The bottom of a growing supercell thunderstorm near Denver International Airport. (ThorntonWeather.com) View a slideshow of other images from the day below.
Yesterday’s forecast warned of the chance for severe storms and while Thornton escaped with just a few light rain showers, further to the east it was much more exciting. As storms rolled off the foothills ThorntonWeather.com followed them east of DIA.
Many of the storms that formed yesterday were cut-off by mid-level winds that kept them from reaching their full potential. One storm cell however reached full maturation eventually towering to an altitude of more than 25,000 feet.
The storm grew as it entered south-central Adams County south of Denver International Airport. As it moved to the east side it exploded in height and soon had a classic anvil with an overshooting top.
While the storm was high-based and did not generate a tornado, it did eventually drop large hail in north-central Adams and southern Morgan counties.
Being the only real action in the area the storm drew a great deal of attention from area storm chasers, including ThorntonWeather.com. At least a couple dozen chasers surrounded and followed the storm. Below are some of the photos we took.
North Metro Fire Rescue District's Reserve Engine 4 loaded up for transport to Arizona to battle the Wallow Fire. (North Metro Fire) Click the image to view a slideshow from the massive wildfire.
Four firefighters from North Metro Fire Rescue will be joining nearly 2,000 others from across the nation in battling a monstrous wildfire in Arizona. In less than two weeks the Wallow Fire has exploded to cover more than 600 square miles and sent smoke as far as the Denver area.
The hometown heroes from North Metro will be taking along a reserve fire engine to help battle the blaze. Two firefighters and a watertender from Eagle River Fire will round out a Colorado contingent of personnel with additional deployments possible.
The fire, believed to have been started by an unattended campfire, has burned 389,000 acres making it the second largest fire in Arizona history. It is burning largely in the Apache National Forest in the eastern part of the state and now threatens to cross into New Mexico.
More than 3,000 firefighters from across the nation, 197 engines, 61 watertenders and 16 helicopters and a number of aerial tankers were battling the blaze as of this morning. Personnel and equipment continue to pour into the area.
Size: 348,235 acres based on last night’s infared flight
Aircraft: 16 helicopters
Percent Contained: 0%
Injuries to Date: 3 minor injuries
Structures:
4,018 threatened; 1 damaged; 16 lost
Area Command Team 3 (Jim Loach, Area Commander) is now managing the Wallow Fire
Media should call 480-331-9554 to coordinate interviews.
There will be media briefings today at 10am and 9pm at the Rest Stop on Hwy 60, north of Springerville.
Current Evacuations
· Full evacuation of Eagar and Springerville. The evacuations were ordered by the Apache County Sheriff’s Office about 4:00 p.m. on June 8.
· Sunrise, Greer, Blue River, Alpine, Nutrioso, and the following subdivisions along highways 180/191: Escudilla Mountain Estates, Bonita, White Mtn. Acres, and the H-V Ranch. This area includes County Road (CR) 4000, CR 4001, and CR 4225.
· The evacuation center is located at Blue Ridge High School, 1200 W. White Mtn. Blvd., Pinetop-Lakeside.
Pre-Evacuation Alert
A pre-evacuation alert has been issued by Apache County for Greens Peak, Hidden Meadow and the surrounding areas.
· A pre-evacuation alert has been issued by Catron County Sheriff’s Office for Luna, New Mexico.
Residents in the communities affected by this fire are asked to remain prepared in the event an evacuation order is needed.
Residents with livestock or animals that need care should contact the Apache County Sheriff’s Office (928) 337-4321 or the Greenlee County Sheriff’s Office (928) 865-4149.
Road Closures
· The Arizona Department of Transportation reminds motorists traveling that the following closures on state highways remain in effect:
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· Nearly 20 miles of U.S. 60 has been closed from Springerville to the New Mexico state line due
· to the Wallow Fire in eastern Arizona. This closure stretches from milepost 384 to 401.
· State Route 260 is closed in both directions east of the Hawley Lake turnoff (State Route 473 junction) and Eagar. SR 260 is closed between mileposts 372-398 near Eagar.
· State Route 373, a 4.5 mile-long highway that connects the town of Greer in eastern Arizona with SR 260 west of Eagar, is closed.
· U.S. 191 is closed between Alpine and north of Clifton (mileposts 176-253).
· State routes 261 and 273, the main access roads to Big Lake and Crescent Lake in the White Mountains, are closed. SR 261 is closed starting approximately seven miles south of SR 260 to Crescent Lake (mileposts 395-413) and SR 273 is closed between the SR 260 junction and to the SR 261 junction (mileposts 378-394).
· U.S. 180 is closed between the SR 260 junction near Eagar and the New Mexico state line (mileposts 403-433).
Last night, fire crews concentrated their efforts prepping roads and dozer lines for burnout operations south of Route 851 and Circle Flat area that leads into New Mexico. Fire activity increased on the west side of the fire towards the communities of Greer and Eagar due to high wind and low humidity.
Crews are currently stationed at Big Lake to reduce travel times, ensuring firefighter safety. Structural protection is in place in Greer, South Fork, Eagar, Alpine, Nutrioso, and Escudillo Flats. Firefighters will be conducting burnout operations on the northern and eastern portions of the fire to p limit the fire’s spread. Firefighters continue to hold line, mop-up, and patrol other areas of the fire. Creeping, smoldering, and active backing fire with short upslope runs was observed yesterday on the southern portion of fire. Firefighters are constructing indirect line and conducting burnout operations. Today southwest winds of 8-15mph with gusts to 25 mph are expected.
Closures
Due to extreme fire conditions, the Apache National Forest is closed to all public entry. See website for closure order details. Please see the Forest website for more information:http://www.fs.fed.us/r3/asnf/.
Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests Fire Restrictions: A Temporary Emergency Closure Order
was issued effective June 3 at 12:00 p.m. (noon). For more information, please call the Arizona fire restrictions hotline 1-877-864-6985 or visit http://www.publiclands.org/firenews/AZ.php.
Public Information
For Wallow Fire Information, please visit http://www.inciweb.org/, www.twitter.com/AS NF, andwww.flickr.com/apachesitgreavesnf or call (928) 333-3412, (702) 308-3238, (702) 308-3357, or (702) 308-8227. Please let us know if you would like to receive updates via e-mail. Public information officers are also posting information in local communities and the evacuation center located at Blue Ridge High School in Pinetop-Lakeside.
Coronal Mass Ejection as viewed by the Solar Dynamics Observatory on June 7, 2011. (NASA/SDO) Click the image for a larger version.
A massive solar flare was unleashed today by the Sun in an impressive display captured in stunning imagery and video. These events can be very hazardous to the Earth but NASA said due to the direction of the eruption, we will escape most of its effects.
The flare was part of a three-hour long event that peaked at 1:41am EDT (11:41pm MDT). Captured on film and video by NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO), the display is amazing.
The large cloud of particles is seen spewing an incredible cloud of magnetic plasma into space. It then rains back down on an area covering half of the surface of the sun.
Did you know you can monitor space weather right here on ThorntonWeather.com? Check it out!
Earth appears to have been spared the effect of the coronal mass ejection (CME). Some such events can be damaging to electronics including satellites and vulnerable power grids. NASA said the CME is expected to arrive late on June 8th or 9th and auroras at higher latitudes may be more pronounced.
Satellite imagery released by the USGS and NASA (below) shows the scar the EF3 tornado left on the earth as it ripped a path 39 miles long. The image taken by Landsat shows the path of the half-mile wide tornado as it cut through Sturbridge and beyond.
The twister first touched down near Westfield and then moved into Springfield after crossing the Connecticut River. Both areas saw extensive damage to buildings and homes as the twister moved through.
As it moved east the tornado debarked trees and struck the town of Monson where extensive damage was seen. It eventually hit Brimfield Sate Forest and then the Southbridge Airport.
When it was done, four people were killed and 200 injured. Latest estimates put the damage cost at $90 million making it the most costly natural disaster in the state’s history.
Two smaller, EF1 rated tornadoes also struck nearby on the same day. One caused a damage path 3.6 miles long and the other 1.3 miles long.
Image taken by the Landsat satellite on June 5, 2011 showing the damage path from an EF3 tornado that struck Massachusetts on June 1, 2011. Click the image for a larger version. (USGS / NASA)
Satellite imagery shows smoke from the Wallow Fire in Arizona entering Colorado. Click the image for a larger view.
Recent days have brought hazy conditions to the Denver area and all along the Colorado Front Range. At times residents have even smelled smoke and the culprit lies hundreds of miles to our south.
Two fires burning near Trinidad as well as one in southern New Mexico were attributed to the hazy conditions early last week. Now a massive fire in eastern Arizona is sending smoke our way and causing the horizon to be obscured
The fire burning 250 miles northeast of Phoenix has been dubbed the Wallow Fire and is burning through lush but dry forest. At latest estimates the blaze has scorched 144,000 acres making it the third largest blaze in Arizona’s history.
More than 1,300 firefighters from across the nation are on the scene and battling the blaze. Zero containment has been established but firefighters have made progress in recent days slowing its advance.
The images to the top right and below were taken by NASA and NOAA satellites and clearly show the smoke from the blaze.
In this image from NASA, the smoke from the Wallow Fire in Arizona as well as others further to the south and in Mexico is seen.
May 2011 will go into the books as the 11th coldest and 5th wettest May on record in Denver.
There was little doubt that last month was a wet one and now that May 2011 has come to a close we can see that it certainly was. In fact, it was one of the wettest Mays on record and also one of the coldest.
Up until the last few days of the month it looked like we were going to make the top 10 list for coldest Mays on record. But, thanks to a few near-normal days, our average temperature for the month ended at 53.1 degrees. This fell just short of the number 10 spot on the list of 53.0 degrees recorded in 1950.
Nevertheless the month’s average temperature was 4.1 degrees below the normal of 57.2 degrees. Our warmest temperature of the month of 86 degrees was recorded on both the 7th and the 8th and those were two of only three days with temperatures above 80 degrees.
On the low end the coldest temperature was seen on the 5th when the mercury dropped to 28 degrees. This is also the last time we saw a temperature at or below freezing and will almost certainly be the last for the 2010 – 2011 winter season. Coincidentally, May 5th is the average date of our last freeze so we were right on the mark this year.
Here in Thornton we saw an average temperature of 52.9 degrees. Our warmest temperature was 86.8 degrees and our coldest 29.2 degrees.
May brought an abundance of precipitation eliciting many jokes about Denver having swapped locations with Seattle. In all, 4.79 inches of moisture was recorded at Denver International Airport during the month putting it in the books as the 7th wettest May on record. This was 2.47 inches above the May average of 2.32 inches.
Here in Thornton we recorded nearly an inch of precipitation more than what was recorded at DIA. ThorntonWeather.com saw 5.67 inches fall into our bucket for the month.
On average we record 1.3 inches of snow in May but last month continued the trend we saw all winter of a severe lack of snowfall. Only 1.0 inch of the white stuff was recorded at DIA and most of the metro area saw nothing during the month (including Thornton).
Given that it is highly unlikely June will bring any snow to Denver, the 2010 to 2011 season will wrap up with only 22.8 inches of snow – far below the 61.7 inches average. This will put the season into the history books as the 2nd least snowiest snow season on record. Only the 1888 to 1889 season saw less with 21.3 inches.
Thornton actually fared worse throughout the entire snow season and we are going to wrap it up with a paltry 21.2 inches.
June 5 to June 11 – This Week in Denver Weather History
The first part of June typically brings some of Denver’s most eventful weather of the year and we clearly see that in our look back at this week in Denver weather history. From many damaging hail and wind events to heavy rains that resulted in flooding and even the Southlands Mall tornado of 2009 it has been an eventful week in history.
From the National Weather Service:
2-7
In 1921…heavy rainfall for nearly a week…on top of streams already swollen by mountain snowmelt…produced widespread flooding over the South Platte River basin…including the tributaries through the canyons to the west and southwest of Denver. Heavy rainfall over the 6-day period totaled 3.36 inches in Boulder…4.98 inches in Morrison…4.27 inches in Castle Rock…and 2.94 inches in the city of Denver. Rainfall amounts in the foothills were estimated between 3 and 6 inches. The narrow-gage tracks of the Colorado and southern railroad were destroyed in the Platte Canyon. From the mouth of the canyon through the city to near Brighton… The river spread from 1/2 to nearly 1 1/2 miles wide… Flooding farm and pasture land and destroying or damaging many bridges. In the city…many businesses along with as many as 500 homes were inundated…forcing their evacuation. Bridges were swept away. The high waters flooded the rail yards and stock yards in lower downtown…closing three adjacent packing houses. The heavy rains also caused flooding on Boulder creek in Boulder on the 6th.
4-5
In 1965…lightning and an 18-hour rain storm damaged streets and roads and telephone and power lines across metro Denver. Precipitation totaled 2.77 inches at Stapleton International Airport where the visibility was reduced to 3 miles at times from pre-frontal thunderstorms and heavy upslope rains.
In 1998…a late season snow storm struck the Front Range foothills. Up to 5 inches of snow fell in Coal Creek Canyon. Light snow also fell over western sections of metro Denver and briefly at Denver International Airport. Snow covered the grass at the Denver federal center in Lakewood before melting around mid-morning on the 5th. No snow fell at the site of the former Stapleton International Airport. Several temperature records were set. High temperatures of 47 degrees on the 4th and 49 degrees on the 5th were record low maximums for their respective dates. Minimum temperature of 34 degrees on both the 5th and 6th were record lows for those dates.
5
In 1864…high water on the west fork of clear creek caused a small dam near empire to fail…which destroyed several downstream bridges.
In 1885…a windstorm during the afternoon and early evening produced south to southwest winds at sustained speeds up to 42 mph.
In 1937…a trace of snow fell in downtown Denver. This was the latest snowfall of record at the time. Light rain and snow were mixed around mid-day. Precipitation totaled only 0.01 inch. North winds were sustained to 20 mph.
In 1941…hail of unknown size fell on the city.
In 1961…lightning struck and injured an airman outside a base classroom at Lowry Air Force Base. Funnel clouds were sighted near Frederick and firestone north of Denver. The one near Frederick briefly touched down in an open field but caused no damage. Heavy rain and hail hit the Fort Lupton area causing damage to crops. Heavy rain in Frederick added to the flood damage of the 3rd. A pilot reported a funnel cloud that touched down briefly and then dissipated south of Castle Rock.
In 1965…a lightning-caused fire destroyed a mountain home near Rollinsville.
In 1988…a tornado touched down 5 miles east of Lafayette near I-25 and stayed on the ground for 15 minutes. The twister hit a campground…demolishing one trailer and damaging six others…along with 4 cars. The rope-like funnel also blew down fences…signs…and electrical boxes. The twister moved a 1500-pound hay wagon 150 feet. Total damage to the campground was estimated at 50 thousand dollars. Another tornado touched down between Broomfield and Lafayette…staying on the ground for about 20 minutes. The twister hit a subdivision…unroofing one abandoned house and causing minor damage to a dozen others. A four- car garage and three barns were destroyed. At one location a chain link fence…a satellite dish…and a shed were destroyed…while the deck and garage of the house were damaged. A grain storage tank was moved 200 feet. There were reports of boards being blown through walls; one came through a kitchen.
In 1992…lightning struck a 15-year-old boy…causing minor injuries…in Adams County 6 miles north-northeast of Stapleton International Airport. Thunderstorm winds gusted to 63 mph at Jefferson County Airport near Broomfield…to 58 mph at the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission’s facility at Rocky Flats…to 58 mph in Thornton…and to 48 mph at Stapleton International Airport where 1/8 inch diameter hail fell.
In 1996…strong microburst winds up to 60 mph damaged several trees in Boulder…snapping large branches 1 to 2 inches in diameter.
In 1997…a woman was struck by lightning as she was walking to her car in Nederland. The lightning bolt apparently struck a nearby power line and arced into her left hand. She received minor injuries.
5-6
In 1977…lightning caused several power outages and moderate damage to a railroad building.
6
In 1954…thunderstorm winds at speeds of 50 mph with gusts as high as 59 mph briefly reduced the visibility to 1 mile in blowing dust at Stapleton Airport.
In 1967…the public reported golf ball to 1 3/4 inch diameter hail in the city…3 miles west-southwest of Stapleton International Airport. The amount of damage was unknown. Thunderstorm winds gusted to 46 mph at Stapleton International Airport.
In 1981…hail to 3/4 inch in diameter was reported in east Denver.
In 1990…golf ball size hail was reported near Strasburg on I-70 east of Denver.
In 1991…a tornado was spotted by national weather service personnel and weather spotters…14 to 17 miles northeast of Stapleton International Airport. A funnel cloud was sighted over south Aurora just east of Buckley Field…and a tornado was spotted just east of Watkins. No damage was reported. Thunderstorms moved through Aurora and dropped hail up to 1 inch in diameter. The storms also produced heavy rain… Up to 1 inch in 30 minutes…causing flooding of streets. Water was reported hood deep…stranding motorists. Water covered fire hydrants at some intersections.
In 1995…a waterspout sighted over Standley Lake in northern Jefferson County…quickly dissipated once it reached shore. A brief tornado…which was momentarily visible by a dust debris cloud on the ground…damaged the roof of a house in Westminster. A funnel cloud was sighted just south of Lafayette. Hail from 3/4 to 1 1/4 inches in diameter fell over north Boulder. Thunderstorm outflow produced north wind gusts to 44 mph at Denver International Airport.
In 1997…a tornado touched down near baseline reservoir just east of Boulder. The tornado struck a home…tearing off part of the roof. A storage building nearby was nearly leveled and 5 trees were uprooted. The twister then moved onto baseline reservoir…forming a huge waterspout. Several recreational vehicles and a boat dock were also damaged. A nearly stationary line of thunderstorms dumped 4.60 inches of rain on portions of Thornton. Extensive flooding of streets and underpasses and other low lying areas was reported. Several businesses were flooded and basements in the area were damaged. Rainfall totaled 1.02 inches at Denver International Airport and 1.24 inches at the site of the former Stapleton International Airport. Large hail…up to 1 3/4 inches in diameter…fell over the city of Denver with 3/4 inch hail measured in Littleton and near Henderson.
In 1999…high winds developed for a brief time in and near the foothills of Boulder. The Gamow Tower on the University of Colorado campus recorded a wind gust to 87 mph. Winds peaked to 71 mph atop Niwot Ridge near the continental divide west of Boulder.
In 2003…a small tornado touched down near Strasburg…but did no damage.
June is historically Denver’s severe weather month and severe thunderstorms, tornadoes and hail are notorious visitors to Denver and across eastern Colorado during the month.
In fact, over 40 percent of the tornadoes that occur in Colorado are observed in June and these are typically the most destructive of the year. Thornton of course knows this fact well as this year we celebrate the 30th anniversary of the infamous Thornton tornado of June 3, 1981.
Severe thunderstorms have also caused major property damage across the Front Range during the month. Just last year hail the size of golf balls caused damage across parts of central and northeastern Thornton.
May 29 to June 4 - This Week in Denver Weather History
There are many notable events on our look back at the weather history books for this week but one in particular stands out. It was 30 years ago this week, on June 3, that the infamous Thornton tornado struck. This twister still stands as the most damaging tornado to have ever struck the Denver metro area.
26-31
In 1995…a cool period with light morning showers and moderate to heavy afternoon showers and thunderstorms pushed rivers already swollen from mountain snow melt over their banks causing minor flooding. Streams and rivers such as the South Platte and Boulder creek flooded meadowlands…bike paths…roads near streams…and other low lying areas. No significant property damage was reported and crop damage was unknown. Rainfall totaled 1.79 inches at the site of the former Stapleton International Airport and only 1.51 inches at Denver International Airport.
29
In 1934…the low temperature dipped to only 66 degrees…the all-time record highest minimum temperature for the month of May.
In 1958…a microburst caused a brief wind gust to 56 mph at Stapleton Airport.
In 1964…heavy rain caused flooding in the Harvey Gulch area of southeast Denver. The high water damaged homes… Businesses…streets…and bridges. At Stapleton International Airport…1.33 inches of rain were measured with 1.76 inches total rainfall on the 29th and 30th. The heavy rain during the last week of the month was the first significant precipitation since April 3rd.
In 1967…3/4 to 1 inch diameter hail stones fell in the city of Denver…but caused no reported damage. Hail as large as 3/4 inch was measured at Stapleton International Airport.
In 1975…the heaviest last snowfall of the season occurred when 5.6 inches of snow were measured at Stapleton International Airport. Rain all day on the 28th changed to snow on the 29th and accumulated to a depth of 4 inches on the ground. Northwest winds gusted to 31 mph. Precipitation (rain and melted snow) on the 28th and 29th totaled 1.48 inches.
In 1982…one man was killed and two others injured by a lightning strike as they stood under a tree in the city of Denver’s Washington Park.
In 1987…7/8 inch diameter hail fell near Castle Rock.
In 1990…thunderstorms over metro Denver produced several small funnel clouds and two small tornadoes. The first tornado (f0) touched down in northwest Denver and caused roof damage to a house and snapped off the tops of several trees. A second tornado (f1) touched down in Northglenn and moved into Thornton damaging a group of self storage garages…several vehicles…a wooden fence…several trees… And the roof of an auto parts store. No injuries were reported. The storms also caused minor street flooding across northern and western sections of metro Denver. Rainfall totals ranged from 1 to 3 inches. Lightning started a small fire at a home in northwest Denver. The fire was confined to the front rooms and was quickly extinguished. Snow plows were used to clear 2 to 4 inches of pea to marble size hail from a stretch of U.S. Highway 285 in Turkey Creek Canyon. Lightning felled a tree in northeast Denver…while strong winds snapped off several large tree limbs in the same area. Thunderstorm rainfall totaled 0.82 inch at Stapleton International Airport where southwest winds gusted to 30 mph.
In 1991…lightning struck a 13 year old boy in a field in Fort Lupton. The boy was in critical condition in an area hospital for 2 days before recovering.
In 1995…lightning struck a soccer goal post and injured 6 adults viewing a soccer game in Arvada. Although no one received a direct hit from the lightning…all escaped with only minor injuries…except one woman who was hospitalized.
In 1996…large hail…3/4 to 1 1/2 inches in diameter… Struck Lakewood and west Denver. Lightning sparked a small fire when it struck an oil storage tank 5 miles west of Brighton.
In 2001…lightning sparked a fire in an apartment complex in Aurora…forcing the evacuation of 24 units. Most of the fire damage was confined to the attic. Damage was estimated at 100 thousand dollars.
In 2004…a man and his son were struck by lightning while practicing on the driving range at the Meadows Golf Club in southwest metro Denver. The father was killed by the bolt…and his 16 year old son seriously injured. Three other people standing nearby received only minor injuries.
In 2010…hail up to 7/8 inch in diameter was reported in Broomfield.
Tornadoes and other forms of severe weather have caused extraordinary damage and loss of life this spring across the nation.
Tornadoes, damaging wind, hail and flooding rains are a fact of life in the United States in the springtime. This season however has seen an absolutely devastating series of storms systems that have brought extraordinary levels of destruction and loss of life.
Among our writing assignments for Examiner.com we are the Natural Disasters Examiner. Of late the vast majority of our coverage has centered on the severe weather. Below are some of the stories we have written in recent days about the outbreaks. Follow the links for greater detail including photos and videos.
Deadly severe weather season continues as 13 killed across three states Mother Nature continues to pile on more severe weather in what has been a particularly devastating and deadly spring in the United States. Tornadoes, hail, and damaging wind struck the central and southern U.S. yesterday killing at least 13 people.
2011 tornado statistics provide chilling empirical evidence of a deadly season The scenes of utter devastation have been played out across the nation this spring as tornadoes rip across the landscape. The latest statistics for the tornado season show clearly that the death toll has been staggering and the number of twisters record-setting.
Tornado statistics: Top 25 deadliest tornadoes in U.S. history With an average of 1,200 tornadoes per year, more twisters strike the United States than any other nation in the world. These storms can strike with deadly effects with a single twister covering more than a hundred miles, wiping out entire towns and claiming dozens of lives.
Website Info: 
June is historically Denver’s severe weather month and severe thunderstorms, tornadoes and hail are notorious visitors to Denver and across eastern Colorado during the month.