Fall arrived in earnest during the month of October 2018 as temperatures cooled considerably and we saw our first snowfall of the season.
The first two weeks of the month were notable for seeing 12 of 17 days with below normal temperatures. Five days in a row with measurable rain came from the 4th to the 9th and then on the 14th we saw that first snowfall.
The latter half of the month warmed up with above normal mercury readings being seen on all but the last two days of the October. That same stretch of mild days also was one in which we saw no precipitation.
While the overall warm end of the month helped, we still saw overall monthly temperature readings well below normal.
Thornton’s average monthly temperature came in at 47.0 degrees. This is in comparison to Denver’s long term October average of 50.9 degrees, a near 4 degree difference. Out at Denver International Airport where the Mile High City’s official readings are taken, it was a bit warmer with an average for the month of 49.2 degrees.
Here, we ranged from a high of 85.7 degrees on the 3rd down to a low of 18.1 degrees on the morning of the 15th. Denver saw a max of 86 degrees and a low of 18 degrees, each on the same days as our max and min.
Denver set two temperature records during the month. The high temperature of only 27 degrees on the 14th set a new record low maximum for the date. This easily bested the old record of 36 degrees set in 1969. A record low temperature reading of 18 degrees on the 15th topped the previous record low for the date of 20 degrees set in 1970.
In terms of precipitation, Thornton recorded 1.01 inches between rain and snow melt. Denver was very similar with a total of 0.99 inches. Both measurements were close to the long term Denver average of 1.02 inches for the month.
Thornton saw a relatively minimal 2.8 inches of snowfall, all on the 14th. Denver recorded a bit more of the white stuff with 3.2 inches. Both were short of the October average of 4.0 inches.
Click here to view Thornton’s October 2018 climate report.
...THE DENVER CO CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR THE MONTH OF OCTOBER 2018...
CLIMATE NORMAL PERIOD 1981 TO 2010
CLIMATE RECORD PERIOD 1872 TO 2018
WEATHER OBSERVED NORMAL DEPART LAST YEAR`S
VALUE DATE(S) VALUE FROM VALUE DATE(S)
NORMAL
................................................................
TEMPERATURE (F)
RECORD
HIGH 90 10/01/1892
LOW -2 10/29/1917
HIGHEST 86 10/03 83 3 84 10/25
LOWEST 18 10/15 22 -4 13 10/27
AVG. MAXIMUM 61.6 65.3 -3.7 64.5
AVG. MINIMUM 36.8 36.6 0.2 35.7
MEAN 49.2 50.9 -1.7 50.1
DAYS MAX >= 90 0 0.0 0.0 0
DAYS MAX <= 32 1 0.4 0.6 0
DAYS MIN <= 32 7 8.5 -1.5 11
DAYS MIN <= 0 0 0.0 0.0 0
PRECIPITATION (INCHES)
RECORD
MAXIMUM 4.17 1969
MINIMUM T 1934
TOTALS 0.99 1.02 -0.03 0.96
DAILY AVG. 0.03 0.03 0.00 0.03
DAYS >= .01 9 5.3 3.7 5
DAYS >= .10 3 2.4 0.6 4
DAYS >= .50 0 0.5 -0.5 0
DAYS >= 1.00 0 0.1 -0.1 0
GREATEST
24 HR. TOTAL 0.31 10/07 TO 10/07 10/09 TO 10/09
SNOWFALL (INCHES)
RECORDS
TOTAL 3.2 4.0
RECORD NOVEMBER 38.9 1969
DEGREE_DAYS
HEATING TOTAL 487 440 47 455
SINCE 7/1 565 581 -16 585
COOLING TOTAL 4 5 -1 1
SINCE 1/1 1026 769 257 881
FREEZE DATES
RECORD
EARLIEST 09/08/1962
LATEST 06/08/2007
EARLIEST 10/10 10/07
LATEST 05/05
.................................................................
WIND (MPH)
AVERAGE WIND SPEED 9.7
RESULTANT WIND SPEED/DIRECTION 2/186
HIGHEST WIND SPEED/DIRECTION 39/360 DATE 10/29
HIGHEST GUST SPEED/DIRECTION 49/360 DATE 10/29
SKY COVER
POSSIBLE SUNSHINE (PERCENT) MM
AVERAGE SKY COVER 0.60
NUMBER OF DAYS FAIR 7
NUMBER OF DAYS PC 16
NUMBER OF DAYS CLOUDY 8
AVERAGE RH (PERCENT) 59
WEATHER CONDITIONS. NUMBER OF DAYS WITH
THUNDERSTORMS 5 MIXED PRECIP 2
HEAVY RAIN 0 RAIN 3
LIGHT RAIN 12 FREEZING RAIN 0
LIGHT FREEZING RAIN 0 HAIL 0
HEAVY SNOW 0 SNOW 3
LIGHT SNOW 6 SLEET 0
FOG 11 DENSE FOG 4
HAZE 2
- INDICATES NEGATIVE NUMBERS.
R INDICATES RECORD WAS SET OR TIED.
MM INDICATES DATA IS MISSING.
T INDICATES TRACE AMOUNT.