The month of July might have seemed quite hot but in fact mercury readings were right near normal. What likely caused the misconception is the fact that we saw far less than normal rain.
High pressure did dominate for much of the month and while monsoonal flow did bring rain to eastern Colorado, it largely missed our area. The Palmer Divide and southeastern Colorado were beneficiaries for much of the month but for us it wasn’t until the last week that we saw relief.
Thornton’s average temperature for the month came in at 74.1 degrees. This is almost exactly matches Denver’s long-term July average of 74.2 degrees. Out at DIA where the Mile High City’s official temperatures are taken, it shows a far warmer month with an average of 76.4 degrees.
Temperatures here ranged from a maximum of 99.2 degrees on the 19th down to a low of 50.1 degrees on the morning of the 1st. Out at the airport, their highest reading was actually 100 degrees seen on the 6th and again on the 19th. The low out there was 51 degrees on the 1st.
On average Denver receives 2.16 inches of precipitation during July. Both Thornton and Denver fell far short of that mark. We managed to record 0.61 inches in our bucket during the month, more than half of which fell on the second to last day of the month. At DIA, Denver recorded 0.47 inches.
Click here to view Thornton’s July 2017 climate report.
From the National Weather Service:
CLIMATE REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER/BOULDER CO
656 AM MDT TUE AUG 1 2017
...................................
...THE DENVER CO CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR THE MONTH OF JULY 2017...
CLIMATE NORMAL PERIOD 1981 TO 2010
CLIMATE RECORD PERIOD 1872 TO 2017
WEATHER OBSERVED NORMAL DEPART LAST YEAR`S
VALUE DATE(S) VALUE FROM VALUE DATE(S)
NORMAL
................................................................
TEMPERATURE (F)
RECORD
HIGH 105 07/20/2005
LOW 42 07/04/1903
07/31/1873
HIGHEST 100 07/19 99 -5 102 07/10
07/06
LOWEST 51 07/01 51 9 51 07/12
AVG. MAXIMUM 91.5 89.4 2.1 92.0
AVG. MINIMUM 61.3 58.9 2.4 60.5
MEAN 76.4 74.2 2.2 76.2
DAYS MAX >= 90 20 16.0 4.0 22
DAYS MAX <= 32 0 0.0 0.0 0
DAYS MIN <= 32 0 0.0 0.0 0
DAYS MIN <= 0 0 0.0 0.0 0
PRECIPITATION (INCHES)
RECORD
MAXIMUM 6.41 1965
MINIMUM 0.01 1901
TOTALS 0.47 2.16 -1.69 1.07
DAILY AVG. 0.02 0.07 -0.05 0.03
DAYS >= .01 6 8.3 -2.3 6
DAYS >= .10 3 4.3 -1.3 4
DAYS >= .50 0 1.4 -1.4 1
DAYS >= 1.00 0 0.7 -0.7 0
GREATEST
24 HR. TOTAL 0.15 07/21 TO 07/21 07/01 TO 07/01
06/30 TO 07/01
07/01 TO 07/01
SNOWFALL (INCHES)
RECORDS TOTAL 0.0
TOTALS 0.0 2017 0.0
DEGREE_DAYS
HEATING TOTAL 0 6 -6 0
SINCE 7/1 0 6 -6 0
COOLING TOTAL 360 289 71 356
SINCE 1/1 533 444 89 544
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 3/204
HIGHEST WIND SPEED/DIRECTION 45/120 DATE 07/15
HIGHEST GUST SPEED/DIRECTION 53/120 DATE 07/15
SKY COVER
POSSIBLE SUNSHINE (PERCENT) MM
AVERAGE SKY COVER 0.50
NUMBER OF DAYS FAIR 6
NUMBER OF DAYS PC 21
NUMBER OF DAYS CLOUDY 4
AVERAGE RH (PERCENT) 45
WEATHER CONDITIONS. NUMBER OF DAYS WITH
THUNDERSTORM 9 MIXED PRECIP 0
HEAVY RAIN 0 RAIN 3
LIGHT RAIN 9 FREEZING RAIN 0
LT FREEZING RAIN 0 HAIL 0
HEAVY SNOW 0 SNOW 0
LIGHT SNOW 0 SLEET 0
FOG 3 FOG W/VIS <= 1/4 MILE 1
HAZE 3
- INDICATES NEGATIVE NUMBERS.
R INDICATES RECORD WAS SET OR TIED.
MM INDICATES DATA IS MISSING.
T INDICATES TRACE AMOUNT.