Denver set a high temperature record of 94° on Tuesday, June 4.
As officially measured at Denver International Airport, the Mile High City hit a high temperature of 94° at 2:25pm. This broke the old record high temperature for the date of 93° set in 2010, 1990 and 1977.
The problem? No other reliable station in the metro area came anywhere near that high of a temperature reading.
For comparison, Rocky Mountain Regional Airport saw 91°, Centennial 88°, Boulder 91°, Denver City Park 90°, Stapleton 90° and here in Thornton we recorded 91°.
The mercury climbed to 88 degrees at 3:03pm today. This sets a new record for the date, breaking the old record of 87 degrees set in 2000. Here in Thornton we matched Denver’s official temperature with 88 degrees as well.
March 2012 goes into the history books as the driest, least snowiest and 2nd warmest March on record in Denver.
The month of March in Denver is typically known for its snow and corresponding chilly temperatures. That however was certainly not the case for March 2012 as the Mile High City saw one of its warmest and driest Marches on record.
From the start of the month to the end, March’s temperatures were well above normal. While we would normally see days with temperatures in the 50s, we instead saw 70s and even a couple of 80+ degree days.
The historical overall average temperature for the month of March is 40.4 degrees (based on 1981 to 2010 normals). March 2012’s average of 49.2 degrees was an astonishing 8.8 degrees above normal.
This sends the month into the record books as the second warmest March ever recorded in Denver. The number one spot is held by March 1910 which saw an average of 50.4 degrees.
Here in Thornton, we were actually slightly warmer than the official Denver measuring station at DIA. Our monthly average temperature came in at 49.6 degrees.
Individually, six days set or tied high temperature records for Denver:
74 degrees on March 13 which tied the old record of 74 set in 2007 and previous years
75 degrees on March 16 which broke the old record of 74 set just one year ago in 2011
76 degrees on March 17 which broke the old record of 75 set in 1974
76 degrees on March 23 which tied the old record of 76 set in 1967
75 degrees on March 25 which tied the old record of 75 set in 1998 and previous years
81 degrees on March 31 which broke the old record of 80 set in 1946
In terms of precipitation, March 2012 will now hold the marks for the driest and least snowiest on record.
The rain bucket at Denver International Airport saw a mere 0.03 inch of liquid precipitation. This was far below the average of 0.92 inch and easily puts March 2012 into the books as the number one driest March on record. The previous record holder was 1908 when 0.11 inch was recorded.
March is historically Denver’s snowiest month averaging 10.7 inches. This year the month only brought a trace of snow on three days. The previous least snowiest March occurred in 1883 when 0.3 inch of the white stuff was recorded.
Just like Denver, Thornton saw an extraordinary lack of snow and precipitation. We as well recorded 0.03 inch of precipitation but we did manage to record 0.40 inch of snow, all on the morning of the 2nd.
CLIMATE REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BOULDER, CO
1026 AM MDT SUN APR 1 2012
...................................
...THE DENVER CO CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR THE MONTH OF MARCH 2012...
CLIMATE NORMAL PERIOD 1981 TO 2010
CLIMATE RECORD PERIOD 1872 TO 2012
WEATHER OBSERVED NORMAL DEPART LAST YEAR`S
VALUE DATE(S) VALUE FROM VALUE DATE(S)
NORMAL
................................................................
TEMPERATURE (F)
RECORD
HIGH 84 03/26/1971
LOW -11 03/28/1886
HIGHEST 81 03/31 84 -3 76 03/21
LOWEST 16 03/02 -11 27 14 03/05
AVG. MAXIMUM 65.5 54.4 11.1 58.7
AVG. MINIMUM 32.9 26.4 6.5 27.8
MEAN 49.2 40.4 8.8 43.3
DAYS MAX >= 90 0 0.0 0.0 0
DAYS MAX <= 32 0 1.9 -1.9 1
DAYS MIN <= 32 14 23.6 -9.6 24
DAYS MIN <= 0 0 0.1 -0.1 0
PRECIPITATION (INCHES)
RECORD
MAXIMUM 4.56 1983
MINIMUM 0.11 1908
TOTALS 0.03R 0.92 -0.89 0.35
DAILY AVG. 0.00 0.03 -0.03 0.01
DAYS >= .01 2 5.9 -3.9 8
DAYS >= .10 0 2.4 -2.4 1
DAYS >= .50 0 0.3 -0.3 0
DAYS >= 1.00 0 0.1 -0.1 0
GREATEST
24 HR. TOTAL 0.03 03/01 TO 03/02 03/28 TO 03/28
03/28 TO 03/28
03/28 TO 03/28
STORM TOTAL MM MM
(MM/DD(HH)) MM 03/28(00) TO 03/28(00)
03/28(00) TO 03/28(00)8
03/28(00) TO 03/28(00)8
SNOWFALL (INCHES)
RECORDS
TOTAL MM 5
TOTALS T 11.7
DEGREE_DAYS
HEATING TOTAL 483 763 -280 666
SINCE 7/1 4863 5202 -339 4817
COOLING TOTAL 0 0 0 0
SINCE 1/1 0 0 0 0
FREEZE DATES
RECORD
EARLIEST 09/08/1962
LATEST 06/08/2007
EARLIEST 10/07
LATEST 05/05
.........................................................
WIND (MPH)
AVERAGE WIND SPEED 11.5
RESULTANT WIND SPEED/DIRECTION 5/203
HIGHEST WIND SPEED/DIRECTION 46/180 DATE 03/18
HIGHEST GUST SPEED/DIRECTION 58/190 DATE 03/18
SKY COVER
POSSIBLE SUNSHINE (PERCENT) MM
AVERAGE SKY COVER 0.50
NUMBER OF DAYS FAIR 9
NUMBER OF DAYS PC 20
NUMBER OF DAYS CLOUDY 2
AVERAGE RH (PERCENT) 34
WEATHER CONDITIONS. NUMBER OF DAYS WITH
THUNDERSTORM 0 MIXED PRECIP 0
HEAVY RAIN 0 RAIN 0
LIGHT RAIN 0 FREEZING RAIN 0
LT FREEZING RAIN 1 HAIL 0
HEAVY SNOW 0 SNOW 0
LIGHT SNOW 2 SLEET 0
FOG 2 FOG W/VIS <= 1/4 MILE 0
HAZE 3
- INDICATES NEGATIVE NUMBERS.
R INDICATES RECORD WAS SET OR TIED.
MM INDICATES DATA IS MISSING.
T INDICATES TRACE AMOUNT.
$$
March 2012 is on track to enter the record books as one of the warmest, driest and least snowiest since record-keeping began.
Another unseasonably mild day led to another high temperature record being tied on Sunday. As the unseasonably warm weather continues, March 2012 is almost certain to go into the record books on a number of marks.
The temperature at Denver International Airport reached 75 degrees at 4:05pm Sunday afternoon. This tied the record high temperature for the date last set in 1998. This is far and above the normal for the date of 57 degrees.
Here in Thornton we were a bit cooler and reached a high temperature of 72.3 degrees.
The record-tying mark is the fifth time so far this month that the record high temperature was tied or broken. Other days with record highs this month:
76 degrees on March 23, which tied the old record of 76 set in 1967
76 degrees on March 17, which broke the old record of 75 set in 1974
75 degrees on March 16, which broke the old record of 74 set just one year ago in 2011
74 degrees on March 13, which tied the old record of 74 set in 2007 and previous years
Officially Denver has recorded only a trace of snow this month and a scant 0.03 inch of precipitation. Given the forecast for the coming week, it is likely the month will end with those totals. If it does, March 2012 will go into the history books as the least snowiest and driest March on record.
In terms of temperatures, Denver’s overall average temperature for the month so far is at 47.0 degrees. That would put the month in a tie for the fourth warmest March on record. However with temperatures expected to remain unseasonably warm through the week, there is a good chance we will climb the ‘top 10’ list even further.
Thornton residents have begun digging out from the major winter storm that deposited an extraordinary amount of snow on the city. In the end, the storm will go into the record books as the biggest February snowstorm in Denver history.
As officially recorded at Denver International Airport, Denver recorded 15.9 inches of snow from the storm system. This handily broke the old single storm February record of 14.1 inches set in 1912.
Further, February 2012 now enters the history books as the 10th snowiest February ever recorded in Denver. With more than three weeks to go, it is possible we will climb the top 10 list even further.
The 12.5″ DIA saw yesterday set a new single day record for February 3rd beating the old record for the date of 9.5″ set in 1932. This also is the biggest single day snowfall total ever recorded in Denver during February.
The snow has moved out and the sun will be shining soon as residents begin digging out from a record-setting snowstorm. Here is Thornton we recorded 13.8″ of snowfall and that was actually one of the lower totals across northeastern Colorado. It was however Thornton’s biggest snowstorm since October 2009 when we recorded 14.1″ from a late month event.
Snow began falling Thursday evening and continued through the night, all through the day Friday and into Saturday morning. By this morning most of the metro area was only seeing a few flakes falling and by the end of the day the sun will return.
Below is a time lapse video from our east facing webcam. It covers from 4:00pm on Thursday, February 2 to 6:00am on Saturday, February 4 compressing that period into a little more than one minute.
Denver easily broke the 24 hour precipitation record for July 13th.
It is readily apparent that July has thus far been a wet month given that we have seen eight straight days of thunderstorms. Yesterday the storms set a record for precipitation and Denver is on pace to make the month one of the wettest Julys on record.
Out at Denver International Airport yesterday, 1.03” of precipitation was recorded. This set the record for the date easily besting the old record of 0.45” set in 1993.
Here in Thornton we recorded 0.45” yesterday so a good bit less than out at the airport but still a decent shot of precipitation.
This brings Denver’s official total to 3.19” for the month so far. Average for the entire month of July is 2.16” so we are far ahead of that.
Number 10 on the ‘top 10 wettest Julys’ occurred in 1985 with 3.71”. Given the fact that the forecast continues to contain daily thunderstorms for the foreseeable future, there is a good chance we will exceed that before the month is over.
Thornton is ahead of the game in comparison to DIA as we have recorded 4.52” so far this month.
Denver easily broke the 24 hour precipitation record for June 20th.
It was a wet day in Denver yesterday and the statistics bear that one out. The official Denver weather monitoring station at Denver International Airport recorded 1.05 inches of precipitation on June 20th. This easily broke the previous record for the date of 0.50 inch set in 1938.
Here in Thornton we recorded a bit less but still a considerable amount – 0.87 inch.
The record setting rain in Denver does once again highlight the problems with having Denver’s monitoring station at DIA used for comparison to historical records. The 12 mile move of the station in 1995 from its previous location has skewed Denver’s climate records.
With the event yesterday we see that the station in Denver City Park recorded no rain at all. Had the National Weather Service logically choose to use this location, or the previous one at Stapleton, as the official source for Denver weather, no record would have been set.
Not since Grover Cleveland was president has Denver had as warm of a December 3rd as today.Not since Grover Cleveland was president has Denver had as warm of a December 3rd as today.
If you looked at a thermometer late this morning or early this afternoon you might have found yourself wondering if the calendar that says it is December is correct. Not since 1885 when Grover Cleveland was inaugurated as the 22nd president of the United States and the Washington Monument was completed has Denver had as warm of temperatures on December 3rd as today.
At 11:41am this morning the temperature at the official Denver weather station at Denver International Airport reached 69 degrees. Thornton topped that slightly as we recorded 70.2 degrees at 12:13pm.
As is often the case, the warmer temperatures have been brought on my strong winds. Gusts this afternoon to 45mph are possible, particularly along the usual wind-prone areas in the foothills like Highway 93 between Boulder and Golden.
The warmth will be short-lived however as those winds bring in a cold front later this evening. Overnight and into tomorrow some areas of the Front Range may see a wintry mix of snow and freezing drizzle. Highs on Saturday will only reach the mid to upper 30s. For the complete local Thornton forecast click here.
ThorntonWeather.com note: Some media outlets, including KMGH Channel 7, are incorrectly reporting that Denver hit a high temperature of 70 degrees today and broke the record. This is incorrect.
National Weather Service observations are initially reported in Celsius, rounded to the nearest whole degree – in today’s case, 21 degrees Celsius (70 degrees Fahrenheit). However the true temperature is recorded to the nearest tenth of a degree. Today’s actual high temperature was 20.6 degrees Celsius or 69 degrees Fahrenheit.
Yet another reason to rely on ThorntonWeather.com for your weather news and information! 😉
A massive hailstone that fell in South Dakota on July 23rd set world records for diameter and weight. (NWS)
The massive hailstone that fell over rural South Dakota last week has officially set world records for its weight and diameter. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) the chunk of ice easily eclipsed the previous record setter.
On Friday, July 23rd, severe weather rolled through northeastern South Dakota and Stanley, Jones, and Lyman counties. With it was massive hail so big it left holes in the ground the size of coffee cans. Les Scott, a ranch hand, recovered the now record setting stone afterwards.
NOAA’s National Climate Extremes Committee determined that the huge chunk of ice from the sky officially measured 8.0 inches in diameter and weighed 1.9375 pounds (1 pound, 15 ounces) setting records for both. It also measured 18.62 inches in circumference falling just short of breaking the record for that measurement.
The previous record holding hailstone in terms of weight fell on September 3, 1970 in Coffeyville, Kansas and weighed 1.67 pounds.
The stone that previously held the record for diameter measured 7 inches and fell in Aurora, Nebraska on June 22, 2003. That stone still holds the record for circumference having measured 18.75 inches.
While Scott froze it immediately, David Hintz, a meteorologist at NOAA’s Aberdeen weather forecast office, said in a statement some melting had probably occurred resulting in the official measurements being smaller than what the stone was when it first fell.
“Mr. Scott told me the area was littered with large hailstones and the largest had a greater diameter when he first found it. He immediately stored it and several others in his freezer, but a power outage caused some melting,” Hintz said.
