Yeah, it definitely did not get very warm today and the record books now reflect that. After tying a record low this morning, now we have a new record low maximum.
As measured at Denver International Airport, the Mile High City only saw a high temperature today of 4 degrees. This breaks the previous record low maximum of 4 degrees set more than 100 years ago in 1918.
Here in Thornton, we managed to stay a bit warmer, topping out at 11 degrees.
With our latest big chill having settled in, the mercury is dropping into record-setting territory.
As measured at Denver International Airport, the official low temperature this morning dropped to -10 degrees. This tied the record low for the date last set in 1985.
Here in Thornton, we didn’t plummet quite that low as we bottomed out at -4 degrees.
For Thornton, December 2022’s weather was pretty much on par with what we would expect. Average mercury readings came in a bit above normal as did snowfall.
Our overall average temperature for the month came in at 31.2 degrees. This is above the 16-year running average for December of 30.0 degrees. While we did experience some extreme cold for a few days, that was balanced out by a good number of days with above normal readings.
Denver International Airport, where the Mile High City’s official measurements are taken, averaged 29.3 degrees, a rare occasion where the airport was colder than us. This was a good bit below the 30-year Denver average for December of 31.2 degrees.
In Thornton, our readings ranged from a high of 65.0 degrees on the 27th to a bone chilling low of -14.6 degrees on the 22nd. Denver saw a high of 64 degrees on the 11th and a low of -24 on the 22nd.
In terms of precipitation, Thornton’s reading came in far above the 16-year average with 1.21 inches of liquid precipitation. Much of that can be attributed to the storm on the 28th and 29th that saw us receive nearly one inch combined between rain and snow melt. The monthly total made December 2022 Thornton’s wettest December of the past 16 and was far above the average of 0.46 inches.
Denver nearly matched our number with 1.18 inches at the airport. This was well above the Mile High City’s December average of 0.35 inches.
For the first three weeks of the month, Thornton saw no snow at all. Then, two storms saved the month. Thornton ended up with 11.1 inches, about an inch more than the 16-year running average of 10.2 inches for December.
Denver actually bested us for the month with 13.0 inches. That is well above the average of 8.0 inches for December since 1882.
Click here to view Thornton’s complete December 2022 climate summary report.
That’s a wrap! The Arctic blast is slowly on its way out and in its wake, we can see that we set a number of records.
ThorntonWeather.com has been in operation for 16 years and this cold was one for the books.
For Denver, officially, some marks were set / tied as well.
Recent months have, overall, been warmer and drier than normal. Last month saw a notable turn toward colder than normal temperatures and 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.
Brrr! That would be the operative “word” for the month of November 2022. Despite forecasts of above normal temperatures for the month, we saw very little of that and in fact, saw Thornton’s coldest November of the past 16 years.
The month started out warm enough with back to back days of 70+ degrees. However, after that, we went downhill for much of the month. Only eight days of the month saw above average temperatures. The balance was below. Sometimes well below.
Thornton’s average temperature for the month came in at 34.3 degrees. That was far below Thornton’s 16-year running November average of 39.5 degrees and Denver’s long term average for the month of 39.4 degrees. Officially, as measured at the airport, the Mile High City was a bit warmer with an average of 35.6 degrees.
Thornton’s reading ranked the month as the coldest November of the past 16. The next closest was November 2014 with an average of 35.0 degrees. Denver’s average actually put November 2022 into the record books with a tie for the 19th coldest November on record.
Our warmest reading of the month was 74.1 degrees, coming on the first of the month. Our coldest reading came on the last morning of November at 8.3 degrees. Denver’s highest and lowest were 75 degrees and 4 degrees, coming on the same dates.
In terms of precipitation, it wasn’t an overly wet month with the snows being relatively dry. Thornton recorded 0.54 inches of precipitation for the month. Denver saw less with 0.47 inches. Thornton’s 16-year running November average is 0.49 inches. Denver’s long term November average is 0.64 inches.
As for the white stuff, Thornton recorded a healthy 12.8 inches, well above the 5.7 inches that November has averaged over the last 16 years. Denver lagged us with 10.9 inches. The Mile High City’s November average since 1882 is 7.4 inches.
Click here to view Thornton’s complete November 2022 climate summary report.
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.
Get all the details on November’s weather and what we can expect in our complete preview here.
October 2022 goes into the books as one that saw Thornton experience above normal mercury readings and below normal precipitation. However, those were also a formula for a great number of pleasant, fall days.
Overall, Thornton’s average temperature for the month came in at an even 52.0 degrees. As measured at Denver International Airport, the Mile High City’s average temperature for the month was a good bit warmer coming in at 53.8 degrees.
Both readings were above Denver’s long term October average of 51.1 degrees and Thornton’s running 16-year average of 49.5 degrees.
Thornton saw a maximum temperature of 81.2 degrees occurring on the 20th and our coldest reading of 27.2 degrees occurred on the 29th. Denver maxed out at 79 degrees on the 20th as well and bottomed out 30 degrees on the 28th.
Precipitation was fleeting during the month and we were quite dry until the final week. Thornton totaled 0.43 inches in the bucket. Denver had a little bit more at 0.46 inches.
Both location’s totals were far below average. Denver’s long-term average for October is 0.99 inches while Thornton’s 16 year running average is at 1.04 inches.
While we did see some snowflakes mixed in with rain on the 27th of the month, it did not accumulate so we are still waiting for that first official snowfall.
Click here to view Thornton’s complete October 2022 climate summary report.
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.
For complete details on our historical October weather and what we can expect in the coming month, read our complete October weather preview here.
Looking back on August 2022, by far the most notable weather feature was the temperatures. They were stubbornly warm, refusing to show the usual decrease toward the end of the month we expect to see.
Thornton’s overall average temperature for the month came in at 73.7 degrees. This was well above our 16-year running average for August of 71.6 degrees. This put it in the books as Thornton’s fourth warmest August out of the past 16.
Denver was considerably warmer with an average temperature of 76.1 degrees for the month. This was well above the Mile High City’s historical average of 72.9 degrees (1991 – 2020). August 2022 goes into the books as the fourth warmest August on record in Denver.
Precipitation was fleeting and came in spurts during the month but Thornton’s rain bucket tallied near normal precipitation. We recorded 1.43 inches, a bit above the 1.23 inches average for August over the past 16 years. More than half of that fell on the 15th and 16th of the month.
Denver pretty much matched our total with 1.45 inches of rain. That was slightly less than the historical August average for the Mile High City of 1.58 inches.
Click here to view Thornton’s complete August 2022 climate summary report.
