With snowpack lagging and spring set to arrive, hopes were high that March could bring some relief to Colorado’s parched landscape and Mother Nature did oblige. March 2013 brought above average snowfall and cooler than normal temperatures.
The month started out with near normal temperatures but the first in a series of disturbances throughout the month arrived on the 4th. A couple of inches was delivered to the area on the date which was followed by a few days of mild weather.
The warmth did not last as another storm system which began a repeating pattern across the month with mild temperatures followed by periods of cold and snow.
Thornton’s overall average temperature for the month came in at 38.3 degrees. At Denver’s official weather station at Denver International Airport the month averaged 37.7 degrees. Both locations’ average temperatures were below the March historical average (1981 to 2010) of 40.4 degrees.
We recorded 25 days with low temperatures dropping below the freezing mark. Three days saw high temperatures fail to climb above 32 degrees.
Our warmest temperature during March 2013 was a reading of 78.6 degrees on the 15th. The coldest reading was on the 24th when the mercury dropped to a bone-chilling 2 degrees. Out at DIA, the warmest reading was 76 degrees on the 15th and the coldest was 2 degrees on the 25th.
In terms of precipitation, Thornton saw 1.45 inches in the rain bucket, almost all from snow. Denver’s numbers were near identical at 1.47 inches. Both were well above the March average of 0.92 inch.
Snowfall was the big story for the month as Thornton recorded 20.2 inches of the white stuff. Out at DIA the Mile High City saw even more as it measured 23.5 inches. March historically averages 10.7 inches so we were well above normal while the month’s reputation as our snowiest month of the year held true.
The month did come very close to making the list of ‘top 10 snowiest Marches.’ The number 10 spot on that list came in 1981 when 24.0 inches was recorded.
Despite the cold and snow, only one weather record was set during the month. The 11.6 inches of snow recorded at DIA from the 22nd to the 23rd set a two-day snowfall total record for the date, besting the previous mark of 8.0 inches set in 2010.
Click here to view the ThorntonWeather.com March 2013 Climate Summary
...THE DENVER CO CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR THE MONTH OF MARCH 2013...
CLIMATE NORMAL PERIOD 1981 TO 2010
CLIMATE RECORD PERIOD 1872 TO 2013
WEATHER OBSERVED NORMAL DEPART LAST YEAR`S
VALUE DATE(S) VALUE FROM VALUE DATE(S)
NORMAL
................................................................
TEMPERATURE (F)
RECORD
HIGH 84 03/26/1971
LOW -11 03/28/1886
HIGHEST 76 03/15 84 -8 81 03/31
LOWEST 2 03/25 -11 13 16 03/02
AVG. MAXIMUM 50.7 54.4 -3.7 65.5
AVG. MINIMUM 24.6 26.4 -1.8 32.9
MEAN 37.7 40.4 -2.7 49.2
DAYS MAX >= 90 0 0.0 0.0 0
DAYS MAX = .01 6 5.9 0.1 2
DAYS >= .10 4 2.4 1.6 0
DAYS >= .50 0 0.3 -0.3 0
DAYS >= 1.00 0 0.1 -0.1 0
GREATEST
24 HR. TOTAL 0.47 03/22 TO 03/22 03/01 TO 03/02
03/01 TO 03/01
03/01 TO 03/01
STORM TOTAL MM MM
(MM/DD(HH)) MM 03/02(00) TO 03/02(00)
03/01(00) TO 03/01(00)1
03/01(00) TO 03/01(00)1
SNOWFALL (INCHES)
RECORDS
TOTAL MM 5
TOTALS 23.5 10.7
DEGREE_DAYS
HEATING TOTAL 840 763 77 483
SINCE 7/1 5112 5202 -90 4863
COOLING TOTAL 0 0 0 0
SINCE 1/1 0 0 0 0
FREEZE DATES
RECORD
EARLIEST 09/08/1962
LATEST 06/08/2007
EARLIEST 03/01 10/07
LATEST 05/05
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WIND (MPH)
AVERAGE WIND SPEED 10.1
RESULTANT WIND SPEED/DIRECTION 1/223
HIGHEST WIND SPEED/DIRECTION 38/010 DATE 03/09
HIGHEST GUST SPEED/DIRECTION 47/280 DATE 03/17
SKY COVER
POSSIBLE SUNSHINE (PERCENT) MM
AVERAGE SKY COVER 0.60
NUMBER OF DAYS FAIR 2
NUMBER OF DAYS PC 20
NUMBER OF DAYS CLOUDY 9
AVERAGE RH (PERCENT) 53
WEATHER CONDITIONS. NUMBER OF DAYS WITH
THUNDERSTORM 0 MIXED PRECIP 0
HEAVY RAIN 0 RAIN 0
LIGHT RAIN 1 FREEZING RAIN 0
LT FREEZING RAIN 0 HAIL 0
HEAVY SNOW 3 SNOW 5
LIGHT SNOW 8 SLEET 0
FOG 9 FOG W/VIS