November proved to be an extraordinarily warm and dry month. Does December have hope for relief?
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.
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The weather during the month of November in Denver metro area can offer just about anything. While it is normally a quiet month, it can be prone to extremes.
November has historically been one of Denver’s snowiest months and major snowstorms are not entirely uncommon. However conditions can also be quite dry.
Temperatures during the month continue to cool as we get closer to winter and by the end of the month the low temperatures routinely dip to 20 degrees or below. At times it can in fact bring conditions more like what we see in January.
The month of September 2017 saw significant differences between the start and the end. The first two-thirds of the month were extraordinarily dry with temperatures well above normal. The last 10 days brought a big change though with damp conditions and much cooler conditions.
High pressure dominated the region for the first few weeks of the month. During this period when we normally see cooler temperatures, we instead saw highs oftentimes at or above 90 degrees and a couple of record high readings. Additionally, it was exceedingly dry with Thornton only received 0.03 inches of precipitation through the first 22 days of the month.
Big changes arrived and the last nine days of the month stood it stark contrast to the rest of September. Low pressure and a series of disturbances brought much cooler temperatures and much-needed precipitation, including snowfall in the high country. Seven out of the last eight days saw below normal high temperature readings and enough precipitation fell to push us to just above normal.
Thornton’s overall average temperature for the month came in at 62.4 degrees. This was a full degree cooler than Denver’s long term September average of 63.4 degrees. Out at DIA where Denver’s official measurements are taken, it was a good bit warmer with an average temperature of 65.1 degrees.
Temperatures in Thornton ranged from a high of 98.5 degrees on the third and a low of 40.9 degrees on the morning of the 29th. Denver saw their high of 97 degrees on the third as well and their coldest reading of 40 degrees on the 20th.
Two record high temperatures were officially set or tied for the Mile High City. The high temperature of 97 degrees on the third tied the record high for the date. A reading of 92 degrees on the 21st set a new record high for that date.
In terms of precipitation, Denver averages 0.96 inches during September. Thornton tallied 1.05 inches in the rain bucket while Denver bested us with 1.26 inches.
Thornton, Colorado’s September 2017 Temperature Summary. (ThorntonWeather.com)Thornton, Colorado’s September 2017 Precipitation Summary. (ThorntonWeather.com)
From the National Weather Service:
CLIMATE REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER/BOULDER CO
244 AM MDT SUN OCT 1 2017
...................................
...THE DENVER CO CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR THE MONTH OF SEPTEMBER 2017...
CLIMATE NORMAL PERIOD 1981 TO 2010
CLIMATE RECORD PERIOD 1872 TO 2017
WEATHER OBSERVED NORMAL DEPART LAST YEAR`S
VALUE DATE(S) VALUE FROM VALUE DATE(S)
NORMAL
................................................................
TEMPERATURE (F)
RECORD
HIGH 97 09/03/2017
09/06/2013
09/05/2013
LOW 17 09/29/1985
HIGHEST 97R 09/03 91 6 93 09/05
LOWEST 40 09/20 35 5 37 09/10
AVG. MAXIMUM 79.0 78.5 0.5 82.3
AVG. MINIMUM 51.3 48.3 3.0 49.7
MEAN 65.1 63.4 1.7 66.0
DAYS MAX >= 90 9 3.4 5.6 6
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 1.26 0.96 0.30 0.28 DAILY AVG. 0.04 0.03 0.01 0.01 DAYS >= .01 6 6.5 -0.5 4
DAYS >= .10 2 3.3 -1.3 1
DAYS >= .50 1 0.6 0.4 0
DAYS >= 1.00 0 0.1 -0.1 0
GREATEST
24 HR. TOTAL 0.83 09/23 TO 09/23 09/12 TO 09/12
SNOWFALL (INCHES)
RECORDS
TOTAL 0.0
TOTALS 0.0 1.3
DEGREE_DAYS
HEATING TOTAL 122 125 -3 64
SINCE 7/1 130 141 -11 79
COOLING TOTAL 131 76 55 99
SINCE 1/1 880 764 116 861
FREEZE DATES
RECORD
EARLIEST 09/08/1962
LATEST 06/08/2007
EARLIEST 10/07
LATEST 05/05
...................................................
WIND (MPH)
AVERAGE WIND SPEED 9.6
RESULTANT WIND SPEED/DIRECTION 2/165
HIGHEST WIND SPEED/DIRECTION 40/020 DATE 09/19
HIGHEST GUST SPEED/DIRECTION 48/030 DATE 09/19
SKY COVER
POSSIBLE SUNSHINE (PERCENT) MM
AVERAGE SKY COVER 0.50
NUMBER OF DAYS FAIR 9
NUMBER OF DAYS PC 15
NUMBER OF DAYS CLOUDY 6
AVERAGE RH (PERCENT) 48
WEATHER CONDITIONS. NUMBER OF DAYS WITH
THUNDERSTORM 0 MIXED PRECIP 0
HEAVY RAIN 1 RAIN 1
LIGHT RAIN 10 FREEZING RAIN 0
LT FREEZING RAIN 0 HAIL 0
HEAVY SNOW 0 SNOW 0
LIGHT SNOW 0 SLEET 0
FOG 8 FOG W/VIS <= 1/4 MILE 1
HAZE 10
- 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.
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. Be forewarned though that the western half of the pass is unpaved and twisty. Editor’s note: The west side of Cottonwood Pass is closed until Summer 2018 so that it can be paved.
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!
The last full summer month of the year has come to a close in a rather un-dramatic fashion. Thornton saw a largely pleasant month with temperatures a good bit cooler than we usually expect to see. Precipitation was right near normal however, all of it fell during the first half of the month.
High pressure ruled for the first two days of the month but then the ridge broke down bringing about cooler temperatures on the 3rd of the month. The cool down didn’t last long and while the heat returned for a couple of days, we did finally receive some moisture on the 4th and 5th.
Cooler than normal temperatures returned on the 6th and lasted through the next 10 days. The first half of the month also saw 10 days with measurable precipitation, our only precipitation for the month as the last half of the month saw none at all.
Dry and warm conditions were the rule of thumb for the last two weeks of the month. Both Thornton and Denver saw six of the last nine days of the month bring high temperatures at or above 90 degrees.
Our average temperature for the month came in at 68.9 degrees. This was a good bit below the long term Denver average for August of 72.5 degrees. Out at DIA where the Mile High City’s official measurements are taken, the month was warmer than us but still cooler than normal with an average of 71.5 degrees.
Temperatures in Thornton ranged from a high mark reading of 94.9 degrees on the 29th of the month down to a low of 51.2 degrees on the 11th. Denver saw a maximum reading of 95 degrees on the 19th of the month and a low of 51 degrees on the 4th.
In terms of precipitation, Denver averages 1.69 inches of precipitation during August. Thornton wasn’t too far short of that with 1.43 inches. However, all of that came during the first 15 days of the month. After that, we saw nothing. Denver best us, and the average, with 1.86 inches in their rain bucket.
Thornton, Colorado’s August 2017 Temperature Summary. (ThorntonWeather.com)
Thornton, Colorado’s August 2017 Precipitation Summary. (ThorntonWeather.com)
CLIMATE REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER/BOULDER CO
639 PM MDT FRI SEP 1 2017
...................................
...THE DENVER CO CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR THE MONTH OF AUGUST 2017...
CLIMATE NORMAL PERIOD 1981 TO 2010
CLIMATE RECORD PERIOD 1872 TO 2017
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 95 08/19 96 -1 97 08/09
LOWEST 51 08/04 50 1 47 08/25
08/20
AVG. MAXIMUM 85.7 87.2 -1.5 86.3
AVG. MINIMUM 57.3 57.9 -0.6 56.2
MEAN 71.5 72.5 -1.0 71.2
DAYS MAX >= 90 10 11.5 -1.5 15
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 1.86 1.69 0.17 0.22
DAILY AVG. 0.06 0.05 0.01 0.01
DAYS >= .01 6 8.6 -2.6 4
DAYS >= .10 4 4.3 -0.3 1
DAYS >= .50 2 1.2 0.8 0
DAYS >= 1.00 0 0.3 -0.3 0
GREATEST
24 HR. TOTAL 0.90 08/07 TO 08/07 08/24 TO 08/24
SNOWFALL (INCHES)
RECORDS TOTAL 0.0
TOTALS 0.0 2017 0.0
DEGREE_DAYS
HEATING TOTAL 8 10 -2 15
SINCE 7/1 8 16 -8 15
COOLING TOTAL 216 244 -28 218
SINCE 1/1 749 688 61 762
FREEZE DATES
RECORD
EARLIEST 09/08/1962
LATEST 06/08/2007
EARLIEST 10/07
LATEST 05/05
.........................................................
WIND (MPH)
AVERAGE WIND SPEED 9.2
RESULTANT WIND SPEED/DIRECTION 2/189
HIGHEST WIND SPEED/DIRECTION 49/320 DATE 08/04
HIGHEST GUST SPEED/DIRECTION 62/320 DATE 08/04
SKY COVER
POSSIBLE SUNSHINE (PERCENT) MM
AVERAGE SKY COVER 0.50
NUMBER OF DAYS FAIR 7
NUMBER OF DAYS PC 21
NUMBER OF DAYS CLOUDY 3
AVERAGE RH (PERCENT) 50
WEATHER CONDITIONS. NUMBER OF DAYS WITH
THUNDERSTORM 13 MIXED PRECIP 0
HEAVY RAIN 3 RAIN 4
LIGHT RAIN 12 FREEZING RAIN 0
LT FREEZING RAIN 0 HAIL 0
HEAVY SNOW 0 SNOW 0
LIGHT SNOW 0 SLEET 0
FOG 10 FOG W/VIS <= 1/4 MILE 2
HAZE 2
- INDICATES NEGATIVE NUMBERS.
R INDICATES RECORD WAS SET OR TIED.
MM INDICATES DATA IS MISSING.
T INDICATES TRACE AMOUNT.
Whew! Is this September or July? As expected the mercury kept on climbing today and did indeed get into record-setting territory.
At 1:53pm the temperature at Denver International Airport where the Mile High City’s official records are kept reached 97 degrees. This easily bests the previous record high for the date of 95 degrees set in 1995.
Additionally the reading tied the record for hottest September temperature. Six other times in the past the mercury reached 97 degrees during September occurring on September 1, 1995, September 4, 1960, September 4, 1995, September 5, 1899, September 5, 2013, and September 6, 2013.
Here in Thornton, we were actually warmer than DIA (a rarity). Temperatures here topped out at 98.5 degrees at 1:20pm.
While above normal temperatures (but not record-setting) are expected for tomorrow, we do expect to see a significant cool down Tuesday then see things bounce back to readings a bit above normal for the balance of the week. See the extended forecast here.
Following on what was a cool but dry August, some are certainly hoping for a bit of precipitation. 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 month of July might have seemed quite hot but in fact mercury readings were right near normal. What likely caused the misconception is the fact that we saw far less than normal rain.
High pressure did dominate for much of the month and while monsoonal flow did bring rain to eastern Colorado, it largely missed our area. The Palmer Divide and southeastern Colorado were beneficiaries for much of the month but for us it wasn’t until the last week that we saw relief.
Thornton’s average temperature for the month came in at 74.1 degrees. This is almost exactly matches Denver’s long-term July average of 74.2 degrees. Out at DIA where the Mile High City’s official temperatures are taken, it shows a far warmer month with an average of 76.4 degrees.
Temperatures here ranged from a maximum of 99.2 degrees on the 19th down to a low of 50.1 degrees on the morning of the 1st. Out at the airport, their highest reading was actually 100 degrees seen on the 6th and again on the 19th. The low out there was 51 degrees on the 1st.
On average Denver receives 2.16 inches of precipitation during July. Both Thornton and Denver fell far short of that mark. We managed to record 0.61 inches in our bucket during the month, more than half of which fell on the second to last day of the month. At DIA, Denver recorded 0.47 inches.
Thornton, Colorado’s July 2017 temperature summary. (ThorntonWeather.com)Thornton, Colorado’s July 2017 precipitation summary. (ThorntonWeather.com)
From the National Weather Service:
CLIMATE REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER/BOULDER CO
656 AM MDT TUE AUG 1 2017
...................................
...THE DENVER CO CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR THE MONTH OF JULY 2017...
CLIMATE NORMAL PERIOD 1981 TO 2010
CLIMATE RECORD PERIOD 1872 TO 2017
WEATHER OBSERVED NORMAL DEPART LAST YEAR`S
VALUE DATE(S) VALUE FROM VALUE DATE(S)
NORMAL
................................................................
TEMPERATURE (F)
RECORD
HIGH 105 07/20/2005
LOW 42 07/04/1903
07/31/1873
HIGHEST 100 07/19 99 -5 102 07/10
07/06
LOWEST 51 07/01 51 9 51 07/12
AVG. MAXIMUM 91.5 89.4 2.1 92.0
AVG. MINIMUM 61.3 58.9 2.4 60.5
MEAN 76.4 74.2 2.2 76.2
DAYS MAX >= 90 20 16.0 4.0 22
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 6.41 1965
MINIMUM 0.01 1901
TOTALS 0.47 2.16 -1.69 1.07
DAILY AVG. 0.02 0.07 -0.05 0.03
DAYS >= .01 6 8.3 -2.3 6
DAYS >= .10 3 4.3 -1.3 4
DAYS >= .50 0 1.4 -1.4 1
DAYS >= 1.00 0 0.7 -0.7 0
GREATEST
24 HR. TOTAL 0.15 07/21 TO 07/21 07/01 TO 07/01
06/30 TO 07/01
07/01 TO 07/01
SNOWFALL (INCHES)
RECORDS TOTAL 0.0
TOTALS 0.0 2017 0.0
DEGREE_DAYS
HEATING TOTAL 0 6 -6 0
SINCE 7/1 0 6 -6 0
COOLING TOTAL 360 289 71 356
SINCE 1/1 533 444 89 544
FREEZE DATES
RECORD
EARLIEST 09/08/1962
LATEST 06/08/2007
EARLIEST 10/07
LATEST 05/05
..................................................
WIND (MPH)
AVERAGE WIND SPEED 9.6
RESULTANT WIND SPEED/DIRECTION 3/204
HIGHEST WIND SPEED/DIRECTION 45/120 DATE 07/15
HIGHEST GUST SPEED/DIRECTION 53/120 DATE 07/15
SKY COVER
POSSIBLE SUNSHINE (PERCENT) MM
AVERAGE SKY COVER 0.50
NUMBER OF DAYS FAIR 6
NUMBER OF DAYS PC 21
NUMBER OF DAYS CLOUDY 4
AVERAGE RH (PERCENT) 45
WEATHER CONDITIONS. NUMBER OF DAYS WITH
THUNDERSTORM 9 MIXED PRECIP 0
HEAVY RAIN 0 RAIN 3
LIGHT RAIN 9 FREEZING RAIN 0
LT FREEZING RAIN 0 HAIL 0
HEAVY SNOW 0 SNOW 0
LIGHT SNOW 0 SLEET 0
FOG 3 FOG W/VIS <= 1/4 MILE 1
HAZE 3
- INDICATES NEGATIVE NUMBERS.
R INDICATES RECORD WAS SET OR TIED.
MM INDICATES DATA IS MISSING.
T INDICATES TRACE AMOUNT.
Weather, natural disasters & climate news and information.
November proved to be an extraordinarily warm and dry month. Does December have hope for relief?
The weather during the month of November in Denver metro area can offer just about anything. While it is normally a quiet month, it can be prone to extremes.
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 on what was a cool but dry August, some are certainly hoping for a bit of precipitation. 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.
