The unstable, cold and wet weather that marked February continued right on into March. Once again, we saw temperatures well below normal and a good bit more than average precipitation.
While the first day of the month started things off relatively nicely, the second brought the first bout of cold. Temperatures plummeted with highs on the third only in the single digits and nighttime low temperatures below zero on the 3rd and 4th. This was coupled with a nice shot of 3.4 inches of snow on the 3rd.
We then slowly warmed up and enjoyed near normal temperatures for a brief period of time. This changed quickly and significantly with the arrival of a blizzard on the 13th. Powerful winds coupled with snow shut down schools, businesses, highways and Denver International Airport.
Calmer, drier weather then took hold for much of the rest of the month although most days continued to see temperatures below normal. The 26th and 27th did offer up our first days of 70 degree or warmer temperatures.
The month closed out with another shot of cold on the 29th and 30th and a light bit of snow.
Thornton’s overall average temperature for the month of March was 35.1 degrees. Out at Denver International Airport here the Mile High City’s official measurements are taken, they matched our temperature with an average of 35.1 degrees as well. Both were well below the historical average March temperature for Denver of 40.4 degrees.
Temperatures in Thornton ranged from a maximum reading of 74.9 degrees on the 27th down to a low of -5.0 degrees on the morning of the 4th. Denver saw its maximum of 73 degrees on the 27th and its minimum of -6 degrees on the 3rd.
Denver set a record low maximum for March 3rd when the temperature only reached a high of 6 degrees. The old record was 14 degrees set in 1978. Additionally, a low temperature reading of -3 degrees on the 4th tied the record low for the date also set in 1960 and 1978.
In terms of precipitation, Thornton recorded 1.19 inches in our bucket while Denver bested us with 1.39 inches. Both were above the long term Denver average for the month of March of 0.92 inches.
Denver’s 0.64 inches of liquid precipitation on the 13th set a daily record, easily besting the old record of 0.43 inches (1926) for the date.
Denver averages 10.7 inches of snow during the month of March. Thornton and Denver beat the average with measurements of 12.2 inches and 12.9 inches respectively.
Click here to view Thornton’s March 2019 climate report.
CLIMATE REPORT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER/BOULDER CO 938 AM MDT MON APR 1 2019 ................................... ...THE DENVER CO CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR THE MONTH OF MARCH 2019... CLIMATE NORMAL PERIOD 1981 TO 2010 CLIMATE RECORD PERIOD 1872 TO 2019 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 73 03/27 73 03/22 LOWEST -6 03/03 13 03/07 AVG. MAXIMUM 46.7 54.4 -7.7 58.5 AVG. MINIMUM 23.5 26.4 -2.9 26.8 MEAN 35.1 40.4 -5.3 42.7 DAYS MAX >= 90 0 0.0 0.0 0 DAYS MAX <= 32 3 1.9 1.1 0 DAYS MIN <= 32 28 23.6 4.4 27 DAYS MIN <= 0 3 0.1 2.9 0 PRECIPITATION (INCHES) RECORD MAXIMUM 4.56 1983 MINIMUM 0.03 2012 TOTALS 1.39 0.92 0.47 1.02 DAILY AVG. 0.04 0.03 0.01 0.03 DAYS >= .01 9 5.9 3.1 6 DAYS >= .10 6 2.4 3.6 3 DAYS >= .50 1 0.3 0.7 0 DAYS >= 1.00 0 0.1 -0.1 0 GREATEST 24 HR. TOTAL 0.64 03/13 TO 03/13 03/18 TO 03/18 SNOWFALL (INCHES) RECORDS TOTAL 12.9 10.7 RECORD MARCH 35.2 2003 DEGREE_DAYS HEATING TOTAL 919 763 156 684 SINCE 7/1 5336 5202 134 4741 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 10/07 LATEST 05/05 ................................................................. WIND (MPH) AVERAGE WIND SPEED 10.2 RESULTANT WIND SPEED/DIRECTION 1/060 HIGHEST WIND SPEED/DIRECTION 60/340 DATE 03/13 HIGHEST GUST SPEED/DIRECTION 80/340 DATE 03/13 SKY COVER POSSIBLE SUNSHINE (PERCENT) MM AVERAGE SKY COVER 0.60 NUMBER OF DAYS FAIR 4 NUMBER OF DAYS PC 16 NUMBER OF DAYS CLOUDY 11 AVERAGE RH (PERCENT) 67 - INDICATES NEGATIVE NUMBERS. R INDICATES RECORD WAS SET OR TIED. MM INDICATES DATA IS MISSING. T INDICATES TRACE AMOUNT.