If forecasts hold true, Thornton is set to receive its most significant snowfall of the season and possibly the biggest winter storm of the past few years.
The National Weather Service is calling for 7 to 15 inches of snowfall between now and when snow ends Sunday night / Monday morning. We here at ThorntonWeather.com are a bit more skeptical putting a 6 to 12 inch range on it – with an asterisk about how this storm could very well disappoint.
Either way, the storm should deliver a healthy shot of snow and put Denver seasonal snowfall to above normal levels.
Throughout the period we will of course be monitoring the system and posting regularly to our Facebook page and Twitter feed. You can follow along in real time below. We are also on Google+ here.
February 15 to February 21: This week in Denver weather history
Wind, wind and more wind. Sounding like a broken record, we see that mentioned many times in our look back at this week in Denver weather history. There is of course other common weather conditions for this time of year including blizzards and arctic cold.
From the National Weather Service:
14-15
In 1960…heavy snowfall totaled 6.1 inches at Stapleton Airport.
In 1965…5.4 inches of snow fell at Stapleton International Airport behind a cold front. North-northeast winds gusted to 32 mph. Winds were strong and gusty all day and caused considerable blowing snow…contributing to hazardous driving conditions mainly to the east of Denver.
In 1984…a snow and wind storm howled across eastern Colorado closing I-70 east of Denver. This was the second blizzard in less than 4 days. Only 0.5 inch of new snow fell at Stapleton International Airport…but north winds gusted to 51 mph.
15
In 1881…the temperature plunged to a low of 20 degrees below zero in the city. In outer areas of the city…the temperature dipped to 26.5 degrees below zero.
In 1910…west winds were sustained to 42 mph.
In 1986…high winds battered the Front Range foothills. A wind gust to 95 mph was recorded in Boulder…but winds of 60 to 80 mph were common in and near the foothills. In Aurora…an automobile dealership lost a large plate glass window. Southwest wind gusts to 44 mph were recorded at Stapleton International Airport. The strong winds warmed temperatures. A record maximum temperature of 66 degrees and a record high minimum temperature of 37 degrees were recorded at Stapleton International Airport.
In 1988…winds to 75 mph were clocked in Boulder…while a west wind gust to only 41 mph was recorded at Stapleton International Airport.
In 1997…winds gusted to 75 mph at Golden Gate Canyon during the early morning hours. West winds gusted to 31 mph at Denver International Airport.
In 2000…high winds spread from the foothills onto the plains. While the strongest winds were north and northeast of metro Denver…west winds gusted to 58 mph in Thornton and to 54 mph at Denver International Airport.
In 2005…light precipitation of only 0.02 inch at Denver International Airport and 0.5 inch was the only measurable snowfall of the month. This ranked the month as the 2nd driest February of record.
15-16
In 1889…heavy snowfall totaled 6.7 inches in downtown Denver. Most of the snow…5.5 inches…fell on the 15th when northeast winds were sustained to 18 mph.
In 1921…strong bora winds cooled maximum temperatures from the 60’s on the previous 3 days to 54 degrees on the 15th and to 43 degrees on the 16th. West winds were sustained to 39 mph with gusts to 54 mph on the 15th and to 46 mph with gusts to 56 mph on the 16th.
In 1953…strong…cold northwest winds were widespread from the foothills across the plains. Near gale force winds were observed in Boulder. A wind gust to 54 mph was recorded at Stapleton Airport where blowing dust briefly reduced the visibility to 1 1/2 miles. Damage was minor.
In 1993…an arctic cold front pushed south over the eastern Colorado plains with upslope snow developing behind the front. Snowfall amounts of 3 to 6 inches were common over metro Denver. At Stapleton International Airport…snowfall totaled 4.5 inches and north winds gusted to 25 mph. Temperatures hovered only in the single digits for most of the day. The storm produced up to a foot of snow over southeast Colorado.
In 2006…overnight snowfall in the mountains and eastern foothills contained a lot of red dust and dirt apparently from Arizona. Strong southwest winds with gusts to 100 mph in the San Juan Mountains on the 15th created widespread blowing dust. This red dust became entrained in snowfall across the area. The reddish colored snow was reported in Ward…Nederland…Blackhawk…and Boulder. The storm produced only 0.9 inch of snowfall in the Stapleton area of Denver with 4 to 5 inches measured in the foothills.
15-17
In 1938…a cold air mass brought a light snowfall of 6.2 inches over 3 days to downtown Denver where northeast winds were sustained to 18 mph on the 15th.
16
In 1879…a sudden burst of 3 inches of snow in less than 90 minutes stopped the street cars in downtown Denver during the late afternoon. Melted snow resulted in 0.16 inch of precipitation. Small soft hail also fell when the snow began. A gentleman caught on the prairie between Denver and Morrison described the event as the most severe storm of the winter while it lasted.
In 1885…a windstorm caused severe damage in the city. The strong winds blew all afternoon and most of the evening. West winds were sustained to 62 mph. The strong winds blew down signs and broke windows. Buggies and vehicles of all kinds were blown over. Smokestacks and chimneys were toppled. Roofs were blown off. The Denver and Rio Grande railroad car shop was partially unroofed and had a wall blown down. Three railroad cars were blown off the track. Many fences were damaged.
In 1897…west winds were sustained to 46 mph with gusts to 56 mph.
In 1912…northwest winds were sustained to 44 mph with a measured extreme velocity to 45 mph.
In 1921…west winds were sustained to 46 mph.
In 1972…wind gusts to 58 mph were recorded at the National Bureau of Standards in Boulder. In downtown Boulder…a wind gust to 51 mph was measured. Northwest winds gusted to 41 mph at Stapleton International Airport.
In 1988…snowfall totaled 3 to 6 inches across metro Denver… But 9 inches were measured in both Wheat Ridge and Evergreen. At Stapleton International Airport…3.4 inches of snow fell and northeast winds gusted to 26 mph. The strong winds blew a scaffold against a hotel in downtown Denver…breaking three windows.
In 1995…high winds occurred in the foothills behind a departing winter storm. A wind gust to 91 mph was recorded at Rollinsville with a gust to 82 mph atop Squaw Mountain west of Denver. West winds gusted to only 20 mph at Stapleton International Airport.
16-17
In 1929…strong west winds gusting to 84 mph raked Boulder and Lafayette. Limited minor damage and a few injuries occurred.
In 1986…strong Chinook winds continued to howl in the foothills. A wind gust to 89 mph was recorded at Table Mesa in Boulder on the 16th. Winds of 60 to 75 mph were clocked at other locations in Boulder on both days. A west wind gust to 51 mph was recorded at Stapleton International Airport on the 16th.
16-18
In 1970…a wind gust to 90 mph was recorded in Boulder at the National Center for Atmospheric Research. In downtown Boulder…sustained winds of 30 to 40 mph with gusts to 53 mph were measured. Damage was minor. West winds gusted to 45 mph at Stapleton International Airport on the 17th. The strong Chinook winds warmed the temperature to 70 degrees on the 16th and to 72 degrees on the 17th…both records for the date. The low temperature dipped to only 32 degrees on the 16th equaling the record high minimum for the date.
February 8 to February 14: This week in Denver weather history
Our look back at this week in Denver weather history contains many of the severe weather conditions we would expect to see – high speed winds, arctic cold, big time snowstorms, etc. Most notable is the coldest February temperature ever recorded – 25 degrees below zero.
From the National Weather Service:
31-8
In 1963…warm weather that began with the strong Chinook winds on the 31st and 1st continued through the 8th. Maximum temperatures through the period ranged from 52 degrees on the 2nd to 76 degrees on the 5th…which was a new record high for that date.
31-12
In 1899…a protracted cold spell lasted almost two weeks. Low temperatures plunged below zero on all days but February 9th with a reading of 6 degrees. The coldest low temperature of 22 degrees below zero on February 6th was a record low for the date. Low temperatures of 20 degrees below zero occurred on both February 11th and 12th… But only the 11th remains as the record minimum for the date. High temperature of only 5 degrees below zero on February 11th was a record low maximum for the date. High temperatures climbed to only zero degrees on both February 2nd and 3rd…but were not records. Intermittent light snow or flurries fell during the period. The most snowfall…2.0 inches…occurred on February 2nd.
1-9
In 1883…a protracted cold period occurred when low temperatures dipped below zero for 9 consecutive days. Low temperatures ranged from 22 degrees below zero on the 4th to 2 degrees below zero on the 1st and 6th. High temperatures ranged from 10 below zero on the 3rd to 23 on the 9th. Several temperature records were set that still stand today. Record lows of 18 below and 22 below zero occurred on the 3rd and 4th. Record low maximum readings of 2 below and 10 below zero occurred on the 2nd and 3rd. The high of only 10 below zero on the 3rd is the coldest maximum temperature ever recorded in Denver.
5-11
In 1978…the 5th marked the start of a record 7 consecutive days of dense fog at Stapleton International Airport. The heavy fog reduced the visibility to 1/4 mile or less for a period of time on each of these days. Light snow and/or freezing drizzle occurred on most days. Fog reducing visibility to less than 7 miles was recorded at Stapleton International Airport on 11 consecutive days through the 15th. During the period 5-14…the cold thick fog deposited heavy rime ice up to 5 inches thick on power lines and poles over a wide area of eastern Colorado…causing a major electrical power outage disaster.
6-10
In 1933…3:00 pm on the 6th marked the start of a protracted cold period through 8:00 am on the 10th when the temperature was below zero for 86 out of 88 hours. The cold period was interrupted on the 8th at 9:00 am when the temperature was 1 degree above zero and at 10:00 am when the temperature was 8 degrees above zero. Four temperature records were set. High temperatures of 4 degrees below zero on the 7th…8 degrees on the 8th…and 5 degrees below zero on the 9th were record low maximums for those dates. The only record low temperature record was 14 degrees below zero on the 10th. The lowest temperature reached during the period was 16 degrees below zero on both the 7th and 8th…which were not records.
7-8
In 1936…a sharp blast of frigid arctic air was of short duration. At 11:00 am on the 7th the temperature was 39 degrees…but dropped to only 1 degree within an hour. A more gradual decrease occurred through the night to a low temperature of 25 degrees below zero shortly after 6:00 am on the 8th. This was the lowest temperature ever recorded in February. (the record was equaled on February 1…1951.) Snowfall of 1.0 inch occurred in the cold air. During the day on the 8th…northwest Chinook winds from 12 to 16 mph…and as high as 21 mph warmed the temperature to a high of 35 degrees at 7:00 pm. This was a rise in temperature of 60 degrees in 13 hours. Unofficially…the temperature dipped to a low of 30 degrees below zero at Denver municipal airport on the morning of the 8th.
In 1956…5.5 inches of snow fell at Stapleton Airport where east-northeast winds gusted to 23 mph on the 7th.
In 1980…an upslope storm dumped 4 to 10 inches of snow over the plains and as much as 22 inches in the foothills. Traffic was snarled and some schools were closed. Two runways were closed for 3 hours at Stapleton International Airport…where snowfall totaled 6.5 inches and north winds gusted to 25 mph. Most of the snow fell on the 7th.
8
In 1886…northwest winds were sustained to 40 mph in the city. The strong winds were accompanied by a cold wave.
In 1905…west winds were sustained to 40 mph behind a cold front. The bora winds warmed the temperature to a high of only 38 degrees and produced a trace of snow.
In 1939…the very light snowfall…which began during the morning…contained unusually symmetrical…flat and dry snow crystals. These snow crystals continued to fall all afternoon. Snowfall was only a trace. Temperatures ranged from a low of 7 degrees to a high of 18 degrees.
In 1942…a major storm dumped 8.0 inches of heavy snow on downtown Denver. North winds were sustained to 17 mph.
In 1981…high winds occurred over the eastern foothills with 72 mph reported atop Squaw Mountain west of Denver and 60 to 70 mph winds at other locations in the foothills west of Denver. Wind gusts to 50 mph were reported in Boulder. Northwest winds gusted to 39 mph at Stapleton International Airport.
8-9
In 1898…rain changed rapidly to snow during the late evening of the 8th and continued through the early afternoon of the 9th. Snowfall totaled 6.0 inches in the city. Northeast winds were sustained to 26 mph with gusts to 30 mph on the 8th.
In 2001…heavy snow fell across metro Denver mainly in and near the eastern foothills. Snow totals included: 12 inches atop Crow Hill and near Evergreen; 10 inches in Evergreen and near Morrison; 9 inches at Genesee; 8 inches atop Lookout Mountain and near Littleton and Bailey; 6 inches at Arvada and Ken Caryl Ranch; and 5 inches in Broomfield…Chief Hosa… And Thornton. Snowfall totaled 5.1 inches at the site of the former Stapleton International Airport. Temperatures dipped to 15 degrees below zero at Denver International Airport on the morning of the 9th…setting a new record minimum for the date.
In 2002…high winds in the foothills on the 8th spread over the plains on the 9th and caused much blowing dust and snow and blizzard conditions east and northeast of metro Denver. I-70 was closed from just east of Denver to the Kansas state line. Zero visibilities coupled with snowpacked and slick roads caused multiple car accidents in southern weld County. High winds developed in the foothills on the 8th with gusts to 71 mph on Rocky Flats and to 75 mph at the National Center for Atmospheric Research mesa lab in Boulder. The high winds continued on the 9th with gusts to 83 mph near Fritz Peak…70 mph at Evergreen…and 67 mph at Parker. Northwest winds gusted to 55 mph on the 8th and to 58 mph on the 9th at Denver International Airport where the surface visibility was reduced to as low as 1 mile in blowing dust on the 9th.
In 2008…strong downslope winds developed in and near the Front Range foothills. Peak gusts included: 88 mph at Georgetown…85 mph at Berthoud Pass…81 mph at the NCAR Mesa Lab…78 mph at the national wind technology center… At 76 mph at Floyd Hill. At Denver International Airport… Gusty west winds to 48 mph were observed on the 8th.
9
In 1886…north winds were sustained to 42 mph…the highest winds of the month that year.
In 1893…northwest bora downslope winds were sustained to 40 mph with gusts as high as 70 mph in the city.
In 1960…the lowest pressure reduced to sea level ever recorded in Denver…28.83 inches (976.4 mb.)…occurred. The actual station pressure of 23.770 inches was also the lowest ever recorded.
In 1967…northwest winds gusted to 51 mph at Stapleton International Airport. Winds were strong and gusty all day.
In 1988…high winds occurred in and near the foothills. Winds gusted to 96 mph in east Boulder. As many as 1600 homes lost power when wires were downed by the wind. Some windows were blown out of cars near Rocky Flats south of Boulder where winds were clocked at 85 mph. In Broomfield…winds were recorded to 68 mph at Jefferson County Airport.
In 2009…high winds occurred in and near the foothills of Boulder and northern Jefferson counties. Peak wind gusts included 81 mph at the national wind technology center and 6 miles northwest of Boulder.
9-10
In 1934…rain changed to heavy snow on the afternoon of the 9th and continued through the day on the 10th. Snowfall totaled 7.4 inches in downtown Denver. North winds were sustained to 24 mph on the 10th.
In 1972…heavy post-frontal snowfall totaled 6.2 inches at Stapleton International Airport where northeast winds gusted to 46 mph on the 9th. Temperatures plunged from a high of 51 degrees on the 9th to a low of 16 on the morning of the 10th.
In 1981…the season’s coldest arctic air mass rolled into metro Denver plunging temperatures from 10 below to 20 degrees below zero. Bitter north winds gusting as high as 36 mph sent wind chill temperatures to 50 below zero. Two to four inches of snow fell over metro Denver with 6 to 12 inches in the foothills. A Boulder man died of hypothermia while cross country skiing in the mountains west of the city. Snowfall totaled only 1.5 inches at Stapleton International Airport where the minimum temperature on the morning of the 10th was 5 degrees below zero. The temperature that day warmed to a high of only 9 degrees.
In 2003…high winds occurred in and near the eastern foothills. The highest wind gusts recorded: included 80 mph atop Fritz Peak and 73 mph atop Blue Mountain and at the national wind technology center on Rocky Flats south of Boulder. At least 4 multi-car accidents occurred along State Highway 93…between Golden and Boulder when blowing snow caused whiteout conditions. Northwest winds gusted to 36 mph at Denver International Airport on the 10th.
9-11
In 1965…heavy snowfall totaled 6.2 inches at Stapleton International Airport where northeast winds gusted to 25 mph.
In 1993…the same storm that dumped heavy snow in the mountains combined with an arctic cold front to produce heavy snow across metro Denver. Upslope snows of 4 to 8 inches were common with some areas receiving nearly a foot. Ten inches of new snow were measured in Parker and 7 inches in southeast Denver. At Stapleton International Airport… Snowfall totaled 8.1 inches. Strong winds combined with the snowfall to produce near-blizzard conditions over the plains closing many roads east of Denver. North winds gusted to only 18 mph at Stapleton International Airport on the 9th.
One high temperature record fell yesterday, another fell today. Despite the month starting with snow, we have quickly moved to temperatures more like we would expect to see in March.
As measured at Denver International Airport, the high temperature today for the Mile High City reached 74 degrees. That easily bests the old record for today’s date of 71 degrees set in 1987 and years prior. Here in Thornton we managed to be a couple of degrees warmer reaching 76 degrees at 1:53pm.
Additionally, yesterday’s official lowest reading of 46 degrees at DIA broke Denver’s record high minimum for the date. The old record was 41 degrees set in 1930. Thornton was cooler yesterday morning with a low mark of 40 degrees that would not have broken the record.
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Denver’s weather rollercoaster this week took us from cold and snow to unseasonably warm temperatures sure to bring an onset of spring fever. The Mile High City set a record high temperature Friday and may set another Saturday.
As measured at Denver International Airport, today’s office high temperature was 70 degrees. That easily bests the old record for the date of 67 degrees set in 1944. Here in Thornton we were just a bit cooler with a high of 69 degrees,
The mild weather will be sticking around for the rest of the weekend with a forecast high of 70 degrees on Saturday (but with some wind) and 66 degrees on Sunday. The record high for Saturday’s date, February 7, is 71 degrees so we will be coming close to the mark.
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February in Colorado typically brings to an end an extended period when average temperatures are at their lowest. Winter begins to loosen its grip and temperatures get warmer but precipitation is not a particularly common event during the month.
Probably one of the biggest question marks is whether or not we will see some help with the snow situation. While mountain snowpack is not in too bad of shape, Denver’s seasonal snowfall to date is well below normal. February is only our sixth snowiest month so it may not provide much help on the precipitation month.
Temperatures however do usually see a nice rebound during the month. Average high temperatures climb from an average of 44 degrees at the start to 50 degrees by the end of February.
Look back at last month, we see that Thornton experienced an unusually warm month, one punctuated by a couple rare 70 degree January days. Precipitation fell short of normal as did snowfall.
The month started out on the cold side with three of the first four days failing to reach temperatures above freezing. Some light snow was also recorded on the 2nd and 3rd of the month.
We then began a bit of a temperature rollercoaster with above normal readings for two days, a turn toward colder temperatures on the 9th, back to warmth on the next day and then colder than normal for the next four days.
Fourteen of the last 17 days of the month then recorded temperatures at or above normal. The 26th and 27th saw amazing readings above 70 degrees.
Overall, Thornton’s average temperature for the month came in at 33.7 degrees. That was well above Denver’s January average of 30.7 degrees. Out at Denver International Airport where the city’s official records are taken, the month saw a 33.9 degree average.
Thornton’s warmest reading of 74.5 degrees came on the 27th. Its coldest of -3.7 degrees occurred early in the morning of the 4th. Denver’s warmest and coldest readings came on the same days. DIA recorded 75 degrees on the 27th and -10 degrees on the 4th.
In terms of precipitation, 0.20 inches of liquid precipitation was recorded in Thornton. Denver nearly doubled our number with 0.38 inches. Both locations fell shy of Denver’s January average precipitation of 0.41 inches.
Snowfall in Thornton totaled only 3.5 inches, exactly have of Denver’s January average of 7.0 inches. Here again the airport bested us with 7.2 inches this January.
Thornton, Colorado temperature summary for January 2015. (ThorntonWeather.com)Thornton, Colorado precipitation summary for January 2015. (ThorntonWeather.com)
From the National Weather Service:
CLIMATE REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BOULDER, CO
614 AM MST SUN FEB 1 2015
...................................
...THE DENVER CO CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR THE MONTH OF JANUARY 2015...
CLIMATE NORMAL PERIOD 1981 TO 2010
CLIMATE RECORD PERIOD 1872 TO 2015
WEATHER OBSERVED NORMAL DEPART LAST YEAR`S
VALUE DATE(S) VALUE FROM VALUE DATE(S)
NORMAL
................................................................
TEMPERATURE (F)
RECORD
HIGH 76 01/27/1888
LOW -29 01/09/1875
HIGHEST 75 01/27 65 01/19
LOWEST -10 01/04 -10 01/05
AVG. MAXIMUM 46.7 44.0 2.7 44.9
AVG. MINIMUM 21.0 17.4 3.6 17.3
MEAN 33.9 30.7 3.2 31.1
DAYS MAX >= 90 0 0.0 0.0 0
DAYS MAX <= 32 5 5.5 -0.5 4
DAYS MIN <= 32 27 29.4 -2.4 30
DAYS MIN <= 0 3 1.7 1.3 3
PRECIPITATION (INCHES)
RECORD
MAXIMUM 2.35 1883
MINIMUM 0.01 1933
1934
1952
TOTALS 0.38 0.41 -0.03 0.94
DAILY AVG. 0.01 0.01 0.00 0.03
DAYS >= .01 5 4.1 0.9 9
DAYS >= .10 1 0.9 0.1 3
DAYS >= .50 0 0.0 0.0 0
DAYS >= 1.00 0 0.0 0.0 0
GREATEST
24 HR. TOTAL 0.12 01/21
STORM TOTAL 0.14 01/20(19) TO 01/21(16)
SNOWFALL (INCHES) JANUARY NORMAL
TOTALS 7.2 7.0
DEGREE_DAYS
HEATING TOTAL 958 1063 -105 1046
SINCE 7/1 3249 3531 -282 3497
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 9.7
RESULTANT WIND SPEED/DIRECTION 3/229
HIGHEST WIND SPEED/DIRECTION 37/290 DATE 01/17
HIGHEST GUST SPEED/DIRECTION 46/270 DATE 01/05
SKY COVER
POSSIBLE SUNSHINE (PERCENT) MM
AVERAGE SKY COVER 0.60
NUMBER OF DAYS FAIR 5
NUMBER OF DAYS PC 16
NUMBER OF DAYS CLOUDY 10
AVERAGE RH (PERCENT) 62
WEATHER CONDITIONS. NUMBER OF DAYS WITH
THUNDERSTORM 0 MIXED PRECIP 0
HEAVY RAIN 0 RAIN 0
LIGHT RAIN 1 FREEZING RAIN 0
LT FREEZING RAIN 2 HAIL 0
HEAVY SNOW 1 SNOW 4
LIGHT SNOW 12 SLEET 0
FOG 16 FOG W/VIS <= 1/4 MILE 6
HAZE 6
- INDICATES NEGATIVE NUMBERS.
R INDICATES RECORD WAS SET OR TIED.
MM INDICATES DATA IS MISSING.
T INDICATES TRACE AMOUNT.
February 1 to February 7: This week in Denver weather history
February typically brings warming temperatures and relatively dry conditions however our look back at this week in Denver weather history shows that is far from always the case. We see numerous significant snow events and periods of extreme cold, some of which turned deadly.
From the National Weather Service:
26-1
In 1888…a protracted warm spell lasted a week. Maximum temperatures ranged from 62 degrees on the 29th to an all-time record high for the month of 76 degrees on the 27th. Daily record high temperatures of 76…69…and 71 occurred on the 27th…28th…and 30th respectively. Record high minimum temperatures of 47 and 34 occurred on the 26th and 27th.
30-7
In 1985…a cold front on the 29th produced a protracted cold spell as arctic air remained entrenched across metro Denver. While the only daily temperature record set was a low maximum reading of 2 degrees on February 3rd…minimum temperatures plunged well below zero on 9 consecutive days. The coldest readings were 15 degrees below zero on January 31st and 14 degrees below zero on February 5th.
31-1
In 1963…high winds struck metro Denver. The strong Chinook winds reached 101 mph in Littleton…80 mph in Denver…and 90 mph at Rocky Flats. Among the hardest hit areas were Boulder where buildings under construction were blown down…porches and roofs blown off buildings…and power lines damaged. Damage totaled 100 thousand dollars in Boulder alone. In other areas…utility lines were damaged and many signs…antennas…and road markers were blown down. At Stapleton Airport…west winds gusted to 44 mph on the 31st and 66 mph on the 1st. The Chinook winds warmed maximum temperatures to 65 degrees on the 31st and to 70 degrees on the 1st.
31-8
In 1963…warm weather that began with the strong Chinook winds on the 31st and 1st continued through the 8th. Maximum temperatures through the period ranged from 52 degrees on the 2nd to 76 degrees on the 5th…which was a new record high for that date.
31-12
In 1899…a protracted cold spell lasted almost two weeks. Low temperatures plunged below zero on all days but February 9th with a reading of 6 degrees. The coldest low temperature of 22 degrees below zero on February 6th was a record low for the date. Low temperatures of 20 degrees below zero occurred on both February 11th and 12th… But only the 11th remains as the record minimum for the date. High temperature of only 5 degrees below zero on February 11th was a record low maximum for the date. High temperatures climbed to only zero degrees on both February 2nd and 3rd…but were not records. Intermittent light snow or flurries fell during the period. The most snowfall…2.0 inches…occurred on February 2nd.
1
In 1904…northwest winds were sustained to 51 mph with gusts to 60 mph. The Chinook winds warmed the temperature to a high of 55 degrees.
In 1907…west winds sustained to 42 mph warmed the temperature to a high of 59 degrees.
In 1932…the temperature rose from a low of 8 degrees at 7:00 am to the high of 58 degrees at 2:30 pm. The biggest jump occurred from 16 degrees at 8:00 am to 42 degrees at 9:10 am.
In 1951…the lowest recorded temperature in February…25 degrees below zero…occurred. The same temperature was also reached on February 8…1936.
In 1963…west-southwest winds gusted to 66 mph at Stapleton Airport where the strong Chinook winds warmed the temperature to a maximum of 70 degrees.
In 1970…snowfall of 0.3 inch contained only 0.01 inch of melted snow. This was the only measurable snow and precipitation for the month…making it the driest and least snowiest February on record. Snowfall also was only 0.3 inch on February 22-23…1992…equaling the least snowiest February.
In 1980…high winds occurred in the foothills. Wind gusts to 75 mph were reported at Wondervu. Northwest winds gusted to 32 mph at Stapleton International Airport.
In 1995…a short blast of early morning winds near the foothills produced a gust to 64 mph at Rocky Flats in northern Jefferson County. Winds gusting to 59 mph in Lakewood downed a few tree branches in residential areas. West winds gusted to 37 mph at Stapleton International Airport where the warm winds kept the temperature from falling below 43 degrees…setting a new record high minimum for the date. The temperature climbed to a non-record high of 63 degrees.
1-2
In 1934…light Chinook winds warmed temperatures to record levels on both days. Record maximum temperatures reached 73 degrees on the 1st and 74 degrees on the 2nd. West winds were sustained to 18 mph on the 1st.
1-3
In 1996…cold arctic air plunged temperatures below zero for more than 35 consecutive hours from late on the 1st until sunrise on the 3rd. The temperature warmed to only 1 degree below zero on the 2nd after a record low of 16 degrees below zero.
1-4
In 2011…a frigid arctic airmass settled into Front Range urban corridor. At Denver International Airport… Overnight low temperatures…from the 1st to the 3rd… Were 13 below zero…17 below zero and zero respectively. The icy temperatures caused pipes to crack and burst following the freeze. In Loveland…firefighters responded to more than a dozen water pipe breaks…most in fire sprinkler systems at businesses…apartments and assisted care facilities. At CU Earth Science Library in Boulder…more than 1000 books and several costumes for an upcoming production were damaged. At the county courts administration building in Jefferson County…a steady stream of water from a crack on the 5th floor… Went unnoticed on the 3rd and flooded all the floors of the administration wing overnight. As a result…much of the office equipment…furniture and carpet sustained water damage. A burst sprinkler line caused minor damage at the Platte Valley Medical Center in Brighton. The icy temperatures forced to closure of several school districts as well.
1-5
In 1985…the most bitter cold spell of the winter season brought sub-zero temperatures to metro Denver. Daily low temperature records were broken at Denver. The usual cold weather problems struck including stalled vehicles…jammed traffic lights…and frozen water and sewer lines. At Stapleton International Airport…the high temperature was only 2 degrees above zero on the 1st…setting a record low maximum for the date. Low temperatures reached 13 below zero on the 1st…12 below on the third…and 14 below on the 5th.
1-6
In 1989…one of the century’s worst doses of winter weather ravaged the entire state. Bitterly frigid weather moved into metro Denver on the 1st as snow buried many sections of the state. In metro Denver where 3 to 6 inches of snow fell…blowing snow and resultant poor visibilities caused a 46-car pile-up on I-25 in the middle of the city on the 4th. During the period…2 to 3 hour delays were common at Stapleton International Airport where snowfall from the storm totaled 4.3 inches and northeast winds gusted to 30 mph on the 1st. Intense cold accompanied the storm. Temperatures in Denver stayed below zero continuously for the best part of 3 days (3rd…4th…5th)…for a total of 69 hours. This is the fourth longest sub-zero period on record. Wind chill temperatures reached 50 degrees below zero. The mercury dipped to 24 degrees below zero on the 5th…setting a record for the date. This was the city’s coldest temperature in over 26 years. Low temperatures dipped below zero on 8 consecutive days (2nd-9th). High temperature of 9 degrees below zero on the 4th was a record low maximum for the date…as was the high of 5 degrees on the 5th. Extensive damage occurred when pipes and water lines froze and broke. Thousands of cars failed to start. On the 3rd…a 57-year-old woman died of hypothermia in an Arvada park. Eighteen high school students were treated for hypothermia after a 2-hour ride through Jefferson County in an unheated bus. At least 2 cases of frostbite were reported; there were undoubtedly many more.
Snow early in the month allowed plenty of fun opportunities for kids in Thornton. (Ed Dalton)
As one of our coldest months, January can be a good month to hibernate inside and avoid the outdoors. But, like any month in Colorado, photo opportunities abound as our monthly slideshow demonstrates.
Snow is not normally dominant in the month but when it does fall, it can create a beautiful blanket of white. Throw in the amazing sunrises and sunsets we receive in the middle of winter as well as wildlife and a host of other subjects and the imagery can be quite beautiful and stunning.
Slideshow updated January 31, 2015
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.
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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.
January 25 to January 31: This week in Denver weather history
High winds and nasty cold are the two dominant things we see in our look back at this week in Denver weather history. Also notable are some significant snowstorms and even some record-setting high temperatures into the 70s.
From the National Weather Service:
22-26
In 1948…the longest period of snowfall on record (92 hours and 3 minutes) occurred in downtown Denver where a total of 13.6 inches of snow fell. At Stapleton Airport…19.0 inches of snow fell…making it the heaviest snow in January and the 5th heaviest snow of record at that time. North winds were sustained to a velocity of 23 mph on the 25th…but generally the winds were light throughout the storm. The snow disrupted traffic…but street clearing was begun soon after it became apparent that the snow would be heavy. Over the 5 days…temperatures ranged from a high of 48 degrees on the 22nd to a low of 1 degree on the 26th. Most readings were in the teens and 20’s during the storm.
24-25
In 1916…a trace of light rain…rare in Denver for January… Occurred on both days.
In 1946…high winds occurred in Boulder and along the foothills to the north. A wind gust to 72 mph was recorded at Valmont.
In 1947…strong winds were measured in Boulder. Hourly wind gusts averaged 72 mph at Valmont east of Boulder.
In 1950…heavy snowfall totaled 7.1 inches at Stapleton Airport and 6.8 inches in downtown Denver.
24-26
In 1970…a wind gust to 122 mph was recorded at the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder on the 24th. Winds also gusted to 109 mph at NCAR on the 26th. Most winds were estimated between 60 and 70 mph in Boulder. Damage…in most cases…was from broken windows and tree limbs and downed power lines. A roof was blown off a house in Eldorado Springs south of Boulder. A building under construction was damaged in Boulder. Reported damage totaled 25 hundred dollars in Boulder. Northwest winds gusted to 47 mph at Stapleton International Airport on the 24th. In Denver…the Chinook winds warmed the temperature to a record high of 68 degrees on the 24th.
25
In 1872…the greatest temperature change in one day…66 degrees…from a low of 20 degrees below zero…a record low for the date…to a high of 46 degrees…occurred.
In 1888…west winds sustained to 42 mph warmed the temperature to a high of 58 degrees.
In 1890…northwest Chinook winds gusting as high as 48 mph resulted in two temperature records. High temperature of 72 degrees was a record maximum for the date. Low temperature of only 48 degrees was a record high minimum for the date.
In 1914…Chinook winds from the northwest sustained to 46 mph with gusts as high as 60 mph warmed the temperature to a high of 52 degrees. The low temperature was only 39 degrees.
In 1923…snowfall of 1.3 inches was the only measurable snow of the month.
In 1931…snowfall of 0.1 inch was the only measurable snow of the month. The melted snow totaled only 0.02 inch of precipitation…which was the only measurable amount of the month. This resulted in the 4th driest January on record.
In 1964…high winds occurred in Boulder…Golden…and Broomfield where a wind gust to 80 mph was recorded at Jefferson County Airport. Some power lines were downed. Damage to buildings and vehicles was also reported. West-northwest winds gusted to 46 mph at Stapleton International Airport.
In 1971…the highest recorded wind gust in the state of Colorado…147 mph…occurred at the National Center for Atmospheric Research on the mesa in southwest Boulder. Wind gusts to 91 mph were measured at the National Bureau of Standards and to 87 mph in downtown Boulder. A wind gust to 75 mph was recorded at Jefferson County Airport in Broomfield. The strong winds caused widespread minor damage in Boulder. Northwest winds gusting to 32 mph at Stapleton International Airport warmed the temperature to a high of 55 degrees.
In 1980…a blizzard struck Denver right at the evening rush hours…causing massive traffic snarls and forcing the closure of I-25 north of Denver and I-70 east of the city as well as many other roads. Hundreds of travelers were stranded. Multi-car accidents involving as many as 50 cars were common. Air traffic at Stapleton International Airport was stalled for 3 hours. Winds gusted to 50 or 60 mph with visibility reduced to zero at times. The high winds knocked out electrical power in Broomfield. During the height of the storm…temperatures plunged from the freezing mark at mid-afternoon to only 5 degrees before midnight. Initial snowfall from the storm was only 3 to 5 inches across metro Denver with 4.1 inches measured at Stapleton International Airport where north wind gusts to 58 mph were recorded.
In 1988…high winds pummeled the eastern foothills with a peak gust to 96 mph recorded near Rollinsville. A gust to 109 mph was recorded at Echo Lake. West winds gusted to 48 mph at Stapleton International Airport.
In 1996…heavy snow fell along the Front Range foothills. Snow accumulations of 4 to 8 inches were measured from I-25 west into the foothills with lighter accumulations reported elsewhere. Snowfall totaled only 0.9 inch at the site of the former Stapleton International Airport.
In 2004…locally heavy snow fell across metro Denver. The heaviest snow was south of Denver and in the foothills. Snowfall totals included: 9 inches near Indian Hills… 8.5 inches near Franktown and 9 miles southwest of Sedalia…8 inches 7 miles southwest of Aurora…and 6 inches in Highlands Ranch. Snowfall was only 2.8 inches at the site of the former Stapleton International Airport. North winds gusted to 35 mph at Denver International Airport
In 2008…strong westerly winds blew out three windows at a Chipotle restaurant in Louisville. Two people were taken to the hospital for minor cuts. At Denver International Airport…northeast winds gusted to 35 mph.
25-26
In 1910…gale force westerly winds of great velocity struck Boulder. Some damage was reported. West winds were sustained to 45 mph in Denver on the 25th.
25-27
In 1897…a cold spell resulted in three temperature records. Low temperature of 14 degrees below zero on the 27th was a record minimum for the date. High temperatures of only 3 degrees on the 25th and 2 degrees on the 26th were record low maximums for the dates. Very light snow or flurries fell on the 25th and 26th at times.
26
In 1902…the low temperature dipped to 20 degrees below zero.
In 1916…sleet…grains of ice…a rare occurrence in Denver… Fell for 3 hours and 15 minutes…covering the ground.
In 1999…high winds developed in and near the foothills. Peak wind reports included: 82 mph in Boulder and at Jefferson County Airport near Broomfield…79 mph at the Rocky Flats Environmental Test Facility…and 72 mph at the National Center for Atmospheric Research mesa lab near Boulder. West winds gusted to 40 mph at Denver International Airport where the temperature warmed to a high of 54 degrees.
If forecasts hold true, Thornton is set to receive its most significant snowfall of the season and possibly the biggest winter storm of the past few years.
One high temperature record fell yesterday, another fell today. Despite the month starting with snow, we have quickly moved to temperatures more like we would expect to see in March.
February in Colorado typically brings to an end an extended period when average temperatures are at their lowest. Winter begins to loosen its grip and temperatures get warmer but precipitation is not a particularly common event during the month.
