Thornton Weather, Weather History

March 7 to March 13 – This week in Denver weather history

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March 7 to March 13 - This week in Denver weather history
March 7 to March 13 - This week in Denver weather history

As we talked about in our March weather preview, Denver can see the entire gamut of weather conditions this time of year and our look back at this week in history shows that.  There are of course plenty of the famous March snowstorms including big ones in 1992 and 1998.  We also see the usual high winds such as was the case in 2000 and even extreme cold as we saw over an extended period in 1906.

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6-7

In 1981…a storm dumped 4 to 8 inches of snow over higher elevations between Denver and Colorado springs.  At Stapleton International Airport…north winds gusted to 16 mph and snowfall totaled only 2.5 inches.
 
In 1998…heavy snow fell over portions of metro Denver and the adjacent foothills.  Snowfall totals included 11 inches at Chief Hosa…10 inches near Evergreen…8.5 inches in Broomfield…8 inches at Bailey…and 7 inches at both Standley Lake and Thornton.  Elsewhere…snowfall across metro Denver ranged from 3 to 6 inches with 4.9 inches measured at the site of the former Stapleton International Airport.  North winds gusted to 26 mph at Denver International Airport on the 7th.  Several accidents occurred along area roads and highways when they became icy and snowpacked.

6-8

In 1932…snowfall totaled 6.3 inches in downtown Denver. Most of the snow…5.2 inches…fell on the 8th.  Northeast winds gusted to 20 mph on the 6th.

7  

In 1872…heavy rain started shortly after midnight and soon turned to sleet…which continued to just after sunrise…the ground at that time not even being white. At about 7:00 am the worst snow storm of the winter commenced and continued until 10:00 pm…snowing heavily nearly all the time.  North winds averaged a sustained speed of 25 mph.  About 8 inches of snow fell…but it drifted too much to obtain a direct measurement.
 
In 1901…northwest winds were sustained to 40 mph with gusts as high as 58 mph.  The strong Chinook winds warmed the temperature to a high of 70 degrees.
 
In 1902…northwest winds were sustained to 45 mph with gusts to 53 mph.
 
In 1950…strong north winds at 40 mph with gusts as high as 60 mph produced a dust storm across metro Denver.  At Stapleton Airport…blowing dust reduced visibility to as low as 1/4 mile for most of the day.
 
In 1972…northwest winds gusted to 51 mph at Stapleton International Airport.  The Chinook winds warmed temperatures to a high of 64 degrees.
 
In 1984…a wind gust to 63 mph was recorded at Golden Gate Canyon west of Denver.  West winds gusted to 39 mph at Stapleton International Airport.

Continue reading March 7 to March 13 – This week in Denver weather history →

Severe Weather

Rogue waves kill two on Mediterranean cruise

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This screen capture from amateur video shows one of the massive waves crashing into the cruise ship Louis Majesty.
This screen capture from amateur video shows one of the massive waves crashing into the cruise ship Louis Majesty.

Massive rogue waves struck the cruise ship Louis Majesty in the Mediterranean on Wednesday killing two and injuring more than a dozen passengers. The waves, at least 25 feet in height, broke windows and flooded cabins on the ship carrying 2,000 people.

The Louis Majesty was traveling from Barcelona to Genoa on the last day of a 10-day cruise of the western Mediterranean when the waves struck. Reports indicate that three massive waves broke windshields on the front of the ship and sent water over the decks.

Two deaths were reported as a result of the waves and both died at the scene. The victims were a 52-year-old Italian man and a 69-year-old German man from North Rhine Westphalia.

Fourteen injuries were reported, most minor and none life-threatening. Two of those had serious injuries including a 62-year-old woman who broke both of her legs.

Passenger Claude Cremex of Marseille, France told the Associated Press, “It was spectacular. A lot of water came in. Many cabins were flooded.”

Exactly where the accident occurred was still unclear. Most reports said the ship was sailing near the French Mediterranean port of Marseille but others placed it off the coast of Cabo de San Sebastian, Spain near Palafrugell.

Reports are that there were high winds in the area the ship was traveling through and automated buoy data indicates significant wave action at the time. A buoy operated by Meteo France in the area recorded waves to 21 feet high and winds in excess of 40 mph.

The 680 foot ship is owned and operated by Louis Cruises and had 1,350 passengers and 580 crew members on board at the time of the accident. The nearly 41,000 ton ship is “the most stylish and biggest ship in the fleet” according to Louis Cruises.

Climate Change

Climate scientists to attempt to retaliate for recent setbacks

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The debate about manmade climate change continues with a group of climate scientists now seeking to launch a PR campaign against skeptics.
The debate about manmade climate change continues with a group of climate scientists now seeking to launch a PR campaign against skeptics.

Climate science and the purveyors of the manmade climate change theory have been sent reeling backwards over the past year. Errors discovered in their data and reporting, the Climategate email scandal and the shame it brought upon them, and continued cooling of the globe have set back their efforts. Now, a group of climate scientists is working to take the offensive against skeptics.

The Washington Times reports today that a number of scientists will start a new public relations campaign in the hopes of turning back the tide. Among the efforts by the scientists are to solicit a group of them to donate $1,000 each toward purchasing an ad in the New York Times.

One of the scientists, Dr. Stephen Schneider, Professor of Environmental Biology and Global Change at Stanford University lamented the state of the debate and sought to call up fears of the hunt for communists. “I don’t want to see a repeat of McCarthyesque behavior and I’m already personally very dismayed by the horrible state of this topic, in which the political debate has almost no resemblance to the scientific debate.”

Schneider is most famous in many circles for making outrageous claims. In 1989 he told Discover magazine, “So we have to offer up scary scenarios, make simplified, dramatic statements, and make little mention of any doubts we might have.”

More recently, here on Examiner.com he told San Francisco Environmental Policy Examiner Thomas Fuller that any those who doubt the anthropogenic global warming theory would be “slaughtered in public debate.” When a number of notable scientists including Roger A. Pielke Sr. offered to debate him, Schneider quickly backpedaled.

For the complete story including to read what the infamous author of “The Population Bomb” had to say, please visit the Climate Change Examiner.

Natural Disasters

Chile earthquake shortened the days, shifted the Earth’s axis

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The Earths axis was shifted slightly and our days shortened by last Saturdays earthquake in Chile. (NASA)
The Earth's axis was shifted slightly and our days shortened by last Saturday's earthquake in Chile. (NASA)

NASA scientists have determined that the massive magnitude 8.8 earthquake that struck Chile on Saturday has shortened our days and shifted the Earth’s axis. Officials said that the effects of the event while not unusual are a testament to the power of the temblor.

Richard Gross, a research scientist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), said his team had determined the Chile earthquake shorted the length of an Earth day by 1.26 microseconds. A microsecond is one millionth of a second.

The 2004 earthquake in Sumatra which triggered a tsunami that killed 230,000 people was a magnitude 9.1 temblor. That event shortened the days by 6.8 microseconds according to the same computer models.

Most interesting is the effect the quakes had on the earth’s axis. Saturday’s earthquake shifted the earth’s axis by 2.7 milliarcseconds (about 8 centimeters, or 3 inches). The Sumatran quake shifted the planet’s axis by 2.32 milliarcseconds (about 7 centimeters, or 2.76 inches).

The scientists said the 2010 Chile quake had a greater effect on the Earth’s axis than the 2004 temblor because it occurred in the planet’s mid-latitudes. By contrast, the Sumatran quake was near the equator.

Researchers have said that all earthquakes affect the Earth’s axis. Dr. Benjamin Fong Chao, of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, said “Any worldly event that involves the movement of mass affects the Earth’s rotation, from seasonal weather down to driving a car.”

This story was originally written for the Natural Disasters Examiner on Examiner.com.  For complete coverage of all natural disasters from earthquakes and tsunamis to tornadoes and hurricanes, please visit the Natural Disasters Examiner.

Why do we link to Examiner.com?  Click here to find out.

Severe Weather

No tornadoes reported in February for the first time on record

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For the first time since at least 1950, no tornadoes were recorded during the month of February. (Chris Foltz, NOAA)
For the first time since at least 1950, no tornadoes were recorded during the month of February. (Chris Foltz, NOAA)

While there was plenty of notable weather last month in the United States including the severe winter storms in the northeast, tornadoes were not one weather phenomena anyone had to worry about.

According to the National Weather Service, there were no twisters reported during February 2010 – the first time since record keeping began in 1950 that February did not have any. The previous low number of tornadoes in February was 2 in 2002.

Harold Brooks, a meteorologist with the National Severe Storms Laboratory, said the last time the United States went a calendar month without a tornado was January 2003. Through yesterday it has been 36 days since the last twister struck on the 24th of January in Tennessee.

Brooks cautions against reading too much into the statistic. He said it tells us, “Somewhere between a little and nothing at all.”

Most years that start out slow in terms of tornado events end average or below average Brooks said. However, he also points to 2003 when the year started out 45 days without a tornado but by the middle of May the season was above normal.

For the complete story including what Dr. Greg Forbes of the Weather Channel had to say, please check out the rest of the story on the Denver Weather Examiner.

Climate Change

Al Gore reappears – Says errors in climate science are irrelevant

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In the wake of the Climategate email scandal, the failure at the climate summit and with revelations of errors in IPCC documents, Al Gore has been conspicuously absent - until now.
In the wake of the Climategate email scandal, the failure at the climate summit and with revelations of errors in IPCC documents, Al Gore has been conspicuously absent - until now.

Former Vice President Al Gore had been conspicuously absent from the public eye recently. Following on the failure of the Copenhagen climate summit and new revelations of errors in key climate science reports, the Nobel Laureate was nowhere to be found. On Sunday he returned with an op-ed in the New York Times discussing the ‘attacks’ on the manmade climate change theory.

As is the norm for his work, Gore as always takes the opportunity to use over-the-top language to push for action against what he describes as an “unimaginable calamity” that will be visited on the earth. He used the liberal ‘Old Gray Lady’ to discuss his thoughts on the errors in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC) work, the Climategate email scandal and took jabs at news organizations like FOX News.

In recent weeks numerous errors in the IPCC’s seminal AR4 report have been discovered. Statements of disappearing Himalayan glaciers, rain forests threatened by global warming, loss of mountain ice and more have been shown to be grossly exaggerated at best or patently false at worst. Further, dozens of citations in the work come from political and activist sources, not scientific research. All of this in what is supposed to be the ‘gold standard’ of research from which leaders are supposed to draw conclusions.

Gore only concedes two of the many errors – the one concerning Himalayan glaciers and another comical one about the Netherlands finding itself flooded. He says science will “never be completely free of mistakes” and says that “the overwhelming consensus on global warming remains unchanged.”

Few would argue that science is perfect in any area of study. However, many would simply expect that if drastic measures are to be taken to combat the purported threat of manmade climate change, the science should be sound before jumping in.

There's more to this story on Examiner.com!See what else the former vice president had to say including comments that allude to FOX News on the Climate Change Examiner.

Climatology

A Preview of Denver’s March Weather – Lots of Changes

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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.

These changes are due to March’s “in between” status – elements during the month have much in common with winter and spring. In addition to arctic fronts, Pacific storms frequently move across Colorado from the west and warm moist air streams up from the Gulf of Mexico northeastward into the state. When these cold fronts collide with the warmer air masses the result can be some crazy weather.

For a complete look at what we have experienced in March historically and what we can expect in March 2010, please check out our complete March weather preview. 

Natural Disasters

Widespread devastation in Chile as rescuers struggle to reach earthquake survivors

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A crushed car in a parking garage in Concepcion Chile following the earthquake early Saturday morning Feb. 27, 2010. (TVN)
A crushed car in a parking garage in Concepcion Chile following the earthquake early Saturday morning Feb. 27, 2010. (TVN)

Buildings lie in heaps of rubble, highway overpasses collapsed and large crevices opened in the earth following a massive 8.8 magnitude earthquake off the coast of Chile yesterday. Aftershocks continue to rock the nation while rescuers try to reach an untold number lying buried in the remnants of towns and cities.

Yesterday’s earthquake struck the nation early in the morning hours when most residents were still sleeping. The temblor’s 8.8 magnitude rating demonstrates the power of the quake and put the event in a tie for the fifth most powerful earthquake since 1900.

Tsunami warnings were issued immediately following the quake for thousands of miles of coastline surrounding the Pacific Ocean. From California and Alaska to Hawaii and Japan, officials worried about a devastating wave that could have been generated by the quake.

While the effects of the wave were easily seen and felt in those locations far from the quake’s epicenter, damage was minimal. Thousands of evacuees have been allowed to return and all warnings have been cancelled.

Near the epicenter, Chile is under a ‘state of catastrophe’ and officials work to direct recovery efforts. Outgoing President Michelle Bachelet said, “It was a catastrophe of devastating consequences.”

Officially the death toll from the quake stands at 214 however officials warn that number will almost certainly grow. 500,000 homes were damaged by the quake and 1.5 million residents have been affected.

Concepcion, the largest city closest to the epicenter, saw widespread destruction and the greatest count of fatalities thus far. Buildings across the city were collapsed into ruin and rescuers were working to comb the rubble for survivors.

The nation’s capital, 200 miles from the epicenter, was not spared. Elevated highways collapsed and apartment buildings were reduced to piles of brick and mortar.

Rescuers were struggling to reach possible survivors as they run low on supplies and gasoline. Adding to the difficulty are ongoing aftershocks that threaten to bring down already weakened structures. More than 80 aftershocks of magnitude 5.0 have occurred since the main quake struck at 3:34am Saturday.

Officials with the U.S. Geological Survey said yesterday’s quake was several hundred times more powerful than the magnitude 7.0 quake that devastated Haiti last month. Chile however is in an earthquake-prone region and newer buildings have been built to withstand quakes.

The service also said that the Chile quake was centered 21.7 miles beneath the earth’s surface, considerably deeper than the 8.1 mile depth of the Haiti quake. Its magnitude 8.8 rating puts it in a tie as the fifth largest earthquake to strike the globe since 1900.

The largest earthquake on record occurred on May 22, 1960 in the same area as yesterday’s quake. That event was a magnitude 9.5 temblor that killed 1,655 people, many from a tsunami that claimed lives as far away as Hawaii and Japan.

There's more to this story on Examiner.com!This story was written for the Natural Disasters Examiner on Examiner.com.  For all the latest with the Chile earthquake and other natural disasters, please visit the Natural Disasters Examiner.

Natural Disasters

Smoke and haze spotted by NASA satellite over Santiago, Chile

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Smoke and haze are clearly seen over Santiago, Chile after the earthquake in this image released by NASA. See larger before and after images below. (NASA)
Smoke and haze are clearly seen over Santiago, Chile after the earthquake in this image released by NASA. See larger before and after images below. (NASA)

A massive 8.8 magnitude earthquake struck Chile this morning crumbling buildings, destroying bridges and causing an unknown number of deaths. The temblor struck near where the largest earthquake on history was recorded in 1960 and ties as the fifth largest since 1900.

The quake has caused tsunami warnings to be issued for most of the nations along the Pacific including Australia, Japan, Russia, Indonesia and the Philippines. In Hawaii, the tsunami arrived in recent hours and it appears the state will escape relatively unscathed.

In the aftermath, buildings in Chile’s capital of Santiago caught fire sending smoke into the sky. The temblor that shook the ground for nearly a full minute also sent a cloud of dust into the air. Click here for a slideshow of some of the first images after the quake.

NASA’s Terra satellite flew over the stricken area today and the agency released ‘before and after’ photos that clearly show the smoke and dust.  For complete coverage of the earthquakes, please visit the Natural Disasters Examiner.

Haze Over Santiago Following 8.8 Earthquake

After Image
NASA satellites capture smoke and haze over Santiago, Chile after earthquake - After image

Before image
NASA satellites capture smoke and haze over Santiago, Chile after earthquake - Before image

Haze lingered over the metropolitan area of Santiago, Chile, following a magnitude 8.8 earthquake on February 27, 2010. In an image from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra satellite at 14:25 UTC, black smoke hung over the northern part of the city, while light-colored haze (perhaps pollution and/or dust) covered the southern part of the city and filled a canyon that cuts eastward into the mountains. The lower image, acquired on February 23, shows the city and surroundings under clear-sky conditions.

NASA images provided by the MODIS Rapid Response Team. Caption by Rebecca Lindsey.

Thornton Weather, Weather History

February 28 to March 6 – This week in Denver weather history

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February 28 to March 6 - This week in Denver weather history
February 28 to March 6 - This week in Denver weather history

Wild weather is a fact of life in Denver and in Colorado in general.  We see that consistently in the history books and this week demonstrates that.  As usual we see high wind events and extreme cold.  Also notable is that as we enter the month of March, we start to see occurrences of those heavy, wet spring snows that can wreak havoc. 

From the National Weather Service:

22-29

In 1960…heavy snowfall of 6.1 inches at Stapleton Airport on the 22nd and 23rd marked the beginning of a protracted cold spell which lasted until the end of the month.  The cloudy… Cold weather was accompanied by occasional light snow or flurries and fog.  New record low temperatures for the dates were set on the 24th thru the 29th with the lowest temperature of 11 degrees below zero on the 28th.  The seven consecutive days of low temperatures of zero or below had been exceeded in duration only 4 times previously.  New low maximum temperatures for the dates were set on the 23rd… 24th…and the 26th thru the 29th with the lowest maximum temperature of 8 degrees recorded on the 26th.
27-28 in 1918…heavy snowfall totaled 9.6 inches in downtown Denver.  Most of the snow…8.4 inches… Fell on the 27th.
 
In 1931…a major winter storm dumped 12.0 inches of heavy snowfall over downtown Denver.  This is the greatest 24 hour snowfall ever recorded during the month of February. North winds gusted to 18 mph on the 28th.
 
In 2006…a warm spell resulted in 3 temperature records. The high temperature of 73 degrees on the 27th equaled the record high for the date.  High temperature of 77 degrees on the 28th was a record high for the date and equaled the all time record high temperature for February first set on February 4…1890.

28

In 1896…northwest winds were sustained to 54 mph with gusts to 65 mph.  The winds warmed the temperature to a high of 56 degrees.  This was the second consecutive day of strong winds in the city.
 
In 1958…at Stapleton Airport… Snowfall totaled 5.3 inches and northeast winds gusted to 24 mph.

28-1

In 1875…6 inches of snow fell from 3:15 pm on the 28th to 1:00 am on the 1st.  Precipitation for the two days was 0.50 inch.

29

In 1896…southwest winds were sustained to 41 mph with gusts to 60 mph.  This was the third consecutive day that strong winds occurred in the city.
 
In 1992…Chinook winds gusted to only 25 mph at Stapleton International Airport…but warmed the temperature to a high of 70 degrees…which equaled the record for the date first set in 1940.
 
In 2004…only light snow fell across metro Denver… While a blizzard raged across northeast Colorado.  Both I-70 and I-76 were closed to the east of Denver by winds gusting to 60 mph producing drifting snow to depths of 2 to 6 feet. Snowfall was only 1.6 inches at the Denver Stapleton site. North winds gusted to 41 mph at Denver International Airport.

29-1 

In 1896…snowfall totaled 5.5 inches in the city.  Northeast winds gusted to 24 mph.
 
In 1948…snowfall totaled 5.9 inches in downtown Denver. North winds were sustained to 15 mph.

1 

In 1904…west winds were sustained to 42 mph with gusts as high as 58 mph.  The Chinook winds warmed the temperature to a high of 67 degrees.
 
In 1906…snowfall was heavy and totaled 7.5 inches over downtown Denver.  Northeast winds were sustained to 37 mph.
 
In 1940…snowfall was heavy and totaled 7.7 inches in downtown Denver.
 
In 1943…6.0 inches of snow fell over downtown Denver. North winds were sustained to 19 mph.
 
In 1956…west-northwest wind gusts to 52 mph were recorded at Stapleton Airport.
 
In 1961…a wind gust to 65 mph was recorded at the Colorado building in downtown Boulder.  The high winds caused some minor damage.  Northwest winds gusted to 43 mph at Stapleton International Airport.
 
In 1974…a wind gust to 77 mph was recorded in Boulder. Southwest winds gusted to 37 mph at Stapleton International Airport.
 
In 2002…upslope conditions caused heavy snow to develop in and near the eastern foothills.  Snow totals included 14 inches at Eldorado Springs and near Genesee; 13 inches atop Lookout Mountain; 12 inches in Coal Creek Canyon; 10 inches in Nederland and just east of Boulder; 9 inches in Boulder and Morrison; and 8 inches at Broomfield…Erie…  Golden…Louisville… And Littleton.  Snowfall totaled 6.5 inches at the site of the former Stapleton International Airport.  Northeast winds gusted to 31 mph at Denver International Airport.

Continue reading February 28 to March 6 – This week in Denver weather history →

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