[pe2-image src=”http:\/\/lh3.ggpht.com\/-s4FTglN9w8U\/UjWvCPnJ1FI\/AAAAAAAAAhU\/VSkx7UO17jE\/s144-c-o\/006.jpg” href=”https:\/\/picasaweb.google.com\/108306177534978229224\/September2013ColoradoSFloods?authkey=Gv1sRgCOa7nK-5oPKyvQE#5923833337961108562″ caption=”South Platte River at 100th & McKay road breaching its banks and flowing into the Sprat Lakes on September 12, 2013. (Ed Dalton)” type=”image” alt=”006.jpg” pe2_single_image_size=”w300″ pe2_img_align=”right”\u00a0\u00a0]<\/p>\n
As we close the books on September 2013, the month featured its usual variety of weather but there is only one thing it will be remembered for:\u00a0 rain!<\/p>\n
The month opened with temperatures well above normal.\u00a0 In fact, Denver recorded high temperature records three times in the first seven days.<\/p>\n
Soon after however, the picture changed dramatically.\u00a0 The ridge that had kept us so warm at the start of the month moved east and low pressure remained over Nevada.\u00a0 This allowed a monsoonal-type flow of moisture to settle in and remain stubbornly in place for days on end.<\/p>\n
Heavy rain became the rule starting on the 9th with showers persisting for six of the next seven days. \u00a0Thornton and all of the Denver metro area recorded extraordinary amounts while areas closer to the foothills were absolutely pounded.<\/p>\n
The ensuing floods were devastating for many places along rivers and streams.\u00a0 Thornton weathered the storm relatively well with some minor flooding.\u00a0 Other communities stretching from the foothills to the northeastern plains weren\u2019t so lucky.<\/p>\n
The month closed out with relatively typical September weather.\u00a0 Most days were mild but there were a few more showers and some colder temperatures as well.<\/p>\n
In terms of temperatures, Thornton saw a monthly average of 64.3 degrees.\u00a0 This was almost a full degree warmer than the Denver long-term average of 63.4 degrees.\u00a0 The Mile High City, as measured at DIA, was as usual a good bit warmer with a September 2013 average of 66.4 degrees.<\/p>\n
Neither location was warm enough to make it into the list of top 10 warmest Septembers<\/a>.\u00a0 The number ten spot is 66.6 degrees.<\/p>\n We recorded 7 days with temperatures at or above 90 degrees.\u00a0 This matched the number Denver recorded.<\/p>\n Thornton saw a high monthly temperature of 99.0 degrees and a low of 33.2 degrees.\u00a0 Denver\u2019s temperatures ranged from 97 degrees down to a low of 38 degrees.<\/p>\n Officially Denver recorded set or tied three record high temperatures:<\/p>\n Precipitation was of course the big story for the month and Thornton saw more rain in the month than we have ever recorded at ThorntonWeather.com since coming online in October 2006.\u00a0 By the time September came to a close, we had already bested our top year \u2013 with three months to go in 2013.<\/p>\n Thornton recorded a total of 10.15 inches of precipitation.\u00a0 The majority of that, 8.84 inches, fell between the 9th of the month and the 15th.\u00a0 One day, the 11th, dropped 4.76 inches in the rain bucket alone.<\/p>\n For Denver, we once again witnessed the problems with the official station being moved to Denver International Airport.\u00a0 While they did record an abnormally high amount, it lagged other areas closer to town, including at the old Stapleton site.<\/p>\n Denver\u2019s records will show 5.61 inches, well above the September normal of 0.96 inches.\u00a0 That also is enough to put September 2013 into the history books as the wettest September in Denver history<\/a>.\u00a0 The old record holder was September 1961 with 4.67 inches.<\/p>\n Three daily precipitation records were set at DIA:<\/p>\n No snow fell in September for the 13th year in a row.\u00a0 This ties the record for the longest snow-less September streak with the periods from 1914 through 1926 and from 1882 to 1894.\u00a0 The last time we saw September snow was in 2000 when 0.2\u201d fell. \u00a0The month averages 1.3 inches.<\/p>\n Click here to view Thornton’s September 2013 climate summary report<\/a>.<\/p>\n Looking back – Top stories from the September 2013 floods<\/p>\n [pe2-image src=”http:\/\/lh3.ggpht.com\/-mk2_HTFl7bI\/UktlyYkmEQI\/AAAAAAAAAwY\/a56KaoOMF0Q\/s144-c-o\/Sept-Temps.jpg” href=”https:\/\/picasaweb.google.com\/108306177534978229224\/Misc?authkey=Gv1sRgCNPjmpm5l5PSOA#5929945250627195138″ caption=”Thornton, Colorado September 2013 temperatures.” type=”image” alt=”Sept-Temps.jpg” pe2_single_image_size=”w560″ pe2_img_align=”none” ]<\/p>\n \u00a0[pe2-image src=”http:\/\/lh3.ggpht.com\/-AEI7PqNjsFo\/UktlyUJaioI\/AAAAAAAAAwU\/tglbcxtvlQo\/s144-c-o\/Sept-Precip.jpg” href=”https:\/\/picasaweb.google.com\/108306177534978229224\/Misc?authkey=Gv1sRgCNPjmpm5l5PSOA#5929945249439451778″ caption=”Thornton, Colorado September 2013 precipitation.” type=”image” alt=”Sept-Precip.jpg” pe2_single_image_size=”w560″ pe2_img_align=”none” ]<\/p>\n [pe2-image src=”http:\/\/lh3.ggpht.com\/-s4FTglN9w8U\/UjWvCPnJ1FI\/AAAAAAAAAhU\/VSkx7UO17jE\/s144-c-o\/006.jpg” href=”https:\/\/picasaweb.google.com\/108306177534978229224\/September2013ColoradoSFloods?authkey=Gv1sRgCOa7nK-5oPKyvQE#5923833337961108562″ caption=”South Platte River at 100th & McKay road breaching its banks and flowing into the Sprat Lakes on September 12, 2013. (Ed Dalton)” type=”image” alt=”006.jpg” pe2_single_image_size=”w300″ pe2_img_align=”right”\u00a0\u00a0] As we close the books on September 2013, the month featured its usual variety of weather but there is only one thing it will be … Continue reading September 2013 weather recap: Above normal temps, record-setting rainfall<\/span> \n
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CLIMATE REPORT\r\nNATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BOULDER, CO\r\n240 AM MDT TUE OCT 1 2013\r\n\r\n......THE DENVER CO CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR THE MONTH OF SEPTEMBER 2013...\r\n\r\nCLIMATE NORMAL PERIOD 1981 TO 2010\r\nCLIMATE RECORD PERIOD 1872 TO 2013\r\n\r\nWEATHER OBSERVED NORMAL DEPART LAST YEAR`S\r\n VALUE DATE(S) VALUE FROM VALUE DATE(S)\r\n NORMAL\r\n\r\nTEMPERATURE (F)\r\nRECORD\r\n HIGH 97 09\/06\/2013\r\n 09\/05\/2013\r\n 09\/04\/1995\r\n LOW 17 09\/29\/1985\r\nHIGHEST 97R 09\/06 97 0 95 09\/01\r\n 09\/05\r\nLOWEST 38 09\/28 17 21 45 09\/28\r\n 09\/22\r\nAVG. MAXIMUM 78.6 78.5 0.1 80.3\r\nAVG. MINIMUM 54.2 48.3 5.9 52.3\r\nMEAN 66.4 63.4 3.0 66.3\r\nDAYS MAX >= 90 7 3.4 3.6 7\r\nDAYS MAX <= 32 0 0.0 0.0 0\r\nDAYS MIN <= 32 0 0.8 -0.8 0\r\nDAYS MIN <= 0 0 0.0 0.0 0 \r\n\r\nPRECIPITATION (INCHES) \r\nRECORD \r\n MAXIMUM 4.67 1961 \r\n MINIMUM T 1892 \r\n 1944 \r\n\r\nTOTALS 5.61R 0.96 4.65 2.95 \r\nDAILY AVG. 0.19 0.03 0.16 0.10 \r\nDAYS >= .01 10 6.5 3.5 5\r\nDAYS >= .10 10 3.3 6.7 3\r\nDAYS >= .50 3 0.6 2.4 3\r\nDAYS >= 1.00 2 0.1 1.9 1\r\nGREATEST\r\n 24 HR. TOTAL 2.39 09\/14 TO 09\/15 09\/25 TO 09\/26\r\n 09\/07 TO 09\/07\r\n 09\/07 TO 09\/07\r\n STORM TOTAL MM MM\r\n (MM\/DD(HH)) MM 09\/26(00) TO 09\/26(00)\r\n 09\/07(00) TO 09\/07(00)7\r\n 09\/07(00) TO 09\/07(00)7\r\n\r\nSNOWFALL (INCHES)\r\nRECORDS\r\n TOTAL MM MM\r\nTOTALS 0.0 1.3\r\n\r\nDEGREE_DAYS\r\nHEATING TOTAL 83 125 -42 69\r\n SINCE 7\/1 83 141 -58 69\r\nCOOLING TOTAL 133 76 57 113\r\n SINCE 1\/1 999 764 235 1235\r\n\r\nFREEZE DATES\r\nRECORD\r\n EARLIEST 09\/08\/1962\r\n LATEST 06\/08\/2007\r\nEARLIEST 10\/07\r\nLATEST 05\/05\r\n\r\nWIND (MPH)\r\nAVERAGE WIND SPEED 9.2\r\nRESULTANT WIND SPEED\/DIRECTION 2\/183\r\nHIGHEST WIND SPEED\/DIRECTION 45\/220 DATE 09\/22\r\nHIGHEST GUST SPEED\/DIRECTION 64\/220 DATE 09\/22\r\n\r\nSKY COVER\r\nPOSSIBLE SUNSHINE (PERCENT) MM\r\nAVERAGE SKY COVER 0.50\r\nNUMBER OF DAYS FAIR 8\r\nNUMBER OF DAYS PC 14\r\nNUMBER OF DAYS CLOUDY 8\r\n\r\nAVERAGE RH (PERCENT) 59\r\n\r\nWEATHER CONDITIONS. NUMBER OF DAYS WITH\r\nTHUNDERSTORM 0 MIXED PRECIP 0\r\nHEAVY RAIN 5 RAIN 8\r\nLIGHT RAIN 15 FREEZING RAIN 0\r\nLT FREEZING RAIN 0 HAIL 0\r\nHEAVY SNOW 0 SNOW 0\r\nLIGHT SNOW 0 SLEET 0\r\nFOG 12 FOG W\/VIS <= 1\/4 MILE 4\r\nHAZE 1\r\n\r\n- INDICATES NEGATIVE NUMBERS.\r\nR INDICATES RECORD WAS SET OR TIED.\r\nMM INDICATES DATA IS MISSING.\r\nT INDICATES TRACE AMOUNT.<\/pre>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"