23 – April 3
With large parts of the nation experiencing drought conditions, the landscape has turned tinder dry and is primed for explosive fire growth. This was recently seen firsthand by residents west of Denver as a wildfire turned deadly. …
City of Thornton announces emergency alert system for residents
Sitting at the western edge of tornado alley, the Denver metro area is home to severe weather of all forms. In an effort to keep residents aware of the dangers Mother Nature brings every year, the City of Thornton is set to roll out an email alert system.
It has been nearly 31 years since the most destructive tornado to strike the Denver area tore through the city of Thornton. In the intervening time between now and then, it is ironic that neither Thornton nor Adams County deployed any sort of alert system for its residents beyond Reverse 911.
Seeking to correct that lapse, Thornton’s Office of Emergency Management presented a significant enhancement to the city’s T-Alert system to city council at a planning session last night.
T-Alert is the existing email subscription system for Thornton residents that can keep them up to date with everything from traffic to trash services to recreational opportunities. Now, emergency management announcements will be added to the service.
Emergency Manager Gene Putman explained that with the proliferation of email on mobile devices like cellular phones, the system will allow the city to send out warnings to residents in a matter of seconds. The system was tested during the February snowstorms and was a resounding success.
Dispatches can be sent out by the city’s emergency management personnel or in an urgent situation, the new 911 center. Spanish translations to the messages will also be included in the emails.
Putman said, “Within 30 seconds of a warning being issued by the National Weather Service we can have that critical information out to residents.”
Uses for the emergency management service will include obvious items such as tornado watches and warnings and severe hail or flooding. Also thrown into the mix will be important announcements about major snow events, hazardous material spills and other types of civil alerts.
- Don’t wait: Sign up for the City of Thornton’s Emergency Management Announcements here
- PDF: City of Thornton Emergency Management Tmail Brochure
Jack Ethredge, City Manager, is no stranger to disasters having served as Emergency Manager along the Gulf Coast during two hurricanes. He told council the system gives the city an “important, broader way to communicate.”
While the new system will help to keep residents safe, officials also remind residents that they must take responsibility for their own safety as well and stay aware of developing weather. Local news media should be monitored and residents should own a NOAA All Hazards Radio.
- Note: In addition to the city’s alert system, you can subscribe to ThorntonWeather.com’s alert system. We believe the two systems will complement each other. Our system provides all watches and warnings from the National Weather Service while the city’s will maintain a focus on the major events.
Thornton also continues to improve and refine its disaster preparedness as a city government.
Emergency management personnel are receiving important training on disaster response and new emergency procedures are being developed all city employees.
When disaster strikes, the speed and accuracy of a response is essential and Emergency Investigation Area Teams have been created to aid on this front. Each team will be comprised of personnel from key city departments. These teams will be responsible for one of six Emergency Investigation Areas and when needed, will be deployed to document a situation and provide direction.
Tornadoes terrorize Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex causing extensive damage
Severe weather paid a visit to northeastern Texas Tuesday afternoon unleashing massive hail and numerous tornadoes on the area around Dallas-Fort Worth. Twisters tossed semi-trailers like toys, hail damaged more than 100 aircraft at the airport…
