Thornton saw overall weather conditions not too far out of line with what we expect for the month of May. Temperatures were a good bit below normal however while precipitation came in right near average.
The month started out a bit chilly and we received our first and only snow for the month on the first. Warmer weather returned right away though and lasted until the 7th of the month when severe weather arrived to the Colorado plains. Tornadoes and large hail were seen to our east and northeast but we received only a bit of rain and some small hail.
Cooler weather conditions lasted for a few days before we warmed up for two days on the 12th and 13th. That was short-lived however and once again things cooled down quite a bit with the 16th and 17th of the month seeing high temperatures only in the mid to upper 40s and a healthy shot of rain.
The final 11 days of the month saw temperatures near or above normal for the most part. Stormy weather returned on the 24th as afternoon thunderstorms brought marble sized hail to Thornton. Eastern Adams County and Washington County saw tornadoes and large, damaging hail. Six of those last 11 days of the month did bring measurable precipitation.
Thornton saw a monthly average temperature of 54.2 degrees. This was well below Denver’s 30 year average for the month of May of 57.1 degrees. Out at DIA where Denver’s official measurements are taken, the Mile High City was similarly cool with a monthly average of 54.4 degrees.
Temperatures in Thornton ranged from a high of 85.6 degrees on the 21st down to a below freezing low of 24.9 degrees on the 2nd. Out at the airport, the warmest reading was 83 degrees and the lowest 28 degrees, both on the same dates as our warmest / coldest temperatures.
In terms of precipitation, Denver averages 2.12 inches during the month of May. Thornton saw 2.07 inches in our rain bucket while DIA recorded 2.38 inches.
The only snow during May 2016 in Thornton came on the first of the month when 0.3 inches fell. Denver officially recorded only a trace. Average snowfall for the month of May in Denver is 1.1 inches.
Click here to view Thornton’s May 2016 climate report.
From the National Weather Service:
CLIMATE REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER/BOULDER CO
244 AM MDT WED JUN 1 2016
...THE DENVER CO CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR THE MONTH OF MAY 2016...
CLIMATE NORMAL PERIOD 1981 TO 2010
CLIMATE RECORD PERIOD 1872 TO 2016
WEATHER OBSERVED NORMAL DEPART LAST YEAR`S
VALUE DATE(S) VALUE FROM VALUE DATE(S)
NORMAL
................................................................
TEMPERATURE (F)
RECORD
HIGH 95 05/26/1942
LOW 19 05/02/2013
05/03/1907
01/01/2000
HIGHEST 83 05/21 95 -12 85 05/31
LOWEST 28 05/02 19 9 27 05/10
05/09
AVG. MAXIMUM 66.9 71.5 -4.6 63.3
AVG. MINIMUM 41.9 42.7 -0.8 42.7
MEAN 54.4 57.1 -2.7 53.0
DAYS MAX >= 90 0 0.8 -0.8 0
DAYS MAX <= 32 0 0.0 0.0 0
DAYS MIN <= 32 3 1.9 1.1 3
DAYS MIN <= 0 0 0.0 0.0 0
PRECIPITATION (INCHES)
RECORD
MAXIMUM 8.57 1876
MINIMUM 0.06 1974
TOTALS 2.38 2.12 0.26 3.76
DAILY AVG. 0.08 0.07 0.01 0.12
DAYS >= .01 13 9.4 3.6 19
DAYS >= .10 4 4.8 -0.8 10
DAYS >= .50 1 1.2 -0.2 2
DAYS >= 1.00 1 0.2 0.8 1
GREATEST
24 HR. TOTAL 1.38 05/26 TO 05/27 05/08 TO 05/09
05/09 TO 05/09
SNOWFALL (INCHES)
RECORDS
TOTAL MM MM
TOTALS T 1.1
DEGREE_DAYS
HEATING TOTAL 326 265 61 367
SINCE 7/1 5556 5996 -440 5572
COOLING TOTAL 3 21 -18 4
SINCE 1/1 3 22 -19 4
FREEZE DATES
RECORD
EARLIEST 09/08/1962
LATEST 06/08/2007
EARLIEST 10/07
LATEST 05/05
..........................................................
WIND (MPH)
AVERAGE WIND SPEED 10.2
RESULTANT WIND SPEED/DIRECTION 2/154
HIGHEST WIND SPEED/DIRECTION 39/200 DATE 05/08
HIGHEST GUST SPEED/DIRECTION 47/300 DATE 05/29
SKY COVER
POSSIBLE SUNSHINE (PERCENT) MM
AVERAGE SKY COVER 0.60
NUMBER OF DAYS FAIR 4
NUMBER OF DAYS PC 18
NUMBER OF DAYS CLOUDY 9
AVERAGE RH (PERCENT) 60
WEATHER CONDITIONS. NUMBER OF DAYS WITH
THUNDERSTORM 13 MIXED PRECIP 0
HEAVY RAIN 1 RAIN 5
LIGHT RAIN 17 FREEZING RAIN 0
LT FREEZING RAIN 0 HAIL 2
HEAVY SNOW 0 SNOW 1
LIGHT SNOW 1 SLEET 0
FOG 10 FOG W/VIS <= 1/4 MILE 2
HAZE 3
- INDICATES NEGATIVE NUMBERS.
R INDICATES RECORD WAS SET OR TIED.
MM INDICATES DATA IS MISSING.
T INDICATES TRACE AMOUNT.