Tag Archives: March weather

Colorado Weather, Thornton Weather

Winter storm arrives in Colorado; Heavy snow expected in Thornton

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Weather warnings in effect as of Friday morning. (NWS)
Weather warnings in effect as of Friday morning. (NWS)

Update, 3:50pm: The snow keeps flying and the wind keeps blowing! Just about the time you think the snow is going to ease up Old Man Winter lets it fly yet again.

How cold and wet is it?  It is cold and wet enough to have frozen our anemometer (wind sensor).  So if you are wondering why we aren’t registering any wind, you know why!  🙂 

Snow continues to fall across much of the Front Range but it is heaviest in and near the foothills. A quick sampling of storm reports shows Thornton has recorded 4.5 inches, Arvada 6.0 inches and Boulder 9.4 inches. Click here for the complete listing of snowfall reports.

We are looking for the snow to gradually decrease from north to south. However, until it does this evening we will see periods of moderate to heavy snowfall. Total accumulations by the time the storm ends around midnight will range from a few inches out by DIA to 5 to 10 inches closer to town and 7 to 14 inches near the foothills.

The winds are picking up a bit this afternoon as well and that is creating blowing and drifting snow. Visibility may be limited on the roadways so please use caution. Most main roadways continue to be everything from wet to slushy but periods of heavy snow coupled with wind may cause conditions to deteriorate.

The Winter Storm Warning will continue to be in effect until midnight tonight.  Remember that a Winter Storm Warning means hazardous winter weather conditions are imminent or highly likely. Significant snow accumulations are occurring or expected. This will make travel very hazardous.

As always, stay tuned to ThorntonWeather.com for truly local weather for Thornton. 

You can also signup to receive the latest weather alerts and forecasts via email here.

Continue reading Winter storm arrives in Colorado; Heavy snow expected in Thornton →

Thornton Weather

Winter Storm Watch issued for Thornton for Friday as snowstorm approaches

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Weather warning map
A Winter Storm Watch will be in effect for Thornton and the Front Range starting Thursday night. From 5 to 10 inches of snow is possible before Saturday morning. (NWS)

Friday is the last full day of winter and it appears the season if going to go out like a lion. A powerful system coming from the Pacific Northwest is going to bring a major change in the weather with significant snowfall for the entire Front Range.

We have been discussing the potential for this storm in our daily forecasts on Examiner.com all week. Denver will still enjoy one more day of unseasonable warm temperatures but as longtime residents know, the weather here can change on a dime and that looks to happen Thursday night.

The National Weather Service (NWS) has issued a Winter Storm Watch which goes into effect late Thursday night and lasts through Friday evening. Snow is expected to start after midnight and unfortunately for commuters it should be at its height by Friday morning at rush hour.

In their statement the NWS warns of “a significant change to harsh winter weather conditions” and that is what this system is going to bring. Temperatures are going to plummet nearly 40 degrees from the temperatures today and what is forecast for tomorrow. Highs on Friday will only be around 30 degrees.

In terms of snowfall, an inch or two will have fallen by Friday morning and then it will continue throughout the day and into the evening. Total snow accumulations for the Denver area could amount to 5 to 10 inches by Saturday morning. Higher amounts in the foothills and along the Palmer Divide are expected.

Continue reading Winter Storm Watch issued for Thornton for Friday as snowstorm approaches →

Colorado Weather

Snowboarder dies in avalanche near Loveland Pass

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An avalanche near Loveland Pass killed a 20-year-old snowboarder on Wednesday. (File Photo - Wikipedia)
An avalanche near Loveland Pass killed a 20-year-old snowboarder on Wednesday. (File Photo - Wikipedia)

A group of three snowboarders west of Arapahoe Basin near Loveland Pass triggered an avalanche on Wednesday killing one of the men. 20-year-old Daniel Michelotti was killed when he was partially buried in the event.

According to Summit County Rescue Group, the three were snowboarding in a backcountry area off of Highway 6. Michelotti was in the lead of the trio when he triggered the avalanche. He was carried 1000 feet and nearly completely buried.

The two remaining friends used their snowboards to extricate Michelotti while they awaited search and rescue teams. None of the three carried standard avalanche preparedness gear such as a beacon, shovels or probes.

Summit County Rescue Group, and members of Arapahoe Basin Ski Patrol, Keystone Ski Patrol and the Summit County Ambulance Service all responded to the site.

Michelotti had moved to Colorado in November from Spring Grove, Illinois and was an employee of Breckenridge Ski Resort. The other two men were from Spring Grove as well, one of which arrived in Colorado two days prior.

The mountain snowpack has been very unstable for most of the winter. The Colorado Avalanche Information Center said the danger was ‘considerable’ for most of the central mountain areas including where Tuesday’s avalanche occurred.

Michelotti becomes the fourth fatality from avalanches this season. The most recent was on February 23rd when a man skiing in the backcountry as part of a group of eight was buried alive by and avalanche near Aspen.

National Weather, Severe Weather

Tornado claims the life of an elderly man in Arkansas; First tornado fatality of the year

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Radar image of the tornado in White County, Arkansas. Two other twisters were reported in the state Wednesday, one that claimed the life of an elderly man. (NWS)
Radar image of the tornado in White County, Arkansas. Two other twisters were reported in the state Wednesday, one that claimed the life of an elderly man. (NWS)

Tornadoes tore through Arkansas late yesterday and claimed the first tornado victim of 2010. One person was reported dead and three injured as the series of storms moved across the state.

The first twister of the night struck at 6:28pm local time in Saline County. That tornado damaged nearly two dozen homes but no injuries were reported.

The National Weather Service reported a second tornado was spawned out of a storm cell near Center Hill in White County. Nine homes were damaged and one person was injured.

The deadly twister was the third of the night which struck near Pearson in Cleburne County just after 9:00pm. Renee Preslar, spokeswoman for the Arkansas Department of Emergency Management, said that twister killed an elderly man and injured two others.

Thus far there has been a distinct lack of tornadoes reported in 2010. There were 41 twisters reported in January, slightly above the three year average for January of 37. That was followed by only one twister in February, the fewest in the month since record-keeping began in 1950.

There have been seven tornadoes reported thus far in March, all of which occurred in the last 48 hours.

Be sure to check out the Natural Disasters Examiner for all the latest on disasters from tornadoes and hurricanes to earthquakes and tsunamis!

Severe Weather Reports for Wedneday, March 10, 2010 (SPC)
Severe weather reports from the Storm Prediction Center for Wednesday, March 10, 2010

National Weather

Video – Tornado rips through western Oklahoma

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A tornado ripped through western Oklahoma on Monday destroying five homes and a barn. Dramatic video captured by stormchasers show the twister ripping apart out-buildings as it crosses a highway near Hammon.

According to the Storm Prediction Center, the twister was reported at 5:57pm local time. Residents said the area’s warning sirens did sound and provided nine minutes of warning before the tornado struck.

Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management spokeswoman Michelann Ooten told the Associated Press that no injuries were reported. In addition to the five homes, a barn owned by the county was destroyed and the roofs of several homes were blow off.

Stormchasers were tracking the storm and captured amazing video of the twister from the distance and from very close proximity.  The first is from Arick Inman and the second from Mike Scantlin.

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. 

Climatology, Colorado Weather, Thornton Weather

Denver and Thornton’s March 2009 climatological preview

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Denver and Thornton's March 2009 climatological preview
Denver and Thornton's March 2009 climatological preview

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 Marches “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.

Get all the details in our March 2009 climatological preview here.