February 2009 becomes Denver’s least snowiest February – Or was it?

March 1, 10:26 AMDenver Weather ExaminerTony Hake

Previous Next

1 comment Print Email RSS Subscribe

Subscribe

Get alerts when there is a new article from the Denver Weather Examiner. Read Examiner.com's terms of use.

Email Address   Include other special offers from Examiner.com Terms of Use

The National Weather Service says February 2009 was
Denver's least snowiest February on record.  Was it really?

The headline on the National Weather Service’s Denver office’s website today announces that February 2009 was Denver’s least snowiest since snowfall records began in Denver in 1882.  At Denver International Airport a trace of snow was all that was recorded – less than 0.1 of an inch.  The previous record, set in 1992 and 1970, was 0.3 inch. 
 
The announcement also makes note that the month will go down in the Denver weather record books as Denver’s 4th driest.  This ties 1954, 1925 and 1908.  DIA recorded a mere 0.04 inch of precipitation during the month.  What is not clear is how DIA could have measured this precipitation while essentially not recording any snow when there was no rain during the month.
 
Many say these records should come with an asterisk. 

Is it accurate to claim February 2009 is the 'least snowiest February' based on measurements way out at DIA and 12 miles from where 40 years of historical records were taken?  Stapleton recorded 0.8 inch of snow which while admittedly in the 'top 10' least snowiest, would not qualify as the # 1 least snowiest February. 

Starting tomorrow, in an Examiner.com exclusive report, we are going to take a look at record weather announcements such as these and highlight what a growing number of weather enthusiasts say are major issues with Denver’s weather measurements. Meteorologists, weathercasters and enthusiasts say that records taken at DIA are skewed severely and Denver’s climate records are being inappropriately rewritten.  Watch for the first part of our exclusive on this story tomorrow.  

LEAST SNOWIEST FEBRUARY'S
(1882-2008)

T       2009
0.3   1970, 1992
0.5   2005     
0.6   1925, 1954
0.8   1983, 1991
1.0   1943     
1.1   1906, 1908
1.3   1999
1.5   1949
1.6   1957     
1.8   1982, 2000