While our first snowfall of the season had ended, the cold was just beginning.
Just before midnight on Thursday, the temperature at Denver International Airport fell to 13 degrees.
This easily beat the record low temperature for October 10 of 17 degrees set in 2009.
Thornton managed to stay warmer with our low of 20 degrees coming in the morning.
The temperature will continue to drop tonight and into early Friday morning. It starts with record setting cold and now we will wait and see just how cold it gets.
Looking ahead, the weekend will offer up gradually warming temperatures with Sunday returning us to near normal readings.
For the second month in a row, Thornton saw temperatures well above normal and precipitation well below average. While the first half of 2019 started out cool and wet, the second appears to be headed the opposite direction.
High pressure was the dominating feature for the month. This served to keep precipitation away and colder air to our north.
The result was clear and served to make September 2019 one of the warmest Septembers on record. In fact, it was Denver’s second warmest September on record. Thornton wasn’t as warm but here too, it was our second warmest September since Thornton Weather launched 13 years ago.
Overall, Thornton saw an average temperature for the month of 67.0 degrees. This was well above Denver’s long term average temperature for September of 63.4 degrees. Out at DIA where the Mile High City’s official measurements are taken, it was even warmer with an average of 69.3 degrees for the month.
Temperatures in Thornton ranged from a high of 101 degrees on the 1st and 2nd down to a low of 41.7 degrees on the morning of the 26th. Denver’s maximum temperature for the month of 100 degrees came on the 2nd and its coldest of 40 degrees on the 22nd.
Denver’s 100 degree reading on the 2nd was not only a record high for the date, but it also was the latest in the year a 100 degree reading has ever been recorded. The old record was August 16th in 2002. Record high temperatures of 98 degrees were also recorded on the 1st and 5th.
In terms of precipitation, Denver averages 0.96 inches during September. Thornton and Denver recorded identical totals in September 2019 of 0.41 inches, less than half of the average.
Thornton, Colorado’s September 2019 temperature summary. (ThorntonWeather.com)Thornton, Colorado’s September 2019 precipitation summary. (ThorntonWeather.com)
CLIMATE REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER/BOULDER CO
826 AM MDT TUE OCT 1 2019
...................................
...THE DENVER CO CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR THE MONTH OF SEPTEMBER 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 100 09/02/2019
LOW 17 09/29/1985
HIGHEST 100R 09/02 91 9 96 09/13
LOWEST 40 09/22 35 5 36 09/29
09/25
AVG. MAXIMUM 85.5 78.5 7.0 82.7
AVG. MINIMUM 53.2 48.3 4.9 52.8
MEAN 69.3 63.4 5.9 67.8
DAYS MAX >= 90 5 3.4 1.6 9
DAYS MAX <= 32 0 0.0 0.0 0
DAYS MIN <= 32 0 0.8 -0.8 0
DAYS MIN <= 0 0 0.0 0.0 0
PRECIPITATION (INCHES)
RECORD
MAXIMUM 5.61 2013
MINIMUM T 1892
1944
TOTALS 0.41 0.96 -0.55 0.18
DAILY AVG. 0.01 0.03 -0.02 0.01
DAYS >= .01 3 6.5 -3.5 5
DAYS >= .10 2 3.3 -1.3 0
DAYS >= .50 0 0.6 -0.6 0
DAYS >= 1.00 0 0.1 -0.1 0
GREATEST
24 HR. TOTAL 0.26 09/08 TO 09/08
SNOWFALL (INCHES)
RECORD SEPTEMBER 17.2 1971
TOTAL 0.0 1.3
DEGREE_DAYS
HEATING TOTAL 22 125 -103 69
SINCE 7/1 22 141 -119 78
COOLING TOTAL 158 76 82 160
SINCE 1/1 915 764 151 1022
FREEZE DATES
RECORD
EARLIEST 09/08/1962
LATEST 06/08/2007
EARLIEST 10/07
LATEST 05/05
.................................................................
WIND (MPH)
AVERAGE WIND SPEED 10.3
RESULTANT WIND SPEED/DIRECTION 3/165
HIGHEST WIND SPEED/DIRECTION 43/260 DATE 09/08
HIGHEST GUST SPEED/DIRECTION 56/260 DATE 09/08
SKY COVER
POSSIBLE SUNSHINE (PERCENT) MM
AVERAGE SKY COVER 0.40
NUMBER OF DAYS FAIR 14
NUMBER OF DAYS PC 15
NUMBER OF DAYS CLOUDY 1
AVERAGE RH (PERCENT) 45
- INDICATES NEGATIVE NUMBERS.
R INDICATES RECORD WAS SET OR TIED.
MM INDICATES DATA IS MISSING.
T INDICATES TRACE AMOUNT.
With the first full month of fall here, October usually brings one of the quietest weather months in the Denver area with plenty of mild, sunny days and clear, cool nights.
October is historically the second sunniest month and conditions are generally calm.
However we also will usually see our first taste of winter during the month with the first freeze and first snowfall of the season.
Temperatures as well will start to drop and by the end of the month the average nighttime lows are below freezing.
Don’t miss a thing when it comes to our ever-changing weather! Be sure to ‘like’ us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and add us to your Google+ circles.
Wildlife is still quite active along the Front Range and flowers will hold on to their petals for at least the first part of the month. Then of course there is the weather which you never know what to expect. Thunderstorms, heavy rain, and even snow are a possibility.
Slideshow updated September 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=”72157710687769516″]
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.
Rocky Mountain National Park is a prime spot for viewing the fall foliage. (Tony’s Takes)
This time of year many folks start thinking about heading to the hills west of Denver in search of gold – fall foliage gold.
Where to go? Below are five of ThorntonWeather.com’s favorite ones near Denver – plus a few further out and some bonus ideas. After that, we will tell you where you can find a great website that provides regular updates on viewing conditions.
I-70 Corridor – If you’re looking for the easiest route, then this one is for you. Simply head west on I-70 about 110 miles to Avon. Between Vail and Avon, both sides of I-70 are lined beautifully with aspen.
Rocky Mountain National Park – One of the most popular summer destinations in the state is of course also a prime spot to view aspen in all their glory. Once in the park head toward Bear Lake. Glacier Gorge Junction provides a beautiful spot and you of course also get to enjoy all the splendor that Rocky Mountain National Park has to offer. Extend your viewing by taking Trail Ridge Road all the way through to the west side of the park and the Grand Lake and Granby area.
Peak to Peak Highway – This little road trip can be a dual purpose trip – gambling and fall foliage viewing! Take U.S. 6 through Clear Creek Canyon and then 119 through Blackhawk and Central City. You can of course stop there if your wallet is fat enough and donate some money to the casinos. From there continue on 119 toward Nederland. Take highway 72 toward Ward and Allenspark. There you will find more golden aspen than you can imagine, all with the Continental Divide nearby.
Colorado Fall Foliage – Average Date of Peak Aspen Colors. Click for larger view. (ThorntonWeather.com)
Poudre Valley Canyon – Heading north on I-25 take Colorado 14 west and into Poudre Canyon and Roosevelt National Forest. As you continue west you will come very near timberline as you come to Cameron Pass. Amazing views abound!
Guanella Pass – This is a nice, relatively short drive from Denver. From C470 take 85 through Bailey and Conifer, a nice drive unto itself. When you come to the town of Grant, take the Guanella Pass Scenic and Historic Byway north to Georgetown. The air is pretty thin along the way as you climb in excess of 11,500 views through the Pike and Arapahoe National Forests.
A couple other possibilities further from the Front Range:
Leadville / Aspen – From Denver take I-70 west to Copper Mountain and then Colorado 91 south over Freemont Pass to Leadville. Along the way there are plenty of viewing opportunities and Leadville is a nice little town to make a stop. From here you can take Highway 24 north back through Minturn and Vail. To extend the drive, take Highway 24 south to Colorado 82 and head toward Aspen. You can stop by the Maroon Bells in White River National Forest to view some of the most photographed mountains in Colorado.
Cottonwood Pass – From Denver take Highway 285 to Buena Vista. Head west on Main Street for seven miles then west on County Road 344 / Colorado 82. From there you start the climb up Cottonwood Pass with absolutely stunning views from the top. If you are up for it, you can continue down the west side of the pass into the Taylor Park area.
Honorable mentions worth considering:
Boreas Pass between Breckenridge and Como (County Road 10)
Kenosha Pass on Highway 285 between Bailey and Fairplay
Independence Pass (Colorado 82 between Aspen and Twin Lakes)
Colorado 103 from Evergreen to Echo Lake. Throw in a drive up Mount Evans for a bonus.
If you do head out, be sure to send us your pictures for inclusion in our monthly photo slideshows!
Only five days into the month of September and the heat has records falling left and right.
Today, at 2:05pm, the temperature at Denver International Airport where Denver’s official readings are taken, reached 98 degrees. This topped the previous record high for September 5 of 97 degrees set in 2013 and 1899.
Here in Thornton we were actually warmer with a high of 99 degrees coming at 2:58pm.
Today’s record comes on the heels of record highs on the 1st and the 2nd of the month.
The 100 degree high of the 2nd was also the latest 100 degree reading ever recorded in Denver and also the warmest September temperature on record.
The month of August usually brings respectable amounts of precipitation and by the latter part of the month, cooler temperatures. Mother Nature however had other plans last month keeping the heat on and the moisture at bay.
A dry, westerly flow was dominant for much of the month. While there were a few cool fronts and PM thunderstorms, these failed to amount to much at all and were a rarity.
Thornton saw 21 days of 90 degree or higher readings during the month. Only five days saw precipitation and three of those were in virtually negligible amounts.
Thornton’s overall average temperature for the month was 73.9 degrees. This makes it the warmest August since ThorntonWeather.com came online 13 years ago. The reading was a good ways above the long-term Denver average for the month of 72.5 degrees.
At DIA, where Denver’s official temperatures are recorded, it was even warmer with an average of 75.4 degrees. This put August 2019 into the books tying August 2007 as the warmest August ever recorded in the Mile High City.
One temperature record was set in Denver during the month when on the 19th, the high temperature topped out at 99 degrees. This topped the old record high for the date of 97 degrees.
In terms of precipitation, Denver averages 1.69 inches during the month of August. This year, Thornton recorded a paltry 0.18 inch during the month. Denver fared a bit better with 0.58 inches. Both were clearly far short of average and Thornton’s was the least amount of precipitation received in August since ThorntonWeather.com came online 13 years ago.
Thornton, Colorado’s August 2019 temperature summary. (ThorntonWeather.com)Thornton, Colorado’s August 2019 precipitation summary. (ThorntonWeather.com)Thornton, Colorado’s August 2019 weather summary. (ThorntonWeather.com)
CLIMATE REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER/BOULDER CO
910 AM MDT SUN SEP 1 2019
...................................
...THE DENVER CO CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR THE MONTH OF AUGUST 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 105 08/08/1878
LOW 40 08/26/1910
08/25/1910
08/24/1910
HIGHEST 99 08/19
LOWEST 51 08/28
AVG. MAXIMUM 90.5 87.2 3.3 86.8
AVG. MINIMUM 60.2 57.9 2.3 58.0
MEAN 75.4 72.5 2.9 72.4
DAYS MAX >= 90 18 11.5 6.5 11
DAYS MAX <= 32 0 0.0 0.0 0
DAYS MIN <= 32 0 0.0 0.0 0
DAYS MIN <= 0 0 0.0 0.0 0
PRECIPITATION (INCHES)
RECORD MAXIMUM 5.85 1979
MINIMUM 0.02 1924
TOTALS 0.58 1.69 -1.11 0.93
DAILY AVG. 0.02 0.05 -0.03 0.03
DAYS >= .01 3 8.6 -5.6 7
DAYS >= .10 1 4.3 -3.3 2
DAYS >= .50 0 1.2 -1.2 0
DAYS >= 1.00 0 0.3 -0.3 0
GREATEST
24 HR. TOTAL 0.46 08/08 TO 08/08 08/14 TO 08/14
SNOWFALL (INCHES)
TOTALS 0.0 0.0
DEGREE_DAYS
HEATING TOTAL 0 10 -10 9
SINCE 7/1 0 16 -16 9
COOLING TOTAL 326 244 82 247
SINCE 1/1 757 688 69 862
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 2/155
HIGHEST WIND SPEED/DIRECTION 40/020 DATE 08/20
HIGHEST GUST SPEED/DIRECTION 56/020 DATE 08/20
SKY COVER
POSSIBLE SUNSHINE (PERCENT) MM
AVERAGE SKY COVER 0.50
NUMBER OF DAYS FAIR 9
NUMBER OF DAYS PC 21
NUMBER OF DAYS CLOUDY 1
AVERAGE RH (PERCENT) 50
- INDICATES NEGATIVE NUMBERS.
R INDICATES RECORD WAS SET OR TIED.
MM INDICATES DATA IS MISSING.
T INDICATES TRACE AMOUNT.
Following an August that was unseasonably warm and dry, we find ourselves heading into September hoping for relief. The month can bring plenty of rain and even our first snow of the season but more often than not, it is one of the most pleasant along the Colorado Front Range.
As temperatures start to drop, September usually reminds us that summer is at an end and fall is now here. Sunshine is predominant though as the month actually has the highest percentage of sun out of any month. Sunny days and clear, cool nights are the standard weather pattern for the month.
The month can bring extremes however. We will of course forever remember 2013’s devastating floods brought on by record-setting rain. Longtime residents might remember September 1971 which brought over 17 inches of snowfall.
The high temperature today in the Mile High City, as measured at Denver International Airport, topped out at 100 degrees.
This easily tops the record high temperature for September 2 of 95 degrees set in 1983. Further, this is the hottest temperature ever recorded in Denver in the month of September, topping yesterday’s record-setting 98 degrees.
Lastly, this is the latest a 100 degree or higher reading has been recorded in Denver. The previous latest was August 16, 2002.
Thornton actually was a touch warmer today with a high of 101 degrees.
A golden landscape on the Great Plains. (Jessica Fey)
As the calendar turns to August, the summertime heat begins to fade and that makes it easier to get out and enjoy all of the outdoor activities Colorado has to offer. From a walk in a park to afternoon thunderstorms to an abundance of wildlife, photo opportunities abound as is seen in our slideshow.
Our monsoon season typically arrives about now and that means better chances for moisture. However with limited instability, the intensity of storms are more sedate. That doesn’t mean however that the weather is any less photographic.
Slideshow updated September 2, 2019
By the end of the month some of our seasonal feathered friends will be looking to leave the state giving our last chance to see them till spring. Larger mammals are gearing up for the rut (mating season) and that can make for some intense scenes.
Showcasing images captured by ThorntonWeather.com readers as well as some of our own, our monthly slideshow covers the entire gamut of weather and nature related imagery. Sunsets, sunrises, wildlife and of course every type of weather condition are vividly depicted.
To learn more about how to send your photo to us for inclusion in the slideshow, see below the slideshow.
[flickr_set id=”72157710183851936″]
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.
While our first snowfall of the season had ended, the cold was just beginning.
With the first full month of fall here, October usually brings one of the quietest weather months in the Denver area with plenty of mild, sunny days and clear, cool nights.
Following an August that was unseasonably warm and dry, we find ourselves heading into September hoping for relief. The month can bring plenty of rain and even our first snow of the season but more often than not, it is one of the most pleasant along the Colorado Front Range.