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Photography, Thornton Weather

January 2020 top shots: Monthly photo slideshow

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A beautiful January day in Thornton. (LE Worley)
A beautiful January day in Thornton. (LE Worley)

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 27, 2020
  • 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=”72157712532896628″]

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.

So come on, get those camera’s rolling!

Weather History

January 26 to February 1: This Week in Denver Weather History

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This Week in Denver Weather History

As January comes to a close and February begins extreme weather continues to be possible. As we see in our look at this week in Denver weather history, damaging wind, bitter cold and snow have oftentimes wreaked havoc on the Front Range.

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.

24-26

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.

25-26

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.

26-27

In 1944…heavy snowfall totaled 8.0 inches in downtown Denver. Most of the snow…7.0 inches…occurred on the 26th when northwest winds were sustained to 17 mph.

In 1973…at Stapleton International Airport…only 3.8 inches of snowfall were measured and north winds gusted to 40 mph causing some blowing snow…while over the Colorado eastern plains heavy snow accompanied by high winds created widespread blizzard conditions closing many highways.

In 1994…the combination of an upper level storm system and moist upslope winds brought heavy snow and cold temperatures to metro Denver and much of eastern Colorado. Snowfall across metro Denver averaged 5 to 7 inches. Snowfall totaled 3.8 inches at Stapleton International Airport where east winds gusted to 21 mph on the 26th.

In 2000…snow…heavy in the mountains…spread over the foothills and metro Denver. Eight inches of snow were measured at Bergen Park and near Evergreen. Snowfall totaled 3.8 inches at the site of the former Stapleton International Airport.

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.

27

In 1888…the highest recorded temperature in January…76 degrees…occurred.

In 1967…strong winds caused a power outage in Boulder.

In 1984…this was the last day of 63 consecutive days with snow cover of one inch or more in Denver. This longest period of snow cover on record began with the thanksgiving weekend blizzard on November 26-27…1983… When 21.5 inches of snow fell at Stapleton International Airport. Additional snowfall during December and January prolonged the event. Snow depth on the ground to the nearest inch was measured once daily at 5:00 am MST.

27-28

In 1899…snowfall totaled 6.2 inches in the city. Northeast winds were sustained to 36 mph with gusts to 40 mph on the 28th.

In 1965…high winds raked the Front Range foothills. West winds gusted to 89 mph on Table Mountain in Boulder…87 mph at Rocky Flats…and 54 mph at Stapleton International Airport. Damage and minor injuries occurred in Boulder and western metro Denver. Four men were injured by wind- caused accidents while working on construction…2 in Denver and 2 in Boulder. There was extensive damage to power lines… Buildings…signs…and trees. Some minor accidents were caused by blowing dust and debris. Blown dust accumulated 2 to 3 feet deep on some lawns in northern metro Denver suburbs. Dust blew into buildings and homes.

In 1989…the heaviest snowstorm of the winter dumped 9 to 15 inches of snow across metro Denver. Snowfall totaled 8.8 inches at Stapleton International Airport with most of the snow…8.6 inches…falling on the 28th. Strong north winds gusting to 46 mph whipped the snow into 2-foot drifts and reduced visibility in blowing snow. The foothills received up to 18 inches of snow. The snow fell on a weekend…so closures and other disruptions were minimal. The public reported thunder in Arvada…Wheat Ridge…and Boulder on the evening of the 27th. A thunderstorm produced snow pellets at Stapleton International Airport during the early morning hours of the 28th. This was the first thunderstorm in the city during January since 1932.

In 1996…winds to hurricane force were reported across the Front Range foothills in the wake of a pacific storm system. Recorded wind speeds included: 86 mph at the National Center for Atmospheric Research southwest of Boulder…86 mph atop Squaw Mountain west of Denver…and 75 mph at Jefferson County Airport in Broomfield. West-northwest winds gusted to 48 mph at Denver International Airport on the 28th.

In 2009…high winds buffeted the foothills of Boulder and Jefferson counties. Peak wind gusts included: 101 mph at Eldora Ski Resort…100 mph…6 miles northwest of Boulder; 84 mph at NCAR Mesa Lab…79 mph…5 miles northwest of Boulder; and 75 mph at the National Wind Technology Center. In Nederland…a wind turbine recently installed was damaged by the high winds. A peak wind gust of 38 mph occurred at Denver International Airport on the 28th.

27-31

In 1951…a major storm dumped 10.1 inches of snowfall at Stapleton Airport. Most of the snow…8.3 inches…fell on the 29th. Cold arctic air accompanied the snow. Several temperature records were set…including record low maximum temperatures of 4 on the 28th and 4 below zero on the 29th and record low temperatures of 12 below zero on the 29th and 24 below zero on the 31st. Temperatures were below zero for 45 consecutive hours.

28

In 1872…the low temperature dipped to 22 degrees below zero… A record minimum for the date.

In 1909…gale force north winds were sustained to 45 mph behind an apparent cold front…which also produced a trace of snow.

In 1986…a wind gust to 67 mph was recorded in Boulder. West winds gusted to 41 mph at Stapleton International Airport.

Continue reading January 26 to February 1: This Week in Denver Weather History →

Weather History

January 19 to January 25: This Week in Denver Weather History

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This Week in Denver Weather History

Extreme cold, damaging wind and Denver’s biggest January snowstorm mark this week in Denver weather history.

From the National Weather Service:

14-21

In 1930…a protracted cold spell occurred when low temperatures plunged below zero on 8 consecutive days. The coldest low temperatures of 20 degrees below zero on the 17th and 19 degrees below zero on the 16th were record minimums for the dates. High temperatures during the period ranged from 18 on the 18th to zero on the 20th. Two degrees on the 15th was a record low maximum temperature for the date.

15-23

In 1962…a protracted cold spell kept metro Denver in the deep freeze for more than a week. From the 15th thru the 23rd…low temperatures were zero or below for 9 consecutive days…but a daily record low was set only on the 22nd when the temperature dipped to 14 degrees below zero. A record low maximum for the date was also set on the 22nd when the temperature climbed to only 11 degrees. The coldest high temperature was 3 degrees above zero on the 21st…which did not break the record. The protracted cold was broken for only a few hours on the afternoon of the 20th when Chinook winds warmed the temperature to a high of 38 degrees before another surge of cold arctic air plunged temperatures back into the deep freeze that evening. The severe cold caused much damage to water systems. A woman was frozen to death at Morrison. There were other deaths attributable to the weather…including traffic deaths and heart attacks from overexertion.

18-19

In 1980…a slow moving storm deposited 4 to 10 inches of snow across metro Denver with the greatest amounts in the foothills. Flights were delayed 30 to 40 minutes at Stapleton International Airport where snowfall totaled 5.5 inches and north winds gusted to 22 mph.

In 1988…a blizzard produced strong winds and heavy snow across eastern Colorado. Ten-foot drifts were common and many roads were closed including I-70…I-76…and I-25. In the Denver area…4.0 inches of snow fell at Stapleton International Airport where north winds gusting to 40 mph reduced the visibility to 1/2 mile at times.

18-20

In 1958…snowfall totaled 6.9 inches at Stapleton Airport where east-northeast winds gusted to 26 mph on the 18th.

18-24

In 2005…a week of mid-winter unseasonably warm weather pushed high temperatures into the 60’s or more on all but one day. During the period…the highest temperature of 70 degrees on the 20th was a new record maximum for the date. Low temperatures remained above freezing on 4 of the days.

19

In 1883…the low temperature dropped to 20 degrees below zero…and the high temperature of only 9 degrees below zero was the record low maximum for January…which was equaled on January 11…1963.

In 1887…west winds sustained to 48 mph warmed the temperature in the city to a high of 67 degrees…which was the highest temperature of the month that year.

In 1890…northwest winds were sustained to 42 mph with gusts to 45 mph in the city.

In 1903…northwest winds were sustained to 40 mph with an extreme velocity of 44 mph.

In 1911…west Chinook winds sustained to 42 mph warmed the temperature to a high of 66 degrees.

In 1916…sleet (grains of ice) fell for 15 minutes. This is a rare occurrence in Denver.

In 1990…7 to 10 inches of snow fell across metro Denver. Strong winds…drifting snow…and poor visibility caused the closure of I-70 from Denver east to the Kansas border. However…at Stapleton International Airport north winds gusted to only 17 mph. Several schools and businesses were forced to close. Weather-related delays of up to 90 minutes hampered aircraft operations at Stapleton International Airport where snowfall from the storm totaled 7.5 inches.

In 2002…high winds occurred over portions of the northern mountains and eastern foothills. Wind reports included: 74 mph at the National Center for Atmospheric Research atop the mesa in Boulder and 71 mph at the Eldora Ski Resort west of Boulder.

In 2003…a wind gust to 75 mph was recorded at the National Wind Technology Center atop Rocky Flats to the northwest of Denver. West winds gusted to 36 mph at Denver International Airport.

19-20

In 1935…snowfall of only 0.8 inch during the evening of the 19th was the only measurable snowfall of the month. The light snow developed behind an arctic cold front as temperatures plunged to a low of 13 degrees below zero on the 20th. High temperature of only 2 degrees on the 20th was a record low maximum for the date. Northeast winds were sustained to 16 mph on the 19th.

In 1986…Chinook winds gusting to 39 mph at Stapleton International Airport provided record breaking warmth. The warmest temperature of the month…68 degrees on the 19th…was also a record high for the date. The low temperature of 41 degrees on the 20th equaled the record high minimum for the date.

In 1991…a strong cold front moved south across metro Denver. Upslope conditions produced 3 to 6 inches of snow along the Front Range with 5 inches in Westminster and 4 inches in Thornton. Snowfall measured 4.9 inches at Stapleton International Airport where north winds gusted to 31 mph.

20 Continue reading January 19 to January 25: This Week in Denver Weather History →

Climatology, Thornton Weather

December 2019 weather recap: Warmer than normal temps, little snowfall

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We closed out 2019 with a change from the cool, wet conditions of the previous two months. December saw the opposite conditions as average temperatures were above normal and snow a rarity.

Storm systems did move through Colorado and the Rocky Mountain region and while the high country saw plenty of snow, these storms evaded the Front Range for most of the month. Temperatures were never particularly warm but overall, the average temp was warmer than normal in Thornton.

On the 5th of the month, we saw a respectable bit of rain instead of snow. Finally, a light snowfall on the 14th was the first snow of the month. We then stayed dry until the 28th when we received our first – and only – appreciable snowfall of the month.

Thornton’s overall average temperature for the month came in at 31.9 degrees. This was a good bit warmer than Denver’s long term average for December of 30.0 degrees. Out at Denver International Airport where the Mile High City’s official records are kept, it was warmer with an average of 33.7 degrees.

Temperatures in Thornton ranged from a high of 64.6 degrees on the 22nd down to a low of 7.2 degrees on the morning of the 30th. Denver recorded a maximum of 67 degrees and its minimum of 3 degrees on the same dates.

In terms of precipitation, Denver averages 0.35 inches during December. Thornton fell short of that with 0.28 inches while Denver had just a touch more with 0.30 inches.

A mere 2.8 inches of snow was recorded in Thornton during the month and Denver had an identical number. These were well short of the 8.7 inches December typically brings.

Click here to view Thornton’s December 2019 climate report.

Thornton, Colorado's December 2019 Temperature Summary. (ThorntonWeather.com)
Thornton, Colorado’s December 2019 Temperature Summary. (ThorntonWeather.com)
Thornton, Colorado's December 2019 Precipitation Summary. (ThorntonWeather.com)
Thornton, Colorado’s December 2019 Precipitation Summary. (ThorntonWeather.com)
CLIMATE REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER/BOULDER CO
851 AM MST WED JAN 1 2020

...................................

...THE DENVER CO CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR THE MONTH OF DECEMBER 2019...

CLIMATE NORMAL PERIOD 1981 TO 2010
CLIMATE RECORD PERIOD 1872 TO 2019

WEATHER         OBSERVED          NORMAL  DEPART  LAST YEAR`S
                 VALUE   DATE(S)  VALUE   FROM    VALUE  DATE(S)
                                          NORMAL
................................................................
TEMPERATURE (F)
RECORD
 HIGH              79   12/05/1939
 LOW              -25   12/22/1990
                        12/24/1876
HIGHEST            67   12/22        62       5       63  12/21
LOWEST              3   12/30        -4       7        0  12/31
                        12/29
AVG. MAXIMUM     45.3              42.8     2.5     46.1
AVG. MINIMUM     22.1              17.1     5.0     18.8
MEAN             33.7              30.0     3.7     32.5
DAYS MAX >= 90      0               0.0     0.0        0
DAYS MAX <= 32      6               5.8     0.2        4
DAYS MIN <= 32     27              29.4    -2.4       31
DAYS MIN <= 0 0 2.0 -2.0 1 PRECIPITATION (INCHES) RECORD MAXIMUM 5.21 1913 MINIMUM 0.00 1881 TOTALS 0.30 0.35 -0.05 0.03 DAILY AVG. 0.01 0.01 0.00 0.00 DAYS >= .01         2               4.1    -2.1        1
DAYS >= .10         2               1.1     0.9        0
DAYS >= .50         0               0.1    -0.1        0
DAYS >= 1.00        0               0.0     0.0        0
GREATEST
 24 HR. TOTAL    0.18   12/28 TO 12/28           12/31 TO 12/31

SNOWFALL (INCHES)
RECORDS
 TOTAL            2.8               8.7
RECORD DECEMBER  57.4    1913

DEGREE_DAYS
HEATING TOTAL     964              1086    -122      999
 SINCE 7/1       2499              2468      31     2372
COOLING TOTAL       0                 0       0        0
 SINCE 1/1        916               769     147     1026

FREEZE DATES
RECORD
 EARLIEST     09/08/1962
 LATEST       06/08/2007
EARLIEST                        10/07
LATEST                          05/05
.................................................................

WIND (MPH)
AVERAGE WIND SPEED              9.1
RESULTANT WIND SPEED/DIRECTION   4/217
HIGHEST WIND SPEED/DIRECTION    33/350    DATE  12/28
HIGHEST GUST SPEED/DIRECTION    43/270    DATE  12/11

SKY COVER
POSSIBLE SUNSHINE (PERCENT)   MM
AVERAGE SKY COVER           0.50
NUMBER OF DAYS FAIR            7
NUMBER OF DAYS PC             19
NUMBER OF DAYS CLOUDY          5

AVERAGE RH (PERCENT)     56

-  INDICATES NEGATIVE NUMBERS.
R  INDICATES RECORD WAS SET OR TIED.
MM INDICATES DATA IS MISSING.
T  INDICATES TRACE AMOUNT.
Climatology, Thornton Weather

Thornton’s January 2020 preview: Cold temps, not much snow the norm

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Denver's January weather and climatology preview for 2013.As we begin the new year the winter chill begins to set in.  While January can see its share of extremes, the month historically sees stable temperatures and is usually relatively dry.

January ranks as the second coldest month in Denver next to December with average temperatures remaining virtually the same from the start to the end of the month.

In terms of snowfall, the month only ranks as the fourth snowiest and it is not uncommon for it to be quite dry.

What does January 2020 hold for us?  Follow the link to find out.

For the complete January preview including a look at historical averages and extremes, click here. 

Photography, Thornton Weather

December 2019 top shots: Monthly photo slideshow

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Where the buffalo roam. December 1, 2019. (Patrick Martin)
Where the buffalo roam. December 1, 2019. (Patrick Martin)

The month of December can offer everything from bone dry conditions to bone chilling cold and monstrous snowstorms.  The weather and wildlife all afford an abundance of photo opportunities as our December photo slideshow shows.

Leaves have fallen from trees now and the landscape can sometimes look quite stark.  However it only takes a quick shot of snow to change that picture greatly.  Throw in gorgeous sunrises and sunsets, plenty of wildlife big and small, kids playing and much more and the month can be quite colorful and eventful.

  • Slideshow updated December 31, 2019
  • 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=”72157712158922803″]

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.

So come on, get those camera’s rolling!

Climatology, Thornton Weather

Astronomical winter arrives Saturday, offers the shortest day of the year

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The Winter Solstice
Winter officially begins at 9:28am MST on Thursday, December 21, 2017. (NOAA)

Astronomical winter arrives in Thornton Saturday evening and with the solstice also comes the shortest day of the year.

Winter officially begins at 9:19pm MST on Saturday, December 21, 2019.

The Winter Solstice occurs when the North Pole is tilted at its furthest from the sun – 23.5 degrees away. This results in the shortest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere.

Here in Denver, with sunrise at 7:17am and sunset at 4:38pm, our day Saturday will be 9 hours, 21 minutes and 16 seconds long.

The following day, Sunday, it will be about a second longer and each day from now through to the Summer Solstice in June will get gradually longer as well.

While we have a short day on the solstice, it is nothing like what will be experienced in the Arctic Circle.  Areas north of there to the North Pole will have no direct sunlight at all.  Conversely, areas south of the Antarctic Circle toward the South Pole will have 24 hours of daylight and have a midnight sun.

Did you know that there is a difference between the astronomical seasons that we are discussing here and meteorological seasons?

Meteorological seasons differ slightly and are geared toward matching the calendar with the annual temperature cycle. This is done primarily for meteorological observing and forecasting and in many ways it is more logical than the astronomical seasons.

For the Northern Hemisphere, the meteorological spring covers the months of March, April and May. Summer brings the hottest months of the year and so meteorological summer is June, July and August. Meteorological fall then is September, October and November followed by the coldest months of December, January and February as meteorological winter.

Climatology, Thornton Weather

November 2019 weather recap: Another cold, snowy month for Thornton

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For the second month in a row, Mother Nature kept us cold and delivered a healthy dose of snow. Thornton experienced its second coldest November of the past 13 years and the snowiest of the past 13 years.

The month started out chilly but soon saw things stabilize and turn seasonal. Then, the 8th and 9th offered up our two warmest days of the month with readings of 71 and 79 degrees respectively. We quickly chilled out and saw our first snowfall of the month on the 9th although it was minimal.

From the 12th to the 19th, weather was relatively calm and temperatures for the most part warmer than normal.

After that, things went downhill with most of the balance of the month seeing temperatures well below normal. Light snow on the 20th, 21st and 22nd was followed by our most significant storm of the season on the 26th.

Thornton saw an overall overage temperature for November of 35.6 degrees. This was a good ways below the long term Denver average for the month of 38.3 degrees. Out at Denver International Airport where Denver’s official measurements are taken, the average temperature for the month was 36.2 degrees.

Temperatures in Thornton ranged from a high of 79 degrees on the 9th down to a low of 2 degrees on the 27th. Out at the airport, Denver saw its warmest reading of 77 degrees on the 9th also and its coldest temperature of -2 degrees on the 27th. The high temperature on the 9th was a record high for the date.

A generous amount of precipitation was received with Thornton recording 1.46 inches of rain and snowmelt. Denver lagged a bit with 1.31 inches. Both readings were well above the long term Denver average of 0.61 inches for November.

In terms of snowfall, the Mile High City averages 8.7 inches in November. Thornton’s reading of 16.7 inches and Denver’s of 13.7 inches easily bested the average.

Click here to view Thornton’s November 2019 climate report.

Thornton, Colorado's November 2019 Temperature Summary

Thornton, Colorado's November 2019 Precipitation Summary

CLIMATE REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER/BOULDER CO
905 AM MST SUN DEC 1 2019

...................................

...THE DENVER CO CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER 2019...

CLIMATE NORMAL PERIOD 1981 TO 2010
CLIMATE RECORD PERIOD 1872 TO 2019

WEATHER         OBSERVED          NORMAL  DEPART  LAST YEAR`S
                 VALUE   DATE(S)  VALUE   FROM    VALUE  DATE(S)
                                          NORMAL
................................................................
TEMPERATURE (F)
RECORD
 HIGH              81   11/27/2017
 LOW              -18   11/29/1877
HIGHEST            77   11/09        73       4       65  11/02
LOWEST             -2   11/27        -6       4       10  11/12
AVG. MAXIMUM     49.7              52.1    -2.4     50.6
AVG. MINIMUM     22.7              24.5    -1.8     25.0
MEAN             36.2              38.3    -2.1     37.8
DAYS MAX >= 90      0               0.0     0.0        0
DAYS MAX <= 32      7               2.3     4.7        2
DAYS MIN <= 32     25              23.4     1.6       27
DAYS MIN <= 0       1               0.6     0.4        0

PRECIPITATION (INCHES)
RECORD
 MAXIMUM         3.21   1946
 MINIMUM            T   1899
                        1901
                        1949
TOTALS           1.31              0.61    0.70     0.35
DAILY AVG.       0.04              0.02    0.02     0.01
DAYS >= .01         8               4.7     3.3        6
DAYS >= .10         4               1.6     2.4        1
DAYS >= .50         1               0.0     1.0        0
DAYS >= 1.00        0               0.0     0.0        0
GREATEST
 24 HR. TOTAL    0.80   11/26 TO 11/26           11/11 TO 11/11

SNOWFALL (INCHES)
RECORDS
 TOTAL           13.7               8.7
RECORD NOVEMBER  42.5   1946

DEGREE_DAYS
HEATING TOTAL     860               801      59      808
 SINCE 7/1       1535              1382     153     1373
COOLING TOTAL       0                 0       0        0
 SINCE 1/1        916               769     147     1026

FREEZE DATES
RECORD
 EARLIEST     09/08/1962
 LATEST       06/08/2007
EARLIEST                        10/07
LATEST                          05/05
.................................................................

WIND (MPH)
AVERAGE WIND SPEED              9.3
RESULTANT WIND SPEED/DIRECTION   2/197
HIGHEST WIND SPEED/DIRECTION    37/020    DATE  11/16
HIGHEST GUST SPEED/DIRECTION    48/010    DATE  11/16

SKY COVER
POSSIBLE SUNSHINE (PERCENT)   MM
AVERAGE SKY COVER           0.50
NUMBER OF DAYS FAIR            7
NUMBER OF DAYS PC             18
NUMBER OF DAYS CLOUDY          5

AVERAGE RH (PERCENT)     65

-  INDICATES NEGATIVE NUMBERS.
R  INDICATES RECORD WAS SET OR TIED.
MM INDICATES DATA IS MISSING.
T  INDICATES TRACE AMOUNT.
Climatology, Thornton Weather

Thornton’s December weather preview: What will the arrival of winter bring?

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Thornton, Colorado's December Weather Preview

October and November brought Thornton cooler than normal temperatures and a good bit more snow than usual.  What will December hold for us?

The month of December brings with it the official start of winter and oftentimes, colder and snowier weather conditions.

It however can also offer unseasonably warm temperatures and bone dry conditions.  Given our recent mild and dry weather, we are certainly hoping for a change in the coming month.

Overall December’s monthly mean temperature of 30.0 degrees (1981 – 2010 averages) makes it our coldest month.  Snow is always on everyone’s mind this time of year but December is only our 3rd snowiest month behind March and November with an average of 8.5 inches of the white stuff.

Get all the details on Thornton’s December weather including a look back at historical events and a look at the long range forecast in our December weather preview here.

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Photography, Thornton Weather

November 2019 top shots: Monthly photo slideshow

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An absolutely stunning sunset over Thornton, Colorado. (Jessica Fey)
An absolutely stunning sunset over Thornton, Colorado. (Jessica Fey)

Typically November is a quiet weather month with plenty of nice, fall days but it can also turn wet with healthy doses of snow and moisture.  The wide variety of conditions can create picturesque scenes ranging from blue skies and snow-capped mountains to a wintry wonderland in the metro area.

November is the second snowiest month of the year so winter conditions are not unusual.  Typically though, these bouts of cold are short-lived and normal daytime conditions are pleasant.

Outdoor activities continue to be quite popular during the month.  The cooling temperatures do oftentimes lead to an increase in wildlife activity.

All of the above help lead to a month in which a wide variety of scenes, flora and fauna can be captured.

  • Slideshow updated November 30, 2019
  • 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=”72157711638685333″]

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.

So come on, get those camera’s rolling!