March 2017 was anything but typical for the Colorado Front Range. Temperatures were well above normal and perhaps most notably, no measurable snow was recorded – a rarity for March.
Warm and windy weather dominated our weather for the first three weeks of the month. While only one record temperature was recorded, the overall warmth led to Denver seeing its third warmest March on record. The last week of the month finally brought about change resulting in cooler temperatures and some much-needed precipitation.
Thornton’s overall average temperature for March was 48.3 degrees. Out at DIA where the Mile High City’s official temperature measurements are taken, it was slightly cooler with an average of 47.9 degrees. Both were far above the long-term March average of 40.4 degrees.
Temperatures in Thornton ranged from a high of 81.7 degrees on both the 18th and 19th. Our coldest reading of the month came on the first of the month with a low of 16.8 degrees. Denver saw its warmest temperature of 81 degrees on the 18th and its low of 14 on the first.
In terms of precipitation, Denver averages 0.92 inches during the month of March. Both Thornton and Denver were right near that average with 0.93 and 0.90 inches recorded in their respective rain buckets.
Snow was one thing that was severely lacking. Denver only recorded a trace and Thornton had no measurable snowfall during the month of March. As one of our snowiest months, Denver averages 10.7 inches of snow during March so we were far off the mark this year. This is only the third time in record Denver weather history that so little snow has been recorded.
Top 10 least snowiest Marches in Denver:
- Trace: 2017, 2012, 1995
- 0.3 inches: 1883
- 0.4 inches: 1911
- 0.5 inches: 1885
- 1.1 inches: 1887
- 1.8 inches: 2004
- 2 inches: 1882
- 2.1 inches: 1982
Click here to view Thornton’s March 2017 climate report.
From the National Weather Service:
CLIMATE REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER/BOULDER CO
244 AM MDT SAT APR 1 2017
...................................
...THE DENVER CO CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR THE MONTH OF MARCH 2017...
CLIMATE NORMAL PERIOD 1981 TO 2010
CLIMATE RECORD PERIOD 1872 TO 2017
WEATHER OBSERVED NORMAL DEPART LAST YEAR`S
VALUE DATE(S) VALUE FROM VALUE DATE(S)
NORMAL
................................................................
TEMPERATURE (F)
RECORD
HIGH 84 03/26/1971
LOW -11 03/28/1886
HIGHEST 81 03/18 84 -3 74 03/11
LOWEST 14 03/01 -11 25 10 03/24
AVG. MAXIMUM 64.0 54.4 9.6 54.9
AVG. MINIMUM 31.9 26.4 5.5 28.3
MEAN 47.9 40.4 7.5 41.6
DAYS MAX >= 90 0 0.0 0.0 0
DAYS MAX <= 32 0 1.9 -1.9 1
DAYS MIN <= 32 16 23.6 -7.6 21
DAYS MIN <= 0 0 0.1 -0.1 0
PRECIPITATION (INCHES)
RECORD
MAXIMUM 4.56 1983
MINIMUM 0.03 2012
TOTALS 0.90 0.92 -0.02 0.90
DAILY AVG. 0.03 0.03 0.00 0.03
DAYS >= .01 6 5.9 0.1 9
DAYS >= .10 3 2.4 0.6 2
DAYS >= .50 0 0.3 -0.3 0
DAYS >= 1.00 0 0.1 -0.1 0
GREATEST
24 HR. TOTAL 0.45 03/24 TO 03/24 03/23 TO 03/23
03/23 TO 03/23
03/23 TO 03/23
STORM TOTAL MM MM
(MM/DD(HH)) MM 03/23(00) TO 03/23(00)
03/23(00) TO 03/23(00)3
03/23(00) TO 03/23(00)3
SNOWFALL (INCHES)
RECORDS
TOTAL MM 5
TOTALS T 10.7
DEGREE_DAYS
HEATING TOTAL 523 763 -240 716
SINCE 7/1 4325 5202 -877 4704
COOLING TOTAL 0 0 0 0
SINCE 1/1 0 0 0 0
FREEZE DATES
RECORD
EARLIEST 09/08/1962
LATEST 06/08/2007
EARLIEST 10/07
LATEST 05/05
....................................................
WIND (MPH)
AVERAGE WIND SPEED 12.0
RESULTANT WIND SPEED/DIRECTION 3/241
HIGHEST WIND SPEED/DIRECTION 46/290 DATE 03/07
HIGHEST GUST SPEED/DIRECTION 60/290 DATE 03/07
SKY COVER
POSSIBLE SUNSHINE (PERCENT) MM
AVERAGE SKY COVER 0.60
NUMBER OF DAYS FAIR 3
NUMBER OF DAYS PC 22
NUMBER OF DAYS CLOUDY 6
AVERAGE RH (PERCENT) 43
WEATHER CONDITIONS. NUMBER OF DAYS WITH
THUNDERSTORM 0 MIXED PRECIP 1
HEAVY RAIN 0 RAIN 4
LIGHT RAIN 8 FREEZING RAIN 0
LT FREEZING RAIN 0 HAIL 0
HEAVY SNOW 0 SNOW 5
LIGHT SNOW 5 SLEET 0
FOG 6 FOG W/VIS <= 1/4 MILE 2
HAZE 2
- INDICATES NEGATIVE NUMBERS.
R INDICATES RECORD WAS SET OR TIED.
MM INDICATES DATA IS MISSING.
T INDICATES TRACE AMOUNT.