Recent snows have put Denver ahead of the game on snow totals while the mountains remain drier than normal.
While none of the snowstorms seen so far this year in Denver have been major ones, they have delivered the much needed snow that was missed last year. December’s snowfall totals will finish well above average and have helped put the city’s seasonal snowfall totals above normal to date .
December’s snowfall total for the month stands at 16.5 inches (20.1 inches in Thornton). This is nearly double the 1981 – 2010 historical average for the month of 8.5 inches.
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For the season to date, the Mile High City has recorded 29.5 inches of snow (versus 34.6 inches in Thornton). This puts us ahead of the pace of the average of 22.5 inches that we normally see through the end of December.
This stands in stark contrast to last season when Denver saw a paltry 22.8 inches of snow over the entire season and Thornton recorded 21.3 inches. For comparison, in an average season we see 53.8 inches.
Not all is well in Colorado however with the snow. While the plains are seeing above normal totals, the mountains are lagging.
Some ski areas like Cooper Mountain near Leadville have yet to even open for the season. Others have had enough snow to allow skiers on their slopes but have runs that they have not yet been able to open due to the lack of snow. Get the latest ski area snow reports here.
Snowpack across the state is below average in seven of the eight major basins with only the Upper Rio Grande reporting above normal (101%). The South Platte basin which includes the Colorado Front Range mountains stands at only 85% of normal and Western Slope basins are seeing as little as 65% of normal.
Snowfall totals from Denver's December 21 - 22, 2011 snowstorm.
December 25 to December 31 - This Week in Denver Weather History
Christmas Day is normally a relatively quiet day in terms of the weather as we recently discussed but the week between it and New Year’s can be quite eventful. Among the highlights are a prolonged period of sub-zero temperatures that lasted nearly five days. Just five years ago a blizzard struck the region that snarled holiday travel on the air and the ground.
From the National Weather Service:
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.
24-25
In 1891…heavy snowfall of 7.0 inches in downtown Denver provided a white Christmas. Most of the snow…6.5 inches… Fell on the 24th. Northwest winds were sustained to 30 mph with gusts to 40 mph on the 24th.
In 1894…snow began falling during the evening of the 24th… Ended during the early afternoon of the 25th…and totaled 6.4 inches in downtown Denver. Northwest winds were sustained to 26 mph with gusts to 30 mph on the 24th. The maximum snow depth on the ground was 5 inches. The high temperature was only 18 degrees on the 25th after a low of 8 degrees.
In 1980…strong Chinook winds of 50 to 60 mph occurred in the foothills with a wind gust to 90 mph recorded at Wondervu. West winds gusted to 33 mph at Stapleton International Airport on the 25th.
In 1997…a relatively rare Christmas snowstorm blanketed much of northeastern Colorado. Snowfall in and near the Front Range foothills and south of metro Denver ranged from 5 to 8 inches. Elsewhere…new snow accumulations were generally 1 to 3 inches. Snowfall totaled only 1.5 inches at the site of the former Stapleton International Airport. North winds gusted to 29 mph at Denver International Airport on the 24th.
25
In 1873…northwest winds were sustained to 36 mph during the morning and to 48 mph in the evening. The Chinook winds warmed the temperature to a high of 53 degrees.
In 1883…gusty very strong winds raked Boulder…causing 11 hundred dollars in damage.
In 1985…Table Mesa in Boulder was buffeted by wind gusts to 68 mph.
In 1993…occasional high winds occurred over portions of the higher foothills west of Boulder and Denver. A wind gust to 87 mph was recorded on squaw mountain…and a gust to 83 mph occurred at Rollinsville. Northwest winds gusted to 35 mph at Stapleton International Airport.
In 2007…a winter storm brought heavy snow to the Front Range of Colorado. The heaviest snow fell near the foothills of Boulder…Douglas and Jefferson counties. The snow caused accidents throughout the Denver metropolitan area. Gusty winds produced snow drifts from 2 to 3.5 feet in depth. Total snowfall for the calendar day in Denver was 7.8 inches…setting a new record for Christmas Day. The measurement was taken at the former Stapleton International Airport; the previous record was 6.2 inches… Set in 1894. Storm totals in the Front Range foothills included: 13.5 inches at Coal Creek Canyon; 12 inches…5 miles east-southeast of Aspen Park; 11 inches; 6 miles southwest of kassler; 10.5 inches at Eldorado Springs. Elsewhere…storm totals ranged from 5 to 10 inches. In the urban corridor storm totals included: 9 inches near Elizabeth; 8 inches in southwest Denver…Highlands Ranch…Marston Reservoir and Wheat Ridge; 7.5 inches in Arvada; 7 inches in Centennial and Lakewood; 6.5 inches in Aurora and 8 miles southeast of Watkins; 6 inches in Boulder…Englewood and Parker. Elsewhere…storm totals ranged from 3 to 5 inches.
25-26
In 1904…after a warm Christmas Fay with a high temperature of 50 degrees…a late day cold front plunged temperatures to a low of 7 degrees…produced northeast winds sustained to 40 mph with gusts to 54 mph…and produced 5.2 inches of snow overnight for a late white Christmas. The maximum temperature on the 26th was only 16 degrees.
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.
Coloradans dreaming of a white Christmas will certainly get their wish this year. Satellite imagery from NASA taken today shows the Centennial State covered in snow following recent snowstorms that hit the region.NASA's Aqua satellite circles…
Denver welcomed in the official start of winter in seasonal fashion with a snowstorm that has blanketed the Mile High City in white. The proverbial white Christmas is a sure thing now as most of the Front Range has…
For many the holiday season isn’t complete without a chill in the air and snow on the ground. Here in Denver we historically enjoy a better chance of experiencing the proverbial white Christmas than many places in…
December 18 to December 24 - This Week in Denver Weather History
Looking back at Denver weather history, it is readily apparent that the week leading up to Christmas has historically been a very eventful one. There are certainly many of the snow and wind events we would expect to see. Most notable however are the major winter storms like the pre-Christmas storm of 2006 and of course what is arguably Denver’s most famous winter storm, the Christmas Eve Blizzard of 1982.
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
In 1901…north winds were sustained to 52 mph with gusts to 58 mph behind an apparent cold front.
In 1973…a brief blizzard dumped heavy snow across metro Denver. Snowfall totaled 9.2 inches at Stapleton International Airport where north winds gusting to 53 mph produced much blowing snow. The storm forced many schools and businesses to close.
In 1996…a homeless man in Denver was found unconscious in his car suffering from exposure. The man’s body temperature was only 85 degrees when he was discovered. He died several hours later. Early morning temperatures had dipped to 9 degrees below zero.
In 1999…high winds were reported for a brief time in the foothills. Winds gusted to 72 mph in Golden Gate Canyon and to 71 mph at the National Center for Atmospheric Research in the foothills southwest of Boulder. West winds gusted to only 39 mph at Denver International Airport where the temperature warmed to a high of 53 degrees.
In 2002…only a trace of snow fell at the site of the former Stapleton International Airport. This…along with the trace of snow on the 5th…was the only snow of the month…ranking the month the 2nd least snowiest on record.
18-21
In 2010…a winter storm produced a 4-day period of moderate to heavy snow in the mountains. The combination of strong wind and heavy snow forced the closure of several mountain passes due to the threat of avalanches. The Amtrak train route… Which runs from Denver to California…was rerouted through Wyoming when Union Pacific closed its tracks along Interstate 70. Numerous accidents forced the closure of I-70 at times. The wind gusted to 60 mph over the higher mountain passes. Storm totals in the ski areas west of Denver ranged from 16 to 32 inches.
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.
Weather radios provide life saving information when severe weather strikes. 'The voice of the National Weather Service' can even sing Christmas carols.
NOAA Weather Radio (NWR) is called ‘the voice of the National Weather Service’ and provides critical and life saving information when severe weather strikes. ‘Tom’ is one of the latest voices that you hear when listening to it and in the holiday spirit, NOAA had ‘Tom’ sing a classic Christmas carol.
Listen to ‘Tom’ sing Deck the Halls below
NWR began in the late 1990s and now transmitters for the service allow coverage across most of the nation. When the weather is calm, listeners hear current conditions, forecasts and other weather related news. It is however when severe weather strikes that NWR reaches its real potential.
Many of today’s radios can be programmed to turn on automatically and sound an alert when severe weather or another national emergency occurs. These alerts can make the difference between life and death, particularly when a fast developing situation like tornadoes occur.
We have long extolled the virtues of the system and recommended that all homes should have them, particularly in places like Colorado that are prone to tornadoes. It can also provide critical information during other types of disasters like earthquakes, chemical spills, and AMBER alerts.
‘Tom’ is one of the current text to speech voices of NOAA Weather Radio. He, along with ‘Donna’ and ‘Javier’ are the voices you hear when listening to the system.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Climate Prediction Center (CPC) released updated outlooks for winter 2011 – 2012 indicating it could be a snowy one for the northern half of Colorado.
The original outlooks from the agency released previously offered a drier picture, primarily based on the influences of La Niña in the Pacific. Given however that the current event is relatively mild, its effects are limited, particularly this far inland.
For the meteorological winter from December 2011 to February 2012, NOAA places virtually all of Colorado in an area that has equal chance of well above, well below, or near-normal temperatures. However, the northern half of the state, including Denver, is given a 33% chance of experiencing above normal precipitation.
NOAA said:
The winter outlook for this winter favors above average temperatures across much of the South, from New Mexico across the Southeast to the Atlantic coast… and also favors below average temperatures across much of the Northern plain, the Northern Rockies, the Pacific Northwest, and a good part of the West as well as the southern half of Alaska.
With regards to precipitation, we see those areas most likely to experience below-average precipitation across the South– in particular Florida and Texas– with a better than even chance of being wetter than average across much of the North– particularly from the Ohio valley and the Northern Rockies and the Pacific Northwest.
Last year, Denver experienced second least snowiest snow season on record as the city only recorded 22.8 inches (21.2 inches in Thornton). This season the picture is much improved with 22.2 inches having been recorded so far – nearly as much as all of last season.
NOAA's updated Winter 2011 - 2012 outlook. Click the image for a larger view. (NOAA)
December 11 to December 17 - This Week in Denver Weather History
This time of year snow is a common occurrence but in our look back at this week in Denver weather history we are struck by the lack of significant snow events in the history books for the period. What we do see instead are a number of high wind events, many of which caused widespread damage.
From the National Weather Service:
2-17
In 1939…more than 2 weeks of unseasonably warm weather made the month the 3rd warmest on record. Seven daily temperature records were set…including the all time record high temperature for the month of 79 degrees on the 5th. Daytime highs were balmy with 14 days in the 60’s and 70’s. Low temperatures dipped to freezing or below on only 5 days. The period was dry with only a trace of snow on the 12th.
3-15
In 1972…a protracted cold spell held an icy grip on metro Denver when maximum temperatures never reached above freezing for 10 consecutive days from the 3rd through the 12th and minimum temperatures dipped below zero on eleven consecutive days from the 5th through the 15th. Daily low temperature records were set with 15 degrees below zero on the 5th…17 degrees below zero on the 6th… And 18 degrees below zero on the 10th. Daily record low maximum readings were set with 3 degrees on the 6th and 6 degrees on the 9th. The very cold temperatures were caused by 3 to 5 inches of snow cover and a Canadian air mass.
8-12
In 1932…the second longest sub-zero period on record in Denver occurred. The temperature fell below zero shortly after 1:00 pm on the 8th and remained below zero for 92 hours until 9:00 am on the 12th. The lowest temperature recorded during this period was 13 degrees below zero on both the 9th and 11th. That temperature on the 11th was a record low for the date. High temperatures of 4 on the 8th…5 below zero on the 9th…1 below zero on the 10th… And 6 below zero on the 11th were record low maximum temperatures for those dates. Light north winds at 5 to 10 mph were accompanied by occasional light snow…which totaled only 2.2 inches.
9-13
In 1961…cold arctic air produced a protracted cold period. The temperature plunged to 16 degrees below zero on the 10th…establishing a new record for the date and the coldest reading since 25 degrees below zero on February 1… 1951. Low temperatures dipped below zero on 5 consecutive days with 9 degrees below zero on the 9th…16 below on the 10th…10 below on the 11th…and 12 below on both the 12th and 13th. High temperatures reached only 3 degrees on the 10th and 6 degrees on the 11th.
10-11
In 1933…downslope winds produced warm temperatures…resulting in record high minimums of 46 degrees on the 10th and 44 degrees on the 11th. High temperatures of 66 degrees on the 10th and 62 degrees on the 11th were not records. Southwest winds were sustained to 16 mph on the 10th.
In 1939…high temperatures of 70 degrees on the 10th and 74 degrees on the 11th were record maximums for the dates. The low temperatures of 39 degrees on the 10th and 41 degrees on the 11th were not records.
In 1948…high winds in Boulder and Louisville caused 1750 dollars in damage. Wind gusts in excess of 70 mph were reported at Valmont and Boulder airport. Chinook wind gusts to 60 mph briefly reduced the visibility to 1/4 mile in blowing dust at Stapleton Airport.
In 1989…the season’s greatest snowfall to date hit metro Denver with 6 to 12 inches of snow. Flight delays at Stapleton International Airport reached 2 hours. Multiple wrecks snarled traffic on I-25 both north and south of the city. Snowfall totaled 7.0 inches at Stapleton International Airport where north winds gusted to 25 mph on the 10th.
One of many ice sculptures on display at WinterFest. View more images from the first night of the festival below. (ThorntonWeather.com)
The City of Thornton’s annual winter festival is in full swing and after a chilly start Friday, the weather for the rest of the events looks to be much milder.
Santa Claus arrives safely last night and as always, the city has a full slate of events surrounding WinterFest at the Multipurpose Fields at 108th Ave and Colorado Blvd. Residents can ice skate all day long and into the night, the ice carving demonstration is underway and of course Santa’s Village is open.
Tonight the Thornton Community Band will take to the stage at 7:00pm showcasing our community’s musical talent. After the concert, Thornton will put on a fireworks show at 8:30pm, one of the few in Colorado during the winter and always the best.
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Sunday features the wide variety of fun in Santa’s Village. Tomorrow night the Thornton Community Chorus will raise their voices in celebration of the season.
For the weather, today we’re heading for a high of 45 degrees with just a light wind. It will dip to right around the freezing mark by 7:00pm when the band concert takes place and then down to 28 degrees for the fireworks at 8:30pm.
Tomorrow will be even warmer with plenty of sun above as we head for a high of 48 degrees with light winds. When the chorus takes to the stage at 6:30 it will be around 32 degrees.
Check out some of the photos we took of WinterFest last night below – then head on down and join the fun!
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