April marks a transition between winter and summer for most of the country but for Denver it is especially true as we can see a stunning variety of weather.The proverbial April showers are certainly a possibility for Denver. Snow…
Family captures video of horrifying getaway from Lower North Fork Fire
Fed by powerful winds and tinder dry fuels, the Lower North Fork Fire quickly exploded on Monday sending residents scrambling to escape. One family near Conifer captured their flight from their home as the smoke turned day to night…
Wildfires erupt in Colorado; Biggest blaze claims 2 lives, thousands evacuate
Update, 11:30am: The Jefferson County Sherriff’s Office announced that the Lower North Fork Fire had grown to 4,500 acres. Tragically, a second fatality has been discovered in the burn area.With the latest update, the…
Sunday brings another record day; March 2012 likely to go into record books
Another unseasonably mild day led to another high temperature record being tied on Sunday. As the unseasonably warm weather continues, March 2012 is almost certain to go into the record books on a number of marks.
The temperature at Denver International Airport reached 75 degrees at 4:05pm Sunday afternoon. This tied the record high temperature for the date last set in 1998. This is far and above the normal for the date of 57 degrees.
Here in Thornton we were a bit cooler and reached a high temperature of 72.3 degrees.
The record-tying mark is the fifth time so far this month that the record high temperature was tied or broken. Other days with record highs this month:
- 76 degrees on March 23, which tied the old record of 76 set in 1967
- 76 degrees on March 17, which broke the old record of 75 set in 1974
- 75 degrees on March 16, which broke the old record of 74 set just one year ago in 2011
- 74 degrees on March 13, which tied the old record of 74 set in 2007 and previous years
Officially Denver has recorded only a trace of snow this month and a scant 0.03 inch of precipitation. Given the forecast for the coming week, it is likely the month will end with those totals. If it does, March 2012 will go into the history books as the least snowiest and driest March on record.
In terms of temperatures, Denver’s overall average temperature for the month so far is at 47.0 degrees. That would put the month in a tie for the fourth warmest March on record. However with temperatures expected to remain unseasonably warm through the week, there is a good chance we will climb the ‘top 10’ list even further.
High winds and extreme fire danger kickoff Denver’s workweek
While the unseasonably mild temperatures and lack of precipitation have made for some nice days in recent weeks, they also have served to dry out the terrain. Coupled with strong winds today this is going to lead to very…
March 25 to March 31 – This Week in Denver Weather History
In stark contrast to the extremely dry and mild month we are experiencing now, March is normally known for its snow. In our look back at this week in Denver weather history we see many significant snow events that have occurred in the past and are much more representative of Denver’s March weather.
From the National Weather Service:
23-25
In 1891…rain changed to snow and totaled 8.8 inches in downtown Denver. Most of the snow fell on the 24th. Winds were light.
In 1964…heavy snowfall of 5.8 inches was measured at Stapleton International Airport. North-northeast winds gusted to 21 mph behind a cold front.
24-25
In 1904…west Bora winds sustained to 40 mph with gusts to 55 mph warmed the temperature to a high of 49 degrees on the 24th. Overnight…a cold front produced 4.5 inches of snow. The high temperature was only 34 degrees on the 25th.
In 1955…a vigorous cold front with winds sustained to 34 mph and gusts to 39 mph briefly reduced the visibility to 2 miles in blowing dust at Stapleton Airport. Post-frontal heavy snowfall totaled 9.5 inches at Stapleton Airport where the maximum snow depth on the ground was 7 inches.
24-26
In 1959…the second major spring storm in less than a week dumped 10 to 20 inches of wet snow across northeastern Colorado. Snowfall totaled 14.3 inches at Stapleton Airport where north winds gusted to 36 mph…causing near-blizzard conditions with visibilities frequently reduced to 1/2 mile in snow and blowing snow. Many travelers were marooned when trains…planes…and buses were unable to make their schedules. Utility lines were again damaged as a result of the storm.
25
In 1874…the wind blowing in gusts from the west-northwest filled the air with dust so dense that only the houses in the immediate neighborhood of the weather station could be recognized. The brisk winds continued through the afternoon.
In 1886…heavy snowfall of 6.5 inches occurred in the city.
In 1896…northwest winds sustained to 58 mph with gusts to 65 mph warmed the temperature to a high of 70 degrees.
In 1911…west winds were sustained to 43 mph. The Chinook winds warmed the temperature to a high of 65 degrees.
In 1925…northwest winds were sustained to 41 mph with gusts to 46 mph.
In 1950…strong Chinook winds gusted to 50 mph at Stapleton Airport.
In 1976…3.4 inches of snow fell at Stapleton International Airport where northeast winds gusted to 46 mph. The strong winds at 20 to 35 mph all day produced a rare “snirt” storm when blowing dust and dirt became mixed with snow and blowing snow reducing the visibility to as low as 1/4 mile at Stapleton International Airport.
In 1984…1 to 4 inches of new snow fell across metro Denver. Icy roads contributed to many accidents. The most hazardous conditions occurred in the foothills west of Denver. Both I-70 and U.S. 40 were closed at the height of the Sunday afternoon ski rush…causing delays of many hours. Snowfall totaled only 1.0 inch at Stapleton International Airport with only a trace on the ground due to melting.
In 1988…high winds in the mountains spread over metro Denver. A wind gust to 75 mph was noted in Boulder where a traffic light was downed. Power outages were reported in Boulder County. Northwest winds to 46 mph were recorded at Stapleton International Airport.
Continue reading March 25 to March 31 – This Week in Denver Weather History
Japanese ‘ghost ship’ tossed to sea by tsunami appears off coast of Canada
A 150-foot fishing trawler lost at sea during the devastating tsunami and earthquake in Japan was discovered floating adrift off the coast of Canada. It has taken the debris more than a year to cover the 3,500…
Denver on pace for one of driest, warmest and least snowiest Marches on record
Without a change in weather patterns, March 2012 could go down in the Denver weather history books as one of the warmest and driest on record. As it stands right now, March’s average temperature is running 6…
Powerful magnitude 7.6 earthquake strikes near Acapulco, Mexico
A significant earthquake struck this afternoon in Mexico near the tourist resort of Acapulco, Mexico. Shaking has been reported in Mexico City and across the southern half of the nation.According to the US Geological Survey (USGS) the temblor…
Android weather app shootout: Best apps for monitoring the ever-changing weather
The old adage “If you don’t like the weather wait five minutes” can apply to many locations and knowing what Mother Nature has in store can save lives. Today’s smartphones offer users…
