Tag Archives: Climatology

Climatology, Thornton Weather

Denver gets new National Weather Service weather station near downtown

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Denver now as an official weather monitoring station closer to downtown but some say this doesnt solve the problem of the citys climate records being altered. (Examiner.com)
Denver now as an official weather monitoring station closer to downtown but some say this doesn't solve the problem of the city's climate records being altered. (Examiner.com)

It only took 14 years but Denver finally has an official monitoring station near downtown again. The new station amongst the greens of City Park Golf Course finally gives residents of Denver a place to see what the weather is doing closer to home.

With the opening of Denver International Airport in 1995, the National Weather Service moved its station to the new airport. That distance of 12 miles from the old Stapleton facility to DIA confounded citizens, television meteorologists and weather enthusiasts as they all noted that no one lives out at the airport and the conditions reported there do not reflect what is happening closer to town.

Recognizing the problem, a public-private partnership came together to do what they could to rectify the problem. The City and County of Denver, the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, the National Weather Service and NOAA, 7News Chief Meteorologist Mike Nelson and Colorado State Climatologist Nolan Doesken identified a site for the new station.

Eclar Fence and Mercury Electric donated the infrastructure for the new site. Weather equipment manufacturer Vaisala donated the weather monitoring hardware and services, estimated at up to $60,000.

Certainly there is little doubt the new station will provide area residents the ability to view conditions closer to where they actually live. The new station will not however address the very real problem of Denver’s climate records having been altered since the move to DIA. The National Weather Service has said the official records for Denver will still come out of DIA and as such many believe those records come with an asterisk.

There's more to this story on the Denver Weather Examiner's site!Why is there still a problem with Denver’s climate records?  What does the new station look like?  Check out the complete story including photos of the station, an interactive map and more on Examiner.com.

Climatology, Thornton Weather

Thornton’s November weather preview – Our second snowiest month

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November is Denvers second snowiest month. What else can we expect?
November is Denver's second snowiest month. What else can we expect?

Typically November is a quiet weather month with plenty of nice, fall days but it can also turn wet with plenty of snow and moisture.  Just like Forest Gump’s proverbial box of chocolates, you never quite know what you are going to get.

Looking into the weather history books, we see that November is actually Denver’s second snowiest month, second only to March (April is third).  Historically we average 10.7 inches of snow during the month.

In 1994, November was the snowiest month of that year with 16.9 inches – over 12 inches of which fell within a 12 hour period on the 13th and 14th.  In 1991 we saw 29.6 inches of snow (the 2nd snowiest November) and the following year in 1992 we had 20.1 inches of snow (the 8th snowiest November).  Those examples though pale in comparison to the snowiest November on record which was in 1946 when a whopping 42.6 inches of snow fell! 

It isn’t always that snowy though. November 2002 was at the time the 16th month in a row with below normal precipitation and the calendar year of 2002 marked the driest in Denver weather history. This pattern of below normal precipitation continued for 19 months through February 2003. Since 1882, one year (1949) recorded no snow, six more recorded only a trace of snow and four had less than one inch of snow.

For the rest of the November weather preview including complete historical statistics, averages and much more, click here.

Climatology, National Weather

NOAA: Summer 2009 was 34th coolest on record; thousands of low temp records set

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Highlighting the cooler summer, thousands of record low temperatures were experienced in July 2009. (NCDC)
Highlighting the cooler summer, thousands of record low temperatures were experienced in July 2009. (NCDC)

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced this week that the summer of 2009 was the 34th coolest since 1895. Covering the months from June to August for the contiguous United States, the average temperature was 0.4 degrees below the 20th century average.

Emphasizing the lower temperatures experienced in the United States over the summer, a closer look at the statistics provides some telling information.

Over the three month period, stations reporting to the National Climatic Data Center (NCDC) showed 2,254 daily record low temperatures and 1,296 low temperature records were tied according to preliminary data. Similarly, 4,051 daily record low maximums were recorded and 1,501 records were tied across the nation during the summer.

July in particular was notably cooler than normal and the single month by itself counted for roughly half of the records set across the three month summer. For the month, 2,212 record low maximum temperatures were recorded and 737 were tied. 1,225 new record low temperatures were recorded and 657 records were tied.

There's more to this story on the Denver Weather Examiner's site!For all the details on the United States’ summer weather including NOAA’s summary and a look back at the country’s August weather, go to Examiner.com.

Climatology, Thornton Weather

A Preview of Thornton’s June Weather – The Severe Weather Month

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Denver is historically Thornton's true severe weather month.
Denver is historically Thornton's true severe weather month.

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.  Severe thunderstorms have also caused major property damage across the Front Range during the month.

In just the last 25 years or so, there have been some particularly notable storms in June.  Tornadoes have struck the metro area including one that longtime Thornton residents will recall on June 3, 1981.  53 residents were injured, 25 homes were destroyed and 239 other structures were damaged.  Others tornadoes in the metro area include southeast Denver and Aurora on June 8, 1986 and east Denver on June 13, 1984.  Severe thunderstorms occurring on June 13, 1984 dumped large hail making it one of the worst and the second costliest storm in Denver history.  More recently, on June 20, 2001, a major hail storm moved across Denver International Airport dropping hailstones as big as two inches in diameter. Damage was extensive on and near the airport.

For complete details on what we can expect in June, click here to view our June weather preview.

Climate Change

New government brochure promotes ‘climate literacy’

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A new brochure aims to provide clarity and literacy on the issue of climate change.
A new brochure aims to provide clarity and literacy on the issue of climate change.

With the constant din of conflicting information on manmade climate change, some coming from within these very pages, it may be difficult for the layman to understand climate change and what it potentially means for the Earth.  A collaborative project from a number of United States government agencies seeks to offer some clarity to the subject in a new brochure titled “Climate Literacy: The Essential Principles of Climate Sciences“.

  • To download the brochure, see our links at the bottom of this article.

According to the U.S. Climate Change Science Program, the guide “presents important information for individuals and communities to understand Earth’s climate, impacts of climate change, and approaches for adapting and mitigating change.”   The document is wonderfully laid out and colorfully illustrated with photos and begins by outlining the basic principles many have come to believe in terms of man’s impact on the climate. 

Human activities—burning fossil fuels and deforesting large areas of land, for instance—have had a profound influence on Earth’s climate.
– Climate Literacy: The Essential Principles of Climate Sciences

According to the document, the ‘essential principles of climate science’ are: 

  • The Sun is the primary source of energy for Earth’s climate system.
  • Climate is regulated by complex interactions among components of the Earth system.
  • Life on Earth depends on, is shaped by, and affects climate.
  • Climate varies over space and time through both natural and man-made processes.
  • Our understanding of the climate system is improved through observations, theoretical studies, and modeling.
  • Human activities are impacting the climate system.
  • Climate change will have consequences for the Earth system and human lives.

Great detail is spent on each of those issues.  Tom Karl, director of the National Climatic Data Center said, “There is so much misinformation about climate.  We want to provide an easily readable document to help everyone make the most informed decisions. Having one product endorsed by the nation’s top federal science agencies, as well as leading science centers and associations, makes this document an essential resource.”

Scientific observations and climate model results indicate that human activities are now the primary cause of most of the ongoing increase in Earth’s globally averaged surface temperature.
– Climate Literacy: The Essential Principles of Climate Sciences

As one might expect from the above quote, the document doesn’t lend any credence to or even mention any dissenting opinions about manmade climate change like we have documented previously.  The agencies represented obviously agree that the ‘science is settled’.  However, it is not overly preachy nor does it use over the top language like some climate change advocates are known to do.  The brochure can be a handy reference for everyone on all sides of the issue and help to lend a reasonable voice to the debate.

The new guide was spearheaded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration with contributions from the departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, Energy, Health and Human Services, Interior, State, Transportation and the Environmental Protection Agency, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, National Science Foundation, Smithsonian Institution, U.S. Agency for International Development and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. 

For more info: 

Climatology, Thornton Weather

A Preview of Denver’s April Weather – Something for Everyone

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Do April showers bring May flowers? Find out in our April 2009 weather preview!
Do April showers bring May flowers? Find out in our April 2009 weather preview!

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? Tornadoes? Thunderstorms? You bet – all can happen! For good measure throw in a chance for hail and even dust storms and April gives every type of weather condition you could like – or hate.

The good news is that sunshine and warmer temperatures are usually in abundance as the normal highs during the month move up from 57 degrees on the first to 65 degrees on the 30th. It is not unusual to have a number of days well into the 70’s and the low 80’s. We also see the normal lows move above freezing from 30 degrees at the start of the month to 39 degrees by the end. Temperature extremes can hit both ends of the spectrum with a record low of 2 degrees below zero on April 2, 1975 and a record high of 90 degrees on April 30, 1992.

Get all the details here in our complete April 2009 preview.

Climatology, Colorado Weather, Thornton Weather

Do Denver weather and climate records have an asterisk attached?

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The old Stapleton International Airport site and Denver International Airport are separated by 12 miles. Is it accurate tto compare weather between the two locations?
The old Stapleton International Airport site and Denver International Airport are separated by 12 miles. Is it accurate to compare weather between the two locations?

February 2009 is Denver’s least snowiest February on record.  A new record high temperature is recorded on January 21, 2009.  Record low temperatures are recorded on December 14th and 15th of last year. 

These announcements are common and we all take notice when we hear them and they make for great water cooler chat topics but are these claims accurate? 

In 1995 Denver finally opened its new airport, Denver International Airport, out on the plains east of the city.  This new facility, 12 miles as the crow flies northeast of the old Stapleton International Airport, moved the airport from an urban environment to a rural one and more than 19 miles from the center of Denver.  Following that move, the National Weather Service (NWS) began taking some of its official measurements at the glistening new airport.  In doing so, some say Denver’s climate records have forever been altered and as such any weather record should have an asterisk attached to it. 

On Examiner.com we have launched a three part investigative series on this topic.  It is a fascinating read – click here to read the rest of the story.

For all the details, read the rest of this story on our Denver Weather Examiner page. Examiner.com - Get inside Denver weather
Climatology, Colorado Weather, Thornton Weather

Denver and Thornton’s March 2009 climatological preview

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Denver and Thornton's March 2009 climatological preview
Denver and Thornton's March 2009 climatological preview

March in Denver typically means frequent and rapid weather changes. The days grow longer and we start enjoying more sunshine and sometimes summer-like weather. However, on occasion arctic air masses can still force their way south into Colorado dropping temperatures quickly and markedly.

These changes are due to Marches “in between” status – elements during the month have much in common with winter and spring. In addition to arctic fronts, Pacific storms frequently move across Colorado from the west and warm moist air streams up from the Gulf of Mexico northeastward into the state. When these cold fronts collide with the warmer air masses the result can be some crazy weather.

Get all the details in our March 2009 climatological preview here.

Climate Change

Climate models’ predictions falling outside acceptable scientific boundaries

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A recent analysis of climate models shows they are falling outside acceptable scientific limits.
A recent analysis of climate models shows they are falling outside acceptable scientific limits.

Last month former vice president Al Gore made a well publicized appearance before a Senate committee warning of the dangers of global warming.  Lesser known is the appearance of a climatologist before a House subcommittee two weeks later that called into question the models on which anthropogenic [manmade] global warming advocates use to base their assertions on. 

Dr. Patrick J. Michaels is a research professor of environmental services at the University of Virginia and a Senior Fellow at the Cato Institute.  He is a climatologist with impeccable credentials.  Dr. Michaels holds A.B. and S.M. degrees in biological sciences and plant ecology and holds a Ph.D. in ecological climatology.  In the past he has served as president of the American Association of State Climatologists and was program chair for the Committee on Applied Climatology of the American Meteorological Society (AMS).  He also is an active participant in the United Nation’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

We include his resume as it is significant because it shows that this is someone with a deep background in climatology and a wealth of experience.  When someone of this caliber discusses climate change and anthropogenic global warming we can and should take notice. 

In testimony to the U.S. House of Representatives Subcommittee on Energy and Environment, Dr. Michaels testified on the little known fact that the scientific models used to predict global warming are starting to fall outside acceptable scientific limits.  They have been unable to accurately predict temperature increases and when used to model historical increases, they fail as well. 

This is a fascinating story.  Be sure to get the rest of it on Examiner.com.

For all the details, read the rest of this story on our Denver Weather Examiner page. Examiner.com - Get inside Denver weather
Climate Change, Climatology

Meteorologists know nothing about climate change

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What do meteorologists know about climate change?
What do meteorologists know about climate change?

A pretty interesting headline isn’t that?  I admit that is probably a bit more sensationalistic than what is really called for. However, that would seem to be one of the conclusions from the author and analyst of a recent survey.

3,146 earth scientists from various areas of expertise were surveyed for their opinions and in many ways, the data was not surprising.  Two questions were key to the study:

Have mean global temperatures risen compared to pre-1800s levels?

Has human activity been a significant factor in changing mean global temperatures?

For all the details, read the rest of this story on our Denver Weather Examiner page. Examiner.com - Get inside Denver weather