Denver officially broke the record high temperature for January 21st, reaching 71 degrees.
It’s official. As reported earlier this morning on our Examiner.com pages, we had a decent shot at breaking the all time record high temperature for this date and we have done it. At 1:28pm today the temperature at Denver International Airport reached 71 degrees, breaking the old record of 70 degrees set in 1950. Here in Thoronton we didn’t get quite that warm, “only” reaching a high of 69 degrees.
Thursday we will be a bit cooler and “only” reach 65 degrees – still 20 degrees above normal though. Enjoy the next 36 hours or so though as Friday bring change – see our Examiner.com morning forecast here for details.
Get more local news and weather information on Examiner.com.
This amazing image of the Windsor tornado was taken from a backyard webcam. Image courtesy MyWindsorWeather.com.
May 22, 2008 started like most other spring days in Colorado. That Thursday morning had dawned with relatively mild temperatures and a touch of humidity in the air. That moisture in the air was a warning sign as moist air from the Gulf of Mexico was entering the state and a signal of the potential for severe storms. No one knew though just what was in store for a small town in northeastern Colorado.
As temperatures rose in the morning, the moist air near the ground mixed with fast moving dry air aloft and created conditions ideal for supercell thunderstorms and tornadoes. Hail began to fall around 11:20am near Platteville, a harbinger of things to come. As the weather situation became much more excited and confused, reports of a twister on the ground near Gilcrest at 11:29 rolled in.
A classic wedge tornado had formed and was moving to the north-northwest at a leisurely 30 mph wreaking havoc and destruction all along its path. Examiner.com soon posted a special report at 11:30 warning of the twister and showing its expected path. It narrowly missed the town of Milliken, dumping baseball sized hail on it instead. The twister was now a full mile wide with winds in excess of 136 mph and at 11:57am, the storm struck Windsor, home to 16,000 Coloradoans. By the time it was done with the town, it had claimed one life, destroyed 80 homes and damaged nearly 770 others.
For a total of nearly 45 minutes the storm carved a 35 mile long path of devastation and all along its path it left the evidence – houses with nothing but a foundation left, power poles snapped like matchsticks, semi-trailers overturned like toy cars, mangled pieces of metal and shards of wood.
Tornadoes in Colorado are not uncommon with an average of 60 per year, although most do occur on the eastern plains in more rural areas. The storm was only the second deadly tornado in Colorado in the last 10 years (the Holly tornado in 2007 being the other) but it served to highlight that the Front Range is on the western edge of Tornado Alley. Weld County is in fact Colorado’s own tornado capital having had more twisters than any other county since 1950.
When it was over, Coloradoans showed their sense of community in helping the affected areas. The Red Cross immediately went into action as did the state government in calling out the National Guard to help. Donations poured in and other relief agencies provided food and shelter to those left homeless. While the Windsor Tornado was an example of the worst of Mother Nature, the storm also showed us the best of mankind. No other weather event comes close to being Colorado’s biggest weather story of 2008.
Below is some amazing raw video from 9News of the tornado as it moved north.
Old Man Winter brought a white Christmas to much of the northern half of the United States which may be a blessing or a curse depending on your point of view. Images released by the National Operational Hydrologic Remote Sensing Center show that many areas that wouldn’t normally expect snow are covered in a blanket of white this Christmas.
Much of the country west of the Continental Divide will have snow or rain Christmas Day. Areas of the Sierra Nevada and southwestern Colorado will be measuring the snow in feet. Salt Lake City is expecting 4 to 8 inches while here in Denver we remain dry and will actually have a pretty mild day.
In the northeast they will have a cold and blustery holiday. Lake Erie and Lake Ontario will generate some lake-effect snows from Pennsylvania through New York and into northern New England.
The latest cold blast to hit the nation has caused travel woes across much of it. In Chicago, 500 flights were canceled on Tuesday stranding many travelers, some of whom won’t be able to reach their destination until today. 100 flights were canceled at O’Hare Wednesday but delays improved as the day went on. Sadly the weather did have a more serious toll as between Tuesday and Wednesday at least 30 people were killed in crashes on rain- and ice-slickened roads across the nation’s midsection.
Out west in Washington and Oregon, residents and government officials were wishing for a return to their normal rainy weather as they were unprepared for the snow that has fallen in recent days. In Portland, Oregon many side streets were impassable without chains or four wheel drive. Wednesday more snow fell followed by rain which most likely will add to the problems when it freezes tonight.
Washington Governor Chris Gregoire declared a statewide winter storm emergency saying, “A number of counties and cities are struggling to meet the problems posed by this month’s onslaught of snow and winter weather. Snowfall has reached record or near-record level in 30 of the state’s 39 counties.” Her proclamation will allow state agencies to support local operations including the activation of the National Guard.
Here in Colorado, much of the western slope is under various types of winter weather advisories. A Winter Storm Warning covers the western half of the state and Blizzard and Avalanche Warnings cover some areas south of I-70. Needless to say, Christmas Day travel in the high country will be greatly impeded by these storms.
Good weather along the eastern part of Colorado has allowed Denver International Airport to operate normally for the most part. However, some delays were experienced for flights heading to other parts of the nation affected by the winter weather.
ThorntonWeather.com has some great ideas for Santa Claus for the weather enthusiasts he may be bringing gifts to.
Is there someone on your shopping list that looks out at a blizzard with glee on his or her face? Someone who jumps and runs to the window at hearing thunder or seeing the flash of lightning? Maybe a person for whom the weather warning beep on the TV or radio is music to their ears? Well then this posting is for you. Here are some great gift ideas for the weather geek on your list. If you have any questions about any of these, leave a comment and we will answer them. Also be sure to check out our list of great places to shop for weather gifts.
Books – There are books about every type of weather condition out there. We recently wrote about some of our top picks for weather related books for grownups and adults. Click here for some specific ideas.
Storm Chasing and Weather Clothing – Any proud weather geek will be happy to not only tell someone about their hobby but also to wear it! Shirts and clothing with tornadoes, hurricanes or even ones that proclaim the wearer as a “Weather Geek” or “Weather Diva” are a big hit. Kids love the stuff too.
Weather Radios – You don’t have to be a weather enthusiast to appreciate or need a weather radio – these are great gifts for anyone. These radios are relatively inexpensive and allow you to listen to and monitor the NOAA Weather Radio All Hazards (NWR) system. NWR broadcasts official Weather Service warnings, watches, and forecasts as well as other hazard information like earthquakes, avalanches, chemical spills, and even AMBER alerts. Be sure to get one with SAME coding so it automatically turns on when something is happening in your area.
Emergency Kits – Most folks interested in severe weather are also quite likely a bit survivalist by nature. They know the dangers that the weather presents and want to be prepared for it. An emergency kit for the house or car are not only practical but potentially life saving.
GPS Systems – Handheld GPS systems like those from Garmin and Magellan are a must have for any storm chaser. Models can be had for less than $100 for a basic unit to $600 for ones with 3D mapping capability. Spend the extra money to get one with at least basic, non-3D mapping capability.
Cost: $100 and up. Look to spend between $200 and $300 to get a good one with mapping.
Binoculars – Low tech but effective. You don’t want to get too close to the action and binoculars are a great way to see things from a distance. You’ll want to look for ones that allow plenty of light in but also aren’t so big the user can’t make a run for it if needed.
Personal Weather Stations (PWS) – Amateur meteorology is a surprisingly popular hobby as you will learn if you take a look. A basic $50 station will provide outdoor temperature and humidity. Stepping up a notch to one for around $200 will get you all that plus wind and the ability to hook it up to a computer to archive statistics and create your own weather website like ThorntonWeather.com. $450+ gets a Davis Instruments weather station which is considered about the best an amateur can buy.
Digital Cameras and Camcorders – Pictures and video help to capture the weather conditions as they happen and make for lasting memories. With either of them, ones with powerful zoom lenses are a must in order to capture far away action (you don’t want to get too close to a tornado!). Don’t skimp on quality.
Storm Chasing Vacation – For a weather geek, what could be better than spending a week on the Great Plains hunting down hail storms, supercell thunderstorms and of course tornadoes! Storm chasing as a hobby is growing by leaps and bounds and there are many tour operators that seek to fulfill the dreams of those that want to see extreme weather. This is the ultimate gift! Are you listening to me, Santa?
For more info: Do you have any questions about specific items your weather enthusiast might want or questions about any of the above ideas? Post a comment and we’ll do our best to answer!
An early morning image from the ThorntonWeather.com east webcam. Click for larger view.
With only two days to go in the month, things were pretty bleak and we were dangerously close to joining the “top 10” for the least snowiest Novembers in Denver. That changed in pretty short order last night. Forecasters were expecting about an inch of snow but the local storm reports indicate most areas exceeded that handily.
Here in Thornton we started with a touch of rain in the evening which changed to snow as time went on and the temperature dropped. In the end we recorded 4.1″ of the white stuff, most of which fell between 10:00pm and midnight.
The National Weather Service in Denver is officially showing 2.4″ of snow at the old Stapleton International Airport site. At Denver International Airport they recorded 1.6″.
Some of the other snow reports that have come in (Updated @ 11:15am):
Please view the Winter Weather Preparedness series to ensure you are ready for the winter!
We recently published a series of articles from the National Weather Service as part of Colorado’s Winter Weather Preparedness Week. We have now made those stories easier to find by adding them to the Weather Education menu on the left of every page.
This series of articles is a ‘must read’ for anyone living or traveling in Colorado or any place else that receives severe winter weather. Covering a wide range of related topics, these articles help ensure you are ready for the coming winter. The articles cover the following topics:
Wild Western Weather 2008 will be held on November 18th.
The channel 7 24 / 7 Weather Center has accounced an exciting event – Wild Western Weather 2008. The event will be held at the Wild Life Experience in Parker on Tuesday, November 18th from 6:00pm to 10:00pm. This looks to be a great event with a number of notable speakers.
Some of the highlights include:
Tim Samaras – Tornado Expert – featured in National Geographic Magazine, “Inside Tornadoes – The Latest Research: Twistex 2008”
Tony Laubach – Storm Chaser – “The Windsor Tornado vs Douglas County Landspouts”
Dr. Walt Lyons – Lightning Researcher – “Flash Facts – Red Sprites, Blue Jets and Other Rare Airities”
Ethan Green – Director, Colorado Avalanche Information Center – “Avalanches and the Big Snow Winter of 2007-08”
Dr. Thomas Schlatter – NOAA’s Earth System Research Lab and the University of Colorado – “The Pine Bark Beetle – A Canary for Climate Change?”
I do wish they had chosen a more central location for it or at least held the event on the weekend. It is pretty tough for anyone who works and lives north to try to make it down there.
A Preview of Denver's November Weather - Will it be a Fall Month or a Winter Month?
A preview of Denver’s November weather – Will it be a fall month or a winter month? Typically November is a quiet weather month with plenty of nice, fall days but it can also turn wet with plenty of snow and moisture. Just like Forest Gump’s proverbial box of chocolates, you never quite know what you are going to get.
Looking into the weather history books, we see that November is actually Denver’s second snowiest month, second only to March (April is third). Historically we average 10.7 inches of snow during the month.
ThorntonWeather.com junior stormchaser Bobby pursued a tornado in Weld County yesterday and provided live reports for 7News. Watch the video below (you may need to turn up the sound due to a lot of background noise).
The DOW - Doppler On Wheels - as seen on Storm Chasers.
🙂 Okay, so maybe not but it still is kind of fun. This was taken yesterday at NCAR’s Super Science Saturday in Boulder. Channel 7 was there with their “24 / 7 Weather Experience” which was a lot of fun as it gives folks a small taste of what goes into a weather broadcast. Unfortunately Mike Nelson, author of our favorite weather book, wasn’t there when we were but this was probably the highlight of the day up at NCAR for the kids.
There was also a bit of a celebrity there too as Justin Walker from Discovery Channel’s Storm Chasers TV show was there with their Doppler On Wheels (DOW) truck – a mobile radar vehicle. Justin serves as one of the team members from the Center for Severe Weather Research that chases the storms. He in particular is tasked with placing scientific probes in the path of the tornadoes. We got to spend a good bit of time chatting with Justin about their chases this past tornado season and in particular the ones in the north central Kansas area where a good bit of my family lives. He had some fascinating anecdotes to share about the storms, in particular the one that struck near Glen Elder, KS.
Bobby with Justin Walker of Storm Chasers.
For those that didn’t make it up there, you really missed a great opportunity for kids to learn more about not only the weather but also things like energy, the environment and more.
This week in Denver weather history - October 26 to November 1.
Lots of interesting stuff in this look back at Denver weather history for the week of October 26th to November 1st. Lots of snow including some major storms and the seemingly ever present wind are on this look into history.
PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER CO
645 PM MDT SAT OCT 25 2008
…THIS WEEK IN METRO DENVER WEATHER HISTORY…
25-26 IN 1996…4 TO 6 INCHES OF SNOW FELL IN THE FOOTHILLS WEST OF
DENVER. ONLY 1.5 INCHES OF SNOWFALL WERE MEASURED AT THE
SITE OF THE FORMER STAPLETON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT ON THE
26TH. THIS WAS THE ONLY MEASURABLE SNOW OF THE MONTH AT
THE SITE. THE SNOWFALL PRODUCED ICY AND SNOWPACKED
HIGHWAYS…WHICH RESULTED IN A 50-TO 60-CAR PILEUP ON I-25
SOUTH OF METRO DENVER. WEST WINDS GUSTED TO 33 MPH AT
DENVER INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT.
IN 2006…A WINTER STORM BROUGHT HEAVY SNOWFALL TO METRO
DENVER AND THE EASTERN FOOTHILLS. TOTAL SNOWFALL RANGED
FROM 12 TO 22 INCHES OVER THE HIGHER TERRAIN AND 6 TO 12
INCHES ACROSS METRO DENVER. NORTHERLY WINDS AT SUSTAINED
SPEEDS OF 20 TO 30 MPH WITH GUSTS AS HIGH AS 47 MPH AT
DENVER INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT WHIPPED THE SNOW INTO DRIFTS
3 TO 4 FEET DEEP. MANY TREE LIMBS SNAPPED UNDER THE WEIGHT
OF THE HEAVY…WET SNOW WHICH ALSO DOWNED POWER LINES…
LEAVING THOUSANDS OF RESIDENTS WITHOUT POWER. STORM TOTAL
SNOWFALL INCLUDED: 25 INCHES NEAR ASPEN SPRINGS…CONIFER…
AND EVERGREEN; 23.5 INCHES NEAR ROLLINSVILLE; 23 INCHES IN
IDAHO SPRINGS; 22.5 INCHES NEAR BLACKHAWK; 21.5 INCHES NEAR
BAILEY; 19 INCHES NEAR BERGEN PARK; 18 INCHES NEAR ASPEN
SPRINGS…GENESEE…AND JAMESTOWN; 17 INCHES SOUTHWEST OF
BOULDER; 16 INCHES IN EVERGREEN; AND 15 INCHES NEAR
GEORGETOWN AND PERRY PARK. SNOWFALL TOTALED 5.3 INCHES
IN THE DENVER STAPLETON AREA. AT DENVER INTERNATIONAL
AIPORT…RAIN…INCLUDING A THUNDERSTORM…CHANGED TO SNOW
ON THE EVENING OF THE 25TH AFTER A HIGH TEMPERATURE OF
70 DEGREES. Continue reading This week in Denver weather history – October 26 to November 1→
Weather, natural disasters & climate news and information.
Here in Colorado, much of the western slope is under 
Storm Chasing and Weather Clothing – Any proud weather geek will be happy to not only tell someone about their hobby but also to wear it! Shirts and clothing with tornadoes, hurricanes or even ones that proclaim the wearer as a “Weather Geek” or “Weather Diva” are a big hit. Kids love the stuff too.
GPS Systems – Handheld GPS systems like those from 
Personal Weather Stations (PWS) – Amateur meteorology is a surprisingly popular hobby as you will learn if you take a look. A basic $50 station will provide outdoor temperature and humidity. Stepping up a notch to one for around $200 will get you all that plus wind and the ability to hook it up to a computer to archive statistics and create your own weather website like 
Storm Chasing Vacation – For a weather geek, what could be better than spending a week on the Great Plains hunting down hail storms, supercell thunderstorms and of course tornadoes! Storm chasing as a hobby is growing by leaps and bounds and there are many tour operators that seek to fulfill the dreams of those that want to see extreme weather. This is the ultimate gift! Are you listening to me, Santa?
