![\"Thornton,](\"http:\/\/lh4.googleusercontent.com\/-jrGF6Db9NOg\/UOL2amsfE9I\/AAAAAAAAK84\/D8Y-6Mn_NsU\/s288\/Thornton2012WeatherReview.jpg\" "\\"Thornton,")
As the sun sets on 2012 and the new year dawns, we look back on the past 12 months and can see it for what it was: unusually dry and warm.\u00a0 While we were spared monster blizzards or much severe weather, there were still noteworthy weather events.<\/p>\n
In terms of temperatures, Denver recorded an overall average of 53.8 degrees as recorded at Denver International Airport.\u00a0 This was 3.4 degrees above average and put 2012 in the history books as the third warmest year in Denver history<\/a>.\u00a0 Here in Thornton we were, as usual, a bit cooler with an annual average temperature of 52.9 degrees.<\/p>\n The National Weather Service reported 73 days with temperatures at or above 90 degrees which far exceeds the average of 40 such days we normally see annually.\u00a0 Here in Thornton we too saw more than average with 62 days of 90 degree or hotter temperatures.<\/p>\n The late spring and early summer proved to be record setting in terms of heat.\u00a0 The month of June set a record high temperature average and July was the hottest month in Denver history.\u00a0 Two days, June 25th and 26th broke daily high temperature records and tied Denver\u2019s all-time high temperature of 105 degrees.<\/p>\n On the opposite end of the thermometer, Denver officially recorded 132 days with temperatures at or below freezing.\u00a0 Here in Thornton we recorded two more with 134 days.\u00a0 On average the Mile High City records 157 days of freezing temperatures.<\/p>\n While the year was unusually warm, it was also extraordinarily dry.\u00a0 A mere 10.11 inches of precipitation was recorded in Denver\u2019s rain bucket at DIA, 4.19 inches below normal.\u00a0 Here in Thornton we were even drier as we recorded 9.61 inches of precipitation in 2012. \u00a0While extremely dry, neither measurement was low enough to make the list of top 15 driest years<\/a>.<\/p>\n Total snowfall for the calendar year ended up at 38.5 inches at DIA and 35.1 inches in Thornton. Both locations fell well short of the Denver annual average snowfall of 53.5 inches. \u00a0Denver’s snowfall was enough to keep it off the list of top 15 least snowiest years. \u00a0However Thornton’s measurement would have made it the 13th least snowiest on Denver’s list<\/a>.<\/p>\n Snowfall started out reasonably strong thanks to a healthy snowfall total in February.\u00a0 However while March is on average our snowiest month, that did not hold true in 2012.\u00a0 A mere 0.03 inch of precipitation was recorded setting the stage for the balance of a dry year.<\/p>\n Combined, June, July and August recorded only 1.81 inches of precipitation at DIA.\u00a0 This was an astonishing 4.02 inches below average for that period.\u00a0 Thornton fared only slightly better over the period with 2.34 inches.<\/p>\n While September brought above normal precipitation, the final three months of 2012 returned us to drier than normal conditions.<\/p>\n Extreme weather events were not particularly common in 2012.\u00a0 There was a distinct lack of heavy snow events and even spring\u2019s severe weather season was relatively tame.<\/p>\n However, the hot summer temperatures and tinder dry conditions did lead to a deadly and destructive wildfire season.<\/p>\n The High Park Fire in June quickly became the second largest wildfire in Colorado history.\u00a0 That blaze was soon followed by the Waldo Canyon Fire west of Colorado Springs which went into the history books as the most destructive blaze in state history.<\/p>\n Click here for Thornton’s 2012 Climate Summary Report<\/a><\/p>\n From the National Weather Service:<\/strong><\/p>\n As the sun sets on 2012 and the new year dawns, we look back on the past 12 months and can see it for what it was: unusually dry and warm.\u00a0 While we were spared monster blizzards or much severe weather, there were still noteworthy weather events. In terms of temperatures, Denver recorded an overall … Continue reading 2012 Thornton weather recap: Warm and dry conditions dominated<\/span> ![\"Thornton,](\"http:\/\/lh3.googleusercontent.com\/-gHUtlciHv2s\/UOL2anHahoI\/AAAAAAAAK88\/NtYssWjkABs\/s560\/2013-01-01_064622.jpg\" "\\"Thornton,")
<\/a>![\"Thornton,](\"http:\/\/lh6.googleusercontent.com\/-zshmV1mvYUM\/UOL2abVOxzI\/AAAAAAAAK80\/9trPNLOT1Cc\/s560\/2013-01-01_064649.jpg\" "\\"Thornton,")
<\/a>![\"Denver,](\"http:\/\/lh5.googleusercontent.com\/-yNesqP7SsUk\/UOL2Y-mPEfI\/AAAAAAAAK8s\/hZW2GAvUMtE\/s800\/2013-01-01_064505.jpg\" "\\"Denver,")
CLIMATE REPORT\r\nNATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BOULDER, CO\r\n130 AM MST TUE JAN 1 2013\r\n\r\n...THE DENVER CO CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR THE YEAR OF 2012...\r\n\r\nCLIMATE NORMAL PERIOD 1981 TO 2010\r\nCLIMATE RECORD PERIOD 1872 TO 2012\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 105 06\/26\/2012\r\n 06\/25\/2012\r\n 07\/20\/2005\r\n LOW -29 01\/09\/1875\r\nHIGHEST 105R 06\/26 64 41 99 08\/25\r\n 06\/25 07\/31\r\n 07\/04\r\nLOWEST -6 01\/11 36 -42 -17 02\/02\r\nAVG. MAXIMUM 68.4 64.7 3.7 64.8\r\nAVG. MINIMUM 39.3 36.3 3.0 36.4\r\nMEAN 53.9 50.5 3.4 50.6\r\nDAYS MAX >= 90 73 39.6 33.4 50\r\nDAYS MAX <= 32 19 20.0 -1.0 23\r\nDAYS MIN <= 32 132 156.9 -24.9 158\r\nDAYS MIN <= 0 4 5.8 -1.8 12\r\n\r\nPRECIPITATION (INCHES)\r\nRECORD\r\n MAXIMUM 23.31 1196\r\n MINIMUM 7.29 2008\r\nTOTALS 10.11 14.30 -4.19 17.31\r\nDAILY AVG. 0.03 0.04 -0.01 0.05\r\nDAYS >= .01 52 79.7 -27.7 80\r\nDAYS >= .10 23 34.9 -11.9 37\r\nDAYS >= .50 9 7.6 1.4 10\r\nDAYS >= 1.00 1 2.3 -1.3 6\r\nGREATEST\r\n 24 HR. TOTAL 1.63 MM 05\/11 TO 05\/12\r\n 10\/26 TO 10\/26\r\n 10\/26 TO 10\/26\r\n STORM TOTAL MM 2.52\r\n (MM\/DD(HH)) MM 05\/12(00) TO 05\/12(00)\r\n 10\/26(00) TO 10\/26(00)6\r\n 10\/26(00) TO 10\/26(00)6\r\n\r\nSNOWFALL (INCHES)\r\nRECORDS\r\n TOTAL MM 5\r\n 24 HR TOTAL MM\r\n SNOW DEPTH MM MM\r\nTOTALS 38.5 53.8 -15.3 46.8\r\n LIQUID EQUIV 3.85 5.40 -1.55 4.68\r\nSINCE 7\/1 12.4 22.5 -10.1 29.5\r\n LIQUID 7\/1 1.24 2.20 -0.96 2.95\r\nSNOWDEPTH AVG. 0 MM MM 0\r\nDAYS >= TRACE 36 33.3 2.7 41\r\nDAYS >= 1.0 13 16.3 -3.3 16\r\nGREATEST\r\n SNOW DEPTH 11 02\/04 7 01\/10\r\n 01\/11\r\n 24 HR TOTAL 12.5 MM 10\/26 TO 10\/26\r\n 10\/26 TO 10\/26\r\n 10\/26 TO 10\/26\r\n STORM TOTAL MM 8.5\r\n (MM\/DD(HH)) MM 10\/26(00) TO 10\/26(00)\r\n 10\/26(00) TO 10\/26(00)6\r\n 10\/26(00) TO 10\/26(00)6\r\n\r\nDEGREE_DAYS\r\nHEATING TOTAL 5198 6059 -861 6069\r\n SINCE 7\/1 MM 2468 MM MM\r\nCOOLING TOTAL 1236 0 1236 964\r\n SINCE 1\/1 1236 769 467 964\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\n\r\nWIND (MPH)\r\nAVERAGE WIND SPEED 10.3\r\nRESULTANT WIND SPEED\/DIRECTION 3\/205\r\nHIGHEST WIND SPEED\/DIRECTION 52\/240 DATE 06\/02\r\nHIGHEST GUST SPEED\/DIRECTION 67\/250 DATE 06\/02\r\n\r\nSKY COVER\r\nPOSSIBLE SUNSHINE (PERCENT) MM\r\nAVERAGE SKY COVER 0.50\r\nNUMBER OF DAYS FAIR 86\r\nNUMBER OF DAYS PC 235\r\nNUMBER OF DAYS CLOUDY 45\r\n\r\nAVERAGE RH (PERCENT) 44\r\n\r\nWEATHER CONDITIONS. NUMBER OF DAYS WITH\r\nTHUNDERSTORM 0 MIXED PRECIP 0\r\nHEAVY RAIN 4 RAIN 12\r\nLIGHT RAIN 45 FREEZING RAIN 0\r\nLT FREEZING RAIN 1 HAIL 3\r\nHEAVY SNOW 4 SNOW 15\r\nLIGHT SNOW 37 SLEET 0\r\nFOG 73 FOG W\/VIS <= 1\/4 MILE 21\r\nHAZE 51\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":"