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Climatology, Thornton Weather

Snow on Halloween more fact than fiction

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Snow on Halloween? Popular belief is that we seem to have a lot of snow when the trick or treaters are out on the street.
Snow on Halloween? Popular belief is that we seem to have a lot of snow when the trick or treaters are out on the street.

Conventional wisdom in the Denver area is that it always seems to rain or snow on Halloween.   I know as a kid it seemed like Mother Nature always put a damper on our trick or treating. 

But, is there any truth to this urban legend?  Or is this just one of those times where our memory doesn’t serve us quite right? 

This year it certainly looks like we have nothing to worry about but  the National Weather Service has been kind enough to compile weather statistics just for Halloween.  As it turns out, the thought of snow and rain on Octboer 31st isn’t just in our minds! 

Click here to read all about Halloween and Denver’s historical chances of snow.

Climatology, Severe Weather, Weather Education

2009 National Storm Chaser Convention dates announced

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The 2009 National Storm Chaser convention will be February 13 - 15, 2009.
The 2009 National Storm Chaser Convention will be February 13 - 15, 2009.

The dates for the 11th annual National Storm Chaser Convention have been announced.  The event will be held February 13th to the 15th at the Red Lion Inn in Parker.  As usual there looks to be a great lineup of speakers and of course it will certainly be informative and fun.  The agenda is still being finalized but some of the highlights announced thus far include:

This year’s convention promises to be the biggest and best yet! The convention is held each year in Denver, Colorado, and is geared for you, the storm chaser, spotter and storm enthusiast, to be the premiere gathering of the year. Because of the intense severe storm and hurricane season that 2008 brought, we have been able to gather some of the best scientists and forecasters in the world to present at this year’s convention. Dr Steve Lyons, hurricane expert for The Weather Channel, will be this year’s keynote speaker. From the National Hurricane Center, we welcome lead forecaster Dr Jack Bevens.

On the severe storm side, we welcome Dr Greg Forbes from The Weather Channel, and are also excited to welcome back Dr Howie Bluestein. We are also excited to have Rich Thompson, lead forecaster at the Storm Prediction center, as well as meteorologist Jon Davies. Tim Marshall will once again bring is attention getting presentation to our convention. We have several other speakers that you won’t want to miss!!! So sign up early and tell all your friends to come to the 2009 National Storm Chaser Convention.

For more information, visit the convention website at:  http://chaserconvention.com/

Climatology, Colorado Weather, Thornton Weather

November 2008 weather preview posted

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A Preview of Denver's November Weather - Will it be a Fall Month or a Winter Month?
A Preview of Denver's November Weather - Will it be a Fall Month or a Winter Month?

A preview of Denver’s November weather – Will it be a fall month or a winter month?  Typically November is a quiet weather month with plenty of nice, fall days but it can also turn wet with plenty of snow and moisture.  Just like Forest Gump’s proverbial box of chocolates, you never quite know what you are going to get.

Looking into the weather history books, we see that November is actually Denver’s second snowiest month, second only to March (April is third).  Historically we average 10.7 inches of snow during the month.

Click here to read our complete November preview and see what to expect for the month.

Climatology, Colorado Weather, Severe Weather, Thornton Weather, Weather Education

ThorntonWeather.com junior stormchaser chases tornado for 7News

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ThorntonWeather.com junior stormchaser Bobby pursued a tornado in Weld County yesterday and provided live reports for 7News.  Watch the video below (you may need to turn up the sound due to a lot of background noise).

[hana-flv-player video=’https://www.thorntonweather.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/10/7news.flv’ /]

The DOW - Doppler On Wheels - as seen on Storm Chasers.
The DOW - Doppler On Wheels - as seen on Storm Chasers.

🙂  Okay, so maybe not but it still is kind of fun.  This was taken yesterday at NCAR’s Super Science Saturday in Boulder.  Channel 7 was there with their “24 / 7 Weather Experience” which was a lot of fun as it gives folks a small taste of what goes into a weather broadcast.  Unfortunately Mike Nelson, author of our favorite weather book, wasn’t there when we were but this was probably the highlight of the day up at NCAR for the kids.

There was also a bit of a celebrity there too as Justin Walker from Discovery Channel’s Storm Chasers TV show was there with their Doppler On Wheels (DOW) truck – a mobile radar vehicle.  Justin serves as one of the team members from the Center for Severe Weather Research that chases the storms.  He in particular is tasked with placing scientific probes in the path of the tornadoes.  We got to spend a good bit of time chatting with Justin about their chases this past tornado season and in particular the ones in the north central Kansas area where a good bit of my family lives.  He had some fascinating anecdotes to share about the storms, in particular the one that struck near Glen Elder, KS.

Bobby with Justin Walker of Storm Chasers.
Bobby with Justin Walker of Storm Chasers.

For those that didn’t make it up there, you really missed a great opportunity for kids to learn more about not only the weather but also things like energy, the environment and more.

Colorado Weather, Thornton Weather, Weather History

This week in Denver weather history – October 26 to November 1

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This week in Denver weather history - October 26 to November 1.
This week in Denver weather history - October 26 to November 1.

Lots of interesting stuff in this look back at Denver weather history for the week of October 26th to November 1st.  Lots of snow including some major storms and the seemingly ever present wind are on this look into history. 

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER CO
645 PM MDT SAT OCT 25 2008

…THIS WEEK IN METRO DENVER WEATHER HISTORY…

25-26 IN 1996…4 TO 6 INCHES OF SNOW FELL IN THE FOOTHILLS WEST OF
        DENVER.  ONLY 1.5 INCHES OF SNOWFALL WERE MEASURED AT THE
        SITE OF THE FORMER STAPLETON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT ON THE
        26TH.  THIS WAS THE ONLY MEASURABLE SNOW OF THE MONTH AT
        THE SITE.  THE SNOWFALL PRODUCED ICY AND SNOWPACKED
        HIGHWAYS…WHICH RESULTED IN A 50-TO 60-CAR PILEUP ON I-25
        SOUTH OF METRO DENVER.  WEST WINDS GUSTED TO 33 MPH AT
        DENVER INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT.
      IN 2006…A WINTER STORM BROUGHT HEAVY SNOWFALL TO METRO
        DENVER AND THE EASTERN FOOTHILLS.  TOTAL SNOWFALL RANGED
        FROM 12 TO 22 INCHES OVER THE HIGHER TERRAIN AND 6 TO 12
        INCHES ACROSS METRO DENVER.  NORTHERLY WINDS AT SUSTAINED
        SPEEDS OF 20 TO 30 MPH WITH GUSTS AS HIGH AS 47 MPH AT
        DENVER INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT WHIPPED THE SNOW INTO DRIFTS
        3 TO 4 FEET DEEP.  MANY TREE LIMBS SNAPPED UNDER THE WEIGHT
        OF THE HEAVY…WET SNOW WHICH ALSO DOWNED POWER LINES…
        LEAVING THOUSANDS OF RESIDENTS WITHOUT POWER.  STORM TOTAL
        SNOWFALL INCLUDED:  25 INCHES NEAR ASPEN SPRINGS…CONIFER…
        AND EVERGREEN; 23.5 INCHES NEAR ROLLINSVILLE; 23 INCHES IN
        IDAHO SPRINGS; 22.5 INCHES NEAR BLACKHAWK; 21.5 INCHES NEAR
        BAILEY; 19 INCHES NEAR BERGEN PARK; 18 INCHES NEAR ASPEN
        SPRINGS…GENESEE…AND JAMESTOWN; 17 INCHES SOUTHWEST OF
        BOULDER; 16 INCHES IN EVERGREEN; AND 15 INCHES NEAR
        GEORGETOWN AND PERRY PARK.  SNOWFALL TOTALED 5.3 INCHES
        IN THE DENVER STAPLETON AREA.  AT DENVER INTERNATIONAL
        AIPORT…RAIN…INCLUDING A THUNDERSTORM…CHANGED TO SNOW
        ON THE EVENING OF THE 25TH AFTER A HIGH TEMPERATURE OF
        70 DEGREES.
Continue reading This week in Denver weather history – October 26 to November 1 →

Colorado Weather, Thornton Weather, Weather Education

Winter Weather Preparedness Week recap

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Winter Weather Preparedness Week recap.
Winter Weather Preparedness Week recap.

As we have talked about this week, winter weather can be dangerous and downright deadly.  However, being prepared helps to ensure that you and your family remain safe when the snow starts to fly or other winter weather conditions occur.  It is very easy to ignore the dangers of weather – no matter the season – and find yourself saying, “I wish I would have….” Now is the time to think about how you can prepare for these conditions, before it is too late and you find yourself wishing you had. 

In this sixth and final message in a series on Winter Weather Preparedness from the National Weather Service, ThorntonWeather.com reviews the topics we covered this week and directs you to the previous articles and other resources to help you get ready.

Part 1 Winter travel safety
Part 2 Watches…warnings…and advisories
Part 3 High winds
Part 4 Wind chill temperatures and hypothermia
Part 5  Avalanche safety
Review  Winter Weather Preparedness Week review

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO
600 AM MDT SAT OCT 25 2008

Enjoy the great outdoors in Colorado this winter season, but watch the weather.

The National Weather Service issues a variety of winter weather, outlooks, watches, warnings, and advisories, covered earlier during this Winter Weather Preparedness Week.  Safety tips were also passed along.

An example of severe winter weather occurred in March 2003 across the eastern foothills, adjacent plains, and mountains. Snowfall amounts ranged from 80 to 110 inches, along with strong winds in some areas.  The Denver metro area averaged nearly three feet of snow.  The storm was well forecast, and people, for the most part, heeded the warnings, so casualties and impacts were mitigated.

Continue reading Winter Weather Preparedness Week recap →

Thornton Weather

It’s ThorntonWeather.com’s birthday!

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It’s ThorntonWeather.com’s second birthday!  It was two years ago today that ThorntonWeather.com first went online and live on the Internet.  A lot has changed since then and every day more and more residents visit our site.  Over the last three months we have averaged over 7,000 visits to our site which is absolutely astonishing.  We have happy that so many folks are taking advantage of getting their live, local Thornton weather from us! 

We are always adding new features to enhance the amount of information available and welcome any coments you might have.  Feel free to drop us a note or leave us a comment below and let us know what you think!

Colorado Weather, Thornton Weather, Weather Education

Avalanche safety – Be prepared or die

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Avalanches in Colorado claim an average of six lives per year. Be prepared!
Avalanches in Colorado claim an average of six lives per year. Be prepared!

As snow starts to fall, many Coloradoans and out of state visitors will take advantage of it and head to the mountains for a variety of outdoor activities.  Whether skiing, snowshoeing, or hiking, anyone who spends time outdoors in the high country needs to be aware of the danger avalanches present.  On average six people die in Colorado every year from avalanches and being prepared is an essential survival skill. 

In this fifth in a series on Winter Weather Preparedness from the National Weather Service, ThorntonWeather.com helps you understand avalanches, where they occur, how to protect yourself and where to go for more information.

Part 1 Winter travel safety
Part 2 Watches…warnings…and advisories
Part 3 High winds
Part 4 Wind chill temperatures and hypothermia
Part 5  Avalanche safety
Review  Winter Weather Preparedness Week review

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER CO
600 AM MDT FRI OCT 24 2008

Avalanches – Are you prepared?

Thousands of avalanches occur each winter in the mountains of Colorado.  With the enormous popularity of winter sports in Colorado, this poses a risk to skiers, snowboarders, hikers and snowmobilers.  On average 6 people die in avalanches in the state of Colorado every year.  Anyone who travels into the high country in the winter should be prepared for avalanches and know how to avoid them. 

The first thing to know is most avalanches occur during or just after snowstorms and most occur on a slope of 30 to 45 degrees. A significant snowfall may result in an unstable snowpack.  By waiting 36 hours after a big snowstorm you may allow the snow to become more stable.  If you stay in valleys away from avalanche chutes, in stands of dense trees, or on gentle slopes you can minimize your avalanche risk.   

Continue reading Avalanche safety – Be prepared or die →

Colorado Weather, Thornton Weather, Weather Education

Life threatening winter weather – Wind chill, frostbite and hypothermia

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Wind chill, frostbite and hypothermia are very real dangers in the winter.
Wind chill, frostbite and hypothermia are very real dangers in the winter.

Winter weather can not only be trying on the mind and soul, it also presents very real dangers to the human body.  Extreme wind chills can be deadly and bring on the outset of frostbite and hypothermia.  Here in Colorado, all residents should be aware of these hazards and be prepared to deal with them. 

In this fourth in a series on Winter Weather Preparedness from the National Weather Service, ThorntonWeather.com helps you understand wind chill and how to protect yourself from frostbite and hypothermia.  

Part 1 Winter travel safety
Part 2 Watches…warnings…and advisories
Part 3 High winds
Part 4 Wind chill temperatures and hypothermia
Part 5  Avalanche safety
Review  Winter Weather Preparedness Week review

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER CO
ISSUED BY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS 600 AM MDT THU OCT 23 2008

Extreme wind chill – Potentially life-threatening and often overlooked

The combination of wind and cold temperatures in winter can be deadly.  Winter storms often bring heavy snow to Colorado which results in slick roadways, traffic accidents and stranded travelers.  While the attention of most people is focused on expected snow accumulation before a storm arrives, many ignore the life threatening combination of extreme cold and strong wind which often develops after the storm passes.  Wind chill is a measure of heat loss from the body due to wind and cold air.  Frostbite and hypothermia are two consequences of wind chill.  All three will be discussed today as part of Colorado Winter Weather Preparedness Week.

Continue reading Life threatening winter weather – Wind chill, frostbite and hypothermia →

Colorado Weather, Thornton Weather, Weather Education

High winds a major threat in Colorado during the winter

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Winds in the winter can be one of the most frustrating and dangerous weather conditions. What causes them and how can you protect yourself?
Winds in the winter can be one of the most frustrating and dangerous weather conditions. What causes them and how can you protect yourself?

As we have experienced in the last 24 hours or so, high winds in Colorado can cause conditions to deteriorate rapidly.  They present a very real danger to life and property, especially when coupled with other winter conditions like snow.  Why does it seem like we get so much wind in the winter?  What causes this?  How can you prepare and protect yourself and your property? 

In this third in a series on Winter Weather Preparedness from the National Weather Service, ThorntonWeather.com helps you understand why we receive so much wind and how to prepare for it. 

Part 1 Winter travel safety
Part 2 Watches…warnings…and advisories
Part 3 High winds
Part 4 Wind chill temperatures and hypothermia
Part 5  Avalanche safety
Review  Winter Weather Preparedness Week review

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER CO
ISSUED BY NWS PUEBLO CO
600 AM MDT WED OCT 22 2008

HIGH WINDS ARE A MAJOR THREAT IN COLORADO DURING THE WINTER

Governor Bill Ritter has proclaimed this week through October 25th as winter weather preparedness week in Colorado.  This is an excellent time for all individuals, families, businesses, schools, and radio and television stations to review their winter weather preparedness plans.

Two main causes of high winds in Colorado during the cold season are the air pressure difference between strong low pressure and cold high pressure systems, and Chinook winds developing along the front range and mountains in the eastern half of the state.

Continue reading High winds a major threat in Colorado during the winter →