Extreme weather can occur during in month in Colorado we well know. June however is when traditional spring severe weather arrives in the state oftentimes with hail, damaging wind and tornadoes.
Over 40 percent of the tornadoes that occur in Colorado happen during the month of June. Far more common are thunderstorms with hail and wind, each responsible for extensive damage each year.
While severe weather is common, so too are brilliantly sunny and mild days as we close out spring and enter summer. If you are looking for cold, it isn’t likely but it is possible as the Denver area has seen freezing temperatures and yes, even snow, during the month.
Thornton saw overall weather conditions not too far out of line with what we expect for the month of May. Temperatures were a good bit below normal however while precipitation came in right near average.
The month started out a bit chilly and we received our first and only snow for the month on the first. Warmer weather returned right away though and lasted until the 7th of the month when severe weather arrived to the Colorado plains. Tornadoes and large hail were seen to our east and northeast but we received only a bit of rain and some small hail.
Cooler weather conditions lasted for a few days before we warmed up for two days on the 12th and 13th. That was short-lived however and once again things cooled down quite a bit with the 16th and 17th of the month seeing high temperatures only in the mid to upper 40s and a healthy shot of rain.
The final 11 days of the month saw temperatures near or above normal for the most part. Stormy weather returned on the 24th as afternoon thunderstorms brought marble sized hail to Thornton. Eastern Adams County and Washington County saw tornadoes and large, damaging hail. Six of those last 11 days of the month did bring measurable precipitation.
Thornton saw a monthly average temperature of 54.2 degrees. This was well below Denver’s 30 year average for the month of May of 57.1 degrees. Out at DIA where Denver’s official measurements are taken, the Mile High City was similarly cool with a monthly average of 54.4 degrees.
Temperatures in Thornton ranged from a high of 85.6 degrees on the 21st down to a below freezing low of 24.9 degrees on the 2nd. Out at the airport, the warmest reading was 83 degrees and the lowest 28 degrees, both on the same dates as our warmest / coldest temperatures.
In terms of precipitation, Denver averages 2.12 inches during the month of May. Thornton saw 2.07 inches in our rain bucket while DIA recorded 2.38 inches.
The only snow during May 2016 in Thornton came on the first of the month when 0.3 inches fell. Denver officially recorded only a trace. Average snowfall for the month of May in Denver is 1.1 inches.
May 2016 temperature summary for Thornton, Colorado. (ThorntonWeather.com)May 2016 precipitation summary for Thornton, Colorado. (ThorntonWeather.com)
From the National Weather Service:
CLIMATE REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER/BOULDER CO
244 AM MDT WED JUN 1 2016
...THE DENVER CO CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR THE MONTH OF MAY 2016...
CLIMATE NORMAL PERIOD 1981 TO 2010
CLIMATE RECORD PERIOD 1872 TO 2016
WEATHER OBSERVED NORMAL DEPART LAST YEAR`S
VALUE DATE(S) VALUE FROM VALUE DATE(S)
NORMAL
................................................................
TEMPERATURE (F)
RECORD
HIGH 95 05/26/1942
LOW 19 05/02/2013
05/03/1907
01/01/2000
HIGHEST 83 05/21 95 -12 85 05/31
LOWEST 28 05/02 19 9 27 05/10
05/09
AVG. MAXIMUM 66.9 71.5 -4.6 63.3
AVG. MINIMUM 41.9 42.7 -0.8 42.7
MEAN 54.4 57.1 -2.7 53.0
DAYS MAX >= 90 0 0.8 -0.8 0
DAYS MAX <= 32 0 0.0 0.0 0
DAYS MIN <= 32 3 1.9 1.1 3
DAYS MIN <= 0 0 0.0 0.0 0
PRECIPITATION (INCHES)
RECORD
MAXIMUM 8.57 1876
MINIMUM 0.06 1974
TOTALS 2.38 2.12 0.26 3.76
DAILY AVG. 0.08 0.07 0.01 0.12
DAYS >= .01 13 9.4 3.6 19
DAYS >= .10 4 4.8 -0.8 10
DAYS >= .50 1 1.2 -0.2 2
DAYS >= 1.00 1 0.2 0.8 1
GREATEST
24 HR. TOTAL 1.38 05/26 TO 05/27 05/08 TO 05/09
05/09 TO 05/09
SNOWFALL (INCHES)
RECORDS
TOTAL MM MM
TOTALS T 1.1
DEGREE_DAYS
HEATING TOTAL 326 265 61 367
SINCE 7/1 5556 5996 -440 5572
COOLING TOTAL 3 21 -18 4
SINCE 1/1 3 22 -19 4
FREEZE DATES
RECORD
EARLIEST 09/08/1962
LATEST 06/08/2007
EARLIEST 10/07
LATEST 05/05
..........................................................
WIND (MPH)
AVERAGE WIND SPEED 10.2
RESULTANT WIND SPEED/DIRECTION 2/154
HIGHEST WIND SPEED/DIRECTION 39/200 DATE 05/08
HIGHEST GUST SPEED/DIRECTION 47/300 DATE 05/29
SKY COVER
POSSIBLE SUNSHINE (PERCENT) MM
AVERAGE SKY COVER 0.60
NUMBER OF DAYS FAIR 4
NUMBER OF DAYS PC 18
NUMBER OF DAYS CLOUDY 9
AVERAGE RH (PERCENT) 60
WEATHER CONDITIONS. NUMBER OF DAYS WITH
THUNDERSTORM 13 MIXED PRECIP 0
HEAVY RAIN 1 RAIN 5
LIGHT RAIN 17 FREEZING RAIN 0
LT FREEZING RAIN 0 HAIL 2
HEAVY SNOW 0 SNOW 1
LIGHT SNOW 1 SLEET 0
FOG 10 FOG W/VIS <= 1/4 MILE 2
HAZE 3
- INDICATES NEGATIVE NUMBERS.
R INDICATES RECORD WAS SET OR TIED.
MM INDICATES DATA IS MISSING.
T INDICATES TRACE AMOUNT.
Colorado’s famously highly variable weather seems to showcase itself during the month of May when a variety of weather conditions can be seen.
Winter-like temperatures and snow are possible as are mid-summer like temperatures or the more typical spring severe weather.
As the month starts out in 2016 we see snow but then warmer, milder weather is expected to arrive for the balance of the first week of the month. Long range forecasts lean toward overall cooler and wetter than normal conditions.
However the month can bring extremes. Snow is not entirely uncommon during the month, oftentimes causing damage to newly bloomed trees. More common however is severe weather, particularly in the latter half of the month. Thunderstorms become more frequent and their associated hazards – lightning, wind, hail and tornadoes – are usual visitors.
Coming off a very snowy and cold March, Thornton saw a relatively seasonal April 2016. Temperatures were right near normal but we did see a healthier than average dose of snow and precipitation.
The month started out quite mild. In fact 13 of the first 14 days saw above average high temperatures. That changed quickly though at the middle of the month when a storm system brought cold and snow to the Front Range. While most of the white stuff fell to our south, Thornton managed respectable totals over the 16th and 17th of the month.
We then returned to mild weather but only for a few days as a series of low pressure systems passed through the state. The final three days of the month saw well-below average high temperatures and periods of rain and snow.
Thornton saw an average temperature for the month of 48.0 degrees. Out at the airport where Denver’s official measurements are kept, the monthly average was a bit cooler at 47.2 degrees. Both were quite close to the April long term average of 47.4 degrees.
Temperatures in Thornton ranged from a maximum of 78.3 degrees on the 22nd down to a low of 21.9 degrees on the first of the month. DIA saw a maximum of 77 degrees on the 22nd and 23rd and a low of 25 degrees on the first.
In terms of precipitation, Denver’s long term April average is 1.71 inches. On this front, both Thornton and Denver came out above normal. We saw 2.47 inches of liquid precipitation in our bucket in Thornton while Denver recorded 2.56 inches.
Snowfall was above the 8.9 inch April average in Thornton and Denver. Thornton however only bested it by a half inch with a total of 9.4 inches for the month. Out at the airport, 15.6 inches was recorded.
Thornton, Colorado’s April 2016 temperature summary. (ThorntonWeather.com)Thornton, Colorado’s April 2016 precipitation summary. (ThorntonWeather.com)
CLIMATE REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER/BOULDER CO
244 AM MDT SUN MAY 1 2016
...THE DENVER CO CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR THE MONTH OF APRIL 2016...
CLIMATE NORMAL PERIOD 1981 TO 2010
CLIMATE RECORD PERIOD 1872 TO 2016
WEATHER OBSERVED NORMAL DEPART LAST YEAR`S
VALUE DATE(S) VALUE FROM VALUE DATE(S)
NORMAL
................................................................
TEMPERATURE (F)
RECORD
HIGH 90 04/30/1992
LOW -2 04/02/1975
HIGHEST 77 04/23 90 -13 79 04/30
04/22
04/14
LOWEST 25 04/01 -2 27 27 04/03
AVG. MAXIMUM 59.4 61.5 -2.1 62.1
AVG. MINIMUM 35.1 33.3 1.8 35.3
MEAN 47.2 47.4 -0.2 48.7
DAYS MAX >= 90 0 0.0 0.0 0
DAYS MAX <= 32 0 0.3 -0.3 0
DAYS MIN <= 32 11 13.0 -2.0 7
DAYS MIN <= 0 0 0.0 0.0 0 PRECIPITATION (INCHES) RECORD MAXIMUM 8.24 1900 MINIMUM 0.03 1963 TOTALS 2.56 1.71 0.85 2.65 DAILY AVG. 0.09 0.06 0.03 0.09 DAYS >= .01 10 9.1 0.9 9
DAYS >= .10 6 4.5 1.5 6
DAYS >= .50 2 0.9 1.1 2
DAYS >= 1.00 1 0.5 0.5 1
GREATEST
24 HR. TOTAL 1.22 04/15 TO 04/16 04/16 TO 04/17
04/17 TO 04/17
04/17 TO 04/17
STORM TOTAL MM MM
(MM/DD(HH)) MM 04/17(00) TO 04/17(00)
04/17(00) TO 04/17(00)7
04/17(00) TO 04/17(00)7
SNOWFALL (INCHES)
TOTALS 15.6 8.9 6.7
DEGREE_DAYS
HEATING TOTAL 526 529 -3 481
SINCE 7/1 5230 5731 -501 5205
COOLING TOTAL 0 1 -1 0
SINCE 1/1 0 1 -1 0
FREEZE DATES
RECORD
EARLIEST 09/08/1962
LATEST 06/08/2007
EARLIEST 04/01 10/07
LATEST 05/05
........................................................
WIND (MPH)
AVERAGE WIND SPEED 10.9
RESULTANT WIND SPEED/DIRECTION 2/243
HIGHEST WIND SPEED/DIRECTION 43/300 DATE 04/05
HIGHEST GUST SPEED/DIRECTION 53/300 DATE 04/05
SKY COVER
POSSIBLE SUNSHINE (PERCENT) MM
AVERAGE SKY COVER 0.60
NUMBER OF DAYS FAIR 6
NUMBER OF DAYS PC 15
NUMBER OF DAYS CLOUDY 9
AVERAGE RH (PERCENT) 55
WEATHER CONDITIONS. NUMBER OF DAYS WITH
THUNDERSTORM 0 MIXED PRECIP 0
HEAVY RAIN 0 RAIN 2
LIGHT RAIN 6 FREEZING RAIN 0
LT FREEZING RAIN 0 HAIL 0
HEAVY SNOW 1 SNOW 5
LIGHT SNOW 8 SLEET 0
FOG 9 FOG W/VIS <= 1/4 MILE 4
HAZE 1
- INDICATES NEGATIVE NUMBERS.
R INDICATES RECORD WAS SET OR TIED.
MM INDICATES DATA IS MISSING.
T INDICATES TRACE AMOUNT.
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The month of March 2016 in Thornton was a bit of a tale of two halves. The first, mild and dry. The second, colder and much, much wetter.
We started out with above normal temperature readings dominating the daily temperatures. In fact 12 of the first 14 days of the month saw high temperatures above average, some well above. Other than a nice bit of rain on the 7th, those first two weeks were dry as well. All were courtesy of strong high pressure staying over the region.
Things cooled down briefly for the next few days and we received a nice bit of snow on the 17th and 18th. However, warm weather returned with back to back 70+ degree days on the 21st and 22nd.
March is however our snowiest month and Mother Nature delivered a walloping reminder of that on the 23rd. Blizzard conditions arrived early in the morning and persisted through the day. Schools and businesses shuttered as did the airport and major interstates.
Cool, unsettled weather conditions finished out the month. Another, light show of snow came on the 26th followed by flurries on the 31st.
Thornton’s overall average temperature for March was 41.4 degrees. This was very close to Denver’s official measurement of 41.6 degrees as taken out at DIA. The average monthly temperature for March is 40.4 degrees.
Thornton saw a maximum mercury reading of 72.4 degrees on the 21st and a low of 13.5 degrees on the 24th. Out at the airport, Denver saw its highest reading of 74 degrees on the 11th and a low of 10 degrees on the 24th.
In terms of precipitation, rain and snow combined to bring Thornton a wet 3.21 inches. The long term average for Denver in March is 0.92 inches.
Denver’s automated system claims a mere 0.90 inches of liquid precipitation at the airport. It is clear that they had a very incorrect reading from the blizzard on the 23rd. Their climate report for the month makes the note, “the precipitation for March 23rd is too low due to undercatch from blizzard. This value is under review. This could change the values below.”
Snowfall was abundant for the month and far exceeded the average of 10.7 inches for Denver. Here in Thornton we received 30.1 inches – our second highest monthly total in 10 years. The airport lagged considerably due to their location out in the middle of nowhere with 18.4 inches.
Thornton, Colorado’s March 2016 temperature summary. (ThorntonWeather.com)Thornton, Colorado’s March 2016 precipitation summary. (ThorntonWeather.com)
From the National Weather Service:
CLIMATE REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER/BOULDER CO
1255 PM MDT FRI APR 1 2016
...................................
...THE DENVER CO CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR THE MONTH OF MARCH 2016...
CLIMATE NORMAL PERIOD 1981 TO 2010
CLIMATE RECORD PERIOD 1872 TO 2016
WEATHER OBSERVED NORMAL DEPART LAST YEAR`S
VALUE DATE(S) VALUE FROM VALUE DATE(S)
NORMAL
................................................................
TEMPERATURE (F)
RECORD
HIGH 84 03/26/1971
LOW -11 03/28/1886
HIGHEST 74 03/11 73 1 81 03/16
LOWEST 10 03/24 11 -1 2 03/05
AVG. MAXIMUM 54.9 54.4 0.5 58.9
AVG. MINIMUM 28.3 26.4 1.9 31.2
MEAN 41.6 40.4 1.2 45.0
DAYS MAX >= 90 0 0.0 0.0 0
DAYS MAX <= 32 1 1.9 -0.9 2
DAYS MIN <= 32 21 23.6 -2.6 12
DAYS MIN <= 0 0 0.1 -0.1 0
PRECIPITATION (INCHES)
RECORD
MAXIMUM 4.56 1983
MINIMUM 0.03 2012
*THE PRECIPITATION FOR MARCH 23RD IS TOO LOW DUE TO UNDERCATCH
FROM BLIZZARD. THIS VALUE IS UNDER REVIEW. THIS COULD CHANGE
THE VALUES BELOW.
TOTALS 0.90* 0.92 -0.02* 0.79
DAILY AVG. 0.03* 0.03 0.00* 0.03
DAYS >= .01 9 5.9 3.1 5
DAYS >= .10 2 2.4 -0.4 3
DAYS >= .50 0 0.3 -0.3 0
DAYS >= 1.00 0* 0.1 -0.1* 0
GREATEST
24 HR. TOTAL 0.49* 03/23 TO 03/23 03/19 TO 03/19
SNOWFALL (INCHES)
RECORDS
TOTAL 18.4 10.7
RECORD MARCH 35.2 2003
DEGREE_DAYS
HEATING TOTAL 716 763 -47 611
SINCE 7/1 4704 5202 -498 4724
COOLING TOTAL 0 0 0 0
SINCE 1/1 0 0 0 0
FREEZE DATES
RECORD
EARLIEST 09/08/1962
LATEST 06/08/2007
EARLIEST 10/07
LATEST 05/05
..........................................................
WIND (MPH)
AVERAGE WIND SPEED 11.7
RESULTANT WIND SPEED/DIRECTION 3/238
HIGHEST WIND SPEED/DIRECTION 53/340 DATE 03/23
HIGHEST GUST SPEED/DIRECTION 59/340 DATE 03/23
SKY COVER
POSSIBLE SUNSHINE (PERCENT) MM
AVERAGE SKY COVER 0.60
NUMBER OF DAYS FAIR 3
NUMBER OF DAYS PC 20
NUMBER OF DAYS CLOUDY 8
AVERAGE RH (PERCENT) 48
WEATHER CONDITIONS. NUMBER OF DAYS WITH
THUNDERSTORM 1 MIXED PRECIP 0
HEAVY RAIN 0 RAIN 0
LIGHT RAIN 4 FREEZING RAIN 0
LT FREEZING RAIN 0 HAIL 1
HEAVY SNOW 1 SNOW 4
LIGHT SNOW 8 SLEET 0
FOG 11 FOG W/VIS <= 1/4 MILE 2
HAZE 3
- INDICATES NEGATIVE NUMBERS.
R INDICATES RECORD WAS SET OR TIED.
MM INDICATES DATA IS MISSING.
T INDICATES TRACE AMOUNT.
The month of February was a bit of a mixed bag of weather conditions for Thornton. While it started out cold and snowy, it finished quite warm.
Snow and cold were the main features for the month initially as we received our biggest snowfall of the season on the 1st and 2nd. Thornton recorded a healthy 11.1 inches from the system while Denver officially saw 11.6 inches.
The white stuff and the cold with it did not last long however. Cold did linger for a few days but an extended period from the 9th to the 20th saw dry conditions and warmer than normal temperatures.
A very brief interlude then arrived cooling things down and delivering light snow on the 23rd. From there, the warm and dry conditions returned and closed out the month.
Thornton saw an average monthly temperature of 38.5 degrees for the month. Out at the airport where Denver’s official measurements are taken, the month averaged 37.8 degrees. Both were well above the historical February average of 32.5 degrees.
Temperatures in Thornton ranged from a high of 74.5 degrees on the 18th down to a low of 3.3 degrees on the morning of the 3rd. Denver’s maximum reading for the month was 73 degrees and its lowest 1 degree, both occurring on the same day as Thornton’s. The Mile High City’s reading on the 18th was a record high for the date.
In terms of precipitation, Denver averages 0.37 inches during what is usually a relatively dry month. Thornton saw 0.53 inches of liquid precip while DIA recorded 0.48 inches. For both locations, the bulk of the moisture occurred with the snowstorm that started the month.
Snowfall was well above normal for February 2016. Thornton saw 11.9 inches and Denver 11.6 inches. Average for February is 5.9 inches.
Thornton, Colorado’s February 2016 Temperature Summary. (ThorntonWeather.com)Thornton, Colorado’s February 2016 Precipitation Summary. (ThorntonWeather.com)
From the National Weather Service:
CLIMATE REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER/BOULDER CO
1035 AM MST TUE MAR 1 2016
...................................
...THE DENVER CO CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR THE MONTH OF FEBRUARY 2016...
CLIMATE NORMAL PERIOD 1981 TO 2010
CLIMATE RECORD PERIOD 1872 TO 2016
WEATHER OBSERVED NORMAL DEPART LAST YEAR`S
VALUE DATE(S) VALUE FROM VALUE DATE(S)
NORMAL
................................................................
TEMPERATURE (F)
RECORD
HIGH 77 02/28/2006
02/04/1890
LOW -25 02/01/1951
02/08/1936
HIGHEST 73 02/18 68 5 74 02/07
LOWEST 1 02/03 5 4 -6 02/27
AVG. MAXIMUM 52.2 46.2 6.0 46.6
AVG. MINIMUM 23.4 18.9 4.5 21.0
MEAN 37.8 32.5 5.3 33.8
DAYS MAX >= 90 0 0.0 0.0 0
DAYS MAX <= 32 3 3.9 -0.9 7
DAYS MIN <= 32 25 26.9 -1.9 24
DAYS MIN <= 0 0 1.3 -1.3 2
PRECIPITATION (INCHES)
RECORD
MAXIMUM 2.01 1934
MINIMUM 0.01 1970
TOTALS 0.48 0.37 0.11 1.25
DAILY AVG. 0.02 MM MM 0.04
DAYS >= .01 2 5.3 -3.3 10
DAYS >= .10 2 0.7 1.3 5
DAYS >= .50 0 0.0 0.0 0
DAYS >= 1.00 0 0.0 0.0 0
GREATEST
24 HR. TOTAL 0.45 02/01 TO 02/02 02/15 TO 02/16
02/21 TO 02/21
SNOWFALL (INCHES)
RECORDS
TOTAL 11.6 5.7
RECORD FEBRUARY 22.4 2015
DEGREE_DAYS
HEATING TOTAL 780 908 -128 864
SINCE 7/1 3988 4468 -480 4113
COOLING TOTAL 0 0 0 0
SINCE 1/1 0 0 0 0
FREEZE DATES
RECORD
EARLIEST 09/08/1962
LATEST 06/08/2007
EARLIEST 10/07
LATEST 05/05
..................................................
WIND (MPH)
AVERAGE WIND SPEED 11.3
RESULTANT WIND SPEED/DIRECTION 3/217
HIGHEST WIND SPEED/DIRECTION 43/220 DATE 02/18
HIGHEST GUST SPEED/DIRECTION 53/230 DATE 02/18
SKY COVER
POSSIBLE SUNSHINE (PERCENT) MM
AVERAGE SKY COVER 0.50
NUMBER OF DAYS FAIR 8
NUMBER OF DAYS PC 18
NUMBER OF DAYS CLOUDY 3
AVERAGE RH (PERCENT) 50
WEATHER CONDITIONS. NUMBER OF DAYS WITH
THUNDERSTORM 0 MIXED PRECIP 0
HEAVY RAIN 0 RAIN 0
LIGHT RAIN 0 FREEZING RAIN 0
LT FREEZING RAIN 0 HAIL 0
HEAVY SNOW 0 SNOW 2
LIGHT SNOW 3 SLEET 0
FOG 4 FOG W/VIS <= 1/4 MILE 3
HAZE 2
- INDICATES NEGATIVE NUMBERS.
R INDICATES RECORD WAS SET OR TIED.
MM INDICATES DATA IS MISSING.
T INDICATES TRACE AMOUNT.
The month of February was quite generous in terms of snowfall at the start. However things quickly transitioned to drier and warmer conditions that lasted most of the rest of the month.
March usually offers healthy snowfall giving us an opportunity to add to those numbers. While there is good snow potential in March, the month also typically brings much warmer temperatures.
March is historically Denver’s snowiest month and brings about 20% of our annual snowfall. Heavy, wet spring snow storms can oftentimes bring the entire month’s snowfall total in one monstrous snow.
We also start the transition to spring and severe weather season and the month typically brings our first thunderstorms of the year. Temperatures climb throughout the month and by the end our average daytime highs are near 60 degrees.
February in Colorado typically brings to an end an extended period when average temperatures are at their lowest. Winter begins to loosen its grip and temperatures get warmer but precipitation is not a particularly common event during the month.
Thus far our snow season is looking in pretty good shape with most basins in the high country reporting above normal snowpack. At lower elevations, we are running above average as well. That is a good thing as February is only our sixth snowiest month so we may not see much snowfall for the balance of the month.
Temperatures however do usually see a nice rebound during the month. Average high temperatures climb from an average of 44 degrees at the start to 50 degrees by the end of February.
January 2016’s weather was notable for only one thing – its lack of anything notable. All in all the month failed to produce anything particularly dramatic. While it was just a bit dry, it wasn’t by much and temperatures came in right near normal.
Only three periods of snowfall occurred during the month. The heaviest of these was on the 7th and 8th but it only amounted to a few inches. High and low temperatures failed to produce any extremes either. We had a few mild days but also lacked extreme cold with no days dipping below zero.
Thornton’s average temperature for the month came in at 30.5 degrees. This was just slightly below Denver’s long term January average of 30.7 degrees. Officially, the Mile High City’s average was warmer than ours at 31.8 degrees.
Temperatures in Thornton ranged from a high of 68.5 degrees on the 30th down to a low of 1.1 degrees on the morning of the 1st. Denver saw a maximum of 65 degrees on the 30th and a low of 5 degrees on the 10th.
In terms of precipitation, we recorded 0.34 inches in Thornton. Out at the airport, Denver was wetter with 0.50 being recorded by their bucket. The January average for Denver is 0.41 inches.
While we did see some snow during the month, no single storm was extraordinary and monthly totals came in below normal. Average for Denver during the month is 7.0 inches. Thornton saw 5.3 inches of the white stuff while Denver was just a bit behind at 4.6 inches.
Thornton, Colorado’s January 2016 temperature summary. (ThorntonWeather.com)Thornton, Colorado’s January 2016 precipitation summary. (ThorntonWeather.com)
CLIMATE REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER/BOULDER CO
308 PM MST MON FEB 1 2016
...................................
...THE DENVER CO CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR THE MONTH OF JANUARY 2016...
CLIMATE NORMAL PERIOD 1981 TO 2010
CLIMATE RECORD PERIOD 1872 TO 2016
WEATHER OBSERVED NORMAL DEPART LAST YEAR`S
VALUE DATE(S) VALUE FROM VALUE DATE(S)
NORMAL
................................................................
TEMPERATURE (F)
RECORD
HIGH 76 01/27/1888
LOW -29 01/09/1875
HIGHEST 65 01/30 76 -11 75 01/27
LOWEST 5 01/10 -29 34 -10 01/04
AVG. MAXIMUM 43.5 44.0 -0.5 46.7
AVG. MINIMUM 20.1 17.4 2.7 21.0
MEAN 31.8 30.7 1.1 33.9
DAYS MAX >= 90 0 0.0 0.0 0
DAYS MAX <= 32 3 5.5 -2.5 5
DAYS MIN <= 32 30 29.4 0.6 27
DAYS MIN <= 0 0 1.7 -1.7 3
PRECIPITATION (INCHES)
RECORD
MAXIMUM 2.35 1883
MINIMUM 0.01 1933
1934
1952
TOTALS 0.50 0.41 0.09 0.38
DAILY AVG. 0.02 0.01 0.01 0.01
DAYS >= .01 5 4.1 0.9 5
DAYS >= .10 3 0.9 2.1 1
DAYS >= .50 0 0.0 0.0 0
DAYS >= 1.00 0 0.0 0.0 0
GREATEST
24 HR. TOTAL 0.32 01/07 TO 01/08
SNOWFALL (INCHES)
TOTAL 4.6 7.0
RECORD
TOTAL 24.3 1992
DEGREE_DAYS
HEATING TOTAL 1021 1063 -42 958
SINCE 7/1 3208 3531 -323 3249
COOLING TOTAL 0 0 0 0
SINCE 1/1 0 0 0 0
FREEZE DATES
RECORD
EARLIEST 09/08/1962
LATEST 06/08/2007
EARLIEST 10/07
LATEST 05/05
..................................................
WIND (MPH)
AVERAGE WIND SPEED 8.5
RESULTANT WIND SPEED/DIRECTION 4/204
HIGHEST WIND SPEED/DIRECTION 32/270 DATE 01/14
HIGHEST GUST SPEED/DIRECTION 38/270 DATE 01/14
SKY COVER
POSSIBLE SUNSHINE (PERCENT) MM
AVERAGE SKY COVER 0.60
NUMBER OF DAYS FAIR 6
NUMBER OF DAYS PC 19
NUMBER OF DAYS CLOUDY 6
AVERAGE RH (PERCENT) 57
WEATHER CONDITIONS. NUMBER OF DAYS WITH
THUNDERSTORM 0 MIXED PRECIP 0
HEAVY RAIN 0 RAIN 0
LIGHT RAIN 0 FREEZING RAIN 0
LT FREEZING RAIN 0 HAIL 0
HEAVY SNOW 0 SNOW 1
LIGHT SNOW 10 SLEET 0
FOG 10 FOG W/VIS <= 1/4 MILE 2
HAZE 5
- 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.
Extreme weather can occur during in month in Colorado we well know. June however is when traditional spring severe weather arrives in the state oftentimes with hail, damaging wind and tornadoes.
February in Colorado typically brings to an end an extended period when average temperatures are at their lowest. Winter begins to loosen its grip and temperatures get warmer but precipitation is not a particularly common event during the month.
