Feature Article

Relocating Weather Stations: The Impact on Denver’s Historical Precipitation Records

Introduction

Meteorology relies heavily on historical climatological data to understand weather patterns and fluctuations over time. The controlled aspect of the data is usually the location of the weather station taking the information, as different locations can vary significantly when it comes to temperatures, precipitation, humidity, etc. Even if those locations are relatively close by. Denver, Colorado, however, provides a fascinating case where the location of weather data collection has moved several times over the course of 150 years. Thus, creating a challenge when it comes to comparing historical records to current weather conditions.

Denver’s Weather Data Collection Over Time

Since its inception in 1872, Denver’s weather data collection has undergone three major relocations, each introducing unique challenges and implications for historical records. The journey began in the downtown area of Denver, where data was diligently recorded until December 1949.

It is worth noting that between 1872 and 1949, the location changed 10 times, however, all were well within 1 mile of each other. Weather patterns largely do not change with such a short distance, and if they do, the changes are minuscule. For simplicity, the first location will be considered “Downtown Denver”.

By 1950, Denver’s official reporting location moved roughly 5.5 miles east-northeast to Stapleton Airport. In March of 1995, the official data collection station was relocated once more to Denver International Airport (DIA), a significant 18.5 miles away from its original location. To put this into perspective, this is roughly the same distance to Lafayette, CO or Parker, CO, where weather is vastly different in comparison to Denver due to elevation and topography differences. Elevation and topography are just some of the factors that differ between locations, for example, DIA does not account for the weather phenomenon known as the “urban heat island” that Denver experiences often.

The Ripple Effect on Precipitation Data

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February Drought Update

The drought conditions in Colorado have largely remained static since December 2023. A significant portion of the southwestern region of the state continues to experience drought, with the current snowpack having minimal immediate impact. The influence of snowfall on drought conditions will only become apparent once the spring melt commences. In contrast, the eastern plains have seen a reduction in drought conditions. This improvement can be attributed to the unusually high levels of precipitation recorded in January 2024.

February 2024 Temperature Anomaly Forecast

The temperature forecast for February 2024 indicates that conditions are expected to align with the seasonal norms across much of the US. However, regions including the Pacific Northwest, Northern Plains, Great Lakes, and Northeast are projected to experience temperatures that exceed the average for this time of year.

The initial days of February have already exhibited the effects of marginally elevated temperatures. These warmer conditions, in conjunction with high levels of atmospheric moisture, have facilitated the occurrence of rain and the deposition of wet, heavy snowfall across a substantial portion of the Plains region.

February 2024 Precipitation Anomaly Forecast

The precipitation forecast for February 2024 suggests that most regions of the United States are expected to receive average levels of rainfall. However, recent meteorological events, specifically the winter storm that occurred on February 2nd, suggest a deviation from this projection. This winter storm was characterized by exceptionally high precipitation levels and set new records in the state of Colorado before progressing eastward. Despite being only one week into February, several areas in Colorado have already reported precipitation levels significantly above the monthly average. Current meteorological models indicate the development of another winter system over the Great Basin. This is likely to further increase the monthly precipitation values.

Colorado January Weather Summary

During January 2024, the Denver Metropolitan area was characterized by temperatures that were predominantly below the seasonal average. Denver International Airport (DIA) reported an average daily high temperature of 41.8°F and a daily average low of 14.5°F. The combined average temperature was 28.2°F, which is 3.6°F below the average monthly temperature of 31.8°F. The highest temperatures were recorded on January 30th and 31st, with DIA reaching 61°F. The coldest days were January 15th and 16th, with temperatures plummeting to -19°F. Regarding precipitation, DIA reported 0.28” of liquid precipitation, which is 0.09” below the average of 0.37” for the month of January.

The Colorado Springs airport exhibited similar weather patterns. The average daily high temperature was 42.7°F, with an average daily low of 17.1°F. The combined average temperature for the month was 29.9°F, which is 2°F below the average monthly temperature of 31.9°F. The warmest day was on January 31st, with the temperature peaking at 65°F. The coldest day was January 15th, with the temperature dropping to -10°F. In terms of precipitation, Colorado Springs Airport reported 0.62” of liquid precipitation, which is 0.34” above the average of 0.28” for the month of January. The majority of this precipitation occurred on the 26th, with 0.33” of liquid precipitation recorded.

Pueblo experienced similar weather conditions, with below-average temperatures and slightly above-average precipitation for the month of January. Pueblo recorded an average daily high temperature of 43.9°F and an average daily low of 14.5°F. The warmest day was January 31st, where the airport reached 65°F. The coldest day was January 16th, where the temperature dropped to -11°F. Precipitation was slightly above average for the Pueblo area, with 0.32” of liquid precipitation recorded, which is 0.04” above the average of 0.28” for January. Most of this monthly precipitation occurred between the 4th and 5th, measuring 0.21” within that 24-hour period.

Several storm systems impacted DIA during the month of January, with four storms reporting over a trace. These events occurred on the 7th-8th (reporting 0.7” total), 12th-13th (reporting 0.9” total), 14th-15th (reporting 2.1” total), and the 25th-26th (reporting 0.5” total). These events account for the total snowfall at DIA during the month. However, the winter storms occurring on January 7th-8th and January 25th-26th were responsible for more snow across the metro region than what was measured at DIA. The storm occurring January 7th-8th produced snow totals between 2.0-6.0”, and the storm occurring January 25th-26th produced snow totals between 1.0-3.0” across the Denver metro.

There were four notable winter events across southeastern Colorado during the month of January. The first took place January 4th-5th where widespread light snow from Colorado Springs and Pueblo produced up to 2.5” of snow accumulation. The second notable event occurred January 7th-8th which produced moderate to heavy snow along the Palmer Divide and in portions of North Colorado Springs. The third notable event took place January 18th-19th where a small band of unexpected snowfall developed over Central and Southern Colorado Springs, producing up to 2.0” of new snow. The final notable event occurred January 25th-26th where widespread light to moderate snowfall blanketed Colorado Springs and Northern El Paso County broadly with 3.0-6.0” of snow.

Weather Statistics for Denver International Airport, January 2024

DIA January 2024 Temperature (°F)

	Observed Value	Normal Value	Departure From Normal
Average Max	41.8°F	44.6°F	-2.8°F
Average Min	14.5°F	18.7°F	-4.2°F
Monthly Mean	28.2°F	31.7°F	-3.5°F
Days With Max 90 Or Above	0	0	0
Days With Max 32 Or Below	5	5	0
Days With Min 32 Or Below	31	29	2
Days With Min 0 Or Below	7	2	5

DIA January 2024 Liquid Precipitation (Inches)

	Observed Value	Date(S)	Normal Value	Departure From Normal
Monthly Total	0.28”		0.38”	-0.10”
Yearly Total	0.28”		0.38”	-0.10”
Greatest In 24 Hours	0.09”	1/15
Days With Measurable Precip.	5		4.4	0.6

DIA January 2024 Snowfall Accumulation (Inches)

	Observed Value	Date(S)	Normal Value	Departure From Normal
Monthly Total	3.6”		6.4”	-2.8”
Seasonal Total	16.2”		18.5”	-2.3”
Greatest In 24 Hours	1.5”	1/15
Greatest Depth	5		4.4	0.6

February 2024 Preview

The month of February 2024 has already been marked by significant meteorological activity, with a ‘spring-like’ snowstorm traversing Colorado from February 2nd to February 3rd. This storm was characterized by relatively warm low-level temperatures and elevated atmospheric moisture levels. These conditions facilitated the deposition of heavy, wet snow across the metropolitan area and foothills. The map below illustrates total snowfall across Colorado (so far) in February:

Meteorological forecasts predict the arrival of additional winter storms during the second week of the month. These storms are expected to augment the current snowfall totals for February and may contribute to the alleviation of the prevailing drought conditions across the state. To date, Denver International Airport (DIA) has reported 0.76” of liquid precipitation, surpassing the monthly average by 0.69”. Furthermore, DIA has already recorded 5.5” of snowfall within the initial days of February.

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Denver’s Monthly Temperature, Rainfall, And Snowfall Extremes For February (1872-Present)

February Climatology for Denver

(Normal Period 1991-2020 Dia Data)

Winter 2023/2024 Snowfall Accumulation for the Colorado Eastern Plains

City	Oct	Nov	Dec	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	Total
Aurora	6.6	2.3	10.4	3.9				23.2
Boulder	5	7.8	9.2	8.5				30.5
Brighton	4.7	4	1.1	2.2				12
Broomfield	4.3	5.3	3.2	5.1				17.9
Castle Rock	9	2.1	9.7	12.1				32.9
Colorado Springs Airport	0	1.1	8.4	5.1				14.6
Denver DIA	7.5	2.9	1.4	4.2				16
Denver Downtown	5.3	2.1	6.2	4.6				18.2
Golden	10.7	14	14.6	13.2				52.5
Fort Collins	5.7	9.6	0	3.3				18.6
Highlands Ranch	5.8	1.8	6.9	5.1				19.6
Lakewood	8.6	4.1	11.3	5.5				29.5
Littleton	10	1.6	6	3.7				21.3
Monument	6.5	1.5	14.8	14.1				36.9
Parker	7.4	1	8.8	9.1				26.3
Sedalia – Hwy 67	10.5	3.3	9.4	12.8				36
Thornton	4	4.4	4.4	4.4				17.2
Westminster	5.1	4.7	5.3	4.8				19.9
Wheat Ridge	6	3.4	6.9	5.3				21.6
Windsor	3.5	5.5	TR	4.9				13.9

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