Overall, Thornton saw an average monthly temperature of 28.1 degrees.\u00a0 This was well below Denver\u2019s 30 year average (1981 \u2013 2000) for the month of December of 30.0 degrees.\u00a0 Out at DIA where the Mile High City\u2019s official measurements are taken, the month averaged 27.8 degrees.<\/p>\n
Temperatures ranged from a high of 65.7 degrees on the 30th down to a bone-chilling low of 10.7 degrees below zero on the morning of the 17th.\u00a0 Denver saw its warmest temperature of 65 degrees and coldest of 15 degrees below zero on the same dates.<\/p>\n
That low reading in Denver on the 17th was also a record low for the date.\u00a0 Additionally, the airport saw a high temperature of only 3 degrees that day setting a new record low maximum for the 17th.<\/p>\n
In all, Thornton saw five days where the high temperatures failed to climb above freezing and four days with temperatures below zero.\u00a0 Denver recorded six and four respectively.<\/p>\n
In terms of precipitation, Denver averages 0.35 inches of liquid precipitation during December.\u00a0 Thornton easily bested the average with 0.64 inches for the month while Denver fared better with 0.78 inches.<\/p>\n
Both Thornton and Denver saw above average levels of snowfall.\u00a0 The Mile High City averages 8.5 inches in December. In 2016, Thornton saw 8.9 inches while DIA recorded 9.7 inches.<\/p>\n
Click here to view Thornton\u2019s December \u00a02016 climate report<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n From the National Weather Service:<\/p>\n For the three previous months we had seen warmer and drier than normal conditions.\u00a0 December finally brought an end to that streak with temperatures well below normal and precipitation almost doubt the average for the month. The month was largely an unsettled one as a series of storm systems moved across the region.\u00a0 Two significant … Continue reading December 2016 weather recap: A colder, wetter month finally arrives<\/span> CLIMATE REPORT\r\nNATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER\/BOULDER CO\r\n718 AM MST SUN JAN 1 2017\r\n\r\n................................... \r\n\r\n...THE DENVER CO CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR THE MONTH OF DECEMBER 2016... \r\n\r\nCLIMATE NORMAL PERIOD 1981 TO 2010\r\nCLIMATE RECORD PERIOD 1872 TO 2016\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 79 12\/05\/1939\r\n LOW -25 12\/22\/1990\r\n 12\/24\/1876\r\nHIGHEST 65 12\/30 43 22 69 12\/09\r\nLOWEST -15 12\/17 17 -28 0 12\/28\r\n 12\/17\r\nAVG. MAXIMUM 42.7 42.8 -0.1 40.9\r\nAVG. MINIMUM 12.9 17.1 -4.2 17.9\r\nMEAN 27.8 30.0 -2.2 29.4\r\nDAYS MAX >= 90 0 0.0 0.0 0\r\nDAYS MAX <= 32 6 5.8 0.2 10\r\nDAYS MIN <= 32 30 29.4 0.6 28\r\nDAYS MIN <= 0 4 2.0 2.0 2 PRECIPITATION (INCHES) RECORD MAXIMUM 5.21 1913 MINIMUM 0.00 1881 TOTALS 0.78 0.35 0.43 0.71 DAILY AVG. 0.03 0.01 0.02 0.02 DAYS >= .01 6 4.1 1.9 5\r\nDAYS >= .10 2 1.1 0.9 3\r\nDAYS >= .50 0 0.1 -0.1 0\r\nDAYS >= 1.00 0 0.0 0.0 0\r\nGREATEST\r\n 24 HR. TOTAL 0.63 12\/16 TO 12\/17\r\n\r\nSNOWFALL (INCHES)\r\nTOTALS 9.7 2016 8.5 NORMAL\r\nRECORDS 57.4 1913\r\n T 1905 1906 2002\r\n\r\nDEGREE_DAYS\r\nHEATING TOTAL 1146 1086 60 1097\r\n SINCE 7\/1 2042 2468 -426 2187\r\nCOOLING TOTAL 0 0 0 0\r\n SINCE 1\/1 878 769 109 877\r\n\r\nFREEZE DATES\r\nRECORD\r\n EARLIEST 09\/08\/1962 10\/07\r\n LATEST 06\/08\/2007 05\/05\r\n............................................................... \r\n\r\nWIND (MPH)\r\nAVERAGE WIND SPEED 9.2\r\nRESULTANT WIND SPEED\/DIRECTION 3\/167\r\nHIGHEST WIND SPEED\/DIRECTION 37\/260 DATE 12\/05\r\nHIGHEST GUST SPEED\/DIRECTION 46\/260 DATE 12\/05\r\n\r\nSKY COVER\r\nPOSSIBLE SUNSHINE (PERCENT) MM\r\nAVERAGE SKY COVER 0.50\r\nNUMBER OF DAYS FAIR 7\r\nNUMBER OF DAYS PC 18\r\nNUMBER OF DAYS CLOUDY 6\r\n\r\nAVERAGE RH (PERCENT) 57\r\n\r\nWEATHER CONDITIONS. NUMBER OF DAYS WITH\r\nTHUNDERSTORM 0 MIXED PRECIP 0\r\nHEAVY RAIN 0 RAIN 0\r\nLIGHT RAIN 1 FREEZING RAIN 0\r\nLT FREEZING RAIN 0 HAIL 0\r\nHEAVY SNOW 2 SNOW 3\r\nLIGHT SNOW 7 SLEET 0\r\nFOG 11 FOG W\/VIS <= 1\/4 MILE 3\r\nHAZE 6\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":"
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