Most of the month of May 2024 was notable for its mild temperatures and dry conditions. It went out like a lion, however, with a damaging hailstorm.
The first eleven days of the month saw no precipitation at all in Thornton. A few warmer-than-normal days were seen during that period but temperatures were not particularly warm.
Most notable during the first third of the month was the appearance of the aurora. Thanks to some unusually strong solar activity, the celestial event was visible even in the city for a couple of nights.
We finally received our first precipitation of the month on the 12th with a very good, wet event. The next two weeks saw some lighter showers here and there. Temperatures warmed with numerous days seeing readings well into the 80s.
Mother Nature decided to close out the month in dramatic form. Severe thunderstorms arrived around 9:30pm on the night of the 30th, bringing hail up to 2 inches in diameter to the area. Damage was significant and while the rain that came with it was welcome, most residents would have preferred to have gone without.
Thornton ended the month with an overall average temperature of 59.1 degrees. This was well above the 18 year running average for the month of 56.7 degrees. It was the fifth warmest May during that period.
Temperatures ranged from a high of 87.3 degrees on the 17th down to a low of 36.0 degrees on the 2nd.
Out at DIA where Denver’s official measurements are taken, the Mile High City recorded an average temperature for the month of 56.9 degrees, 0.5 degrees below their long-term average. Their highest temperature for the month was 83 degrees on the 29th and their lowest of 30 degrees occurred on the 2nd.
In terms of precipitation, it was a dry one. Thornton saw 1.39 inches fall into its bucket. The majority of that came along with the hail storm on the 30th. That was well below the 1.74 inches average over the past 18 years and puts May 2024 into the books as our driest May during that period.
Denver fared slightly better with 1.70 inches observed at the airport. This was a good bit below the Mile High City’s May average of 2.16 inches for the month.
No snow was recorded in Thornton or Denver during the month.
Click here to view Thornton’s complete May 2024 climate summary report.
