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.
We begin May 2018 with cool, damp conditions to be followed by a string of mild, pleasant days. Long range forecasts lean toward we warmer than normal month and one with potentially higher than average precipitation.
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.
A toasty spring day in the Mile High City. Afternoon cloud cover cooled things down but not before we tied a record high temperature for today dating to 1948.
At DIA where Denver’s official measurements are taken, the high temperature reached 83 degrees. Here in Thornton, we were just a bit warmer with a high of 84 degrees.
Both readings were far and above the average high for today’s date of 65 degrees.
Tomorrow promises to be another mild day with highs in the mid-70s but then the weather turns cooler and a bit more unsettled with chances for precipitation Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. See our extended forecast for details.
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A Fox vixen hangs out on a pleasant spring evening. (J Martin)
April can be a tricky month weather-wise with everything from mild temperatures to snow to severe weather being possible. The good thing about that is that it provides plenty of chances for great photos!
April marks a transition between winter and summer for most of the country but for Denver it is especially true as we can see a stunning variety of weather.
The proverbial April showers are certainly a possibility for Denver. Snow? Tornadoes? Thunderstorms? You bet – all can happen!
Throw in our usual wildlife plus the wide variety of birds that return to the Centennial State for the spring and summer and there is a lot going on.
Slideshow updated April 29, 2018.
To learn more about how to send your photo to us for inclusion in the slideshow, see below the slideshow.
Showcasing images captured by ThorntonWeather.com readers as well as some of our own, our monthly slideshow covers the entire gamut of weather-related imagery.
Sunsets, sunrises, wildlife and of course every type of weather condition are vividly depicted in images captured from yours and our cameras.
[flickr_set id=”72157665882943537″]
What is missing in the slideshow above? Your photo!
Our monthly photo slideshow is going to feature images that we have taken but more importantly images that you have captured. The photos can be of anything even remotely weather-related.
Landscapes, current conditions, wildlife, pets, kids. Whimsical, newsy, artsy. Taken at the zoo, some other area attraction, a local park, a national park or your backyard. You name it, we want to see and share it!
Images can be taken in Thornton, Denver or anywhere across the extraordinary Centennial State. We’ll even take some from out of state if we can tie it to Colorado somehow.
We’ll keep the criteria very open to interpretation with just about any image eligible to be shown in our slideshows.
What do you win for having your image in our slideshow? We are just a ‘mom and pop’ outfit and make no money from our site so we really don’t have the means to provide prizes. However you will have our undying gratitude and the satisfaction that your images are shared on the most popular website in Thornton.
To share you images with us and get them included in the slideshow just email them to us or share them with ThorntonWeather.com on any of the various social media outlets. Links are provided below.
The month was one largely bereft of any true weather drama. It started out quite warm and dry and while we chilled out and got wetter for the second half, there were no significant events of note.
The first couple of weeks of March were notable for their largely warmer than normal temperatures and their lack of precipitation. It wasn’t until the 15th when we finally saw some moisture.
The latter half of the month did turn largely cooler although there was a period from the 21st to the 25th with unseasonably warm mercury readings. Beyond that, things remained cool and we received a few, minor shots of snow and rain.
In the end, the average temperatures for the month were above normal and while snowfall was less than normal, we recorded above average levels of precipitation.
The overall average temperature in Thornton for the month was 42.6 degrees. This was a good bit above Denver’s long term average for the month of 40.4 degrees. In the Mile High City at Denver International Airport where official measurements are kept, a similar average of 42.7 degrees was seen.
Temperatures in Thornton ranged from a maximum of 74.2 degrees on the 22nd down to a low of 16.6 degrees on the 7th. At DIA, the warmest reading was 73 degrees and the coldest 13 degrees, both on the same days as our warmest / coldest readings.
In terms of precipitation, Thornton saw 1.25 inches of liquid precipitation. Denver lagged us with 1.02 inches. Both measurements, however, were above the March long term average of 0.92 inches.
March is usually one of our snowier months with an average of 10.7 inches recorded during the month. We fell a long ways short of that however with Thornton seeing 6.2 inches of the white stuff and Denver only 4.8 inches.
Thornton, Colorado’s March 2018 temperature summary. (ThorntonWeather.com)Thornton, Colorado’s March 2018 precipitation summary. (ThorntonWeather.com)
CLIMATE REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER/BOULDER CO
840 AM MDT SUN APR 1 2018
...................................
...THE DENVER CO CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR THE MONTH OF MARCH 2018...
CLIMATE NORMAL PERIOD 1981 TO 2010
CLIMATE RECORD PERIOD 1872 TO 2018
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 73 03/22 84 -11 81 03/18
LOWEST 13 03/07 -11 24 14 03/01
AVG. MAXIMUM 58.5 54.4 4.1 64.0
AVG. MINIMUM 26.8 26.4 0.4 31.9
MEAN 42.7 40.4 2.3 47.9
DAYS MAX >= 90 0 0.0 0.0 0
DAYS MAX <= 32 0 1.9 -1.9 0
DAYS MIN <= 32 27 23.6 3.4 16
DAYS MIN <= 0 0 0.1 -0.1 0
PRECIPITATION (INCHES)
RECORD
MAXIMUM 4.56 1983
MINIMUM 0.03 2012
TOTALS 1.02 0.92 0.10 0.90
DAILY AVG. 0.03 0.03 0.00 0.03
DAYS >= .01 6 5.9 0.1 6
DAYS >= .10 3 2.4 0.6 3
DAYS >= .50 0 0.3 -0.3 0
DAYS >= 1.00 0 0.1 -0.1 0
GREATEST
24 HR. TOTAL 0.33 03/18 TO 03/18 03/24 TO 03/24
OBSERVED NORMAL DEPART LAST YEAR`S
SNOWFALL (INCHES)
TOTALS 4.8 10.7
DEGREE_DAYS
HEATING TOTAL 684 763 -79 523
SINCE 7/1 4741 5202 -461 4325
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 11.5
RESULTANT WIND SPEED/DIRECTION 2/218
HIGHEST WIND SPEED/DIRECTION 46/280 DATE 03/05
HIGHEST GUST SPEED/DIRECTION 64/290 DATE 03/23
SKY COVER
POSSIBLE SUNSHINE (PERCENT) MM
AVERAGE SKY COVER 0.50
NUMBER OF DAYS FAIR 8
NUMBER OF DAYS PC 22
NUMBER OF DAYS CLOUDY 1
AVERAGE RH (PERCENT) 46
WEATHER CONDITIONS. NUMBER OF DAYS WITH
THUNDERSTORMS 1 MIXED PRECIP 2
HEAVY RAIN 0 RAIN 5
LIGHT RAIN 5 FREEZING RAIN 0
LT FREEZING RAIN 0 HAIL 0
HEAVY SNOW 2 SNOW 4
LIGHT SNOW 7 FOG W/VIS <=1/4 MILE 2
FOG 7 HAZE 1
- INDICATES NEGATIVE NUMBERS.
R INDICATES RECORD WAS SET OR TIED.
MM INDICATES DATA IS MISSING.
T INDICATES TRACE AMOUNT.
April marks a transition between winter and summer for most of the country but for Denver it is especially true as we can see a stunning variety of weather.
The proverbial April showers are certainly a possibility for Denver. Snow? Tornadoes? Thunderstorms? You bet – all can happen!
For good measure throw in a chance for hail and even dust storms and April gives every type of weather condition you could like – or hate.
A gorgeous late winter’s day in Thornton. (LE Worley)
The month of March is the start of meteorological spring and while conditions do begin warming, winter weather is certainly out of the question. From hot to cold, snow to rain, the conditions can be very conducive to great pictures as we see in our slideshow.
March in Denver typically means frequent and rapid weather changes. The days grow longer and we start enjoying more sunshine and sometimes summer-like weather. However, on occasion arctic air masses can still force their way south into Colorado dropping temperatures quickly and markedly.
With the active wildlife, increased outdoor activities by us humans, and of course the weather, March imagery contains a wide variety of subjects and extremes.
Slideshow updated March 31, 2018. To learn more about how to send your photo to us for inclusion in the slideshow, see below the slideshow.
Showcasing images captured by ThorntonWeather.com readers as well as some of our own, our monthly slideshow covers the entire gamut of weather-related imagery.
Sunsets, sunrises, wildlife and of course every type of weather condition are vividly depicted in images captured from yours and our cameras.
[flickr_set id=”72157694184902845″]
What is missing in the slideshow above? Your photo!
Our monthly photo slideshow is going to feature images that we have taken but more importantly images that you have captured. The photos can be of anything even remotely weather-related.
Landscapes, current conditions, wildlife, pets, kids. Whimsical, newsy, artsy. Taken at the zoo, some other area attraction, a local park, a national park or your backyard. You name it, we want to see and share it!
Images can be taken in Thornton, Denver or anywhere across the extraordinary Centennial State. We’ll even take some from out of state if we can tie it to Colorado somehow.
We’ll keep the criteria very open to interpretation with just about any image eligible to be shown in our slideshows.
What do you win for having your image in our slideshow? We are just a ‘mom and pop’ outfit and make no money from our site so we really don’t have the means to provide prizes. However you will have our undying gratitude and the satisfaction that your images are shared on the most popular website in Thornton.
To share you images with us and get them included in the slideshow just email them to us or share them with ThorntonWeather.com on any of the various social media outlets. Links are provided below.
On June 3, 1981 a tornado struck Thornton in what is the worst twister to have struck the Denver metro area. Are you ready should disaster strike again? Image courtesy the City of Thornton archives.
Severe weather is a fact of life in Colorado – from blizzards to tornadoes we can and do see it all. Each year the weather is responsible for claiming lives in our state and across the nation and the threat is very real. Storm spotter training allows you to learn how to protect yourself and your family while providing a public service.
Education is key to knowing how to protect you and your family. Whether you want to be an official storm spotter or maybe just want to learn more about severe weather, storm spotter training can provide you an incredible opportunity to learn.
The storm spotter program is a nationwide program with more than 280,000 trained spotters. These volunteers report weather hazards to their local National Weather Service office providing vital information when severe strikes. Data from spotters include severe wind, rain, snow measurements, thunderstorms and hail and of course tornadoes.
Storm spotters are part of the ranks of citizens who form the Nation’s first line of defense against severe weather. There can be no finer reward than to know that their efforts have given communities the precious gift of time–seconds and minutes that can help save lives.
By completing one of these training classes you can become an official storm spotter. When severe weather strikes, you can report it by calling a special toll free number or submit your report via the National Weather Service’s website.
These are great sessions for anyone wanting to learn more about the severe weather we experience in Colorado, whether you want to be an official spotter or not. All training is free. Topics include:
Below are the dates, times and locations announced thus far. The embedded calendar should automatically update with new dates and changes but be sure to check the National Weather Service site for the latest.
If you felt like the past month was a bit chilly you would be correct. February saw temps a good bit below normal. We did see some help with our lack of seasonal snow and precipitation was a bit above average as well.
The first third of the month continued the dry, warmer than normal conditions we had for much of January. On the 10th of the month we experienced a very cold day and our first snowfall of the month. However, we soon returned to overall dry and warm conditions.
From there we saw things change significantly and quickly. Following an extraordinarily mild day on the 18th, temperature plummeted over the next 48 hours or so. So much so that the high temperature on the 20th was a record low maximum for the date.
Chilly temperatures lingered through the 25th as we saw a week of cold. The 19th, 20th and 22nd also brought snow that helped to add to the seasonal totals.
The final three days of the month saw mercury readings at or above normal.
Overall average temperature for the month of February was 29.2 degrees. At Denver International Airport where the Mile High City’s official records are kept, it was just slightly warmer with an average of 29.9 degrees. Both came a good bit short of the historical February average temperature of 32.5 degrees.
Temperatures in Thornton ranged from a high of 69 degrees on the 18th down to a low of 4 degrees below zero on the 21st. Denver’s highest temperature matched ours while their coldest was 7 degrees below on the 21st.
On average, Denver receives 0.37 inches of precipitation in February. This year, Thornton was a bit above that with 0.45 inches while Denver was below with 0.31 inches.
Both Thornton and Denver saw above average levels of snow although we bested the Mile High City on that front. Thornton recorded 9.5 inches while Denver saw 6.2 inches. Average for the month is 5.7 inches.
Thornton, Colorado’s February 2018 weather and climate graph. (ThorntonWeather.com)
From the National Weather Service:
CLIMATE REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER/BOULDER CO
805 AM MST THU MAR 1 2018
...................................
...THE DENVER CO CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR THE MONTH OF FEBRUARY 2018...
CLIMATE NORMAL PERIOD 1981 TO 2010
CLIMATE RECORD PERIOD 1872 TO 2018
WEATHER OBSERVED NORMAL DEPART LAST YEAR`S
VALUE DATE(S) VALUE FROM VALUE DATE(S)
NORMAL
................................................................
TEMPERATURE (F)
RECORD
HIGH 80 02/10/2017
LOW -25 02/01/1951
02/08/1936
HIGHEST 69 02/18 66 3 80 02/10
LOWEST -7 02/21 -6 11 02/26
AVG. MAXIMUM 44.4 46.2 -1.8 53.9
AVG. MINIMUM 15.4 18.9 -3.5 26.6
MEAN 29.9 32.5 -2.6 40.2
DAYS MAX >= 90 0 0.0 0.0 0
DAYS MAX <= 32 6 3.9 2.1 3
DAYS MIN <= 32 26 26.9 -0.9 21
DAYS MIN <= 0 3 1.3 1.7 0
PRECIPITATION (INCHES)
RECORD
MAXIMUM 2.01 1934
MINIMUM 0.01 1970
TOTALS 0.31 0.37 -0.06 0.23
DAILY AVG. 0.01 0.01 0.00 0.01
DAYS >= .01 5 5.3 -0.3 3
DAYS >= .10 2 0.7 1.3 1
DAYS >= .50 0 0.0 0.0 0
DAYS >= 1.00 0 0.0 0.0 0
GREATEST
24 HR. TOTAL 0.14 02/10 TO 02/10 02/23 TO 02/24
SNOWFALL (INCHES)
RECORDS
TOTAL 6.2 5.7
RECORD FEBRUARY 22.4 2015
DEGREE_DAYS
HEATING TOTAL 975 908 67 685
SINCE 7/1 4057 4439 -382 3802
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 9.9
RESULTANT WIND SPEED/DIRECTION 2/230
HIGHEST WIND SPEED/DIRECTION 38/270 DATE 02/24
HIGHEST GUST SPEED/DIRECTION 47/270 DATE 02/24
SKY COVER
POSSIBLE SUNSHINE (PERCENT) MM
AVERAGE SKY COVER 0.60
NUMBER OF DAYS FAIR 7
NUMBER OF DAYS PC 12
NUMBER OF DAYS CLOUDY 9
AVERAGE RH (PERCENT) 60
WEATHER CONDITIONS. NUMBER OF DAYS WITH
THUNDERSTORMS 0
HEAVY RAIN 0 MIXED PRECIP 6
LIGHT RAIN 0 RAIN 0
LT FREEZING RAIN 6 FREEZING RAIN 0
HEAVY SNOW 1 HAIL 0
LIGHT SNOW 15 SNOW 6
FOG 20 FOG W/VIS <=1/4 MILE 9
HAZE 9
- INDICATES NEGATIVE NUMBERS.
R INDICATES RECORD WAS SET OR TIED.
MM INDICATES DATA IS MISSING.
T INDICATES TRACE AMOUNT.
The month of February brought some relief to our snow season which up until then had been extremely anemic. However, we still have a long ways to go to reach normal levels.
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.
Thornton residents turned out to support law enforcement and honor Adams County Sheriff’s Deputy Heath Gumm. (Patrick Martin)
February signifies the start of the climb toward warmer temperatures for the year. Cold and snow though do intrude but, coupled with milder conditions, there are lots of photo opportunities as can be seen in our monthly slideshow.
The month is one of our least snowiest of the year but it isn’t unusual to see the landscape blanketed in white. Warming temperatures through the month can bring the onset of spring fever and gives residents the opportunity to enjoy some prolonged time outdoors on the mild days.
Cold or mild, snowy or dry, our scenery is almost always gorgeous – and photo worthy.
Slideshow updated February 20, 2018
To learn more about how to send your photo to us for inclusion in the slideshow, see below the slideshow.
Showcasing images captured by ThorntonWeather.com readers as well as some of our own, our monthly slideshow covers the entire gamut of weather-related imagery.
Sunsets, sunrises, wildlife and of course every type of weather condition are vividly depicted in images captured from yours and our cameras.
[flickr_set id=”72157669246273889″]
What is missing in the slideshow above? Your photo!
Our monthly photo slideshow is going to feature images that we have taken but more importantly images that you have captured. The photos can be of anything even remotely weather-related.
Landscapes, current conditions, wildlife, pets, kids. Whimsical, newsy, artsy. Taken at the zoo, some other area attraction, a local park, a national park or your backyard. You name it, we want to see and share it!
Images can be taken in Thornton, Denver or anywhere across the extraordinary Centennial State. We’ll even take some from out of state if we can tie it to Colorado somehow.
We’ll keep the criteria very open to interpretation with just about any image eligible to be shown in our slideshows.
What do you win for having your image in our slideshow? We are just a ‘mom and pop’ outfit and make no money from our site so we really don’t have the means to provide prizes. However you will have our undying gratitude and the satisfaction that your images are shared on the most popular website in Thornton.
To share you images with us and get them included in the slideshow just email them to us or share them with ThorntonWeather.com on any of the various social media outlets. Links are provided below.
