Unfortunately, historical trends don’t give us too good of a chance but there is always hope – remember last year? Click here to read our Christmas weather page and check back often for the latest Christmas forecasts as the holiday gets closer.
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Let is snow, let it snow, let it snow.
Another round of snow moved into the metro area last night making for pretty messy conditions. As of 6:00 this morning we have recorded 2.1″ of fresh snow in Thornton with more on the way. You can expect the white stuff to continue falling throughout the day with additional accumulations of 1″ to 3″.This of course is the second storm in less than a week to bring snow to us. It is hard to complain considering how dry we have been in recent weeks. The cause for the moisture? Two factors have helped:
One is the jetstream. We generally see moisture come our way when the jetstream has dipped south to off of the coast of Southern California / Baja California. If you take a look at our jet stream map, you will see that happening.
The second factor is the wind from the northeast. Heading into this past weekend’s storm, we weren’t expecting much because the wind was from the west northwest (called a downslope wind) which would have helped move the storm past quickly. Instead, the wind shifted from the northeast (an upslope wind). Upslope winds help to slow storms down and hold them in place against the mountains, thus resulting in greater snowfall for the metro area.
Until these storms move out, stay warm and stay safe!
Do as I say, not as I do. United Nations meeting on climate change will cause as much pollution as 20,000 cars in a year.
We found this amusing – a little tidbit from Bloomberg News:
Government officials and activists flying to Bali, Indonesia, for the United Nations meeting on climate change will cause as much pollution as 20,000 cars in a year.
The delegates each will produce an average 4.07 metric tons of carbon dioxide, or CO2, to reach the resort island 950 kilometers (600 miles) from Jakarta, according to estimates e- mailed to Bloomberg by the UN agency holding the conference.
December outlook – hoping for moisture!
December is normally only our 4th snowiest month so we may not get a lot of relief. Current 30-day forecasts expect near normal temps but slightly below normal precipition. You can read more in our December Climate Preview here.
Lots more weather maps!
On our Radar & Maps page, we now have a huge array of weather maps for the western United States as well as national maps. Everything from temperature and humidity to jet stream, satellite, and air quality maps are available! Check it out.
Brrrr! Thanksgiving and Black Friday will be cold!
Big changes from recent weather to say the least! Monday we were near 80 degrees but by Wednesday we dropped to a “high” temperature of 28. Tuesday we recorded 2.6″ of snow which brings some desperately needed moisture to the area. Look for the cold to stay with us until Sunday when we will return to the 50’s.
Note: The National Weather Service has been experiencing some problems with their website and that is impacting some of the data shown here on ThorntonWeather.com – particularly the forecasts. To obtain a current forecast manually, please click here.
Looking at today’s forecast it doesn’t look so bad but…. Big changes are coming.
We’ll reach a high near 50 around mid-day today but clouds will be increasing and the temp will drop quickly after that (see chart below). Tonight expect to see the temperatures drop into the upper teens / low 20’s. The snow has been delayed a bit and most likely won’t arrive till after dark. Accumulations will be light – expect 1 – 3″ in Thornton.
Temperature Forecast – 9:00am Tuesday to 6:00am Wednesday
Wednesday we may not even reach freezing (brrrrr!) with the chance for a bit more snow but it won’t be much, if any. Wednesday night we’ll again be down to the teens and Thanksgiving is looking to be another cold one! Holiday travelers should keep an eye on the developing conditions, particularly if you are driving south on I-25. Be sure to monitor CDOT’s website (http://www.cotrip.org) to get the latest on road conditions.
As always, keep checking back with ThorntonWeather.com for the latest weather conditions and forecasts.
Snow probably. Cold yes. Big weather changes coming Tuesday!
The storm we’ve been keeping an eye on is heading our way and there will definitely be a big change in temperatures. This will bring an end to the very mild weather we have been experiencing and by mid-day Tuesday the front will arrive and the mercury will drop quickly – expect Tuesday’s high temperature to arrive mid-morning and drop from there.
By Tuesday’s afternoon rush hour snow should be falling although unfortunately it doesn’t look like there will be a lot of accumulation. Flurries will continue through Tuesday night into Wednesday with modest accumulations. Heading into Wednesday our high temp will be near freezing and will stay there through most of the holiday weekend. Thanksgiving will definitely be a cold one and anyone heading out on “Black Friday” to get started on Christmas shopping better be bundled up!
Stay tuned to ThorntonWeather.com for more information on this developing system as it becomes available.
United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Releases New Report. Calls impact of global warming, “so severe and so sweeping that only urgent, global action will do.”
This latest report continues the warnings by some in the scientific community that the world is heading for dire consequences from climatic change:
“As early as 2020, 75 million to 250 million people in Africa will suffer water shortages, residents of Asia’s megacities will be at great risk of river and coastal flooding, Europeans can expect extensive species loss, and North Americans will experience longer and hotter heat waves and greater competition for water…”
It is interesting to note that there was a great bit of debate within the panel about the wording of the report, just like there has been within the past. The IPCC issues these reports as if they are fact when in reality the conclusions they reach are done so by consensus. That is significant as just because a majority believe something doesn’t necessarily make it true. There are many experts who doubt man’s impact on the global environment although you would never know it as their voices tend to be drowned out. This debate will continue to rage and critical thinking by everyone should be exercised before making any judgments.
NOAA Still Sees Above Average Temperatures for Most of the U.S. and Below Normal Precipitation Across the South. Colorado Expected to be Warmer, Average Precipitation.
NOAA released its final 90 day winter forecast and little changed from earlier predictions. For Colorado that means the likelihood of warmer than normal temperatures, particularly in the southern part of the state. In terms of precipitation, they foresee equal chances for normal, above and below normal moisture while southern Colorado remains dry.
“Although we are expecting a warmer than normal winter, we do believe there will be fluctuations of warm weather and typical winter weather throughout the season,” said Edward O’Lenic, chief, forecast operations, NOAA Climate Prediction Center. “We encourage people to review winter weather risks for their particular area and information available online to help keep them safe when events do occur.”
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Click here to read the complete report from NOAA.