November 1 to November 7 – This week in Denver weather history

November 1 to November 7 - This week in Denver weather history
November 1 to November 7 - This week in Denver weather history

As we enter Denver’s second snowiest month, we of course see plenty of events involving that dominant weather condition.  Sadly we also see two occassions when the winter-like weather turned deadly.

From the 29th to the 1st:

In 1972…heavy snowfall totaled 15.5 inches at Stapleton International Airport.  However…the heaviest snow occurred on Halloween night when 7 inches fell on trick-or-treaters during a short 3-hour period.  I-25 was closed south of Denver.  North winds gusting to 29 mph caused some blowing snow on the 1st.  The snow started late on the 29th and ended during the mid afternoon on the 1st.  The greatest snow depth on the ground at Stapleton International Airport was 13 inches on the 1st.

From the 31st to the 1st:

In 1951…6.4 inches of snowfall were measured at Stapleton Airport.
 
In 1989…a Halloween storm dropped 3 to 6 inches of snow on metro Denver with the adjacent foothills receiving 5 to 10 inches.  Snowfall totaled 4.5 inches at Stapleton International Airport…where north winds gusted to 31 mph on the 31st.  Most of the snow fell on the evening of the 31st…but the storm left icy streets throughout metro Denver on the morning of the 1st…making it a “spooky” commute for many motorists.
 
In 2004…heavy snow fell in and near the foothills of Jefferson and Douglas counties.  Storm total snowfall included:  14.5 inches in Aspen Park…10 inches at Roxborough State Park and near Sedalia…8 inches near Bergen Park…and 7 inches in Highlands Ranch.  Snowfall totaled only 3.2 inches in the Denver Stapleton area.  Post-frontal northeast winds gusted to 41 mph at Denver International Airport.

On the 1st:

In 1896…northwest Chinook winds sustained to 40 mph with gusts to 46 mph warmed the temperature to a high of 60 degrees in the city.
 
In 1973…wind gusts to 92 mph were recorded in Boulder. West winds gusted to 41 mph at Stapleton International Airport where the Chinook winds warmed the temperature to a high of 70 degrees.
 
In 1989…a 39-year-old Lakewood man in a motorized wheelchair was found dead of exposure early in the morning after an overnight snowfall dumped 3 to 6 inches of snow across metro Denver.

From the 1st to the 2nd:

In 1892…snowfall totaled 5.0 inches in downtown Denver. This was the only snow of the month.
 
In 1956…heavy snowfall totaled 7.0 inches at Stapleton Airport.  The storm was accompanied by much blowing and drifting snow.  North winds gusted to 47 mph.
 
In 1991…the storm system which hit the Front Range at the end of October finished the job during the start of November.  Six inches of new snow were recorded at both Rollinsville and Morrison…while 2.9 inches of snow fell at Stapleton International Airport where northeast winds gusted to 17 mph.  The temperature climbed to a high of only 19 degrees on the 2nd…setting a record low maximum for the date.
 
In 1995…a winter storm dropped 5 to 8 inches of snow in the Front Range foothills.  The exception was at Golden gate canyon where a foot of new snow was measured.  Icy roads…fog…and blowing snow along I-70 in the foothills west of Denver caused dozens of accidents.  One man was killed when he lost control of his vehicle and was ejected when his truck hit a median and rolled over.  At least 20 other accidents involved minor injuries.  Only 1.0 inch of snow fell at the site of the former Stapleton International Airport where some freezing rain also fell.

Continue reading November 1 to November 7 – This week in Denver weather history

Thornton begins digging out from early winter storm

This image from the ThorntonWeather.com webcam was captured at the height of the storm.
This image from the ThorntonWeather.com webcam was captured at the height of the storm.

A two-day storm that saw areas around Denver measuring snow in terms of feet has moved out of the area and onto the plains. The lingering effects of the storm will be felt Friday in terms of slick roads in Denver and blizzard conditions to the east.

The early winter storm, while not entirely unusual, was the first major snow storm of the season and put Coloradoans to the test. Mercifully, the snow never fell at a particularly heavy rate and while it lingered for a long time, it allowed road crews and residents time to stay on top of the snowfall. Most schoolchildren were pleased to have received at least one snow day from the storm and many were the recipients of two unplanned days off.

At Denver International Airport, initial success at holding the storm’s effects at bay on Wednesday began to whither under the white onslaught on Thursday as winds picked up and the storm shifted east. Hundreds of flights were canceled from the airport’s major carriers including United Airlines, Frontier Airlines and Southwest Airlines.

At the height of the storm’s effects, the airport was reduced to two operating runways from the usual six and delays of up to four hours were occurring. All airlines anticipate being able to operate a normal flight schedule today.

How much snow did the Denver area receive? Here are some of the snowfall totals:

Aurora: 16 inches
Boulder: 18.8 inches
Broomfield: 20 inches
Centennial: 17 inches
Coal Creek Canyon: 46 inches
Denver International Airport: 12 inches (as of 6:00am Thursday)
Evergreen: 30 inches
Highlands Ranch: 24.5 inches
Littleton: 28.5 inches
Longmont: 12.4 inches
Parker: 14.5 inches
Thornton: 14.1 inches
Click here for a complete listing of storm reports.

The storm did push Denver into the record books and the ‘top 10 snowiest Octobers’ list. The National Weather Service will publish the official snow total from DIA for yesterday but even without the snow from yesterday, October 2009 makes the list. As of 6:00am on Thursday, DIA had recorded 14.5 inches for the month (12 inches from this storm). That makes it number 7 on the top 10 list for snowiest Octobers on record since 1882. Once today’s measurement is released, it is possible it will climb further.

There's more to this story on the Denver Weather Examiner's site!For the rest of the storm recap, the latest photos and much more, please visit the story on the Denver Weather Examiner.

Incredible time lapse video – Thornton’s October 2009 snowstorm

From the evening of October 27, 2009 through October 29, 2009, the Denver metro area was struck by a major, early winter snowstorm. The mountains and foothills to the immediate west of Denver were measuring the snowfall in feet while in the city more than a foot of snow fell in less than 72 hours.  Here in Thornton we recorded 14.1 inches of snow during the event.

This time lapse video below was captured by our east facing webcam. It begins early Tuesday morning (October 27th) and runs through midnight on Thursday, October 29th. As it starts, you can see the first day started out nice enough but by evening the wind was blowing and rain was falling. That soon changed to snow and the snowstorm was in full force for two days.

Early winter storm arrives in Colorado – Snow to continue

Live CDOT webcam image from 120th & I-25 looking south.
Live CDOT webcam image from 120th & I-25 looking south.

Update, 6:10pm: As the storm starts to move to the east, blizzard conditions on the plains east of Denver are causing problems. I-70 remains closed from Airpark Road to Burlington and I-76 is closed from Lochbuie to Fort Morgan. Storm reports indicate blizzard conditions prevail with limited visibility and drifting snow. A Blizzard Warning is in effect for much of the northeastern Colorado plains and will remain so until 6:00am Friday.

Closer to town, things are finally starting to ease up along the Front Range and in the metro area. Gusty winds and cold temperatures will keep wind chills down into the teens and make it uncomfortable to be outside. Drifting snow on roadways is possible thanks to those gusty winds from the north. Additional light snow can be expected, mainly in areas to the west and south.

The Winter Storm Warning for the metro area was allowed to expire at 6:00pm as planned. However, roads are likely to get slick as temperatures drop overnight so please use caution.

Update, 12:38pm:  October 2009 enters the record books as the 7th snowiest October on record in Denver. The National Weather Service reported that as of 6:00am today, the official station at Denver International Airport had recorded 14.5 inches of snow fall for this month. 10.6 inches of that had fallen in the previous 24 hours. With the early measurement and the fact the snow is expected to continue throughout the day, it is possible the month will climb further up the charts (see below).

It is also notable that Denver will likely finish the month as one of the coldest Octobers on record. Thus far the average temperature for October 2009 has been 43.9 degrees. Were the month to end today, that would place it in a tie for the third coldest October on record. 

DENVER’S 10 SNOWIEST OCTOBERS
(1882-2008)

31.2   1969
22.7   1906
22.1   1997
17.8   1923
16.4   1897
16.2   1929
14.5   2009
14.0   1889
13.8   1905
13.6   1908
13.1   1984
DENVER’S 10 COLDEST OCTOBERS
  (1873-2008)

 39.0   1969
 43.3   1925
 43.9   2002, 2009 *
 44.3   1923
 44.8   1984
 45.9   1970
 46.3   1877
 46.4   1913, 1919
 46.6   1905
 46.7   1873

* As of October 28, 2009

Update, 10:35am: The snow keeps falling! Light snow will continue across the urban corridor for the rest of the morning with 1 to 4 inches additional accumulation possible. Some areas south may see heavier snow rates, particularly to the south and east.

Blizzard-like conditions are possible in open areas where there is a good bit of wind blowing. Travel to the east is best avoided at this time due to low visibility and icy conditions. Chain laws are actually in effect on I-76 at Wiggins due to hazardous conditions. I-25 remains closed from Wellington to the Wyoming border.

At Denver International Airport, flight delays continue to mount. Delays of 3 to 4 hours are being experienced for arrivals and departures as DIA ground crews struggle to keep up with the falling snow. Frontier Airlines reports that additional cancelations are possible.

Storm spotters have reported amounts as high as 44 inches in Coal Creek Canyon and snowfall reaching near 3 feet is being seen in many places in the foothills. Closer to town, west and south are reporting up to 18 inches while central Denver is reporting close to one foot.  ThorntonWeather.com has recorded 14.1″ so far! Click here for the latest storm reports from across the area.

ThorntonWeather.com is of course your source for local information on the storm as it develops.  We will also be updating the Denver Weather Examiner site as things develop.  Here are some quick links to pages you may find handy:

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

Update, 6:35am, Thursday, October 29, 2009: Thornton and a large portion of Colorado continue to be hammered by a two-day long storm that has dumped more than two feet of snow in the adjacent foothills and a foot across much of the metro area. At ThorntonWeather.com we have recorded 13.2 inches of snow thus far for the event.  While the early winter storm has created its share of problems, the relatively slow snowfall rate has allowed it to be manageable by most standards.

Continue reading Early winter storm arrives in Colorado – Snow to continue

Major early winter storm heading for Thornton

Colorado is staged to be struck by a major early winter storm Wednesday and Thursday.
Colorado is staged to be struck by a major early winter storm Wednesday and Thursday.

Update: Tuesday, October 27th, 2009 5:15pm

A major early winter storm is on track to become the state’s first major snowstorm of the season. Areas in the mountains adjacent to the Denver Front Range may be measuring the snow in feet while parts of the Denver area could see up to a foot.

A cold front and trough dipping down from the north combined with a low pressure system moving over southern Colorado will combine creating a ‘perfect storm’ of sorts. Showers will begin spreading from the mountains this evening initially in the form of rain. As temperatures cool, that will change to snow, likely after midnight. Initially most of the precipitation will be west of I-25.

By Wednesday morning, up to 2 inches may have fallen in the Denver area and 3 – 4 inches in the foothills. As dawn breaks, conditions become ripe for a major storm as the upslope flow starts to kick in. The morning rush hour might be tolerable but by the time the afternoon arrives, things will be much different. At times during the day areas may see snowfall rates of 1 to 2 inches PER HOUR. Gusty winds will make for low visibility conditions and blowing and drifting snow.

Continue reading Major early winter storm heading for Thornton

Is Denver Halloween snow fact or fiction?

Snow on Halloween?  Popular belief is that we seem to have a lot of snow when the trick or treaters are out on the street.
Snow on Halloween? Popular belief is that we seem to have a lot of snow when the trick or treaters are out on the street.

Conventional wisdom in the Denver area is that it always seems to rain or snow on Halloween.   I know as a kid growing up here it seemed like Mother Nature always put a damper on our trick or treating. 

But, is there any truth to this urban legend?  Or is this just one of those times where our memory doesn’t serve us quite right? 

This year it looks like we have nothing to worry about but  the National Weather Service has been kind enough to compile weather statistics just for Halloween.  As it turns out, the thought of snow and rain on Octboer 31st isn’t just in our minds! 

Get all the details in our Denver Halloween statistics and info page!  Click here!

Will it snow this Halloween?  Get the latest forecast here.

October 25 to October 31 – This week in Denver weather history

October 25 to October 31 - This week in Denver weather history
October 25 to October 31 - This week in Denver weather history

Halloween week is historically pretty eventful when it comes to weather.  Wind is always a factor this time of year as gusty Chinook winds can come flying down the mountians and foothills and cause a great deal of damage.  Snow of course also becomes more frequent as we get closer to our second snowiest month (November).

From the National Weather Service:

From the 24th to the 25th:

In 1921…rainfall totaled 0.35 inch overnight behind an apparent cold front.  North winds were sustained to 40 mph with gusts to 46 mph on the 25th.  Temperatures plunged from a high of 73 degrees on the 24th to a low of 39 degrees on the 25th.
 
In 1923…rain overnight changed to snow during the morning. The heavy snowfall accumulated to 12.0 inches before ending on the morning of the 25th.  Post-frontal north winds were sustained to 22 mph with gusts to 23 mph on the 24th.
 
In 1997…one of the worst and deadliest blizzards of the decade developed over eastern Colorado as deep east to northeast flow associated with a vigorous upper level low pressure system over the four corners…combined with a strong arctic air mass over the central great plains. Snowfall totals across metro Denver ranged from 14 to 31 inches.  The heaviest snowfall occurred in the foothills west and southwest of Denver where 2 to 4 feet of snow were measured.  Sustained winds to 40 mph with gusts as high as 60 mph produced zero visibilities and extremely cold wind chill temperatures from 25 below to 40 below zero.  Winds whipped the snow into drifts 4 to 10 feet deep.  Several major and interstate highways were closed as travel became impossible.  Red cross shelters were set up for hundreds of travelers who became stranded when they had to abandon their vehicles.  Four people died in northeastern Colorado as a result of the blizzard.  None of the deaths were in metro Denver.  At Denver International Airport…4 thousand travelers were stranded when the airport was forced to shut down.  At least 120 cars were abandoned along Pena Blvd….the only arterial leading into and out of dia.  The blizzard cost air carriers at least 20 million dollars.  Thousands of cattle died in the storm over northeastern Colorado…resulting in losses totaling 1.5 million dollars.  Some of the more impressive snowfall totals included:  51 inches at Coal Creek Canyon; 48 inches at silver spruce ranch…near ward; 42 inches at Intercanyon…in the foothills southwest of Denver; 37 inches at Sedalia; 35 inches at aspen springs and Conifer in the foothills west of Denver; 31 inches at Eldorado Springs… Southeast Aurora…and Englewood; and 30 inches on Table Mesa in Boulder.  Snowfall totaled 21.9 inches at the site of the former Stapleton International Airport…setting a new 24-hour snowfall record of 19.1 inches for the month. Snowfall totaled only 14 inches at Denver International Airport where north winds gusted to 39 mph on the 24th. High temperature of only 21 degrees on the 25th equaled the record low maximum for the date first set in 1873. Low temperature of only 3 degrees on the 26th set a new record minimum for the date.

On the 25th:

In 1925…a vigorous cold front produced north winds sustained to 42 mph with gusts to 52 mph.  Post-frontal snowfall was only 0.4 inch during the late afternoon and early evening.
 
In 1959…northwest winds gusted to 55 mph at Stapleton Airport.
 
In 1997…the high temperature warmed to only 21 degrees… The record low maximum for the month.  The same temperature also occurred on October 30…1991.

Continue reading October 25 to October 31 – This week in Denver weather history

So what is the story with Examiner.com?

Why does ThorntonWeather.com share stories and links with Examiner.com?
Why does ThorntonWeather.com share stories and links with Examiner.com?

We are oftentimes asked why we have links to Examiner.com on ThorntonWeather.com and why we plug stories from them.  The reasons stem from our interest on the topics at hand but also because by your visiting Examiner.com, you support ThorntonWeather.com.  

Some background on Examiner.com might be useful.  Examiner.com was launched in 2008 by Clarity Media Group, a company owned by Phillip Anschutz.  The site is essentially a living example of ‘citizen journalism’ featuring local news stories on hundreds of topics written by people titled ‘Examiners’ who are knowledgeable in their given topic area.  There are now hundreds of local editions of Examiner.com including of course Denver. 

We were recruited to write for Examiner.com when it first launched, initially as the Denver Weather Examiner and more recently we are also writing as the Natural Disasters Examiner and Climate Change Examiner.  

Why do we write for Examiner.com?  

First and foremost it is because we are passionate about weather and climate and enjoy sharing news stories about those topics.  Weather is one of the things that affect the lives of every single person on earth and that is fascinating to us.  

By writing for Examiner.com, we have a pretty big stage on which to have our topic features – the site is one of the fastest growing on the Internet and now ranks 82nd in overall traffic on the Internet with more than 12 million people a month visiting it.  That ranks higher than popular sites like drudgereport.com, cbs.com and newsweek.com! 

Examiner.com - Get inside Denver weatherSecondly, quite frankly we do get paid for writing for Examiner.com and that money directly supports and helps to pay for ThorntonWeather.com.  The weather station hardware, software, lightning detectors, and more that we use here on ThorntonWeather.com is very expensive.  Factor in computer costs, website services and more and it isn’t cheap.  We don’t charge for ThorntonWeather.com and never will but Examiner.com helps to offset the very real costs we do incur in operating the site.  

By reading an Examiner.com story we post in our news section or checking out the links on the left to our Examiner.com topic areas, you are supporting ThorntonWeather.com directly.  So, if you like ThorntonWeather.com, we ask you to check out our stories on Examiner.com – not only is Examiner.com a great, local news source, it also is a great way to help us!  You can also support us by checking out the few advertisers you see on the site.  

If you ever have any questions about our site, Examiner.com or any weather-related topic, please contact us.  Thank you as always for supporting ThorntonWeather.com. 

On the net: 

Pine beetles as global warming warning? Not so much.

Is global warming responsible for the pine beetle spread or is it something else?
Is global warming responsible for the pine beetle spread or is it something else?

Much has been said here in Colorado about the pine beetle outbreak in the beautiful mountains west of Denver.  Anyone who travels in the high country has seen and most likely taken note of the patches of dead, brown pine trees. 

More than one news story has reported that the beetles were a harbinger of things to come as a result of global warming and manmade climate change. 

Interestingly enough, that isn’t necessarily the case.  As reported in the Climate Change Examiner, man may be partially responsible but it isn’t CO2 emissions that are to blame.  Mismanagement of forests and a ‘perfect storm’ of other items can be fingered as well.

From the Climate Change Examiner:

A tiny little bug about the size of a grain of rice has become a focal point in the debate about manmade climate change. Over the last 12 years, the mountain pine beetle has spread quickly through the Mountain West and Canada killing millions of acres of pine trees.

The beetle thrives when conditions are drier and warmer than average and some experts have blamed its spread on manmade climate change and a warming environment. From Canada south to Colorado, images of acres of dead, brown trees amongst their healthy neighbors make for a stark picture of what may be forests in decline.

Global warming activists have been quick to seize on the pine beetle ‘epidemic’ as a sign of things to come and an impending ecological disaster. In truth, drawing the line between manmade climate change and the pine beetle outbreak is a stretch that few experts make. Rather, most see the outbreak as a natural function of forests and in many ways it is Mother Nature correcting man’s previous mistakes.

There's more to this story on the Denver Weather Examiner's site!Get the complete story on Examiner.com and find out why even state foresters aren’t blaming man entirely.

Denver ties high temperatures record for the date

Denver tied the record high temperature for the date today.
Denver tied the record high temperature for the date today.

At 3:44pm today, the temperature at Denver International Airport reached 84 degrees.  This tied the record high temperature for October 18th set in 2003 and 1958.  The average temperature for this date is 68 degrees so we exceeded that by a large margin. 

From record setting cold last week to record setting warmth this week – you have to love Colorado weather! 

Was it really a record though?  Examiner.com investigates: Do Denver weather and climate records have an asterisk attached?

Here in Thornton we were actually a touch warmer reaching 85.9 degrees.  We have one more day of above normal temperatures ahead on Monday before we see a change that will bring cooler temps and possibly rain and snow.

Weather, natural disasters & climate news and information.