Another year is in the books and as we look back at 2013’s weather, we see Thornton – and indeed much of the state – saw cooler and wetter than normal conditions.
In terms of temperatures, Thornton saw an average overall annual temperature of 49.3 degrees. Out at Denver International Airport where the Mile High City’s official records are kept, the average was warmer at 50.1 degrees. By comparison, Denver’s 1981 to 2010 annual average temperature is 50.4 degrees.
Thornton recorded 47 days with temperatures at or above the 90 degree mark. At DIA 54 such days were recorded. Both were above the average of 40 90 degree days per year.
The hottest temperature recorded during the year in Thornton came on June 11th when the mercury climbed to 99.2 degrees. Denver’s hottest temperature of 100 degrees came on June 11th and July 11th.
At the opposite end of the thermometer, Thornton saw 175 days with low temperatures below freezing. Denver was very similar with 169 days with temperatures below 32 degrees. On average we expect to see 157 days below freezing.
Our coldest temperature in Thornton came last month on December 5th when the mercury dropped to -9.3 degrees. Denver’s occurred on the same date as the mercury at the airport dropped to -15 degrees.
- Must see photos – Top Shots 2013: ThorntonWeather.com’s top photos of the year
Precipitation for 2013 came in well above normal thanks largely in part to the extraordinary amount of rain received in September.
In all, Thornton saw 21.67 inches of liquid precipitation in our bucket. Denver, as always drier due to the station being at DIA, saw 17.60 inches. Both were above the annual average of 14.92 inches.
Above and by far the wettest month of the year was September and was responsible for the above average precipitation numbers. Thornton saw 10.15 inches in the rain bucket that month alone, Denver 5.61 inches.
Snowfall during the calendar year ended up relatively strong thanks to healthy totals from February through April. Overall the rest of the months of the year saw below normal snowfall.
Thornton’s annual snow total came in at an even 70.0 inches. Denver bested us with 74.1 inches during 2013.
Denver’s 2013 / 2014 season however has started out dismally with only 8.1 inches so far in the Mile High City. Thornton ended December a bit better with 10.8 inches. Both are well below the long term average that would have us see 21.2 inches by the end of the year.
Click here to view Thornton’s 2013 climate summary.
CLIMATE REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BOULDER, CO
427 PM MST WED JAN 1 2014
...................................
...THE DENVER CO CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR THE YEAR OF 2013...
CLIMATE NORMAL PERIOD 1981 TO 2010
CLIMATE RECORD PERIOD 1872 TO 2013
WEATHER OBSERVED NORMAL DEPART LAST YEAR`S
VALUE DATE(S) VALUE FROM VALUE DATE(S)
NORMAL
................................................................
TEMPERATURE (F)
RECORD
HIGH 105 06/26/2012
06/25/2012
07/20/2005
LOW -29 01/09/1875
HIGHEST 100 07/11 64 36 105 06/26
06/11 06/25
LOWEST -15 12/05 36 -51 -6 01/11
AVG. MAXIMUM 63.9 64.7 -0.8 68.4
AVG. MINIMUM 36.3 36.3 0.0 39.3
MEAN 50.1 50.5 -0.4 53.9
DAYS MAX >= 90 54 39.6 14.4 73
DAYS MAX <= 32 29 20.0 9.0 19
DAYS MIN <= 32 169 156.9 12.1 132
DAYS MIN <= 0 11 5.8 5.2 4
PRECIPITATION (INCHES)
RECORD
MAXIMUM 23.31 1967
MINIMUM 7.29 2008
TOTALS 17.60 14.30 3.30 10.11
DAILY AVG. 0.05 0.03 0.02 0.03
DAYS >= .01 82 79.7 2.3 52
DAYS >= .10 42 34.9 7.1 23
DAYS >= .50 8 7.6 0.4 9
DAYS >= 1.00 3 2.3 0.7 1
GREATEST
24 HR. TOTAL 2.39 09/13 TO 09/14
STORM TOTAL 4.65 09/09 TO 09/15
SNOWFALL (INCHES) RECORDS
TOTAL 115.9 1913
24 HR TOTAL 23.6 12/24/1982 TO 12/24/1982
SNOW DEPTH MM MM
TOTALS 72.1 53.8 18.3 38.5
LIQUID EQUIV 5.40 5.40 MM 3.85
SINCE 7/1 8.1 22.5 -14.4 12.4
LIQUID 7/1 0.81 2.20 -1.39 1.24
SNOWDEPTH AVG. 0 MM MM 0
DAYS >= TRACE 60 33.3 26.7 36
DAYS >= 1.0 20 16.3 3.7 13
GREATEST
SNOW DEPTH 9 02/25 11 02/04
24 HR TOTAL 9.1 02/24 TO 02/24 12.5 03/03
STORM TOTAL 11.7 03/22 TO 03/24 15.9 03/02
03/04
DEGREE_DAYS
HEATING TOTAL 6302 6059 243 5198
SINCE 7/1 2451 2468 -17 2233
COOLING TOTAL 999 769 230 1236
SINCE 1/1 999 769 230 1236
FREEZE DATES
RECORD
EARLIEST 09/08/1962
LATEST 06/08/2007
EARLIEST 10/07
LATEST 05/05
..................................................
WIND (MPH)
AVERAGE WIND SPEED 9.7
RESULTANT WIND SPEED/DIRECTION 2/201
HIGHEST WIND SPEED/DIRECTION 64/060 DATE 06/18
HIGHEST GUST SPEED/DIRECTION 97/040 DATE 06/18
SKY COVER
POSSIBLE SUNSHINE (PERCENT) MM
AVERAGE SKY COVER 0.60
NUMBER OF DAYS FAIR 69
NUMBER OF DAYS PC 232
NUMBER OF DAYS CLOUDY 64
AVERAGE RH (PERCENT) 52
WEATHER CONDITIONS. NUMBER OF DAYS WITH
THUNDERSTORM 0 MIXED PRECIP 0
HEAVY RAIN 14 RAIN 25
LIGHT RAIN 80 FREEZING RAIN 0
LT FREEZING RAIN 4 HAIL 0
HEAVY SNOW 11 SNOW 23
LIGHT SNOW 58 SLEET 0
FOG 105 FOG W/VIS <= 1/4 MILE 33
HAZE 88
- INDICATES NEGATIVE NUMBERS.
R INDICATES RECORD WAS SET OR TIED.
MM INDICATES DATA IS MISSING.
T INDICATES TRACE AMOUNT.