For Thornton, December 2022’s weather was pretty much on par with what we would expect. Average mercury readings came in a bit above normal as did snowfall.

Our overall average temperature for the month came in at 31.2 degrees. This is above the 16-year running average for December of 30.0 degrees. While we did experience some extreme cold for a few days, that was balanced out by a good number of days with above normal readings.

• December 2022 in pictures – view the monthly photo slideshow

Denver International Airport, where the Mile High City’s official measurements are taken, averaged 29.3 degrees, a rare occasion where the airport was colder than us. This was a good bit below the 30-year Denver average for December of 31.2 degrees.

In Thornton, our readings ranged from a high of 65.0 degrees on the 27^th to a bone chilling low of -14.6 degrees on the 22^nd. Denver saw a high of 64 degrees on the 11^th and a low of -24 on the 22^nd.

In terms of precipitation, Thornton’s reading came in far above the 16-year average with 1.21 inches of liquid precipitation. Much of that can be attributed to the storm on the 28^th and 29^th that saw us receive nearly one inch combined between rain and snow melt. The monthly total made December 2022 Thornton’s wettest December of the past 16 and was far above the average of 0.46 inches.

Denver nearly matched our number with 1.18 inches at the airport. This was well above the Mile High City’s December average of 0.35 inches.

For the first three weeks of the month, Thornton saw no snow at all. Then, two storms saved the month. Thornton ended up with 11.1 inches, about an inch more than the 16-year running average of 10.2 inches for December.

Denver actually bested us for the month with 13.0 inches. That is well above the average of 8.0 inches for December since 1882.

Click here to view Thornton’s complete December 2022 climate summary report.