Following an August that was unseasonably warm, 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.
Following on yesterday’s record high temperature, today’s low end did not get particularly cool and, in fact, tied a record.
As measured at Denver International Airport, the Mile High City’s low temperature for September 2 came in at 67 degrees. This tied the record for warmest low temperature for the date last set in 1939.
Here in Thornton, we cooled down to far more normal levels. Our low for the date was 61.7 degrees.
While it may be the first day of meteorological autumn, Mother Nature isn’t giving up on summer yet.
As measured at Denver International Airport, the Mile High City hit a high temperature today of 99 degrees. This breaks the previous record high for the date of 98 degrees set in 2019.
Here in Thornton, we bested Denver by one degree with a high of 100 degrees.
Not only did the heat impact the daytime, it kept things quite warm in the night and morning setting two records for the date.
As measured at Denver International Airport, the Mile High City’s low temperature for August 21 was 72 degrees. This was easily warmer than the previous record high minimum for the date of 67 degrees set in 1946 and previous years.
During the day, Denver saw an official high temperature of 99 degrees. This bested the previous record high temperature for the date of 97 degrees set in 2007 and previous years.
Here in Thornton we experienced similar conditions. Our low temperature dropped to only 70 degrees, much warmer than normal. We also were a touch warmer with a high of 100 degrees for the day.
Mother Nature isn’t giving a lot of relief at night from the daytime heat and as a result Denver set a record.
As measured at Denver International Airport, the Mile High City’s low temperature for today was only 69 degrees. This is a good bit warmer than the previous record high minimum of 67 degrees set in 2020.
Thornton virtually matched that reading with a low of 66.5 degrees.
Is that a chill in the air? No, not really, but it was cool enough to tie a record.
As measured at Denver International Airport, the Mile High City’s official low temperature for the date was 49 degrees. This ties the previous record low for the date set in 1976.
Here in Thornton, we stayed warmer with a low of 54.6 degrees.
Thornton, Colorado’s July 2023 temperature summary. (ThorntonWeather.com)
After a couple of months of cool, damp weather, we were hoping to warm up and dry out. We did get warmer (perhaps more than we would have liked) but we also continued to see a good bit of precipitation.
The first nine days of the month trended largely toward cooler-than-normal temperatures but overall, it was relatively pleasant with only a couple of hot days. We did also see some good moisture although much fell on a single day (1.25 inches on the 4th).
The middle of the month saw things turn hotter and we recorded back-to-back 100-degree days on the 17th and 18th. Rain became less prevalent and was light.
For the final third of the month, we continued to be quite warm with only three of the final 11 days seeing temperatures at or below normal. Otherwise, the readings were a good bit above. Three days of the final 11 also delivered more than a quarter inch of rain each.
Thornton’s overall average temperature for July 2023 came in at 74.1 degrees. That is a bit above the running 17-year average for July of 73.7 degrees. Our warmest reading of 100.5 degrees came on the 25th while our coolest of 50.2 degrees came on the 1st.
In the Mile High City, at Denver International Airport where Denver’s official readings are now taken, the month was a bit cooler. They had an overall average for July of 73.9 degrees. Two 98-degree days were their warmest and their coolest was 52 degrees on the 21st.
In terms of precipitation, Thornton had quite a wet one with 3.07 inches falling in our rain bucket. That was well above the 1.96 inches 17-year average and made July 2023 the fourth wettest July of the past 17 years.
For Denver, DIA recorded 2.10 inches, right on par with the Mile High City’s July average of 2.14 inches and far below what Thornton received.
As summer vacations wind down and families prepare to send their kids back to school in August, Colorado weather also starts to settle down. The chances for severe weather decrease markedly during August and by the end of the month daytime temperatures are dropping quite a bit as well.
While Thornton only received a bit of rain, DIA got dumped on setting a record for the date.
As measured at Denver International Airport, the Mile High City recorded 1.85 inches of rain for the date. This tops the old daily rainfall record for June 21 of 0.85 inches set in 1947.
One heck of a good dousing! Thornton and Denver received a big shot of rain for the day and in the process, the Mile High City set a record.
As measured at Denver International Airport, the city received 2.92 inches of rain. This easily bests the previous record rainfall for May 11 of 1.55 inches set in 2011.
Here in Thornton we received less but still a very generous amount. We measured 2.38 inches in our bucket, our wettest day of the year so far.
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Following an August that was unseasonably warm, 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.
