As expected, temperatures in the Mile High City today were unseasonably warm and climbed to record-setting levels. However, while Denver broke a high temperature record, Thornton fell quite a ways short.
Out at Denver International Airport, the mercury topped out at 83 degrees. This bested the previous record high for the date of 82 degrees set in 2011 and previous years.
Here in Thornton, the cloud cover arrived earlier than the airport and impacted our readings. We saw a maximum today of 77.9 degrees.
Across the board, temperature readings in the metro area were well above the average high of 66 degrees for the date.
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Thornton’s September this year was relatively benign and lacking much drama although it was a bit of a rollercoaster. Temperatures had their large swings and we saw a couple of days with healthy precipitation.
The month started out slightly cooler than normal on the first but then warmed over the next couple of days to a high of 93.8 degrees on the third.
Low pressure and a cold front brought an end to the heat and three days of cooler than normal temperatures arrived. Two of those three days combined to deliver more than a half inch of precipitation.
Warmer and drier weather returned for a few days before a more potent cold front pushed in. The 11th and 12th of the month brought our coldest days of the month. Low temperatures became quite chilly dropping to below freezing on the morning of the 13th as the system moved out.
Some rain fell on those days and while Denver recorded a trace of snow on the morning of the 12th, none was seen in Thornton.
We then rebounded nicely with 10 of the next 11 days seeing high temperatures above 80 degrees, many of those in the mid to upper 80s.
Things cooled down for the last three days as a strong system moved through. We recorded a significant 0.86 inches of rain on the 29th.
Thornton’s overall average temperature for the month was 62.6 degrees. This was a bit below the long term Denver average of 63.4 degrees. Out at the airport, it was as usual warmer with an average of 64.8 degrees.
Temperatures ranged from a high of 93.8 degrees on the 3rd down to a chilly low of 30.9 degrees on the 13th. Denver’s warmest day matched ours on the 3rd with a reading of 94 degrees while the Mile High City’s coldest reading of 33 degrees came on the 12th.
Denver saw one temperature record during the month. The record high minimum for September 25th was set with a reading of 56 degrees. This tied the record for the date last set in 1981.
In terms of precipitation, Thornton recorded 1.89 inches in the rain bucket for the month. Denver saw 1.79 inches. Both were well above Denver’s September average of 0.96 inches.
A daily rainfall record for Denver was set on the 29th when 1.01 inches fell at the airport. The old record of 0.96 inch for the date was set in 1959.
Thornton, Colorado’s September 2014 Temperature Summary. (ThorntonWeather.com)Thornton, Colorado’s September 2014 Precipitation Summary. (ThorntonWeather.com)
...THE DENVER CO CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR THE MONTH OF SEPTEMBER 2014...
CLIMATE NORMAL PERIOD 1981 TO 2010
CLIMATE RECORD PERIOD 1872 TO 2014
WEATHER OBSERVED NORMAL DEPART LAST YEAR`S
VALUE DATE(S) VALUE FROM VALUE DATE(S)
NORMAL
................................................................
TEMPERATURE (F)
RECORD
HIGH 97 09/06/2013
09/05/2013
09/04/1995
LOW 17 09/29/1985
HIGHEST 94 09/03 91 3 97 09/06
09/05
LOWEST 33 09/12 35 -2 38 09/28
AVG. MAXIMUM 78.9 78.5 0.4 78.6
AVG. MINIMUM 50.6 48.3 2.3 54.2
MEAN 64.8 63.4 1.4 66.4
DAYS MAX >= 90 2 3.4 -1.4 7
DAYS MAX <= 32 0 0.0 0.0 0
DAYS MIN <= 32 0 0.8 -0.8 0
DAYS MIN <= 0 0 0.0 0.0 0
PRECIPITATION (INCHES)
RECORD
MAXIMUM 5.61 2013
MINIMUM T 1892 1944
TOTALS 1.79 0.96 0.83 5.61
DAILY AVG. 0.06 0.03 0.03 0.19
DAYS >= .01 9 6.5 2.5 10
DAYS >= .10 4 3.3 0.7 10
DAYS >= .50 1 0.6 0.4 3
DAYS >= 1.00 1 0.1 0.9 2
GREATEST
24 HR. TOTAL 1.01 09/29 TO 09/29 09/14 TO 09/15
SNOWFALL (INCHES)
RECORDS
TOTAL 17.2 1991
TOTALS T 1.3 -1.3 0
DEGREE_DAYS
HEATING TOTAL 91 125 -34 83
SINCE 7/1 98 141 -43 83
COOLING TOTAL 88 76 12 133
SINCE 1/1 701 764 -63 999
FREEZE DATES
RECORD
EARLIEST 09/08/1962
LATEST 06/08/2007
EARLIEST 10/07
LATEST 05/05
.....................................................
WIND (MPH)
AVERAGE WIND SPEED 9.4
RESULTANT WIND SPEED/DIRECTION 3/186
HIGHEST WIND SPEED/DIRECTION 33/350 DATE 09/09
HIGHEST GUST SPEED/DIRECTION 40/360 DATE 09/09
SKY COVER
POSSIBLE SUNSHINE (PERCENT) MM
AVERAGE SKY COVER 0.50
NUMBER OF DAYS FAIR 13
NUMBER OF DAYS PC 11
NUMBER OF DAYS CLOUDY 6
AVERAGE RH (PERCENT) 55
WEATHER CONDITIONS. NUMBER OF DAYS WITH
THUNDERSTORM 3 MIXED PRECIP 0
HEAVY RAIN 1 RAIN 6
LIGHT RAIN 9 FREEZING RAIN 0
LT FREEZING RAIN 0 HAIL 0
HEAVY SNOW 0 SNOW 0
LIGHT SNOW 2 SLEET 0
FOG 9 FOG W/VIS <= 1/4 MILE 1
HAZE 3
- INDICATES NEGATIVE NUMBERS.
R INDICATES RECORD WAS SET OR TIED.
MM INDICATES DATA IS MISSING.
T INDICATES TRACE AMOUNT.
July 31, 2014 – Sunrise snow on Mount Evans. (DU Observatory)
With monsoonal moisture streaming into the state and cool air coming in from the north, Denver set its second weather record in as many days.
Denver’s official high temperature yesterday, July 30, as measured at DIA topped out at 62 degrees. This sets a new record low maximum for the date easily besting the previous mark of 64 degrees set in 2009.
The reading is more akin to what we expect to see in April and October and well below the average high temperature for the date of 90 degrees.
Here in Thornton we matched that reading with 62 degrees as well.
Ironically, Al Gore’s Climate Reality Project was in Denver the past two days for EPA hearings. The group pushed the theme “I’m too hot” while serving up ice cream from Ben & Jerry’s. Similar hearings were held in Washington DC and Atlanta and both cities saw below normal temperatures.
Perhaps not quite too hot, eh? It would appear the “Gore Effect” has proven itself again.
Late afternoon thunderstorms and showers began falling yesterday and continued through midnight. Areas to the east and north, including Denver International Airport, saw more precipitation than other locations and DIA set a daily rainfall record as a result.
Denver’s official rainfall total for July 29 came in at a healthy 1.80 inches. The previous 24 hour precipitation record for the date was 1.44 inches back in 1989. Precipitation records in Denver began in 1872.
Here in Thornton we recorded 0.82 inches for the date. While well short of Denver’s number, that is still a great deal of rain.
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The big chill continued on Thursday as for the second day in a row the Mile High City’s high temperature set a record as the coldest for the date.
As officially measured at DIA, Denver’s high temperature today was 1 degree. That easily bested the previous record low maximum for February 6 of 5 degrees set in 1929 and years prior.
Here in Thornton we fared slightly better with our high temperature topping out at 4 degrees today and 1.9 degrees on Wednesday.
Warmer weather is on the way as the cold Arctic air mass is expected to be pushed out tomorrow. Temperatures on Friday should climb above freezing for the first time in eight days.
With a large, cold air mass settled in across much of the nation’s midsection, weather records are bound to fall. In the Mile High City the record for coldest high temperature for the date was not just broken but smashed.
The so-called high temperature for the day was 1 degree below zero in Denver. This shattered the previous coldest high temperature for February 5 of 5 degrees set in 1989 and years prior.
Overnight temperatures Tuesday night into Wednesday morning dropped to a bone-chilling 19 degrees below zero as measured at Denver’s official weather station at Denver International Airport. Daytime provided little relief as the mercury remained stubbornly below zero.
Here in Thornton we fared slightly better with a daytime high temperature of 2 degrees above zero. Our low temperature this morning was a nasty cold 12.6 degrees below.
With temperatures Wednesday night expected to plunge to 10 below or lower, a Wind Chill Advisory has been issued for much of northeastern Colorado including Denver. Wind chill temperatures of 25 below will be possible.
This type of cold comes with it the very real danger of hypothermia and frostbite. Area residents need to exercise extreme caution and avoid prolonged exposure. Pets as well need to be remembered and their time outside should be limited.
Thanks to a snowy start and a similarly snowy finish, the month of January 2014 climbed onto the list of top 10 January snow measurements in the Mile High City.
Officially the month ended with 14.3 inches of snowfall as measured at Denver International Airport. It was just enough to bump January 1991 from the number 10 spot (14.1 inches).
Here in Thornton we received just a bit less as we saw 13.4 inches of the white stuff.
January is only our fourth snowiest month with an average of 7.0 inches (based on 1981 to 2010 normals). The snowiest January on record occurred in 1992 when 24.3 inches of snow fell.
Looking at the 2013 / 2014 snow season, January helped make up some lost ground from the previous dry months.
The seasonal total now stands at 22.4 inches, 5.4 inches below the long term average of 27.8 inches we normally receive by the end of January. Thornton’s seasonal total is a bit better but still below normal at 24.2 inches.
Colorado’s famously inconsistent weather appears to be on full display this month. Just two weeks ago we were setting records for cold. Today we broke a record high temperature and tied the record high minimum.
At 12:59 p.m. the temperature at Denver International Airport reached 68 degrees. This broke the old record high temperature for December 18 of 66 degrees last set in 1979.
Additionally, Denver’s low temperature was 40 degrees. This tied the record low maximum for the date set in 1917.
The average high for December 18 is 42 degrees and the average low is 17 degrees.
Here in Thornton we were just slightly cooler as the mercury here topped out at 67 degrees at 12:44 p.m. Our low dropped to 39 degrees.
Clear skies and snow cover helped push the mercury down early this morning. The result was a second record low temperature set in the past 24 hours.
As measured at Denver International Airport, the Mile High City’s official low temperature this morning was -15 degrees. This ties the record low for December 5 last set in 1972.
Thornton managed to be slightly warmer as our temperature bottomed out at -9.2 degrees right before sunrise.
The bitter cold looks to remain with us for quite some time. Some warming in the coming days is expected however it may be the middle of next week before temperatures climb above freezing.
With snow on the ground, clear skies above and a very cold air mass in place, Denver set a new record low temperature for December 4.
Late in the evening the mercury at Denver International Airport dropped to -13 degrees. These shattered the old record low temperature for the date of -5 degrees last set in 2008.
Here in Thornton we weren’t quite as cold as our low temperature dropped to -4.4 degrees right before midnight.
The storm system that pushed through deposited a light, fluffy 2.2 inches of snowfall on Thornton which equated to 0.13 inch of liquid precipitation.
Seasonal snowfall totals continue to run well below normal. On average, by the end of November we have received 13.0 inches and by the end of December 21.2 inches.
To date Thornton’s seasonal snowfall total is at 7.3 inches and Denver’s 4.2 inches.
Weather, natural disasters & climate news and information.
As expected, temperatures in the Mile High City today were unseasonably warm and climbed to record-setting levels. However, while Denver broke a high temperature record, Thornton fell quite a ways short.
Late afternoon thunderstorms and showers began falling yesterday and continued through midnight. Areas to the east and north, including Denver International Airport, saw more precipitation than other locations and DIA set a daily rainfall record as a result.
The big chill continued on Thursday as for the second day in a row the Mile High City’s high temperature set a record as the coldest for the date.
With a large, cold air mass settled in across much of the nation’s midsection, weather records are bound to fall. In the Mile High City the record for coldest high temperature for the date was not just broken but smashed.
Thanks to a snowy start and a similarly snowy finish, the month of January 2014 climbed onto the list of top 10 January snow measurements in the Mile High City.