Trail Ridge Road will be unable to open before Memorial Day as Rocky Mountain National Park has received more snow this year than in any of the past 20 years. View a slideshow of the piled up snow below. (RMNP / NPS)
Historically the highest continuous road in the United States, Trail Ridge Road, opens right before the Memorial Day weekend. That won’t be the case this year as with snow falling as recently as just a couple of days ago, the snow is just too deep.
The Denver Weather Examiner has a story about the mountains of snow up in Rocky Mountain National Park. The snow up there approaches levels not seen in the past 20 years.
Just last week a winter storm dumped snow across the northern Colorado mountains and along the Continental Divide. On the east side of Rocky Mountain National Park, snow drifts reached 17 feet high above Rainbow Curve.
The heavy snow accumulation, snow drifts and rock slides are hampering efforts to open the road this season. Snowplow operators said they were battling the most snow this late in the season in the past 30 years.
The central and northern Colorado mountains have seen an extraordinary amount of snowfall this year with the snowpack approaching record levels. In stark contrast, Denver is likely to finish the snow season with the second least amount of snow on record.
To date Denver has officially recorded a paltry 22.8 inches of the white stuff. Here in Thornton we have fared worse with only 21.8 inches. Recent rains have helped to ease the drought but we will need to keep moisture coming to prevent a bad fire season this summer.
ThorntonWeather.com's new Severe Weather Briefing page brings together a variety of severe weather resources and information to help keep residents of the north Denver metro area safe.
Recent tornado outbreaks in other parts of the nation serve as a reminder of the dangers severe weather presents. As Colorado prepares to enter its severe weather season, Thornton’s only true local source for weather information ramps up its severe weather monitoring capabilities.
One of the deadliest tornado outbreaks in U.S. history struck the south last month. Just this past Sunday a tornado that will likely go into the books as the deadliest single twister since 1953 hit Joplin, Missouri. Closer to home, it was just three years ago this week that a massive EF-3 tornado ripped through Windsor, Colorado killing one man and causing millions of dollars in damage.
Severe weather presents a very real threat to residents of Colorado. From flooding rains to hail and of course tornadoes we can and do see it all. This year is the 30th anniversary of the 1981 Thornton tornado, the most destructive tornado to have ever hit the Denver metro area.
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To help ensure that residents are armed with the news and information needed to keep them and their families safe, ThorntonWeather.com has recently expanded its severe weather products. Residents of the north Denver metro area will find new tools allowing them to monitor the weather in real time as conditions take a turn for the worse.
A new Severe Weather Briefing page on the website provides a one-stop shop for everything severe weather related. The page shows current weather watches and warnings as well as thumbnail images that link to current radar, webcams, a lightning monitor and more.
Also recently added is an Interactive Radar page that supplements ThorntonWeather.com’s existing radar system. The new page allows site visitors to pan around a map and zoom in on any area not only in Colorado but across the nation. Visitors can then see exactly where the severe weather is and where it is headed.
As Thornton’s only true local source for weather, ThorntonWeather.com is dedicated to providing residents with weather information for where they live – not at the airport and not downtown like other news media and weather outlets.
“As a kid the 1981 Thornton tornado sparked my fascination with severe weather,” Tony Hake, owner and operator of ThorntonWeather.com, said. “Adams County and the City of Thornton both lack severe weather warning systems and we are simply trying to fill the gap as best we can. If ThorntonWeather.com can serve a purpose by helping to keep people safe when the weather turns ugly then our mission has been accomplished.”
ThorntonWeather.com is your local source for Thornton weather and weather related news. Provided as a service to the community, ThorntonWeather.com offers real-time weather information, forecasts, radar, statistics and more!
Cars and debris are strewn about in front of the devastated St. John's Regional Medical Center in Joplin, Missouri. Click the image to view a slideshow of the devastation. (Twitpic / borntorunnergrl)
Following on last month’s devastating bout of severe weather the month of May had started out much quieter. That silence from Mother Nature however was shattered yesterday as a massive tornado ripped through Joplin, Missouri killing at least 89 people.
Late afternoon brought storm clouds to southwestern Missouri and a tornado warning soon sounded. Residents of Joplin had 20 minutes to find cover before the massive tornado struck the heart of town.
Scroll down for amazing video of the Joplin tornado as it grows with amazing speed. Also be sure to check out the slideshow of images of the devastation.
As frightened residents huddled in basements and bathrooms, the twister destroyed as much as 75% of the town. The high school, regional medical center, an elementary school as well as thousands of other homes and businesses were destroyed.
The human toll from the tornado was devastating. At latest report 89 people were killed and emergency crews continue to search for survivors as the death toll is expected to climb.
The National Guard has been activated by Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon to help with recovery efforts. Relief agencies across the nation were deploying personnel and supplies to assist as well.
The tornado that struck Joplin was part of a larger set of storms that struck multiple states on Sunday. In all, 48 tornadoes were reported including one near Minneapolis that claimed the life of one person.
Waves from the March 11 tsunami are seen sweeping away cars at Japan's Fukushima power plant. Click the image to view a slideshow on Examiner.com. (TEPCO)
Japan is continuing to recover from the devastating magnitude 9.0 earthquake and the resultant tsunami that struck the nation in March. This past week Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) released new images of its Fukushima power plant as the massive waves struck the facility.
Damage at the power plant was extensive and in seeing the new photos one can understand why the nuclear facility was unable to withstand the blow. Waves are seen in the photos sweeping over a sea wall and soon enveloping the interior of the plant.
Waves of more than 30 feet resulted from the earthquake, the fourth largest since 1900, and were responsible for extensive damage and a staggering death toll. More than 91,000 structures were totally destroyed by the waves that swept away entire towns.
According to the National Police Agency, 15,129 lives were claimed. The toll however is expected to continue to climb as another 9,034 people are reported missing. As it stands now the quake ranks as Japan’s fifth deadliest in history but will likely hit the number four spot when the final death toll is calculated.
May 22 to May 28 - This Week in Denver Weather History
If history is a teacher, our look back at this week in Denver weather history should provide great instruction on the dangers severe weather presents in our history. It was three years ago this week that the infamous Windsor tornado tore through the area killing one man and damaging hundreds of homes.
From the National Weather Service:
20-22
In 1959…a three-day rain caused some flooding in metro Denver where rain totaled 1.68 inches at Stapleton Airport. Showers…accompanied by hail near Brighton…caused some damage to truck crops. Heavy snow in the foothills caused damage to power and telephone lines.
20-27
In 2002…lightning sparked a wildfire near Deckers. Extremely dry conditions and very strong winds the following day allowed the fire…known as the schoonover…to consume 3850 acres before it could be contained. Thirteen structures were destroyed…including 4 homes…resulting in 2.2 million dollars in damage.
21-22
In 1878…overnight heavy rains of cloudburst intensity on the Palmer Divide to the south of the city caused flash flooding on Cherry Creek in Denver…which resulted in 2 deaths. A wall of water swept through the city between 2:00 am and 3:00 am on the morning of the 22nd. The flood was so sudden and unexpected that homes along the creek in the city were submerged in water knee deep before the slumbering occupants knew anything about it. By daybreak the banks on both sides of the creek were lined by residents viewing the destruction caused by the raging waters in such a short time. Seven bridges across the creek were destroyed in the city. Damage to private and city property was estimated between 30 and 50 thousand dollars. Quite a number of cattle and sheep were killed along the reach of the creek. Only 0.01 inch of rain fell in the city on the 21st with a trace of rain on the 22nd. Flash flooding also occurred on Kiowa Creek near Bennett on the night of the 21st when the flood waters washed out the Kansas Pacific Railroad bridge. An east bound freight train plunged into the turbulent waters killing the three crewmen. The locomotive was completely buried in the sand and never found to this day!
21-23
In 1876…snow changed to heavy rain over the city…resulting in widespread flooding along Cherry Creek and the South Platte River…nearly as great as the flash flood of May 19-20…1864. However…damage was greater because the city had grown much larger and there were more bridges for the flood waters to destroy. Precipitation in the city totaled 6.70 inches from 10:00 pm on the 21st through 3:00 am on the 23rd. The greatest precipitation ever recorded in Denver in 24 hours…6.53 inches…occurred on the 21st and 22nd. Small buildings and bridges along Cherry Creek were washed away by the flood waters. Bridges over the South Platte River were damaged. The city irrigation ditch was damaged and rendered unfit for service. Strong winds at speeds of 30 to 40 mph drove the heavy rain through brick walls 12 to 16 inches thick. Many sheep and cattle were either killed by lightning or drowned…including some 100 head of cattle in Jefferson County alone. There was immense damage to railroad tracks…especially the Kansas Pacific line to the east of the city. The Colorado central suffered estimated damage of 10 to 15 thousand dollars. In addition…the heavy rain caused extensive flooding on soda and bear creeks in the foothills. Flooding along Boulder creek inundated farm and pasture land in the Boulder valley and damaged a few bridges. Rail travel had to be suspended in the area for several days.
The Thornton Multipurpose Fields at 108th Avenue and Colorado Blvd were flooded by heavy rains and hail on Wednesday, May 18, 2011. (City of Thornton)
Yesterday’s bout of severe weather dropped more than 2 inches of rain and buried parts of the city in a blanket of white hail. All of it was too much for the City of Thornton’s Multipurpose Field which was submerged by the deluge and the city has announced that ThorntonFest has been cancelled.
“Even though the Saturday forecast calls for a nicer day, we must make the call now,” Thornton Community Services Executive Director Mike Soderberg said in a press release. “Attempting to host an event on fields this wet would result in tens of thousands of dollars in damage.”
The annual festival draws tens of thousands of visitors and is highly popular with residents. All related events have been cancelled as well with the exception being the Cottonwood Classic 5K. That event will still take place at 8:00am at the Thorncreek Shopping Center.
In the wake of the severe weather yesterday the city posted images of the fields submerged under water. Thornton has recorded 2.25 inches of rain in the past 24 hours and parts of the city saw hail reach depths of 3 to 4 inches.
“No one is more disappointed than our staff,” Soderberg said. “They work for hours preparing for these events and watched Wednesday as all of that work flowed down Grange Hall Creek.”
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The Thornton Multipurpose Fields are covered with water from rain and hail after severe weather moved through Thornton. (City of Thornton)
It was quite an eventful afternoon in the Denver metro area as thunderstorms spawned funnel clouds and massive amounts of hail. ThorntonWeather.com’s webcams captured part of the action as the hail piled up enough to make it look like snow.
Our east webcam started to show some light precipitation before 1:00pm and before 3:00pm hail was falling. Mercifully the size of the hail stones remained small but at our location we received a good couple of inches of accumulation. Watch the time lapse video below.
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In the area of I-25 and 120th Avenue hail 4 to 5 inches was seen. At the Thornton Multipurpose Fields at 108th and Colorado Blvd where ThorntonFest is to be held this Saturday, the fields were extensively flooded. Images posted by the city to its Facebook page show the mess the rain and hail created.
Funnel clouds were seen across much of the north metro area, mainly in unincorporated Adams County just south of Thornton. As of this writing, no actual tornadoes have been reported.
The Front Range is just beginning to enter its severe weather season. Unfortunately neither the City of Thornton or Adams County provide any sort of warning system to protect residents against the severe weather threat.
Thornton did recently look into alert systems but decided against deploying one. Instead it is waiting for the federal government to deploy its Personal Localized Alerting Network (PLAN). This is disappointing as there are no guarantees that PLAN will launch on time in 2012 or if it will work as advertised. The vast majority of Colorado counties already have systems in place but Thornton and Adams County residents are left without.
Not only did Denver and Thornton see warmer than normal temperatures in April, so did the rest of the globe. Click the image for a larger version. (NOAA)
With the effects of La Nina still in full force the globe’s temperatures performed as forecasted during April 2011. According to NOAA the month ranked as the seventh warmest April on record while Denver saw warmer and drier than normal conditions as well.
Denver saw an average temperature during the month of 48.4 degrees – 0.8 degree above normal. Temperatures ranged from a record high of 84 degrees on the 2nd down to a low of 19 on the 4th of the month. Fifteen days saw temperatures dip below the freezing mark which is four more than normal.
Here in Thornton we were slightly cooler with an average of 48.1 degrees for April. Our high ranged from 86.3 degrees down to a low of 20.6 degrees.
The lack of precipitation and snowfall was one of the biggest stories of the month for the Mile High City. A mere 1.07 inch of precipitation was recorded in Denver’s rain bucket which was 0.86 inch below the normal of 1.93 inches.
Snowfall was similarly dismal as only 1.2 inches of snow was recorded at Denver International Airport. This was far below the normal of 9.1 inches for April which is historically our fourth snowiest month. Through April 30, a mere 21.8 inches of snow has been recorded at Denver’s official monitoring site at Denver International Airport – the second worst snow season to date.
Thornton was a bit wetter than Denver as we recorded 1.54 inches of liquid precipitation. In terms of snowfall we received only 1.5 inches, most of which (1.3”) fell on the 3rd of the month.
Overall the globe saw warm temperatures as well. The combined land and ocean temperature average for the month was 57.76° F which was 1.06° above the 20th century average. Taken separately the land surface temperature was 2.02° above normal and sea temperatures were 0.70° above normal.
The Earth experienced the seventh warmest April since record keeping began in 1880, as the climate phenomenon La Niña continued to be a significant factor. April’s annual Arctic sea ice extent was the fifth smallest since record keeping began in 1979, while the Antarctic sea ice extent was the fourth smallest.
The monthly analysis from NOAA’s National Climatic Data Center in Asheville, N.C., is part of the suite of climate services NOAA provides government, business and community leaders so they can make informed decisions.
Global Temperature Highlights – April
The combined global land and ocean average surface temperature for April 2011 was the seventh warmest on record at 57.76 F (14.29 C), which is 1.06 F (0.59 C) above the 20th century average of 56.7 F (13.7 C). The margin of error associated with this temperature is +/- 0.13 F (0.07 C).
Separately, the global land surface temperature was 2.02 F (1.12 C) above the 20th century average of 46.5 F (8.1 C), which was the sixth warmest April on record. The margin of error is +/- 0.20 F (0.11 C). Warmer-than-average conditions occurred across most of the southern United States and northern Mexico, much of central South America, Europe and Siberia. Cooler-than-average regions included most of Alaska, western Canada, the northwestern United States, southwestern Greenland and most of Australia.
The April global ocean surface temperature was 0.70 F (0.39 C) above the 20th century average of 60.9 F (16.0 C), making it the 11th warmest April on record. The margin of error is +/- 0.07 F (0.04 C). The warmth was most pronounced in the eastern Atlantic Ocean, the northwestern Pacific and across the Southern Hemisphere mid-latitudes.
The average temperature was the warmest on record for April across the United Kingdom. Germany reported its second warmest April since records began in 1881.
Global Temperature Highlights – Year-to-date
The combined global land and ocean average surface temperature for the year to date (January – April 2011) was 0.86 F (0.48 C) above the 20th century average of 54.8 F (12.6 C), making it the 14th warmest on record. The margin of error is +/- 0.16 F (0.09 C).
The year-to-date worldwide land surface temperature was 1.33 F (0.74 C) above the 20th century average — the 17th warmest such period on record. The margin of error is +/- 0.36 F (0.20 C). Warmer-than-average conditions were particularly felt across the southern half of Greenland, Siberia, northern Mexico, the southern United States and across Africa. Cooler-than-average regions included central Canada, the northern United States, western Russia, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, extreme southeast Asia and most of Australia.
The global ocean surface temperature for the year-to-date was 0.68 F (0.38 C) above the 20th century average and was the 11th warmest such period on record. The margin of error is +/-0.07 F (0.04 C). The warmth was most pronounced across parts of the most of the western Pacific Ocean, the tropical Atlantic Ocean, the North Atlantic near Greenland and Canada, and the southern mid-latitude oceans.
La Niña conditions continued to weaken in April for the fourth consecutive month, although sea-surface temperatures remained below normal across the central and eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean. According to NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center, La Niña will continue to have global impacts as the event continues to decline, but by late spring neither La Niña nor El Niño conditions are expected to prevail in the region.
Effective May 2, 2011, NOAA updated its monthly mean temperature dataset, which is used to calculate global land surface temperature anomalies and trends. The Global Historical Climate Network-Monthly (GHCN-M) version 3 dataset replaced GHCN-M version 2. Beginning with this month’s Global State of the Climate Report, GHCN-M version 3 is used for National Climatic Data Center climate monitoring products. More information on this transition can be found at:http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/ghcnm.
Polar Sea Ice and Precipitation Highlights
The average Arctic sea ice extent during April was 5.7 percent below average, ranking as the fifth smallest April since satellite records began in 1979.
The April 2011 Antarctic sea ice extent was 7.7 percent below average and was fourth lowest April extent since records began in 1979.
Northern Hemisphere snow cover extent during April ranked as the 15th smallest on record, while the snow cover extent over North America was the 10th largest and Eurasian snow cover was the fifth smallest April snow cover on record.
Average rainfall across Australia was 18 percent above average during April. However, for the first month since June 2010, below-average rainfall was reported in the states of Queensland, South Australia and New South Wales. This broke a streak of nine consecutive months with above-normal rainfall in those states.
Tornado Tracks: April 24th through the 29th, 2011. (NOAA) Click the image for a larger view.
The devastating tornado outbreak that struck across the southern United States last month continues to be analyzed by the National Weather Service. At latest county 326 people were killed and as many as 305 tornadoes resulted in in the outbreak.
What follows is NOAA’s latest update on the events:
From NOAA:
NOAA’s preliminary estimate is that there were 305 tornadoes during the entire outbreak from 8:00 a.m. EDT April 25 to 8:00 a.m. April 28, 2011. NWS created a table to provide clearer insight into the preliminary number of tornadoes. Each of the three categories in the table below has different levels of confidence/accuracy.
Eyewitness Reports are the least accurate/reliable because long-lived tornadoes like those in this outbreak tend to be reported multiple times. This artificially increases the number of tornadoes.
NOAA’s Estimate is based on expert analysis of the Eyewitness Reports compared with the details coming out of the Tornadoes Surveyed by NWS Weather Forecast Offices (WFO). It is the statistic NWS uses in public announcements since it is the best estimate at the time. The numbers will change (typically down) as WFOs complete their storm surveys.
Tornadoes Surveyed by WFOs is the latest confirmed number of tornadoes surveyed by the National Weather Service.
Preliminary Tornado Data Table
Date
Eyewitness Reports
NOAA’s Estimate
Tornadoes Surveyed by WFOs (to date)
25-26
55
40
25
26-27
111
75
42
27-28
268
190
134
Total:
434
305
201
The NWS Storm Prediction Center issued severe weather outlooks five days in advance and tornado watches hours in advance.
NWS Weather Forecast Offices issued life-saving tornado warnings, with an average lead-time of 24 minutes. NWS issued warnings for more than 90 percent of these tornadoes.
NWS decision support for this event has been extensive. NWS Weather Forecast Offices in the affected areas of Arkansas, Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama and Georgia advertised the potential for severe weather in the Tuesday through Wednesday timeframe since late last week. Local offices provided direct decision support services to meet the specific needs of local emergency manager partners and the general public. NWS Weather Forecast Offices issued Hazardous Weather Outlooks up to six days in advance noting the greater threat of strong, long-track tornadoes was expected.
The largest previous number of tornadoes on record in one event occurred from April 3-4, 1974, with 148 tornadoes.
NOAA will conduct a detailed analysis of tornado numbers using all available data to make any final determinations about records. This typically takes months to complete.
There were approximately 326 fatalities during the entire outbreak from April 25 to April 28.
There were approximately 309 fatalities during the 24-hour-period from 8:00 a.m. April 27 to 8:00 a.m. April 28. This is currently the fifth deadliest day of tornadoes on record.
The Tuscaloosa-Birmingham tornado during the April 2011 event caused at least 65 fatalities. This tornado had a maximum width of 1.5 miles and a track 80 miles long
These are the most fatalities from a single tornado in the United States since May 25, 1955, when 80 people were killed in a tornado in southern Kansas with 75 of those deaths in Udall, Kansas.
The deadliest single tornado on record in the United States was the Tri-State tornado (Mo., Ill., Ind.) on March 18, 1925, when 695 died.
According to National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office Storm Survey teams, there were 24+ killer tornadoes in six states–Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee and Virginia–that caused an estimated 326 fatalities.
The National Weather Service Storm Survey teams have upgraded to EF-5 the tornado that hit Neshoba, Kemper, Winston, Noxubee Counties in Mississippi. The Weather Service has documented three (3) EF-5 tornadoes in this outbreak.
The following are the tornado fatality breakdowns by state:
4 – Arkansas
35 – Mississippi
236 – Alabama
31 – Tennessee
5 – Virginia
15 – Georgia
Note: All numbers are based on combined NOAA and historical research records and current fatality estimates. The historical research records extend back to 1680.
Ongoing (preliminary) List of Tornadoes by EF Rating (EF0 to EF5):
May 15 to May 21 - This Week in Denver Weather History
Springtime in Denver brings a variety of weather and flooding becomes a very real threat. In our look back at this week in Denver weather history we see many such events including one in 1864 that killed 19 people and destroyed the Rocky Mountain News building.
14-15
In 1977…high winds up to 100 mph felled hundreds of trees in Gilpin County and caused extensive damage to telephone and power lines. Lumber and steel tanks were blown around in Boulder Canyon. West winds gusted to 46 mph at Stapleton International Airport on the 15th.
14-18
In 1996…a period of unusually warm weather resulted in 4 record maximum temperatures in 5 days. The record high temperatures were 87 degrees on the 14th…89 degrees on the 15th…and 93 degrees on both the 16th and 18th. The temperature climbed to only 81 degrees on the 17th which was not a record.
15
In 1894…southwest winds were sustained to 38 mph with gusts to 50 mph.
In 1910…an apparent cold front produced sustained northeast winds to 48 mph.
In 1986…a thunderstorm dumped an inch of rain in an hour over the eastern part of Aurora. Total rainfall from the storm was 1.62 inches.
In 1989…a 47 year old man…a Lakewood police officer…was struck and injured by lightning. Small hail piled up 3 to 4 inches deep near Golden. There was reported street flooding from heavy thunderstorm rains over western metro Denver. Rainfall totaled 0.76 inch at Stapleton International Airport.
In 1990…a thunderstorm produced a wind gust to 69 mph at Jefferson County Airport in Broomfield. Thunderstorm winds gusting to 49 mph at Stapleton International Airport produced some blowing dust.
In 1991…a funnel cloud was sighted near Morrison. Later… Hail up to 2 inches deep covered U.S. Highway 285 at South Turkey Creek Road in west metro Denver. Baseball size hail was reported on the east side of Littleton. Dime size hail was reported in Boulder.
In 1993…lightning started a fire which damaged a home in Boulder. No one was injured.
In 1997…a wind gust to 58 mph was recorded at the site of the former Stapleton International Airport. A street sign was blown down at the Havana Street exit along I-70.
In 1999…lightning ignited a small fire in a 3-story structure in sunshine canyon above Boulder. The fire was quickly extinguished and caused only minor damage.
In 2003…thunderstorms produced very heavy rainfall and localized flash flooding in the foothills of central Boulder County. Rainfall ranged from 1.5 to 2.5 inches in less than 2 hours. Water ranging in depth from 6 to 9 inches covered State Highway 119 in Boulder Canyon. Dirt and rocks also washed over the roadway. Some basements were flooded in the sugarloaf area. Rockslides were also reported at Boulder falls…Lefthand Canyon…and Fourmile Canyon.
To date Denver has officially recorded a paltry 22.8 inches of the white stuff. Here in Thornton we have fared worse with only 21.8 inches. Recent rains have helped to ease the drought but we will need to keep moisture coming to prevent a bad fire season this summer.
