Coming off a very snowy and cold March, Thornton saw a relatively seasonal April 2016. Temperatures were right near normal but we did see a healthier than average dose of snow and precipitation.
The month started out quite mild. In fact 13 of the first 14 days saw above average high temperatures. That changed quickly though at the middle of the month when a storm system brought cold and snow to the Front Range. While most of the white stuff fell to our south, Thornton managed respectable totals over the 16th and 17th of the month.
We then returned to mild weather but only for a few days as a series of low pressure systems passed through the state. The final three days of the month saw well-below average high temperatures and periods of rain and snow.
Thornton saw an average temperature for the month of 48.0 degrees. Out at the airport where Denver’s official measurements are kept, the monthly average was a bit cooler at 47.2 degrees. Both were quite close to the April long term average of 47.4 degrees.
Temperatures in Thornton ranged from a maximum of 78.3 degrees on the 22nd down to a low of 21.9 degrees on the first of the month. DIA saw a maximum of 77 degrees on the 22nd and 23rd and a low of 25 degrees on the first.
In terms of precipitation, Denver’s long term April average is 1.71 inches. On this front, both Thornton and Denver came out above normal. We saw 2.47 inches of liquid precipitation in our bucket in Thornton while Denver recorded 2.56 inches.
Snowfall was above the 8.9 inch April average in Thornton and Denver. Thornton however only bested it by a half inch with a total of 9.4 inches for the month. Out at the airport, 15.6 inches was recorded.
Thornton, Colorado’s April 2016 temperature summary. (ThorntonWeather.com)Thornton, Colorado’s April 2016 precipitation summary. (ThorntonWeather.com)
CLIMATE REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER/BOULDER CO
244 AM MDT SUN MAY 1 2016
...THE DENVER CO CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR THE MONTH OF APRIL 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 90 04/30/1992
LOW -2 04/02/1975
HIGHEST 77 04/23 90 -13 79 04/30
04/22
04/14
LOWEST 25 04/01 -2 27 27 04/03
AVG. MAXIMUM 59.4 61.5 -2.1 62.1
AVG. MINIMUM 35.1 33.3 1.8 35.3
MEAN 47.2 47.4 -0.2 48.7
DAYS MAX >= 90 0 0.0 0.0 0
DAYS MAX <= 32 0 0.3 -0.3 0
DAYS MIN <= 32 11 13.0 -2.0 7
DAYS MIN <= 0 0 0.0 0.0 0 PRECIPITATION (INCHES) RECORD MAXIMUM 8.24 1900 MINIMUM 0.03 1963 TOTALS 2.56 1.71 0.85 2.65 DAILY AVG. 0.09 0.06 0.03 0.09 DAYS >= .01 10 9.1 0.9 9
DAYS >= .10 6 4.5 1.5 6
DAYS >= .50 2 0.9 1.1 2
DAYS >= 1.00 1 0.5 0.5 1
GREATEST
24 HR. TOTAL 1.22 04/15 TO 04/16 04/16 TO 04/17
04/17 TO 04/17
04/17 TO 04/17
STORM TOTAL MM MM
(MM/DD(HH)) MM 04/17(00) TO 04/17(00)
04/17(00) TO 04/17(00)7
04/17(00) TO 04/17(00)7
SNOWFALL (INCHES)
TOTALS 15.6 8.9 6.7
DEGREE_DAYS
HEATING TOTAL 526 529 -3 481
SINCE 7/1 5230 5731 -501 5205
COOLING TOTAL 0 1 -1 0
SINCE 1/1 0 1 -1 0
FREEZE DATES
RECORD
EARLIEST 09/08/1962
LATEST 06/08/2007
EARLIEST 04/01 10/07
LATEST 05/05
........................................................
WIND (MPH)
AVERAGE WIND SPEED 10.9
RESULTANT WIND SPEED/DIRECTION 2/243
HIGHEST WIND SPEED/DIRECTION 43/300 DATE 04/05
HIGHEST GUST SPEED/DIRECTION 53/300 DATE 04/05
SKY COVER
POSSIBLE SUNSHINE (PERCENT) MM
AVERAGE SKY COVER 0.60
NUMBER OF DAYS FAIR 6
NUMBER OF DAYS PC 15
NUMBER OF DAYS CLOUDY 9
AVERAGE RH (PERCENT) 55
WEATHER CONDITIONS. NUMBER OF DAYS WITH
THUNDERSTORM 0 MIXED PRECIP 0
HEAVY RAIN 0 RAIN 2
LIGHT RAIN 6 FREEZING RAIN 0
LT FREEZING RAIN 0 HAIL 0
HEAVY SNOW 1 SNOW 5
LIGHT SNOW 8 SLEET 0
FOG 9 FOG W/VIS <= 1/4 MILE 4
HAZE 1
- INDICATES NEGATIVE NUMBERS.
R INDICATES RECORD WAS SET OR TIED.
MM INDICATES DATA IS MISSING.
T INDICATES TRACE AMOUNT.
A picture perfect evening in Adams County. (Carolyn Owens Smith)
April can be a tricky month weather-wise with everything from mild temperatures to snow to severe weather being possible. The good thing about that is that it provides plenty of chances for great photos!
April marks a transition between winter and summer for most of the country but for Denver it is especially true as we can see a stunning variety of weather.
The proverbial April showers are certainly a possibility for Denver. Snow? Tornadoes? Thunderstorms? You bet – all can happen!
Throw in our usual wildlife plus the wide variety of birds that return to the Centennial State for the spring and summer and there is a lot going on.
Slideshow updated April 23, 2016.
To learn more about how to send your photo to us for inclusion in the slideshow, see below the slideshow.
Showcasing images captured by ThorntonWeather.com readers as well as some of our own, our monthly slideshow covers the entire gamut of weather-related imagery.
Sunsets, sunrises, wildlife and of course every type of weather condition are vividly depicted in images captured from yours and our cameras.
[flickr_set id=”72157666986103395″]
What is missing in the slideshow above? Your photo!
Our monthly photo slideshow is going to feature images that we have taken but more importantly images that you have captured. The photos can be of anything even remotely weather-related.
Landscapes, current conditions, wildlife, pets, kids. Whimsical, newsy, artsy. Taken at the zoo, some other area attraction, a local park, a national park or your backyard. You name it, we want to see and share it!
Images can be taken in Thornton, Denver or anywhere across the extraordinary Centennial State. We’ll even take some from out of state if we can tie it to Colorado somehow.
We’ll keep the criteria very open to interpretation with just about any image eligible to be shown in our slideshows.
What do you win for having your image in our slideshow? We are just a ‘mom and pop’ outfit and make no money from our site so we really don’t have the means to provide prizes. However you will have our undying gratitude and the satisfaction that your images are shared on the most popular website in Thornton.
To share you images with us and get them included in the slideshow just email them to us or share them with ThorntonWeather.com on any of the various social media outlets. Links are provided below.
We will enjoy one mild day this week and today is it. After this, it goes downhill with unsettled, cooler conditions for the balance.
Today starts out with mostly sunny skies and calm, mild conditions. Temperatures will be climbing to a high of around 73 degrees, a good bit above the average for the date of 64 degrees.
Winds will be a bit breezy this afternoon and the latter part of the afternoon and into the evening brings a chance for showers and thunderstorms. Right now we expect most of these storms to be high-based and bring primarily wind.
Looking ahead, low pressure is going to reign for the balance of the workweek and through the weekend. Temperatures are going to generally be about 10 degrees below normal and each day will feature opportunities for showers, maybe even just a touch of snow even early tomorrow morning and Wednesday morning. Get a complete look at the extended weather forecast here.
April 24 to April 30: This week in Denver weather history
Weather in Colorado is always interesting but springtime can bring the entire gamut of conditions. Looking back at this week in Denver weather history we see just how varied this time of year – from flooding rains to heavy snowfall to severe thunderstorms it can and has all happened.
From the National Weather Service:
22-24
In 2010…a potent spring storm brought heavy… Wet snow to areas in and near the Front Range Foothills and widespread rainfall across the adjacent plains. In the Front Range Foothills and North-Central Mountains east of the Continental Divide…storm totals ranged from 15 to 30 inches. Storm totals included: 29.5 inches…3 miles southeast of Pinecliffe; 27 inches…8 miles northeast of Four Corners; 23 inches at Willow Creek; 22.5 inches… 13 miles northwest of Golden; 21 inches at Never Summer; 17 inches at Eldorado Springs; 16.5 inches…3 miles west of Jamestown. Denver International Airport reported just a trace of snowfall…but measured 2.01 inches of rainfall for the duration of the storm. In addition…a peak wind gust to 54 mph from the northwest was observed at the airport on the 23rd
23-24
In 1883…snowfall totaled 7.6 inches in downtown Denver.
In 1904…a thunderstorm produced hail during the late evening of the 23rd. Apparent post-frontal rain changed to snow during the early morning of the 24th…but totaled only 2.0 inches. Precipitation consisting of rain…melted hail…and snow totaled 0.60 inch. Northeast winds were sustained to 41 mph with gusts as high as 52 mph on the 24th.
In 1905…rain changed to snow and totaled 8.0 inches. Much of the snow melted as it fell with only 2.5 inches measured on the ground. Precipitation totaled 1.88 inches. Northeast winds were sustained to 20 mph on the 23rd.
In 1942…the South Platte River reached flood conditions in the city. As many as 15 thousand residents were warned to evacuate their homes temporarily. Two lives were lost in the city. Four bridges were washed out by the flood waters and other bridges were endangered. The damage was generally limited to bridges that were in poor condition. However…the flood waters did not overflow their channel banks within the city limits.
In 1980…heavy rain began in the eastern foothills on the night of the 23rd and turned to heavy wet snow on the 24th. Up to a foot and a half of snow fell in the foothills west of Denver. At Stapleton International Airport precipitation totaled 1.58 inches…but only 3.7 inches of snow fell from the storm. East winds gusted to 24 mph.
In 1997…locations in and near the foothills received the greatest snow of the year as a winter-like storm system moved into metro Denver. East to southeast winds at speeds of 15 to 35 mph were common with even stronger gusts above 9 thousand feet. Snow fell at a rate of 2 to 3 inches an hour as deep upslope combined with a moist and unstable air mass. The snow began in the foothills above 7500 feet during the evening of the 23rd. By sunrise the snow level had dropped to 5000 feet. The hardest hit areas extended from I-25 into the foothills. Snowfall totals in the foothills ranged from 1 1/2 to over 3 1/2 feet. In the city…snowfall ranged from 8 to 18 inches. Some snowfall amounts included: 36 inches at Coal Creek Canyon; 31 inches at Nederland and Wondervu; 20 to 24 inches near Blackhawk… At Echo Lake…and North Turkey Creek Canyon; 15 to 19 inches at Boulder…central city…conifer…Evergreen…Georgetown… And Louisville; 8 to 14 inches in Arvada…Broomfield… Westminster…Wheat Ridge…Castle Rock…and Ken Caryl Ranch. Only 2.3 inches of snow fell at the site of the former Stapleton International Airport on the 24th. East winds gusted to 36 mph at Denver International Airport on the 24th.
In 2003…a strong and deep northerly flow circulating around a closed upper low pressure center allowed heavy snow to fall in the mountains and eastern foothills. Snowfall totaled 14 inches in Idaho Springs. Rain was mixed with snow and thunder across metro Denver. Snowfall was only 0.9 inch overnight at the site of the former Stapleton International Airport. Precipitation totaled 1.34 inches at Denver International Airport…where northwest winds gusted to 55 mph on the 23rd.
In 2007…a storm system intensified over southeast Colorado… Allowing for heavy snow and rain to develop over much of north-central and northeast Colorado. Severe thunderstorms preceded the storm system on the 23rd…affecting the urban corridor. Nickel size hail was reported in Boulder and a small landspout touched down near Byers. On the 24th…heavy snow fell in the foothills west of Denver and Boulder…where storm totals ranged from 1 to 2 feet. Heavy snow also occurred along the palmer divide…with storm totals of 10 to 16 inches. Elsewhere…a steady moderate to heavy rainfall was reported. Denver International Airport measured 2.09 inches of rainfall…which shattered the previous 24-hr record of 1.29 inches for the 24th of April. The heavy wet snow caused several power outages. In some instances it took several days to restore power. Several road closures were reported…including interstates 25 and 70. A jackknifed semi-trailer backed up traffic for nearly 20 miles…on southbound I-25…between Denver and Colorado springs. In addition…a 50-ton Boulder blocked the southbound lane of State Highway 285…near Parmalee Gulch. Crews had to use explosives to break up the Boulder and clear the debris. Stranded buses and impassable roadways also forced several school closures.
23-25
In 1935…heavy wet snow fell across metro Denver. The storm started as rain on the 23rd and changed to snow early on the morning of the 24th. There was continuous precipitation for a period of 48 hours. Snowfall totaled 19.0 inches over the city and 20.0 inches at Denver municipal airport. However… Due to warm temperatures in the 30’s…much of the snow melted as it fell and did not seriously disrupt traffic. The greatest snow accumulation on the ground downtown was 12 inches…but it quickly melted. The highest sustained wind speed recorded during the storm was 28 mph from the north on the 23rd. The storm contained 3.16 inches of moisture.
24
In 1959…wind gusts to 60 mph recorded in downtown Boulder caused very limited minor damage. West winds gusted to 38 mph at Stapleton Airport.
In 1986…a wind gust to 60 mph was clocked at Golden Gate Canyon.
In 1989…1 3/4 inch diameter hail was reported in Lafayette. Boulder and Louisville reported 3/4 inch hail.
24-25 in 1890…rain changed to snow and totaled 7.0 inches in downtown Denver.
In 1931…heavy snowfall totaled 9.3 inches over downtown Denver. Winds were light during the storm.
In 1996…the second wind storm in less than a week developed east of the continental divide and spread over metro Denver. High winds gusted from 60 to 90 mph. Several power lines and poles were downed. Some of the stronger wind gusts included: 91 mph atop squaw mountain west of Denver…90 mph atop Table Mesa near Boulder…85 mph in Golden Gate Canyon…and 82 mph at Wondervu. Northwest winds gusted to 41 mph at Denver International Airport on the 25th.
24-26
In 1924…post-frontal rain changed to snow…which became heavy and totaled 10.2 inches over downtown Denver. The greatest amount of snow on the ground was 6.0 inches on the 25th due to melting. North winds were sustained to 38 mph with gusts to 42 mph on the 24th.
25
In 1902…northeast winds were sustained to 42 mph with gusts to 48 mph.
In 1908…north winds were sustained to 40 mph behind an apparent cold front. Snowfall was 0.5 inch.
In 1928…rain changed to snow…which became heavy and totaled 7.4 inches in downtown Denver. Due to melting…the maximum snow depth on the ground was 4.0 inches at 6:00 pm. This was the last snow of the season. Southeast winds were sustained to 19 mph with gusts to 20 mph.
In 1976…a south wind gust to 54 mph was recorded at Stapleton International Airport. The high winds toppled a 70-foot high cottonwood tree onto the rear of house and a neighboring residence in central Denver.
In 1989…lightning caused heavy damage to a radio transmitter in Parker…knocking a Denver area radio station off the air for 3 hours.
In 1994…weather spotters reported dime-size hail at the intersection of U.S. Highway 287 and c470 in Jefferson County. Marble-size hail covered the ground near Golden to a depth of 1 inch. Pea-size hail was reported covering the ground to a depth of 3 inches in Arvada.
25-26
In 1985…a spring storm brought much rain and snow to metro Denver. The foothills were buried with 15 inches of snow at conifer and 12 inches at Evergreen. At lower elevations… An inch or more of rain fell in Denver and Boulder. The heavy precipitation caused brief power outages in the Denver area. Precipitation totaled 1.06 inches at Stapleton International Airport…including only 0.7 inch of snowfall.
Mother Nature played a somewhat cruel trick on the Colorado Front Range. The week started with mild temperatures and a definite feeling of spring in the air. She closed out the week with a significant snowstorm and plenty of cold.
The long-expected storm arrived on the evening of Friday the 15th with rain. Overnight into the early morning of the 16th, the rain continued, heavy at times. In the early morning hours, as temperatures dropped, the rain changed to snow and would continue virtually non-stop through the morning of the 17th.
Thornton’s snowfall totals were certainly at the lower end of what was reported in the Denver metro area. We saw 7.3 inches, much of which melted as fast as it fell. Other locations not far to the west and south were pushing a foot and locations in the foothills and Palmer Divide saw nearly two feet.
The time lapse video begins at midnight on the morning of the 16th and continues through noon on the 17th.
April 17 to April 23: This week in Denver weather history
As we enter the latter half of April the weather history calendar starts to reflect shift in the type of weather events we see. There are still plenty of significant snowfall events. However spring severe weather starts to appear with greater frequency including heavy rain, hail and even tornadoes.
From the National Weather Service:
13-17
In 2001…a huge dust storm over southern and Inner Mongolia during April 3rd through the 6th lifted desert dust into the jet stream. This dust cloud moved over metro Denver on the 13th and persisted through the 17th. The cloud created widespread haze…giving the sky a milkish cast due to the scattering of incoming solar radiation.
15-17
In 1922…heavy snowfall totaled 9.0 inches in downtown Denver. Most of the snow…6.0 inches…fell on the 16th. This was the third major snow storm in a week. Northwest winds were sustained to 43 mph with gusts to 47 mph on the 15th.
16-17
In 1944…heavy snowfall totaled 7.5 inches in downtown Denver. Northwest winds were sustained to 18 mph on the 16th.
16-18
In 2009…a potent spring storm brought heavy snow to locations in and near the Front Range foothills. A deep easterly upslope produced nearly 5 feet of snow in parts of the foothills. The heavy snow resulted in the closure of Interstate 70…from Golden west to Vail…for approximately 16 hours. The heavy snow snapped power lines in Evergreen and Nederland. The ensuing outages affected 14200 residents. In the Front Range foothills…storm totals included: 56 inches…3 miles south of Rollinsville; 54 inches…3 miles southeast of Pinecliffe…43 inches at Aspen Springs…42 inches at Evergreen…38 inches near conifer; 37 inches at St. Mary’s glacier…and 34 inches near Nederland. Along the urban corridor and Palmer Divide…the heaviest snow occurred above 5500 feet on the 17th. Storm totals included: 22 inches…8.5 miles southwest of Franktown; 18 inches…10 miles south-southeast of Buckley Air Force Base; 17 inches near Cherry Creek and 7 miles south of Sedalia… 16 inches…6.5 miles southwest of Castle Rock; 15 inches near Beverly Hills; 12 inches near Highlands Ranch and Lafayette…with 11 inches in Broomfield. Elsewhere storm totals ranged from 4 to 10 inches. Officially…only 2.6 inches of snow was observed at Denver International Airport. The 24-hr precipitation for the day however was 1.16 inches… Which established a new record for April 17th.
17
In 1889…northwest winds were sustained to 48 mph.
In 1899…apparent post-frontal north winds were sustained to 42 mph with gusts as high as 48 mph.
In 1935…light dust moved over the city behind an apparent dry cold front…which produced northeast winds to 19 mph with gusts to 20 mph.
In 1978…winds estimated to 70 mph occurred in Morrison. Northwest winds gusted to 49 mph at Stapleton International Airport.
In 2000…strong pre-frontal winds and widely scattered thunderstorms caused high winds to develop across northern metro Denver and portions of the northeast plains. Peak wind gusts included 75 mph at Louisville. South winds gusted to only 28 mph at Denver International Airport.
In 2002…strong southwest winds in advance of a cold front gusted to 52 mph at Denver International Airport.
In 2003…severe thunderstorms produced 1 inch diameter hail 7 miles east of Brighton. Strong thunderstorm winds blew out an auto windshield near Denver International Airport where south winds gusted to 48 mph.
17-18
In 1878…the wind blew violently all day on the 17th with a maximum sustained velocity of 40 mph. Dust hung over the city like a cloud. The relative humidity was zero nearly all day. A terrific gale blew overnight. There was much damage to buildings…signs…fences…etc. Some wind gusts were so strong as to jar buildings to their foundations. The station anemometer recorded sustained winds to 50 mph with higher gusts before it was damaged by the winds. The winds moderated during the day on the 18th and ended at sunset.
In 1894…post-frontal rain changed to snow on the 17th around sunrise and continued through 9:00 am on the 18th. Snowfall totaled 10.5 inches…but most of the snow melted as it fell. The high temperature warmed to only 35 degrees on the 17th after a high of 76 on the 16th. Northeast winds were sustained to 30 mph with gusts to 32 mph on the 17th.
In 1998…more spring snow fell across metro Denver and in the foothills. Snowfall totals included: 11 inches at Golden Gate Canyon; 10 inches at Highlands Ranch; 9 inches at Elizabeth; 8 inches at Broomfield and Morrison; and 7 inches at Chief Hosa…Evergreen…Littleton…and Sedalia. Snowfall totaled only 3.2 inches at the site of the former Stapleton International Airport. North winds gusted to 22 mph at Denver International Airport.
17-19
In 1920…snow fell across the city continuously for 57 hours… From the early morning of the 17th until 11:40 am on the 19th. The heavy wet snowfall totaled 18.2 inches with the greatest accumulation on the ground of 12 inches. Winds during the storm were strong with sustained speeds in excess of 27 mph for over 40 consecutive hours…which created near-blizzard conditions. The highest recorded wind speeds were 44 mph with gusts to 50 mph from the north on the 17th and 39 mph with gusts to 48 mph from the northwest on the 18th. The strong winds piled the snow into high drifts which stopped all Denver traffic. Railroads were blocked with only one train entering the city on the 19th. All interurban trains were blocked…as were the 13 trolley lines. Thus…many workers were unable to get home at night and filled all of the downtown hotels to capacity. No grocery or fuel deliveries were possible… Except milk and coal to hospitals and to families with babies. No lives were lost in the city…but several people perished in surrounding districts. Stock losses were heavy on the plains. Temperatures during the storm were in the 20’s.
18
In 1877…strong winds blew all day with an average sustained velocity of 36 mph. The maximum sustained velocity was 60 mph. No significant damage was reported.
In 1903…northwest winds were sustained to 48 mph with gusts to 53 mph.
In 1936…light dust spread over the city from the east on southeast winds gusting to 25 mph. The surface visibility was reduced to about 2 miles at times.
In 1940…this date marked the start of the longest period without snow…200 days…through November 3…1940. A trace of snow fell on both April 17…1940…and November 4…1940.
In 1963…strong winds were prevalent all day across metro Denver. West-northwest winds gusting to 60 mph produced some blowing dust at Stapleton Airport.
In 1971…a microburst wind gust to 59 mph produced some blowing dust at Stapleton International Airport.
In 1978…high winds caused much blowing dust over the plains. Wind gusts from 80 to 96 mph were reported in Boulder with 80 mph measured on Lookout Mountain. Northwest winds gusted to 43 mph at Stapleton International Airport.
In 2000…high winds developed in the foothills of Boulder County. Peak wind gusts included 71 mph at the National Center for Atmospheric Research mesa lab near Boulder. In Aurora…three workers were injured when strong winds caused a home under construction to partially collapse. Two received minor injuries…while the third worker had to be hospitalized with severe back injuries. South winds gusted to 47 mph at Denver International Airport.
In 2002…strong northeast winds behind a cold front gusted to 53 mph at Denver International Airport where some blowing dust briefly reduced the visibility to 3 miles.
18-19
In 1884…a major storm dumped 13.8 inches of snowfall on downtown Denver. Most of the snow…10.0 inches…fell on the 18th. Light rain on the early morning of the 18th changed to heavy snow at 8:00 am and became light after 2:00 pm but continued until 4:00 am on the 19th. The snow melted nearly as fast as it fell. There were only 3 inches on the ground early on the morning of the 19th.
In 1941…heavy snowfall totaled 8.4 inches over downtown Denver. Northeast winds were sustained to 17 mph.
In 1993…sporadic high winds occurred across metro Denver. Significant wind gusts included 97 mph at Rollinsville… 80 mph in southwest Boulder…and 55 mph at Stapleton International Airport. The strong winds snapped a pine tree top…about 15 feet long and 8 inches in diameter…which crashed through the roof of a church in Evergreen…causing one thousand dollars in damage. Wind gusts of 50 to 60 mph caused structural damage to 3 homes under construction in Broomfield. Northwest winds gusted to 55 mph at Stapleton International Airport.
In 1995…the second spring storm of the month dumped heavy snow in the foothills. The upslope flow along with areas of thunder snow dropped 6 to 12 inches of snow in the foothills west of Denver and Boulder. Snowfall totaled 4.6 inches at the site of the former Stapleton International Airport…but most of the snow melted as it fell. East winds gusted to 29 mph at Denver International Airport on the 18th.
18-20
In 1966…sub-freezing temperatures caused thousands of dollars in damage to fruit trees across metro Denver. Minimum temperatures were in the teens each morning and failed to reach above freezing on the 19th. The low temperature of 13 on the 20th set a new record minimum for the date. Snowfall totaled 5.7 inches at Stapleton International Airport during the period.
19
In 1899…northwest winds were sustained to 48 mph with gusts as high as 60 mph in the city.
In 1941…the last snow of the season…0.4 inch…occurred… Marking the end of the shortest snow season…167 days. The first snow of the season…a trace…occurred on November 4…1940.
In 1954…strong gusty winds raked metro Denver for most of the day producing some blowing dust. At midday…a severe dust devil was sighted in the Westwood area of southwest Denver.
In 1955…cold west winds at 52 mph with gusts as high as 69 mph were recorded at Stapleton Airport where blowing dust reduced the visibility to 1/2 mile.
In 1960…the second wind storm in 3 days produced sustained west winds up to 44 mph with gusts as high as 58 mph at Stapleton Airport. Winds were strong and gusty most of the day…but no damage was reported.
In 1963…the second windy day in a row produced west- northwest wind gusts to 52 mph at Stapleton Airport.
In 1971…a tornado occurred in the southwest corner of weld County about 10 miles west-northwest of Brighton. The storm moved through a farm yard damaging equipment and structures. The strong tornadic winds lifted a stock tank over 2 fences into a corral 150 feet away. Later…a tornado touched down briefly west-southwest of Buckley Field…8 miles southeast of Stapleton International Airport. No damage was reported.
In 1985…high winds occurred in the foothills. Winds gusted to 97 mph atop Squaw Mountain in the foothills west of Denver. West winds gusted to 37 mph at Stapleton International Airport.
In 1987…a powerful cold front produced high winds and engulfed metro Denver in huge clouds of blowing dust that lowered the visibility to as little as 100 yards. The cold front generated winds as high as 72 mph at Brighton…67 mph in Thornton…and 54 mph at Stapleton International Airport. Winds of 50 to 70 mph were common along the Front Range from Denver north. The high wind gusts flipped a light plane taxiing at Stapleton International Airport…slightly injuring two people on board. The cold front dropped the temperature from a high of 80 degrees at 3:00 pm to a low of 33 degrees at midnight. Nearly an inch of snow…0.8 inch… Fell at Stapleton International Airport before midnight.
In 1988…a tornado touched down in Fort Lupton…following a path 50 to 75 yards wide for 2 1/2 blocks. The twister damaged roofs on 2 schools and broke numerous windows; about 10 houses were damaged and several cars had windows blown out. Several trees were downed.
In 1989…winds were clocked to 68 mph in Wheat Ridge. Microburst winds gusted to 35 mph at Stapleton International Airport.
In 1996…high winds gusting from 70 to near 100 mph developed in the Front Range foothills and adjacent plains. Numerous power outages were reported as power lines and poles were downed. The high winds blew the chimney off the roof of a house in Westminster. Numerous homes received minor shingle damage. Some of the stronger wind gusts included: 98 mph at Jefferson County Airport in Broomfield…91 mph atop Squaw Mountain west of Denver…and 75 mph atop Table Mesa near Boulder. West northwest winds gusted to 45 mph at Denver International Airport.
In 2001…westerly Chinook winds…gusting as high as 40 mph at Denver International Airport…prevented the low temperature from dropping below 51 degrees…setting a new record high minimum for the date. The high temperature of 77 degrees was not a record.
In 2005…severe thunderstorms produced large hail across metro Denver. Hail as large as 1 1/4 inches in diameter was measured in Arvada. Hail to 1 inch in diameter fell in Westminster…Northglenn…and Thornton. Hail to 7/8 inch was reported near Brighton…Barr Lake…and Castle Rock. Hail to 3/4 inch fell in Elizabeth and Broomfield and near Golden…Brighton…and Fort Lupton.
Colorado State University 2016 Atlantic Hurricane Season Forecast. Click for larger view. (ThorntonWeather.com)
The Tropical Meteorology Project at Colorado State University has released its initial forecast for the upcoming Atlantic hurricane season. Forecasters are expecting a relatively typical season in terms of the number of storms and their relative strengths.
Headed by Dr. Phil Klotzbach, the team predicts a total of 13 named storms. Of those, six are expected to become hurricanes and 2 of those major hurricanes of Category 3 or greater.
On average, the Atlantic receives 12 named storms, five of which would be hurricanes and two of those major storms.
Of the storms expected to develop in 2016, the forecasters give a 50% chance that at some point the U.S. coastline will be struck by a major hurricane. Average for the past century was 52%.
The numbers released include Hurricane Alex, a short-lived storm in January that reached Category 1.
Uncertainties for the seasonal forecast center around a weakening El Niño and possible development of La Niña conditions.
The report says, “The big question marks with this season’s predictions are how quickly the El Niño weakens, as well as what the configuration of SSTs [Sea Surface Temperatures] will look like in the tropical and far North Atlantic Ocean during the peak of the Atlantic hurricane season.”
La Niña typically brings less wind shear to the Atlantic allowing storms to form more easily.
If you’ve ever tried to read the text of just about any National Weather Service product, you likely were struck by the fact it was typed in ALL CAPS. Those days are finally coming to an end as the service ends the shouting and moves to mixed-case letters.
The all capital writing dates back to the days when weather reports were sent via teleprinters. These devices only had the ability to type in all caps. Thankfully, the days of teletype are over and one of our favorite government agencies can now send messages properly.
The change will be begin on May 11 and be gradual, only impacting three of the most common products initially: forecast discussions, public information statements and regional weather summaries.
However, severe weather warnings will make the move to mixed case this summer and other forecast and warning products will follow into 2017.
National Weather Service will stop using all caps in its forecasts Farewell teletype, hello mixed-case characters
April 11, 2016 LISTEN UP! BEGINNING ON MAY 11, NOAA’S NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORECASTS WILL STOP YELLING AT YOU.
New forecast software is allowing the agency to break out of the days when weather reports were sent by “the wire” over teleprinters, which were basically typewriters hooked up to telephone lines. Teleprinters only allowed the use of upper case letters, and while the hardware and software used for weather forecasting has advanced over the last century, this holdover was carried into modern times since some customers still used the old equipment.
Better late than never, but the slow change was not for lack of trying. The National Weather Service has proposed to use mixed-case letters several times since the 1990s, when widespread use of the Internet and email made teletype obsolete. In fact, in web speak, use of capital letters became synonymous with angry shouting. However, it took the next 20 years or so for users of Weather Service products to phase out the last of the old equipment that would only recognize teletype.
Recent software upgrades to the computer system that forecasters use to produce weather predictions, called AWIPS 2 (The Advanced Weather Interactive Processing System), are allowing for the change to mixed-case letters. The switch will happen on May 11, after the required 30-day notification period to give customers adequate time to prepare for the change.
“People are accustomed to reading forecasts in upper case letters and seeing mixed-case use might seem strange at first,” said NWS meteorologist Art Thomas. “It seemed strange to me until I got used to it over the course of testing the new system, but now it seems so normal,” he said.
Three forecast products will transition to mixed-case use on May 11, including area forecast discussions, public information statements and regional weather summaries. Severe weather warnings will transition this summer, with other forecasts and warnings transitioning to the new system through early next year.
Upper case letters in forecasts will not become obsolete – forecasters will have the option to use all capital letters in weather warnings to emphasize threats during extremely dangerous situations. Certain forecast products with international implications, such as aviation and shipping, will continue to use upper case letters, per international agreements that standardize weather product formats across national borders.
Utilizing data from the National Weather Service for the period from 2005 to 2014, research firm WeatherDB analyzed what natural hazards pose the greatest risk to Americans.
Heat comes in as the number one most dangerous natural hazard causing 124 deaths and 980 injuries on average per year. Tornadoes, tropical storms / hurricanes, floods and rip currents round out the top five. Check out all the details below.
Carol Rasmussen, NASA Using satellite data on how water moves around Earth, NASA scientists have solved two mysteries about wobbles in the planet’s rotation – one new and one more than a century old. The research may help improve our knowledge of past and future climate. Although a desktop globe always spins smoothly around the axis… Continue reading Two Mysteries About Wobbling Earth Have Been Solved→
Weather, natural disasters & climate news and information.
