When will it start snowing? (Denver, Craig: home, live, statistics)

[new2colo]

I have always heard that the first snow in Colorado usually occurs super early and ahead of most of the rest of the country. My neighbors told me that it actually snowed on the last day of summer last year.

It's the end of September and the temperature was in mid-90s two days ago! That's about normal for my old home of Las Vegas this time of year! From extended forecasts it look as if temperatures are supposed to remain in the upper 70s - low 80s range for the next week. Even the highest mountains barely have snow on them. Snow levels from the little bit of moisture we had today were still at 10,500+ feet.

When will it start actually snowing in the Front Range cities? Can I expect to see snow by Columbus Day? Halloween? Thanksgiving? I've never lived in a place with regular snow before, so please forgive my excitement.

[Katarina Witt]

Supposed to snow in the mtns above 11,000 ft. tonight. There is an "urban legend" in Denver that it always snows on Halloween. Like all such legends, there's a grain of truth in it. This link is dated, but still gives the essence of Halloween weather.

Denver Halloween Snow Statistics

[wanneroo]

There have been plenty of times I remember Denver has gotten hammered with a snowstorm the 3rd week of September. Not a yearly thing but it happens. It's happened in May as well with some big storms in April.

There is no guarantee of anything with weather in Colorado. I'd say Denver's heaviest snowfalls are in March and April when you get updraft storms coming out of the east/southeast.

In the mountains, the earliest heavy snowfall I ever experienced was Sept 6 or 8, 2000. That was about 8 inches. But I have been snowed on every month in Colorado at some point.

[Josseppie]

On the front range the first snow is usually around Halloween but it can be earlier.

[downtownnola]

According to the National Weather Service, Denver's average date of first snow is October 19. Of course that can vary, but in the 6 years I've lived here that sounds about right to me.

[choosing78]

We had a big snowfall last year mid-late october but I think that was all we had until xmas eve.

[jazzlover]

Once again, climatic ignorance rears its head. Here's the deal--Colorado is a high altitude state with diverse topography in an inland location far from moisture sources. As such, its climatic patterns vary substantially from year-to-year and weather behavior varies greatly from day-to-day. So, we could get snow on Labor Day one year, and not until Thanksgiving in the next. We could have serious flooding one year and be locked in drought the next. Or there could be a serious drought in one part of the state, while another is suffering flooding. The operative words are "extreme variation."

That is why is foolish for anyone to base their beliefs about Colorado climate and weather on a statement from anyone who has lived in the state for a short time. Period. Those people simply have seen a snippet of what climate and/or weather behavior in the state is. Now, talk to someone who has spent many decades here and you may get a better insight about what the climate here is really all about. I always advocate researching the climatic averages for any given climatic location in Colorado to give you an idea what the climate is like, but remember they are just averages. Averages are just that. Stick your head in a 200° Dutch oven on a 0° day outside and your average temperature may be 100°, but you ain't going to find it a comfortable place to be. So, one needs to look at the climatic records for the extremes as well. As an example, I will use Craig. It gets fairly cold there in winter on average, and gets moderately warm in summer, but look at the extremes: highest temperature recorded is 100°; the lowest is -43°--yes, that is a minus sign. 143 degrees differences in the extremes. Pretty radical.

So, to answer the question "When will it snow?" When it does.

[Katarina Witt]

Originally Posted by jazzlover

Once again, climatic ignorance rears its head. Here's the deal--Colorado is a high altitude state with diverse topography in an inland location far from moisture sources. As such, its climatic patterns vary substantially from year-to-year and weather behavior varies greatly from day-to-day. So, we could get snow on Labor Day one year, and not until Thanksgiving in the next. We could have serious flooding one year and be locked in drought the next. Or there could be a serious drought in one part of the state, while another is suffering flooding. The operative words are "extreme variation."

That is why is foolish for anyone to base their beliefs about Colorado climate and weather on a statement from anyone who has lived in the state for a short time. Period. Those people simply have seen a snippet of what climate and/or weather behavior in the state is. Now, talk to someone who has spent many decades here and you may get a better insight about what the climate here is really all about. I always advocate researching the climatic averages for any given climatic location in Colorado to give you an idea what the climate is like, but remember they are just averages. Averages are just that. Stick your head in a 200° Dutch oven on a 0° day outside and your average temperature may be 100°, but you ain't going to find it a comfortable place to be. So, one needs to look at the climatic records for the extremes as well. As an example, I will use Craig. It gets fairly cold there in winter on average, and gets moderately warm in summer, but look at the extremes: highest temperature recorded is 100°; the lowest is -43°--yes, that is a minus sign. 143 degrees differences in the extremes. Pretty radical.

So, to answer the question "When will it snow?" When it does.

Is three decades enough to be considered somewhat knowledgable, jazz?

[Ziasforever]

Snow fall might be paltry this winter as most meteorologists are predicting a warm, dry winter for the Southwest due to the La Nina pattern. The La Nina brewing this year has vamped up a lost faster than most others that have been recorded.

[jazzlover]

Originally Posted by Katiana

Is three decades enough to be considered somewhat knowledgable, jazz?

Much better than two years and worse than 50 . . .