Category Archives: Thornton Weather

Thornton Weather

February 2016 top shots: Monthly photo slideshow

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February 2016 started with snow but the weather changed for the warmer allowing for a gorgeous day to welcome home the Super Bowl champion Denver Broncos. (Brandon Donahue)
February 2016 started with snow but the weather changed for the warmer allowing for a gorgeous day to welcome home the Super Bowl champion Denver Broncos. (Brandon Donahue)

February in Colorado typically brings to an end an extended period when average temperatures are at their lowest. Winter begins to loosen its grip and temperatures get warmer but precipitation is not a particularly common event during the month.

The month started out a bang with our biggest snowfall of recent years.  That brought some great weather pics and was followed by unseasonably warm weather which allowed everyone to get outside and enjoy it.  The varying conditions afford a wide variety of photographic opportunities.

  • Slideshow updated February 29, 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=”72157664509668855″]

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 February weather preview: Month usually brings warmer temps, drier conditions

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Thornton and Denver, Colorado February Weather Preview.February in Colorado typically brings to an end an extended period when average temperatures are at their lowest. Winter begins to loosen its grip and temperatures get warmer but precipitation is not a particularly common event during the month.

Thus far our snow season is looking in pretty good shape with most basins in the high country reporting above normal snowpack.  At lower elevations, we are running above average as well.  That is a good thing as February is only our sixth snowiest month so we may not see much snowfall for the balance of the month.

Temperatures however do usually see a nice rebound during the month. Average high temperatures climb from an average of 44 degrees at the start to 50 degrees by the end of February.

For the complete February preview including a look at historical averages and extremes as well as a look at what long range forecasts are predicting, click here. 

Climatology, Thornton Weather

January 2016 weather recap: Average temperatures, just a bit drier than normal

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January 2016’s weather was notable for only one thing – its lack of anything notable.  All in all the month failed to produce anything particularly dramatic.  While it was just a bit dry, it wasn’t by much and temperatures came in right near normal.

Only three periods of snowfall occurred during the month.  The heaviest of these was on the 7th and 8th but it only amounted to a few inches.  High and low temperatures failed to produce any extremes either.  We had a few mild days but also lacked extreme cold with no days dipping below zero.

Thornton’s average temperature for the month came in at 30.5 degrees.  This was just slightly below Denver’s long term January average of 30.7 degrees.  Officially, the Mile High City’s average was warmer than ours at 31.8 degrees.

Temperatures in Thornton ranged from a high of 68.5 degrees on the 30th down to a low of 1.1 degrees on the morning of the 1st.  Denver saw a maximum of 65 degrees on the 30th and a low of 5 degrees on the 10th.

In terms of precipitation, we recorded 0.34 inches in Thornton.  Out at the airport, Denver was wetter with 0.50 being recorded by their bucket.  The January average for Denver is 0.41 inches.

While we did see some snow during the month, no single storm was extraordinary and monthly totals came in below normal.  Average for Denver during the month is 7.0 inches.  Thornton saw 5.3 inches of the white stuff while Denver was just a bit behind at 4.6 inches.

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

Thornton, Colorado's January 2016 temperature summary. (ThorntonWeather.com)
Thornton, Colorado’s January 2016 temperature summary. (ThorntonWeather.com)
Thornton, Colorado's January 2016 precipitation summary. (ThorntonWeather.com)
Thornton, Colorado’s January 2016 precipitation summary. (ThorntonWeather.com)
CLIMATE REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER/BOULDER CO
308 PM MST MON FEB 1 2016

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

...THE DENVER CO CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR THE MONTH OF JANUARY 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              76   01/27/1888
 LOW              -29   01/09/1875
HIGHEST            65   01/30        76     -11       75  01/27
LOWEST              5   01/10       -29      34      -10  01/04
AVG. MAXIMUM     43.5              44.0    -0.5     46.7
AVG. MINIMUM     20.1              17.4     2.7     21.0
MEAN             31.8              30.7     1.1     33.9
DAYS MAX >= 90      0               0.0     0.0        0
DAYS MAX <= 32      3               5.5    -2.5        5
DAYS MIN <= 32     30              29.4     0.6       27
DAYS MIN <= 0       0               1.7    -1.7        3

PRECIPITATION (INCHES)
RECORD
 MAXIMUM         2.35   1883
 MINIMUM         0.01   1933
                        1934
                        1952

TOTALS           0.50              0.41    0.09     0.38
DAILY AVG.       0.02              0.01    0.01     0.01
DAYS >= .01         5               4.1     0.9        5
DAYS >= .10         3               0.9     2.1        1
DAYS >= .50         0               0.0     0.0        0
DAYS >= 1.00        0               0.0     0.0        0
GREATEST
 24 HR. TOTAL    0.32   01/07 TO 01/08

SNOWFALL (INCHES)
TOTAL             4.6               7.0
RECORD
TOTAL            24.3              1992

DEGREE_DAYS
HEATING TOTAL    1021              1063     -42      958
 SINCE 7/1       3208              3531    -323     3249
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              8.5
RESULTANT WIND SPEED/DIRECTION   4/204
HIGHEST WIND SPEED/DIRECTION    32/270    DATE  01/14
HIGHEST GUST SPEED/DIRECTION    38/270    DATE  01/14

SKY COVER
POSSIBLE SUNSHINE (PERCENT)   MM
AVERAGE SKY COVER           0.60
NUMBER OF DAYS FAIR            6
NUMBER OF DAYS PC             19
NUMBER OF DAYS CLOUDY          6

AVERAGE RH (PERCENT)     57

WEATHER CONDITIONS. NUMBER OF DAYS WITH
THUNDERSTORM              0     MIXED PRECIP               0
HEAVY RAIN                0     RAIN                       0
LIGHT RAIN                0     FREEZING RAIN              0
LT FREEZING RAIN          0     HAIL                       0
HEAVY SNOW                0     SNOW                       1
LIGHT SNOW               10     SLEET                      0
FOG                      10     FOG W/VIS <= 1/4 MILE      2
HAZE                      5

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

January 2016 top shots: Monthly photo slideshow

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January brings some amazing sunsets as seen in this image from Mary Lindow. Scroll down for a complete slideshow for the month. (Mary Lindow)
January brings some amazing sunsets as seen in this image from Mary Lindow. Scroll down for a complete slideshow for the month. (Mary Lindow)

As one of our coldest months, January can be a good month to hibernate inside and avoid the outdoors.  But, like any month in Colorado, photo opportunities abound as our monthly slideshow demonstrates.

Snow is not normally dominant in the month but when it does fall, it can create a beautiful blanket of white.  Throw in the amazing sunrises and sunsets we receive in the middle of winter as well as wildlife and a host of other subjects and the imagery can be quite beautiful and stunning.

  • Slideshow updated February 1, 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=”72157662914169580″]

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

Live social feed: Significant winter storm to close January, begin February

1 Comment

ThorntonWeather.com on Facebook, Google+ and TwitterA significant winter storm is bearing down on Colorado and the state is blanketed with watches and warnings. The system has the potential to deliver our biggest snowfall of the 2015 / 2016 season thus far.

The National Weather Service has said 6 to 12 inches will be possible between Sunday night and Tuesday morning. Areas north of I-76 like Thornton will likely be at the lower end of the range but even at that it would be a healthy shot of snow.

Throughout the period we will of course be monitoring the system and posting regularly to our Facebook page and Twitter feed.  You can follow along in real time below.  We are also on Google+ here.

For comprehensive look at the storm, please monitor our Winter Weather Briefing page.


 


Climatology, Thornton Weather

2015 Thornton annual weather recap: Above normal temps, lots of precipitation

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The year that was lacked any major drama in terms of the weather.  Winter and severe weather conditions during their seasons were pretty typical.  Overall, the year saw temperatures and precipitation end above average.

Thornton’s average annual temperature for 2015 came in at 51.1 degrees.  That was a bit above Denver’s historical average of 50.5 degrees.  Out at DIA where the Mile High City’s official measurements were taken, the average was 52.0 degrees.  Denver’s reading made the year the 18th warmest on record.

Temperatures in Thornton ranged from a high of 98.1 degrees on August XX down to a low of -3.7 degrees on January XX.  We saw 44 days of high temperatures at or above 90 degrees and 131 days with low temperatures below the freezing mark.

Out at the airport, Denver saw a maximum of 98 degrees on August 15 and a low of 10 degrees below zero on January 4.  Officially the city saw 48 90 degrees days and 126 days with lows below freezing.

Denver averages 39.6 days of 90 degrees temperatures and 156.9 days with lows below 32 degrees.

In terms of precipitation, both Thornton and Denver saw their rain buckets record above normal levels.  Thornton measured 20.81 inches while DIA was drier with 18.31 inches.  Both marks were well above the annual average of 14.30 inches.  For Denver, it was the 25th wettest year on record.

Snow as well finished above normal for the calendar year.  Average is 53.8 inches.  Thornton recorded a hefty 72.1 inches of the white stuff.  Denver lagged us but was still above average with 64.4 inches.  February was the snowiest month for both locations with Thornton recording 26.7 inches and Denver 22.4 inches.

Click here to view Thornton’s 2015 climate summary report.

Thornton, Colorado's 2015 Temperature Summary. (ThorntonWeather.com)
Thornton, Colorado’s 2015 Temperature Summary. (ThorntonWeather.com)
Thornton, Colorado's 2015 Precipitation Summary. (ThorntonWeather.com)
Thornton, Colorado’s 2015 Precipitation Summary. (ThorntonWeather.com)

From the National Weather Service:

CLIMATE REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BOULDER, CO
730 AM MST SAT JAN 2 2016
...................................

...THE DENVER CO CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR THE YEAR OF 2015...

CLIMATE NORMAL PERIOD 1981 TO 2010
CLIMATE RECORD PERIOD 1872 TO 2015

WEATHER         OBSERVED          NORMAL  DEPART  LAST YEAR`S
                 VALUE   DATE(S)  VALUE   FROM    VALUE  DATE(S)
                                          NORMAL
................................................................
TEMPERATURE (F)
RECORD
 HIGH             105   06/26/2012
                        06/25/2012
                        07/20/2005
 LOW              -29   01/09/1875
HIGHEST            98   08/15        64      34      100  07/07
LOWEST            -10   01/04        36     -46      -19  12/30
                                                          02/05
AVG. MAXIMUM     65.4              64.7     0.7     64.6
AVG. MINIMUM     38.6              36.3     2.3     36.5
MEAN             52.0              50.5     1.5     50.5
DAYS MAX >= 90     48              39.6     8.4       29
DAYS MAX <= 32     29              20.0     9.0       24
DAYS MIN <= 32    126             156.9   -30.9      150
DAYS MIN <= 0       7               5.8     1.2       14

PRECIPITATION (INCHES)
RECORD
 MAXIMUM        23.31   1967
 MINIMUM         7.29   2008
TOTALS          18.31             14.30    4.01    18.77
DAILY AVG.       0.05              0.03    0.02     0.05
DAYS >= .01       107              79.7    27.3       98
DAYS >= .10        49              34.9    14.1       44
DAYS >= .50        10               7.6     2.4       10
DAYS >= 1.00        2               2.3    -0.3        4
GREATEST
 24 HR. TOTAL    1.41   04/16 TO 04/17           2.85 07/29 TO 07/30

SNOWFALL (INCHES)
RECORDS
 TOTAL          115.9   1913


 24 HR TOTAL     23.6   12/24/1982 TO 12/24/1982
 SNOW DEPTH        MM   MM
TOTALS           64.4              53.8    10.6     46.1
 LIQUID EQUIV    6.44              5.40    1.04     4.61
SINCE 7/1        22.6              22.5     0.1     16.0
 LIQUID 7/1      2.26              2.20    0.06     1.60
SNOWDEPTH AVG.      0                MM      MM        0
DAYS >= TRACE      51              33.3    17.7       55
DAYS >= 1.0        25              16.3     8.7       17
GREATEST
 SNOW DEPTH         9   02/23                          6  12/31

 STORM TOTAL       10.5                             5.9
 (MM/DD(HH))       02/20 TO 02/23             12/29 TO 12/30

DEGREE_DAYS
HEATING TOTAL    5479              6059    -580     5844
 SINCE 7/1       2187              2468    -281     2291
COOLING TOTAL     877               769     108      701
 SINCE 1/1        877               769     108      701

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

WIND (MPH)
AVERAGE WIND SPEED              9.6
RESULTANT WIND SPEED/DIRECTION   2/195
HIGHEST WIND SPEED/DIRECTION    46/350    DATE  11/17
HIGHEST GUST SPEED/DIRECTION    60/330    DATE  07/15

SKY COVER
POSSIBLE SUNSHINE (PERCENT)   MM
AVERAGE SKY COVER           0.60
NUMBER OF DAYS FAIR           80
NUMBER OF DAYS PC            208
NUMBER OF DAYS CLOUDY         77

AVERAGE RH (PERCENT)     56

WEATHER CONDITIONS. NUMBER OF DAYS WITH
THUNDERSTORM             71     MIXED PRECIP               0
HEAVY RAIN               14     RAIN                      36
LIGHT RAIN              101     FREEZING RAIN              0
LT FREEZING RAIN          4     HAIL                       5
HEAVY SNOW                9     SNOW                      31
LIGHT SNOW               53     SLEET                      1
FOG                     111     FOG W/VIS <= 1/4 MILE     40
HAZE                     58

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

_____________________________________________________________________

..........2015 WAS WETTER AND WARMER THAN NORMAL..........

.........................TEMPERATURES...........................

TEMPERATURES FOR 2015 FINISHED ABOVE NORMAL WITH A MEAN OF 52.0
DEGREES F. WHICH IS 1.5 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL. THIS MAKES 2015 THE
18TH WARMEST YEAR ON RECORD. THERE WERE 48 DAYS IN WHICH THE
TEMPERATURE REACHED OR EXCEEDED 90 DEGREES AND NO DAYS REACHING THE
CENTURY MARK. AUGUST 15TH WAS THE HOTTEST DAY OF YEAR WITH A
TEMPERATURE OF 98 DEGREES. THERE WERE 4 DAYS DURING THE YEAR IN
WHICH THE TEMPERATURE FELL BELOW ZERO. THE COLDEST TEMPERATURE
RECORDED FOR THE YEAR OCCURRED ON JANUARY 4TH WITH A READING OF TEN
DEGREES BELOW ZERO.

 MONTH    MEAN TEMP  DEPARTURE     WARMEST       COLDEST
         (DEGREES F)FROM NORMAL  (DEGREES F)   (DEGREES F)
JANUARY     33.0       +3.2      40.3(1986)    16.8(1930)
FEBRUARY    33.8       +1.3      43.7(1954)    17.7(1899)
MARCH       45.0       +4.6      50.4(1910)    26.4(1912)
APRIL       48.7       +1.3      56.4(1981)    38.8(1920)
MAY         53.0       -4.1      64.7(1934)    48.7(1917)
JUNE        69.5       +2.1      75.0(2012)    60.6(1967)
JULY        72.8       -1.4      78.9(2012)    67.3(1895)
AUGUST      74.0       +1.5      77.0(2011)    66.5(1915)
SEPTEMBER   69.4       +6.0      69.4(2015)    54.7(1912)
OCTOBER     56.5       +5.6      59.9(1950)    38.9(1969)
NOVEMBER    38.5       +0.2      50.9(1949)    22.0(1930)
DECEMBER    29.4       -0.6      43.8(1933)    17.4(1983)
ANNUAL      52.0       +1.5      54.9(1934)    47.8(1912)

.......................PRECIPITATION............................

2015 WAS A GOOD YEAR FOR PRECIPITATION IN DENVER. THE FINAL TALLY
FOR THE YEAR WAS 18.31 INCHES WHICH IS 4.01 INCHES ABOVE THE NORMAL
OF 14.30 INCHES. THIS MAKES 2015 THE 25TH WETTEST YEAR ON RECORD.

 MONTH PRECIP     DEPARTURE     WETTEST       DRIEST
        (INCHES)  FROM NORMAL  (INCHES)      (INCHES)
JANUARY   0.38      -0.03      2.25(1883)    0.01 (1952...1934...1933)
FEBRUARY  1.25      +0.88      2.01(1934)    0.01(1970)
MARCH     0.79      -0.13      4.56(1900)    0.03(1963)
APRIL     2.65      +0.94      8.24(1900)    0.03(1963)
MAY       3.76      +1.64      8.57(1876)    0.06(1974)
JUNE      2.53      +0.55      4.96(1882)      T (1890)
JULY      1.06      -1.10      6.41(1965)    0.01(1901)
AUGUST    1.18      -0.51      5.85(1979)    0.02(1924)
SEPTEMBER 0.11      -0.85      5.61(2013)      T (1892...1944)
OCTOBER   1.76      +0.74      4.17(1969)      T (1934)
NOVEMBER  2.13      +1.52      3.21(1946)      T (1899...1901...1949)
DECEMBER  0.71      +0.36      5.21(1913)    0.00(1881)
ANNUAL   18.31      +4.01     23.31(1967)    7.29(2008)

...........................SNOWFALL..............................

64.4 INCHES OF SNOW FELL IN 2015...WHICH IS 10.6 INCHES ABOVE THE
NORMAL OF 53.8 INCHES. FEBRUARY 2015 WAS SNOWIEST FEBRUARY ON
RECORD WITH 22.4 INCHES OF SNOW MEASURED AT DENVER INTERNATIONAL
AIRPORT. SNOW ALSO FELL IN DENVER ON CHRISTMAS DAY...WITH 2.3
MEASURED AT THE AIRPORT.

 MONTH  SNOWFALL  DEPARTURE     SNOWIEST      LEAST SNOWIEST
        (INCHES)  FROM NORMAL   (INCHES)         (INCHES)
JANUARY     7.2      -0.2       24.3(1992)      T (2003...1934)
FEBRUARY   22.4     +16.7       22.4(2015)      T (2009)
MARCH       2.9      -7.8       35.2(2003)      T (2012...1995)
APRIL       5.3      -1.5       33.8(1933)      0 (1995...1992...1943...1930)
MAY         4.0      +2.9       15.5(1898)      0 (NUMEROUS YEARS)
SEPTEMBER   0.0      -1.3       17.2(1971)      0 (NUMEROUS YEARS)
OCTOBER     0.0      -4.0       31.2(1969)      0 (NUMEROUS YEARS)
NOVEMBER   11.3      +2.6       42.6(1946)      0 (1995)
DECEMBER   11.3      +2.8       57.4(1913)      0 (1881)
ANNUAL     64.4     +10.6      115.9(1913)    18.9(1887)
Climatology, Thornton Weather

December 2015 weather recap: Average temperatures, above normal precipitation

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Warm and dry were the key weather words for the start of December 2015.  That however changed as the month progressed and colder, wetter weather arrived.

High pressure dominated the start of the month leading to 10 out of the first 11 days of the month seeing above normal temperatures.  No precipitation was recorded over that period as well.

Things began to change on the 12th of the month as Thornton saw a couple of inches of snowfall and temperatures dropped.  A second, far more potent storm arrived on the 15th giving the Mile High City its heaviest snowfall of the season to that point.

Warmer and drier conditions returned up until Christmas.  For the holiday, temperatures were over 15 degrees below normal and the afternoon and evening brought a white Christmas with moderate snowfall.

We then wrapped up the month with a string of well below average temperatures.  In fact, the mercury remained below the freezing mark for the balance of the month.

Thornton’s average temperature for the month came in at 29.3 degrees.  That is just below the long term Denver average of 30.0 degrees.  Out at the airport where Denver’s official measurements are made, the average was virtually identical to Thornton’s at 29.4 degrees.

Highs in Thornton ranged from a 66.5 degrees maximum on the 9th down to a low of 00.3 degrees on the morning of the 28th.  Denver saw its warmest temperature on the 9th also with a high of 69 degrees.  Its low came in at 0 degrees on the 17th and 28th.

In terms of precipitation, Thornton recorded 0.79 inches in the bucket.  At DIA, Denver was just a bit drier at 0.71 inches.  The December average for Denver is 0.35 inches.

Denver averages 8.7 inches of snowfall during December.  Both Thornton and Denver bested the average with 14.2 inches and 11.3 inches respectively.

Click here to view Thornton’s December 2015 climate report.

Thornton, Colorado's December 2015 temperature summary. (ThorntonWeather.com)
Thornton, Colorado’s December 2015 temperature summary. (ThorntonWeather.com)
Thornton, Colorado's December 2015 precipitation summary. (ThorntonWeather.com)
Thornton, Colorado’s December 2015 precipitation summary. (ThorntonWeather.com)

From the National Weather Service:

CLIMATE REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BOULDER, CO
130 PM MST FRI JAN 1 2016
...................................

...THE DENVER CO CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR THE MONTH OF DECEMBER 2015...

CLIMATE NORMAL PERIOD 1981 TO 2010
CLIMATE RECORD PERIOD 1872 TO 2015

WEATHER         OBSERVED          NORMAL  DEPART  LAST YEAR`S
                 VALUE   DATE(S)  VALUE   FROM    VALUE  DATE(S)
                                          NORMAL
................................................................
TEMPERATURE (F)
RECORD
 HIGH              79   12/05/1939
 LOW              -25   12/22/1990
                        12/24/1876
HIGHEST            69   12/09        62       7       66  12/12
LOWEST              0   12/28        -4       4      -19  12/30
                        12/17
AVG. MAXIMUM     40.9              42.8    -1.9     44.1
AVG. MINIMUM     17.9              17.1     0.8     18.5
MEAN             29.4              30.0    -0.6     31.3
DAYS MAX >= 90      0               0.0     0.0        0
DAYS MAX <= 32     10               5.8     4.2        5
DAYS MIN <= 32     28              29.4    -1.4       31
DAYS MIN <= 0       2               2.0     0.0        2

PRECIPITATION (INCHES)
RECORD
 MAXIMUM         5.21   1913
 MINIMUM         0.00   1881
TOTALS           0.71              0.35    0.36     0.59
DAILY AVG.       0.02              0.01    0.01     0.02
DAYS >= .01         5               4.1     0.9        7
DAYS >= .10         3               1.1     1.9        2
DAYS >= .50         0               0.1    -0.1        0
DAYS >= 1.00        0               0.0     0.0        0
GREATEST
 24 HR. TOTAL    0.32   12/15 TO 12/15

SNOWFALL (INCHES)
RECORDS
 TOTAL           11.3               8.7
RECORD DECEMBER  57.4                             1913

DEGREE_DAYS
HEATING TOTAL    1097              1086      11     1037
 SINCE 7/1       2187              2468    -281     2291
COOLING TOTAL       0                 0       0        0
 SINCE 1/1        877               769     108      701

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

WIND (MPH)
AVERAGE WIND SPEED              9.8
RESULTANT WIND SPEED/DIRECTION   4/210
HIGHEST WIND SPEED/DIRECTION    41/280    DATE  12/09
HIGHEST GUST SPEED/DIRECTION    64/290    DATE  12/15

SKY COVER
POSSIBLE SUNSHINE (PERCENT)   MM
AVERAGE SKY COVER           0.50
NUMBER OF DAYS FAIR            5
NUMBER OF DAYS PC             22
NUMBER OF DAYS CLOUDY          4

AVERAGE RH (PERCENT)     58

WEATHER CONDITIONS. NUMBER OF DAYS WITH
THUNDERSTORM              0     MIXED PRECIP               0
HEAVY RAIN                0     RAIN                       0
LIGHT RAIN                0     FREEZING RAIN              0
LT FREEZING RAIN          0     HAIL                       0
HEAVY SNOW                1     SNOW                       3
LIGHT SNOW                8     SLEET                      0
FOG                      12     FOG W/VIS <= 1/4 MILE      3
HAZE                      6

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

December 2015 top shots: Monthly photo slideshow

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Fresh snow created a beautiful scene in this Thornton backyard. (Michelle Jones)
Fresh snow created a beautiful scene in this Thornton backyard. (Michelle Jones)

The month of December can offer everything from bone dry conditions to bone chilling cold and monstrous snowstorms.  The weather and wildlife all afford an abundance of photo opportunities as our December photo slideshow shows.

Leaves have fallen from trees now and the landscape can sometimes look quite stark.  However it only takes a quick shot of snow to change that picture greatly.  Throw in gorgeous sunrises and sunsets, plenty of wildlife big and small, kids playing and much more and the month can be quite colorful and eventful.

  • Slideshow updated December 31, 2015
  • 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=”72157662064667211″]

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

Dreaming of a white Christmas in Denver? Odds are not historically that great

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As Christmas gets closer everyone always wonders if we are going to get the proverbial white Christmas. Unfortunately, if you look at Denver and Thornton weather history, the chances aren’t all that good but it also depends on what you define as a white Christmas.

If to you a white Christmas means having actual snowfall on Christmas Day the chances aren’t that good. But, if simply having snow on the ground suffices, the chances improve considerably.

For a complete look at Denver’s Christmas weather statistics, click here.

For the latest Thornton weather forecast for Christmas, check out our forecast page.

White Christmas probability map for the contiguous United States. Click for larger view. (NOAA)
White Christmas probability map for the contiguous United States. Click for larger view. (NOAA)
Climatology, Colorado Weather, National Weather, Thornton Weather

NOAA details the chances for a white Christmas for the United States

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White Christmas probability map for the contiguous United States. (NOAA)
White Christmas probability map for the contiguous United States. Click for larger view. (NOAA)

With our most recent snowstorm, the Colorado Front Range is likely to enjoy a white Christmas (defined as 1 inch of snow on the ground on Christmas Day).  Other locations in the United States of course are not quite so lucky and historically, Colorado can be quite hit or miss.

Below is the latest narrative from NOAA.  To the right is a probability map – click it to view full size.

From NOAA:

Minnesota. Maine. Upstate New York. The Allegheny Mountains of Pennsylvania and West Virginia. Practically anywhere in Idaho. And of course, the Rockies or the Sierra Nevada Mountains. These are the places where weather history suggests you want to be if you’re looking for the best chance of a white Christmas.

The map at right shows the historic probability of there being at least 1-inch of snow on the ground in the Lower 48 states on December 25 based on the latest (1981-2010) U.S. Climate Normals from NOAA’s National Climatic Data Center.  Dark gray shows places where the probability is less than 10 percent, while white shows probabilities greater than 90  percent.

The 1981–2010 Climate Normals are the latest three-decade averages of several climatological measurements. This dataset contains daily and monthly Normals of temperature, precipitation, snowfall, heating and cooling degree days, frost/freeze dates, and growing degree days calculated from observations at approximately 9,800 stations operated by NOAA’s National Weather Service.

While the map shows the climatological probability that a snow depth of at least one inch will be observed on December 25, the actual conditions this year may vary widely from these probabilities because the weather patterns present will determine the snow on the ground or snowfall on Christmas day. These probabilities are useful as a guide only to show where snow on the ground is more likely.  For prediction of your actual weather on Christmas Day, check out your local forecast at Weather.gov.

You can locate Normals data for the observing station closest to you using the NCDC’sinteractive map.

If you would like to keep track of the snowfall across the United States on a daily basis, see the National Operational Hydrologic Remote Sensing Center’s National Snow Analyses. For a more detailed assessment of the probability of a white Christmas as well as documentation of the methodology used to calculate the map’s underlying climatological statistics, see the scientific paper, White Christmas? An Application of NOAA’s 1981-2010 Daily Normals, by NCEI scientists and published in the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society. You can also download a spreadsheet to see the full list of stations and their historic probabilities.

This post was adapted from an article first published by the National Climatic Data Center. It was first published on December 11, 2013, and is reviewed each year and updated as needed.