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, Colorado May 2024 Temperature Summary. (ThorntonWeather.com)
Most of the month of May 2024 was notable for its mild temperatures and dry conditions. It went out like a lion, however, with a damaging hailstorm.
The first eleven days of the month saw no precipitation at all in Thornton. A few warmer-than-normal days were seen during that period but temperatures were not particularly warm.
Most notable during the first third of the month was the appearance of the aurora. Thanks to some unusually strong solar activity, the celestial event was visible even in the city for a couple of nights.
We finally received our first precipitation of the month on the 12th with a very good, wet event. The next two weeks saw some lighter showers here and there. Temperatures warmed with numerous days seeing readings well into the 80s.
Mother Nature decided to close out the month in dramatic form. Severe thunderstorms arrived around 9:30pm on the night of the 30th, bringing hail up to 2 inches in diameter to the area. Damage was significant and while the rain that came with it was welcome, most residents would have preferred to have gone without.
Thornton ended the month with an overall average temperature of 59.1 degrees. This was well above the 18 year running average for the month of 56.7 degrees. It was the fifth warmest May during that period.
Temperatures ranged from a high of 87.3 degrees on the 17th down to a low of 36.0 degrees on the 2nd.
Out at DIA where Denver’s official measurements are taken, the Mile High City recorded an average temperature for the month of 56.9 degrees, 0.5 degrees below their long-term average. Their highest temperature for the month was 83 degrees on the 29th and their lowest of 30 degrees occurred on the 2nd.
In terms of precipitation, it was a dry one. Thornton saw 1.39 inches fall into its bucket. The majority of that came along with the hail storm on the 30th. That was well below the 1.74 inches average over the past 18 years and puts May 2024 into the books as our driest May during that period.
Denver fared slightly better with 1.70 inches observed at the airport. This was a good bit below the Mile High City’s May average of 2.16 inches for the month.
No snow was recorded in Thornton or Denver during the month.
Colorado’s famously highly variable weather seems to showcase itself during the month of May when a variety of weather conditions can be seen. This provides a prime opportunity for photos of everything weather to flora to fauna.
The month of May can bring extremes. Snow is not entirely uncommon during the month but more common 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. Providing additional subjects for pictures are the emerging spring flowers and our abundant wildlife.
Slideshow updated May 31, 2024. 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.
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.
Thornton, Colorado’s April 2024 Temperature Summary. (ThorntonWeather.com)
The month of April was one that did not bring too much drama. While we did see warmer than normal temperatures and a good bit of precipitation, only one snowstorm was particularly notable.
The month started off with some rain on the first and then we entered a dry, mild period. From the second to the 15th, no precipitation was recorded and high temperatures were above average every day of the period.
On the 16th things became more unsettled with some wind and rain. Then, from the 19th and 20th, a spring snowstorm arrived. Thornton received 5.1 inches over the period while Denver bested us with 6.3 inches.
We then saw a few days of dry weather followed by a moisture-laden system that dropped more than an inch of rain on us from the 26th to the 28th.
For the month of April, Thornton’s average temperature came in at 52.1 degrees. This is well above our 18-year running average for April of 48.4 degrees. Temperatures ranged from a high of 82.7 degrees on the 14th down to a low of 28.5 degrees on the 2nd.
For Denver, at Denver International Airport where the Mile High City’s official records are taken, they too saw above normal temperatures. The average temperature for the month there came in at 50.5 degrees versus their long-term April average of 47.8 degrees.
In terms of precipitation, Thornton netted a very respectable 2.54 inches in the bucket. That was a good bit above our running average for the month of 1.74 inches.
Out at the airport, Denver received even more with 3.28 inches recorded. That is well above the Mile High City’s April average of 1.68 inches.
With only one snow event, Thornton’s total for the month came in below average at 5.1 inches. This, in comparison to our 18-year running average for the month of 6.4 inches.
Denver bested us on snowfall as well with 6.3 inches versus their long-term average for April of 6.1 inches.
Colorado’s famously highly variable weather seems to showcase itself during the month of May when a variety of weather conditions can be seen.
The month can certainly 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.
Thornton, Colorado’s March 2024 Temperature Summary. (ThorntonWeather.com)
The month of March started off pretty slow with little weather drama and dry conditions. That changed as we got close to the latter half of the month with precipitation in the form of rain and snow taking over.
Through the first 12 days of the month, we had only received 0.6 inches of snow. We had seen a few days of colder temperatures but generally, mercury readings were above average.
That changed on the 13th. A powerful storm system with an unusual setup arrived. We began with a healthy dose of rain in the evening and then, overnight, the change to snow occurred. Heavy, wet snow fell on the 14th throughout the day and into the evening. Schools and many businesses closed down for the day. Thornton saw 10.8 inches of snow and a whopping 1.73 inches of liquid precipitation.
We then strung together nine days of calm, dry conditions. On the 25th, snow returned although it wasn’t anything too dramatic. Thornton saw 4.4 inches of the white stuff. The month then closed out with temperatures not far from average.
Overall, Thornton saw a monthly average temperature of 42.4 degrees. This was just above our running 18 year average of 42.0 degrees for the month of March. Mercury readings ranged from a high of 71.8 degrees on the 2nd down to 16.8 degrees pm the 26th.
For the Mile High City, where Denver’s official records are taken, they saw an average of 41.4 degrees. That was just slightly cooler than their long term March average of 41.2 degrees.
Liquid precipitation was abundant for the month with Thornton seeing 2.32 inches, most of which came with the storm on the 13th and 14th. This was well above our March average of 1.30 inches.
Denver recorded 1.65 inches in their rain bucket. This too was well above their March average of 0.86 inches.
Snowfall was above average as well. Thornton saw 15.8 inches in March 2024. This easily bested our March average of 11.3 inches.
Our at the airport, Denver saw a mere 9.2 inches. This was a bit above the Mile High City’s long term average for March of 8.8 inches.
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 bald eagle people watches at Trail Winds Park in Thornton. (Tony’s Takes)
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 14, 2024. 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.
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.
We all know our Pi Day storm last week was a big one.
Here in Thornton we recorded 10.8 inches. Downtown Denver reported 12.2 inches.
What will Denver’s official snow records show? A mere 5.7 inches. This is a direct result of the National Weather Service’s insistence on having Denver’s official measurements taken at Denver International Airport.
Data was collected in downtown Denver from 1872 through December 1948, then at the Stapleton Airport Office from January 1950 through February 1995. In March 1995, the service made the station at DIA the city’s official station for most meteorological observations. In 2008, they began taking official snowfall measurements out there.
Being so far from the Mile High City’s population center, the data collected there is entirely unrepresentative of what residents experience. Further, the move has skewed our climate records rendering comparisons to historical data invalid. It is highly frustrating and is a significant issue which the National Weather Service dismisses.
Local television meteorologists have long railed against the change in station, most notably Mike Nelson of Denver 7. With this storm, Ashton Altieri of CBS 4 called the National Weather Service out on it.
This snowfall analysis across the Denver area from our good friends at @NWSBoulder proves (again!) why the rule about big cities having to officially measure precipitation at their airport is completely bogus.
Downtown: 12.2 inches last week
DIA: 5.7 inches last week pic.twitter.com/IOzP5iYNba
The United States returns to Daylight Saving Time at 2:00am Sunday as Standard Time comes to an end.
The biannual ritual of changing our clocks to adjust for Daylight Saving Time occurs this Saturday night providing yet another signal of the changing of seasons. The United States will ‘spring forward’ one hour at 2:00am Sunday morning as we begin Daylight Saving Time.
The ritual of changing our clocks twice a year can be met with some resistance as some people struggle to adjust their body’s internal clock. The start of Daylight Saving Time can be particularly problematic given the one hour less sleep people receive on the night of the change.
However, longer days as we head into the milder months are a very real benefit and for many worth the inconvenience of a lost hour of sleep. The time change definitely has big effects on how much daylight we enjoy during our normal waking hours.
On Saturday, prior to the change, sunset will occur at 6:01pm but on Sunday the sun won’t disappear over the horizon until 7:02pm. This affords folks more time in the evening to get started on those spring-time chores and allows us to get outside and enjoy the warming weather.
Similarly, sunrise on Saturday is at 6:19am but shifts to 7:18am on Sunday.
The March Equinox is also on the horizon. Spring officially begins at 9:06pm on Tuesday, March 19.
This year Daylight Savings Time will come to an end on November 3.
Some of the recent history of Daylight Savings Time (from Wikipedia):
Daylight saving time in the United States was first observed in 1918. Most areas of the United States currently observe daylight saving time, with the exceptions being the states of Arizona and Hawaii along with the territories of Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands.
From 1987 to 2006, daylight saving time in the United States began on the first Sunday of April and ended on the last Sunday of October. The time was adjusted at 2:00 AM (0200) local time (as it still is done now).
Since 2007, daylight saving time starts on the second Sunday of March and ends on the first Sunday of November, with all time changes taking place at 2:00 AM (0200) local time.
Daylight Savings Time Schedule
Year
DST Begins 2 a.m.
(Second Sunday in March)
DST Ends 2 a.m.
(First Sunday in November)
2024
10 March 2024
3 November 2024
2025
9 March 2025
2 November 2025
2026
8 March 2026
1 November 2026
2027
14 March 2027
7 November 2027
2028
12 March 2028
5 November 2028
2029
11 March 2029
4 November 2029
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.
