Category Archives: Thornton Weather

Thornton Weather

May 2016 top shots: Monthly photo slideshow

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Springtime means not only is the weather active, so too is the wildlife. Great Horned Owl owlets in Thornton. (Shannon Dizmang)
Springtime means not only is the weather active, so too is the wildlife. Great Horned Owl owlets in Thornton. (Shannon Dizmang)

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, 2016. 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=”72157667503622900″]

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.

So come on, get those camera’s rolling!

Climatology, Thornton Weather

Thornton’s May weather preview: Anything from snow to severe storms

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Thornton, Colorado May 2013 weather preview.
Thornton, Colorado May 2016 weather preview.

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.

As the month starts out in 2016 we see snow but then warmer, milder weather is expected to arrive for the balance of the first week of the month.  Long range forecasts lean toward overall cooler and wetter than normal conditions.

However 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.

For a complete look at what lies ahead for the month of May, check out our full preview here.

Climatology, Thornton Weather

April 2016 weather recap: Temps near normal, precipitation and snow above average

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Coming off a very snowy and cold March, Thornton saw a relatively seasonal April 2016.  Temperatures were right near normal but we did see a healthier than average dose of snow and precipitation.

The month started out quite mild.  In fact 13 of the first 14 days saw above average high temperatures.   That changed quickly though at the middle of the month when a storm system brought cold and snow to the Front Range. While most of the white stuff fell to our south, Thornton managed respectable totals over the 16th and 17th of the month.

We then returned to mild weather but only for a few days as a series of low pressure systems passed through the state.  The final three days of the month saw well-below average high temperatures and periods of rain and snow.

Thornton saw an average temperature for the month of 48.0 degrees.  Out at the airport where Denver’s official measurements are kept, the monthly average was a bit cooler at 47.2 degrees.  Both were quite close to the April long term average of 47.4 degrees.

Temperatures in Thornton ranged from a maximum of 78.3 degrees on the 22nd down to a low of 21.9 degrees on the first of the month. DIA saw a maximum of 77 degrees on the 22nd and 23rd and a low of 25 degrees on the first.

In terms of precipitation, Denver’s long term April average is 1.71 inches. On this front, both Thornton and Denver came out above normal.  We saw 2.47 inches of liquid precipitation in our bucket in Thornton while Denver recorded 2.56 inches.

Snowfall was above the 8.9 inch April average in Thornton and Denver.  Thornton however only bested it by a half inch with a total of 9.4 inches for the month. Out at the airport, 15.6 inches was recorded.

Click here to view Thornton’s April 2016 climate report.

Thornton, Colorado's April 2016 temperature summary. (ThorntonWeather.com)
Thornton, Colorado’s April 2016 temperature summary. (ThorntonWeather.com)
Thornton, Colorado's April 2016 precipitation summary. (ThorntonWeather.com)
Thornton, Colorado’s April 2016 precipitation summary. (ThorntonWeather.com)
CLIMATE REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER/BOULDER CO
244 AM MDT SUN MAY 1 2016

...THE DENVER CO CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR THE MONTH OF APRIL 2016... 

CLIMATE NORMAL PERIOD 1981 TO 2010
CLIMATE RECORD PERIOD 1872 TO 2016

WEATHER         OBSERVED          NORMAL  DEPART  LAST YEAR`S
                 VALUE   DATE(S)  VALUE   FROM    VALUE  DATE(S)
                                          NORMAL
................................................................ 
TEMPERATURE (F)
RECORD
 HIGH              90   04/30/1992
 LOW               -2   04/02/1975
HIGHEST            77   04/23        90     -13       79  04/30
                        04/22
                        04/14
LOWEST             25   04/01        -2      27       27  04/03
AVG. MAXIMUM     59.4              61.5    -2.1     62.1
AVG. MINIMUM     35.1              33.3     1.8     35.3
MEAN             47.2              47.4    -0.2     48.7
DAYS MAX >= 90      0               0.0     0.0        0
DAYS MAX <= 32      0               0.3    -0.3        0
DAYS MIN <= 32     11              13.0    -2.0        7
DAYS MIN <= 0 0 0.0 0.0 0 PRECIPITATION (INCHES) RECORD MAXIMUM 8.24 1900 MINIMUM 0.03 1963 TOTALS 2.56 1.71 0.85 2.65 DAILY AVG. 0.09 0.06 0.03 0.09 DAYS >= .01        10               9.1     0.9        9
DAYS >= .10         6               4.5     1.5        6
DAYS >= .50         2               0.9     1.1        2
DAYS >= 1.00        1               0.5     0.5        1
GREATEST
 24 HR. TOTAL    1.22   04/15 TO 04/16           04/16 TO 04/17
                                                          04/17 TO 04/17
                                                          04/17 TO 04/17
 STORM TOTAL       MM                                 MM
 (MM/DD(HH))            MM                    04/17(00) TO 04/17(00)
                                                 04/17(00) TO 04/17(00)7
                                                 04/17(00) TO 04/17(00)7

SNOWFALL (INCHES)
TOTALS           15.6               8.9    6.7

DEGREE_DAYS
HEATING TOTAL     526               529      -3      481
 SINCE 7/1       5230              5731    -501     5205
COOLING TOTAL       0                 1      -1        0
 SINCE 1/1          0                 1      -1        0

FREEZE DATES
RECORD
 EARLIEST     09/08/1962
 LATEST       06/08/2007
EARLIEST      04/01             10/07
LATEST                          05/05
........................................................ 

WIND (MPH)
AVERAGE WIND SPEED              10.9
RESULTANT WIND SPEED/DIRECTION   2/243
HIGHEST WIND SPEED/DIRECTION    43/300    DATE  04/05
HIGHEST GUST SPEED/DIRECTION    53/300    DATE  04/05

SKY COVER
POSSIBLE SUNSHINE (PERCENT)   MM
AVERAGE SKY COVER           0.60
NUMBER OF DAYS FAIR            6
NUMBER OF DAYS PC             15
NUMBER OF DAYS CLOUDY          9

AVERAGE RH (PERCENT)     55

WEATHER CONDITIONS. NUMBER OF DAYS WITH
THUNDERSTORM              0     MIXED PRECIP               0
HEAVY RAIN                0     RAIN                       2
LIGHT RAIN                6     FREEZING RAIN              0
LT FREEZING RAIN          0     HAIL                       0
HEAVY SNOW                1     SNOW                       5
LIGHT SNOW                8     SLEET                      0
FOG                       9     FOG W/VIS <= 1/4 MILE      4
HAZE                      1

-  INDICATES NEGATIVE NUMBERS.
R  INDICATES RECORD WAS SET OR TIED.
MM INDICATES DATA IS MISSING.
T  INDICATES TRACE AMOUNT.
Thornton Weather

April 2016 top shots: Monthly photo slideshow

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A picture perfect evening in Adams County. (Carolyn Owens Smith)
A picture perfect evening in Adams County. (Carolyn Owens Smith)

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 23, 2016. 
  • 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=”72157666986103395″]

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.

So come on, get those camera’s rolling!

Thornton Weather

Monday brings warmest day of the week for Thornton

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We will enjoy one mild day this week and today is it. After this, it goes downhill with unsettled, cooler conditions for the balance.

Today starts out with mostly sunny skies and calm, mild conditions. Temperatures will be climbing to a high of around 73 degrees, a good bit above the average for the date of 64 degrees.

Winds will be a bit breezy this afternoon and the latter part of the afternoon and into the evening brings a chance for showers and thunderstorms. Right now we expect most of these storms to be high-based and bring primarily wind.

Looking ahead, low pressure is going to reign for the balance of the workweek and through the weekend. Temperatures are going to generally be about 10 degrees below normal and each day will feature opportunities for showers, maybe even just a touch of snow even early tomorrow morning and Wednesday morning. Get a complete look at the extended weather forecast here.

Thornton Weather

Time lapse video: Thornton’s April 16-17, 2016 snowstorm

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Mother Nature played a somewhat cruel trick on the Colorado Front Range. The week started with mild temperatures and a definite feeling of spring in the air.  She closed out the week with a significant snowstorm and plenty of cold.

The long-expected storm arrived on the evening of Friday the 15th with rain.  Overnight into the early morning of the 16th, the rain continued, heavy at times.  In the early morning hours, as temperatures dropped, the rain changed to snow and would continue virtually non-stop through the morning of the 17th.

Thornton’s snowfall totals were certainly at the lower end of what was reported in the Denver metro area.  We saw 7.3 inches, much of which melted as fast as it fell.  Other locations not far to the west and south were pushing a foot and locations in the foothills and Palmer Divide saw nearly two feet.

The time lapse video begins at midnight on the morning of the 16th and continues through noon on the 17th.

Thornton Weather

FINALLY: National Weather Service to stop using all caps

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National Weather ServiceIf you’ve ever tried to read the text of just about any National Weather Service product, you likely were struck by the fact it was typed in ALL CAPS.  Those days are finally coming to an end as the service ends the shouting and moves to mixed-case letters.

The all capital writing dates back to the days when weather reports were sent via teleprinters.  These devices only had the ability to type in all caps.  Thankfully, the days of teletype are over and one of our favorite government agencies can now send messages properly.

The change will be begin on May 11 and be gradual, only impacting three of the most common products initially: forecast discussions, public information statements and regional weather summaries.

However, severe weather warnings will make the move to mixed case this summer and other forecast and warning products will follow into 2017.

Below is the complete text – using proper mixed case – of the announcement from NOAA:

National Weather Service will stop using all caps in its forecasts
Farewell teletype, hello mixed-case characters

April 11, 2016 LISTEN UP! BEGINNING ON MAY 11, NOAA’S NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORECASTS WILL STOP YELLING AT YOU.

New forecast software is allowing the agency to break out of the days when weather reports were sent by “the wire” over teleprinters, which were basically typewriters hooked up to telephone lines. Teleprinters only allowed the use of upper case letters, and while the hardware and software used for weather forecasting has advanced over the last century, this holdover was carried into modern times since some customers still used the old equipment.

Better late than never, but the slow change was not for lack of trying. The National Weather Service has proposed to use mixed-case letters several times since the 1990s, when widespread use of the Internet and email made teletype obsolete. In fact, in web speak, use of capital letters became synonymous with angry shouting. However, it took the next 20 years or so for users of Weather Service products to phase out the last of the old equipment that would only recognize teletype.

Recent software upgrades to the computer system that forecasters use to produce weather predictions, called AWIPS 2 (The Advanced Weather Interactive Processing System), are allowing for the change to mixed-case letters. The switch will happen on May 11, after the required 30-day notification period to give customers adequate time to prepare for the change.

“People are accustomed to reading forecasts in upper case letters and seeing mixed-case use might seem strange at first,” said NWS meteorologist Art Thomas. “It seemed strange to me until I got used to it over the course of testing the new system, but now it seems so normal,” he said.

Three forecast products will transition to mixed-case use on May 11, including area forecast discussions, public information statements and regional weather summaries. Severe weather warnings will transition this summer, with other forecasts and warnings transitioning to the new system through early next year.

Upper case letters in forecasts will not become obsolete – forecasters will have the option to use all capital letters in weather warnings to emphasize threats during extremely dangerous situations. Certain forecast products with international implications, such as aviation and shipping, will continue to use upper case letters, per international agreements that standardize weather product formats across national borders.

Thornton Weather

Ranking the most dangerous natural hazards in the U.S.

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Utilizing data from the National Weather Service for the period from 2005 to 2014, research firm WeatherDB analyzed what natural hazards pose the greatest risk to Americans.

Heat comes in as the number one most dangerous natural hazard causing 124 deaths and 980 injuries on average per year. Tornadoes, tropical storms / hurricanes, floods and rip currents round out the top five. Check out all the details below.

Natural Hazards | WeatherDB

The United States has seen an extraordinary number of billion dollar disasters in 2011.

Climatology, Thornton Weather

March 2016 weather recap: A bit warmer than normal, much wetter and snowier

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The month of March 2016 in Thornton was a bit of a tale of two halves.  The first, mild and dry.  The second, colder and much, much wetter.

We started out with above normal temperature readings dominating the daily temperatures.  In fact 12 of the first 14 days of the month saw high temperatures above average, some well above.  Other than a nice bit of rain on the 7th, those first two weeks were dry as well.  All were courtesy of strong high pressure staying over the region.

Things cooled down briefly for the next few days and we received a nice bit of snow on the 17th and 18th.  However, warm weather returned with back to back 70+ degree days on the 21st and 22nd.

March is however our snowiest month and Mother Nature delivered a walloping reminder of that on the 23rd.  Blizzard conditions arrived early in the morning and persisted through the day.  Schools and businesses shuttered as did the airport and major interstates.

Cool, unsettled weather conditions finished out the month.  Another, light show of snow came on the 26th followed by flurries on the 31st.

Thornton’s overall average temperature for March was 41.4 degrees.  This was very close to Denver’s official measurement of 41.6 degrees as taken out at DIA.  The average monthly temperature for March is 40.4 degrees.

Thornton saw a maximum mercury reading of 72.4 degrees on the 21st and a low of 13.5 degrees on the 24th.  Out at the airport, Denver saw its highest reading of 74 degrees on the 11th and a low of 10 degrees on the 24th.

In terms of precipitation, rain and snow combined to bring Thornton a wet 3.21 inches.  The long term average for Denver in March is 0.92 inches.

Denver’s automated system claims a mere 0.90 inches of liquid precipitation at the airport.  It is clear that they had a very incorrect reading from the blizzard on the 23rd.  Their climate report for the month makes the note, “the precipitation for March 23rd is too low due to undercatch from blizzard. This value is under review. This could change the values below.”

Snowfall was abundant for the month and far exceeded the average of 10.7 inches for Denver.  Here in Thornton we received 30.1 inches – our second highest monthly total in 10 years.  The airport lagged considerably due to their location out in the middle of nowhere with 18.4 inches.

Click here to view Thornton’s March 2016 climate report.

Thornton, Colorado's March 2016 temperature summary. (ThorntonWeather.com)
Thornton, Colorado’s March 2016 temperature summary. (ThorntonWeather.com)
Thornton, Colorado's March 2016 precipitation summary. (ThorntonWeather.com)
Thornton, Colorado’s March 2016 precipitation summary. (ThorntonWeather.com)

From the National Weather Service:

CLIMATE REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER/BOULDER CO
1255 PM MDT FRI APR 1 2016

...................................

...THE DENVER CO CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR THE MONTH OF MARCH 2016...

CLIMATE NORMAL PERIOD 1981 TO 2010
CLIMATE RECORD PERIOD 1872 TO 2016

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            74   03/11        73       1       81  03/16
LOWEST             10   03/24        11      -1        2  03/05
AVG. MAXIMUM     54.9              54.4     0.5     58.9
AVG. MINIMUM     28.3              26.4     1.9     31.2
MEAN             41.6              40.4     1.2     45.0
DAYS MAX >= 90      0               0.0     0.0        0
DAYS MAX <= 32      1               1.9    -0.9        2
DAYS MIN <= 32     21              23.6    -2.6       12
DAYS MIN <= 0 0 0.1 -0.1 0 

PRECIPITATION (INCHES) 
RECORD
 MAXIMUM 4.56 1983
 MINIMUM 0.03 2012 

*THE PRECIPITATION FOR MARCH 23RD IS TOO LOW DUE TO UNDERCATCH 
FROM BLIZZARD. THIS VALUE IS UNDER REVIEW. THIS COULD CHANGE 
THE VALUES BELOW. 

TOTALS 0.90* 0.92 -0.02* 0.79 
DAILY AVG. 0.03* 0.03 0.00* 0.03 
DAYS >= .01         9               5.9     3.1        5
DAYS >= .10         2               2.4    -0.4        3
DAYS >= .50         0               0.3    -0.3        0
DAYS >= 1.00        0*              0.1    -0.1*       0
GREATEST
 24 HR. TOTAL    0.49*  03/23 TO 03/23           03/19 TO 03/19

SNOWFALL (INCHES)
RECORDS
 TOTAL           18.4              10.7
RECORD MARCH     35.2                         2003

DEGREE_DAYS
HEATING TOTAL     716               763     -47      611
 SINCE 7/1       4704              5202    -498     4724
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              11.7
RESULTANT WIND SPEED/DIRECTION   3/238
HIGHEST WIND SPEED/DIRECTION    53/340    DATE  03/23
HIGHEST GUST SPEED/DIRECTION    59/340    DATE  03/23

SKY COVER
POSSIBLE SUNSHINE (PERCENT)   MM
AVERAGE SKY COVER           0.60
NUMBER OF DAYS FAIR            3
NUMBER OF DAYS PC             20
NUMBER OF DAYS CLOUDY          8

AVERAGE RH (PERCENT)     48

WEATHER CONDITIONS. NUMBER OF DAYS WITH
THUNDERSTORM              1     MIXED PRECIP               0
HEAVY RAIN                0     RAIN                       0
LIGHT RAIN                4     FREEZING RAIN              0
LT FREEZING RAIN          0     HAIL                       1
HEAVY SNOW                1     SNOW                       4
LIGHT SNOW                8     SLEET                      0
FOG                      11     FOG W/VIS <= 1/4 MILE      2
HAZE                      3

-  INDICATES NEGATIVE NUMBERS.
R  INDICATES RECORD WAS SET OR TIED.
MM INDICATES DATA IS MISSING.
T  INDICATES TRACE AMOUNT.
Thornton Weather

Thornton’s April weather preview: Expect just about anything

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Thornton's April weather previewApril 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.