DENVER – Denver could see its first measurable snow of the season by early Friday morning as rain showers switch to snow by Thursday evening, according to the National Weather Service in Boulder.
Between one-to-two inches of snow are likely for the Denver area as rain-to-snow mix develops in the afternoon, changing to snow by early evening. Temperatures are expected to be steady in the upper 30s to mid-40s across much of the area Thursday, with drops in temperature occurring late in the afternoon.
The valleys and Foothills can expect to see between three-to-six inches of snow, while the plains will get between one-to-three inches, the NWS said in a tweet early Thursday morning.
The biggest impact from this cold front will happen in the mountains, where light snow has already begun before it switches over to heavier snowfall by the afternoon and evening.
A Winter Storm Warning is in effect for the northern Sangre de Cristo mountains above 11,000 feet until midnight with ten to 20 inches of snow likely for those areas. A Winter Weather Advisory is in effect until 6 a.m. Friday for Rabbit Ears Pass, Rocky Mountain National Park and the Medicine Bow Range, as well as Summit County, the Mosquito Range and the Indian Peaks, according to the NWS. Six-to-ten inches of snow is possible for the mountains of central and northern Colorado, Denver7 meteorologist Lisa Hidalgo said.
NWS officials warn drivers that roads will be slick and hazardous on the passes Thursday morning, with conditions worsening for valley roads by midday and for the Foothills once the afternoon hours roll around. Travel could be difficult at times through Thursday evening, they said.
In their forecast discussion Thursday morning, NWS officials said they’re monitoring three potential scenarios that could bring periods of moderate to briefly heavy snowfall, which could affect areas from Boulder and Greeley northward, west and southwest of Denver, and south and southeast of Denver.
“Bottom line--little change to the forecast for the I-25 corridor, but there remains a wider spread in the snow forecast due to the above uncertainties plus the exact rain/snow changeover time,” forecasters wrote. “Everyone should get a little accumulation, and it should be warm enough for little impact during Denver`s rush hour. But some could get 2-4 inches instead of the 1-2 that we`re advertising for most.”
Snow will move south and diminish after midnight, though some very light snow may continue until around sunrise, they said. Skies will clear by Friday afternoon.
Although the most recent snowstorm dumped a lot of snow in the mountains and an inch or two over parts of the I-25 Corridor, it did not bring any measurable snow to DIA, where the official snowfall reading is taken for Denver.
The average date for the first official snow (at least one tenth of an inch) is Oct. 18. Last year, the first official snowfall was not until Dec. 10 — the latest on record since 1882. In 2020, the first snowfall was on Sept. 8. The earliest snowfall was Sept. 3, 1961.
The weekend will be dry and milder again, with highs back into the low 60s Saturday in Denver and the upper 50s on Sunday.
