Tag Archives: May weather

Weather History

April 29 to May 5 – This Week in Denver Weather History

Leave a comment
This Week In Denver Weather History
April 29 to May 5 - This Week in Denver Weather History

As we enter the month of May, winter-like events begin to taper off and we start to see greater occurrences of conditions associated with spring in Denver. Numerous severe weather events with damaging hail and lightning have occurred as well as deadly flooding.

28-29

In 1950…snowfall totaled 6.3 inches at Stapleton Airport…but only 3.5 inches over downtown Denver.

In 1960…heavy snow fell at Stapleton Airport where 8.6 inches of snow were measured. North winds gusted to 38 mph. Most of the snow…6.9 inches…fell on the 29th.

29

In 1898…apparent thunderstorm winds were sustained from the southwest to 58 mph with gusts to 66 mph.

In 1909…north winds were sustained to 44 mph behind an apparent cold front. These were the strongest measured winds of the month that year.

In 1962…heavy snowfall totaled 6.4 inches at Stapleton Airport where northeast winds gusted to only 17 mph. Snow fell all day…but the most on the ground was only 1 inch due to melting.

In 1991…two men were struck by lightning while golfing in cherry hills just south of Denver. The two received only minor burns. Shortly afterward…lightning struck a home in Cherry Hills Village several times…leaving numerous holes in the roof. No injuries were reported.

In 1993…localized strong winds occurred at Jefferson County Airport near Broomfield where gusts to 63 mph were recorded. The strong winds were the result of a probable microburst.

In 2000…several severe thunderstorms producing large hail and destructive winds rumbled across northern metro Denver. Thunderstorm wind gusts reached 81 mph near Hudson with hail as large as 3/4 inch in diameter at Longmont. Several homes and vehicles sustained damage. The strong winds uprooted trees and downed utility poles…causing scattered outages. Lightning sparked a house fire in Boulder. The fire damaged a portion of the roof and a bedroom on the third floor. Thunderstorm winds gusted to 53 mph at Denver International Airport.

In 2003…lightning struck a chimney at a residence in Hiwan in Evergreen…sending stones flying as far as 150 feet. Electrical equipment in some nearby homes also failed. Damage to the residence…in addition to electrical equipment…was estimated at 100 thousand dollars. Severe thunderstorms produced large hail to 1 inch in diameter near Hudson and Sedalia and to 3/4 inch near Parker. Hail as large as 1 3/4 inches was measured 9 miles north of Sedalia.

29-30

In 1964…several weeks of dry weather and windy conditions across the great plains to the east caused noticeable suspended dust to invade metro Denver. At Stapleton International Airport east winds gusted to 28 mph and visibility was reduced to 5 miles.

In 1989…a late season snowstorm dropped 2 to 4 inches of snow across metro Denver with 6 to 12 inches in the foothills. Snowfall totaled 3.9 inches at Stapleton International Airport where northeast winds gusted to 23 mph and the greatest snow depth on the ground was 2 inches due to melting.

In 1991…a pacific storm dumped heavy wet snow across metro Denver. The foothills were hit the hardest where snowfall amounts ranged from 16 inches at Evergreen to 5 inches at Idaho Springs. Lower elevations of metro Denver received 5 to 9 inches of snowfall with 5 inches in Boulder and 7.0 inches at Stapleton International Airport where northeast winds gusted to 25 mph. The weight of the snow caused power lines to fall and tree limbs to snap…producing power outages in parts of Denver…Aurora…and Westminster.

In 1999…heavy snow fell overnight in the foothills above 7500 feet elevation. Snowfall totals included: 13 inches near Rollinsville…10 inches near Evergreen…8 inches at Blackhawk and Nederland…and 7 inches at Conifer. Only rain fell across the city with 2.13 inches recorded at Denver International Airport.

Continue reading April 29 to May 5 – This Week in Denver Weather History →

Climatology, Thornton Weather

May 2011 Thornton weather recap: One of the coldest and wettest on record

Leave a comment
May 2011 weather recap
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.

Thornton Weather

Snow to prevent traditional opening of Trail Ridge Road in Rocky Mountain National Park

Leave a comment
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. (RMNP / NPS)
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.

Slideshow: Rocky Mountain National Park buried under most snow seen in 20 yearsTo 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.

Get the complete story here and be sure to check out the slideshow.  That is a lot of snow!

Have you kept up with ThorntonWeather.com?  Be sure to follow us on Twitter and ‘like’ us on Facebook for all the latest weather news!

Natural Disasters

Deadliest tornado since 1953 strikes Joplin, Missouri

Leave a comment
Cars and debris are strewn about in front of the devastated St. John's Regional Medical Center in Joplin, Missouri. (Twitpic / borntorunnergrl)
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.

Not since June 9, 1953 has a deadlier single tornado been responsible for so much death.  As is, the Joplin tornado would rank as the 21st deadliest tornado in the history of the United States.  In all likelihood it will climb further up the rankings.

Slideshow: Scenes of destruction played out in Joplin, MO after tornado strikes. (Examiner.com)

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.

More from the Natural Disasters Examiner:

Thornton Weather

Rain and hail put ThorntonFest under water; Annual city festival cancelled

Leave a comment
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)
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.”

For all the latest Thornton weather news, follow us on Twitter and ‘like’ us on Facebook.

Severe Weather, Thornton Weather

Severe weather pays a visit to Thornton; Time lapse video captures hail

3 Comments
The Thornton Multipurpose Fields are covered with water from rain and hail after severe weather moved through Thornton. (City of Thornton)
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.

  • For all the latest Thornton weather news, follow us on Twitter and ‘like’ us on Facebook.

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.

Climatology

Denver’s May weather can bring just about any type of weather

Leave a comment

Denver's May weather previewColorado natives and those that have lived here long enough know that Denver and Colorado weather changes considerably throughout the year. The month of May almost seems to pack four seasons of weather conditions into 31 days. You name it, it can happen.

This being the latter half of spring, May does mean warm temperatures. Temperatures in the 80’s are common and reaching into the 90’s is not unheard of. The normal highs start out at 65 on the first but by the end of the month that climbs to 76. The record high for the month was recorded on May 26, 1942 of 95 degrees.

From the warm temperatures to cold, from snow and rain to severe thunderstorms, May can bring just about any type of weather.  Get all of the details in our May weather preview here.

Climatology

May’s weather preview – Four seasons in one month

Leave a comment

Thornton's May weather previewColorado natives and those that have lived here long enough know that Denver and Colorado weather changes considerably throughout the year. The month of May almost seems to pack four seasons of weather conditions into 31 days. You name it, it can happen.

This being the latter half of spring, May does mean warm temperatures. Temperatures in the 80’s are common and reaching into the 90’s is not unheard of. The normal highs start out at 65 on the first but by the end of the month that climbs to 76. The record high for the month was recorded on May 26, 1942 of 95 degrees.

The temperatures aren’t always mild in May and the weather conditions can certainly get wild.  Get all the details in our complete May weather preview.