Another nice looking spring day ahead for Thornton. We once again will enjoy unseasonably warm temperatures and blue skies above but with a bit of wind thrown in.

Sunny skies start us off this morning and will be with us throughout the day. Winds will initially be light and out of the southwest but then this afternoon pick up speed and shift to come out of the northwest. High temperatures will top out in the low 70s.

Tonight, skies remain clear with overnight lows around 40 degrees.

A fine looking spring day ahead for us. Looks for lots of sun today and temperatures 10+ degrees above normal.

Sunny skies start us off and will be with us throughout the day. High temperatures today will reach the low 70s. Conditions will be calm other than some slightly breezy winds later in the afternoon.

Tonight, skies remain clear with overnight lows dipping to around 40 degrees.

The month of March was a relatively quiet one for the most part. We didn’t see any particularly notable extremes and only one significant snowstorm.

The month started out on the cool side and we received our first snow of the month on the 2nd. We then put together a stretch lasting two weeks with largely calm and dry conditions.

• March 2020 top shots: Monthly photo slideshow

The 19th offered up a return to wintry conditions as after some rain early in the day, a transition to snow began and we received a healthy 7.5 inches of the white stuff.

Mostly dry conditions were the feature of the last 10 days of the month with a few days seeing temps above normal but most coming in below.

Thornton’s overall average temperature for the month came in at 42.2 degrees. This was a good bit above Denver’s March average of 40.4 degrees. Out at Denver International Airport where the Mile High City’s official records are kept, the reading nearly matched ours at 42.5 degrees.

Our warmest day on the 11th delivered a high of 71.1 degrees while our coldest, the 21st, saw a morning low of 14.2 degrees. Denver’s maximum reading of 68 degrees came on four different days. Their coldest of 11 degrees came on the 21st.

In terms of precipitation, Denver averages 0.92 inches in March. Thornton bested that easily with 1.56 inches and Denver did as well with 1.26 inches.

Both Thornton and Denver fell short of March’s average monthly snowfall of 10.7 inches. Thornton came closest with 9.3 inches while at the airport 7.5 inches was measured.

Click here to view Thornton’s March 2020 climate report.

Thornton, Colorado’s March 2020 temperature summary. (ThorntonWeather.com)

Thornton, Colorado’s March 2020 precipitation summary. (ThorntonWeather.com)

An incredibly busy week on the Denver weather history calendar as we see below.  Thunderstorms, blizzards, tornadoes, hurricane force winds and more have all been seen during this week in Denver weather history.

From the National Weather Service:

2-5

In 1918…snowfall totaled 12.4 inches over downtown Denver. Most of the snow fell on the 3rd and 4th. Temperatures were in the 20`s and 30`s. Northwest winds were sustained to 24 mph on the 2nd.

3-5

In 1996…the foothills west of Denver received 6 to 8 inches of new snow. Only 0.8 inch of snow fell at the site of the former Stapleton International Airport…along with some freezing drizzle on the 4th and 5th. North-northeast winds gusted to 30 mph at Denver International Airport on the 3rd.

3-6

In 1898…snowfall totaled 8.7 inches in downtown Denver over the 4 days. Northeast winds were sustained to 48 mph with gusts as high as 60 mph on the 3rd.

In 1983…a prolonged heavy snow storm blanketed the area along with very cold temperatures. The greatest amounts of snow fell in the foothills where 24 to 42 inches were measured. A foot of snow fell in Boulder. Snow fell for 50 consecutive hours at Stapleton International Airport on the 3rd through the 5th with a total snowfall of 8.8 inches and a maximum accumulation on the ground of 6 inches on the 5th. In Denver…the mercury failed to rise above freezing for 3 consecutive days…on the 4th…5th… And 6th…for the first time ever in April. Five daily temperature records were set from the 4th through the 6th. Record low temperatures of 12 degrees occurred on the 5th with 7 degrees on the 6th. Record low maximum temperatures of 25 degrees occurred on the 4th…27 degrees on the 5th… And 28 degrees on the 6th.

4-5

In 1900…rain changed to heavy snow and totaled 7.8 inches in downtown Denver overnight. A thunderstorm on the 4th produced hail. Precipitation totaled 1.50 inches.

In 1911…north to northwest winds were sustained to 42 mph on the 4th and to 41 mph on the 5th.

In 2002…a whitish-colored haze engulfed metro Denver on both days. The haze was the result of a huge wind storm that kicked up dust and sand from the Gobi desert in Mongolia and China during the latter half of March. Westerly winds aloft transported the dust cloud across the Pacific Ocean and over the western united states…depositing some of it on Colorado.

In 2009…a blizzard developed over the northeast plains of Colorado. Most of the urban corridor was spared from the blizzard…with the exception of eastern Adams and eastern Arapahoe counties. The combination of strong wind and heavy snow snapped 14 power lines along State Highway 36… Near Strasburg. In Arapahoe County…7 poles were snapped in Bennett. Interstate 70 was closed in both directions east of Denver. At Denver International Airport…a peak wind gust of 63 mph was observed from the north…breaking the previous record of 62 mph established in 1986. Officially…only 0.3 inches of snowfall was measured at Denver International Airport.

4-7

In 1909…post-frontal rain changed to heavy snow on the afternoon of the 4th and continued through mid-morning of the 7th. Total snowfall was 18.7 inches…but most of the snow…14.0 inches… Fell from 6:00 pm on the 4th to 6:00 pm on the 5th. North to northeast winds were sustained to 32 mph on the 4th and to 30 mph on the 7th. Total precipitation from the storm was 1.78 inches.

5

In 1873…a heavy rain and hail shower in the afternoon changed to snow…and accumulated to 6 inches on the streets at 9:00 pm. Precipitation (rain and melted snow) totaled 0.56 inch.

In 1925…southeast winds were sustained to 46 mph with gusts to 50 mph. This was the strongest wind of the month that year.

In 1950…a well-developed dust devil was observed 4 to 5 miles south-southwest of Stapleton Airport for about 8 minutes.

In 1977…the earliest date of the last freeze of the season occurred when the temperature dipped to a low of 31 degrees.

In 1988…a wind gust to 74 mph was recorded at Rollinsville. West winds gusted to 35 mph at Stapleton International Airport.

In 1990…a heavy… Wet snow fell in many areas in and along the Colorado Front Range. Snowfall amounts of 4 to 7 inches were common around the Boulder area with lesser amounts elsewhere. Only 2.0 inches of snow fell at Stapleton International Airport where north winds gusted to 28 mph. Icy roads contributed to numerous fender-benders and a 20-vehicle pileup near the junction of I-70 and I-25 in the city.

In 2000…high winds developed in the Front Range foothills… From about I-70 northWard. Peak wind gusts included: 83 mph at the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder…75 mph near Louisville… And 70 mph at the National Wind Technology Center…south of Boulder. West winds gusted to 41 mph at Denver International Airport.

In 2005…a surface low pressure center deepened over eastern Colorado and produced damaging high winds across metro Denver. The strong wind gusts ranging from 50 to 70 mph damaged roofs and fences. Cross-winds blew several empty semI-trailers on their sides along I-70 and I-76 east of Denver. Peak north wind gusts included: 60 mph near Bennett and Keenesburg…59 mph near Brighton… And 53 mph at Denver International Airport. Over the Palmer Divide south of Denver…the high winds combined with heavy snow to produce blizzard conditions. Snowfall accumulations ranged from 3 to 8 inches over eastern Douglas and western Elbert counties. Snowfall totals included: 8 inches at Sedalia…4 inches near Castle Rock… And 3.5 inches near Franktown.

5-6

In 1939…3.0 inches of snow fell in downtown Denver. North winds were sustained to 34 mph on the 5th and to 26 mph on the 6th. The strong winds caused considerable drifting of snow. Several highways leading into the city were closed during the height of the storm due to poor visibility. Streets and highways became coated with ice in places. The temperature dipped to 11 degrees early on the 6th. This was the coldest reading of the month that year. Most vegetation was not far enough advanced to be injured by the cold temperatures…although a few buds froze on early shrubbery.

In 1949…strong winds in Boulder caused limited minor damage. West-northwest winds were sustained to 24 mph with some higher gusts at Stapleton Airport.

5-7

In 1916…rain changed to snow behind a cold front on the 5th and totaled 4.5 inches in the city. A thunderstorm produced snow on the 6th. North winds were sustained to 35 mph with gusts to 38 mph on the 7th.

6

In 1904…northwest winds were sustained to 40 mph with gusts to 48 mph.

In 1919…post-frontal rain changed to snow but totaled only 0.1 inch. However…north winds were sustained to 40 mph with gusts to 44 mph in the city.

In 1954…a vigorous cold front produced northeast winds at 38 mph with gusts as high as 50 mph. The strong winds briefly reduced visibility to 1 1/2 miles in blowing dust at Stapleton Airport.

In 1972…wind gusts to 68 mph were recorded at the National Bureau of Standards in Boulder. Winds peaked to 54 mph in downtown Boulder. Minor damage was reported. Northwest winds gusted to 44 mph at Stapleton International Airport where the strong Chinook winds warmed the temperature to a high of 80 degrees…equaling the record maximum for the date.

6-7

In 1872…rain changed to snow overnight. Snow with high north winds continued all day on the 7th. Precipitation (rain and melted snow) totaled 0.50 inch. Due to problems on the lines…the morning weather report was not sent by telegraph until 3:10 pm and the midnight report was not sent at all.

In 1957…heavy snowfall totaled 6.6 inches at Stapleton Airport where north winds gusted to 46 mph. This was the second heavy snow event in less than 4 days.

In 1969…winds gusting as high as 50 to 60 mph caused only light damage along the eastern foothills. The strong winds contributed to the spread of a forest fire near Boulder. Sustained winds of 25 mph with gusts to 53 mph were recorded in Boulder. Southwest winds gusted to 38 mph on the 6th and 44 mph on the 7th at Stapleton International Airport.

In 1980…high winds howled along the foothills each day. A wind gust to 72 mph was recorded in Lakewood. The strong winds blew a camper top off a pickup truck in Denver. At Stapleton International Airport…west winds gusted to 41 mph on both days.

In 1998…a spring storm brought a mix of snow and thunder to metro Denver…the foothills… And Palmer Divide. Conifer and Elizabeth both measured 4 inches of new snow. On the 6th…only 0.1 inch of snow fell at the site of the former Stapleton International Airport where thunder was heard on both days. Precipitation totaled 0.60 inch at Denver International Airport where west winds gusted to 43 mph on the 6th.

6-8

In 1973…a major spring snow storm dumped 11.6 inches of snowfall over metro Denver. North wind gusts of 30 to 35 mph produced some blowing snow. Most of the heavy wet snow… 10.1 inches…fell on the 7th when temperatures remained in the 20`s. Snow accumulated on the ground to a maximum depth of 9 inches. Low temperature of 5 degrees on the 8th was a new record minimum for the date and the lowest for so late in the season.

» Click here to read the rest of April 5 to April 11: This week in Denver weather history

Following a brief return to wintry weather, we see things start to dry out and warm up. The three day period will feature dry conditions and mercury readings at the end coming in well above normal.

For Friday, some patchy fog may be seen and then we will have partly clear skies for the balance of the day. Highs will be in the mid-40s. Tonight, mostly cloudy skies will be above with overnight lows in the mid-20s.

Saturday starts a nice warmup with temperatures topping out right near the average high for the date of 59 degrees. Mostly sunny skies will be above. Saturday night into Sunday morning, mostly clear skies will be above with overnight lows in the mid-30s.

Sunday offers up the nicest day of the weekend. Mostly sunny skies will be above and highs will climb to near the 70 degree mark.

Have a great weekend and be safe!

Hopefully you enjoyed the warm weather of recent days because today brings a significant change. Temperatures will be quite chilly and following some rain, we will see snow make an appearance.

Cloudy skies will be above throughout the day. Winds will be a bit breezy, particularly in the late afternoon. High temperatures today will only reach a couple of degrees above freezing. Light rain and drizzle will be seen this morning then this afternoon we begin a transition to snow.

A second reinforcing cold front will push through dropping temperatures in the late afternoon. Snow will then increase. Most snow activity will come from about 4:00pm to 10:00pm. We may see total accumulations, mainly on grassy areas, of an inch or two.

Tonight, a few flurries may fall throughout the night. Overnight lows will be quite cold and drop into the teens.

Thornton begins the month with a very nice day and temperatures well above normal. It is no April Fool’s joke though that snow is set to return in less than 36 hours.

Today starts out with clear skies then we see clouds build up a bit later this morning. We will still have mostly sunny skies overall and they shouldn’t do much to inhibit temperatures. Highs today will push toward the 70 mark.

A cold front will be pushing through tonight and that will lead to increased cloud cover and perhaps a few drops of rain after 9:00pm. Overnight lows tonight will be near freezing.

Looking further ahead, Thursday starts out dry but temperatures will be chilly. The PM will bring some rain and snow and some minor accumulations will be possible tomorrow night. Until then, enjoy the warmth!

April marks a transition between winter and summer for most of the country but for Denver it is especially true as we can see a stunning variety of weather.

The proverbial April showers are certainly a possibility for Denver. Snow? Tornadoes? Thunderstorms? You bet – all can happen!

For good measure throw in a chance for hail and even dust storms and April gives every type of weather condition you could like – or hate.

The first sunrise of March 2020 is a stunner. (Alycia Gilliland)

The month of March is the start of meteorological spring and while conditions do begin warming, winter weather is certainly out of the question.  From hot to cold, snow to rain, the conditions can be very conducive to great pictures as we see in our slideshow.

March in Denver typically means frequent and rapid weather changes. The days grow longer and we start enjoying more sunshine and sometimes summer-like weather. However, on occasion arctic air masses can still force their way south into Colorado dropping temperatures quickly and markedly.

With the active wildlife, increased outdoor activities by us humans, and of course the weather, March imagery contains a wide variety of subjects and extremes.

• Slideshow updated March 31, 2020. To learn more about how to send your photo to us for inclusion in the slideshow, see below the slideshow.

Showcasing images captured by ThorntonWeather.com readers as well as some of our own, our monthly slideshow covers the entire gamut of weather-related imagery.

Sunsets, sunrises, wildlife and of course every type of weather condition are vividly depicted in images captured from yours and our cameras.

← Older photos

What is missing in the slideshow above?  Your photo!

Our monthly photo slideshow is going to feature images that we have taken but more importantly images that you have captured.  The photos can be of anything even remotely weather-related.

Landscapes, current conditions, wildlife, pets, kids.  Whimsical, newsy, artsy.  Taken at the zoo, some other area attraction, a local park, a national park or your backyard.  You name it, we want to see and share it!

Images can be taken in Thornton, Denver or anywhere across the extraordinary Centennial State.  We’ll even take some from out of state if we can tie it to Colorado somehow.

We’ll keep the criteria very open to interpretation with just about any image eligible to be shown in our slideshows.

What do you win for having your image in our slideshow?  We are just a ‘mom and pop’ outfit and make no money from our site so we really don’t have the means to provide prizes.  However you will have our undying gratitude and the satisfaction that your images are shared on the most popular website in Thornton.

To share you images with us and get them included in the slideshow just email them to us or share them with ThorntonWeather.com on any of the various social media outlets.  Links are provided below.

So come on, get those camera’s rolling!

• Email: info@ThorntonWeather.com
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A nice looking day ahead for us. Temperatures will be a good bit above normal and we will enjoy pleasant conditions.

We will have a few clouds above today but overall mostly sunny skies will be the rule. Winds will be relatively light and out of the southwest. High temperatures today will reach the mid to upper 60s.

Tonight, mostly clear skies will be above with overnight lows in the mid to upper 30s.