Denver has officially passed the benchmark for its fifth-latest first snow on record, and the chances for snowfall this week remain slim, according to the National Weather Service.
With no snow expected Monday or Wednesday, which hold the titles for fourth-latest and third-latest first snowfalls in Denver, the city is expected to jump even higher on the latest first snow list this year, weather service forecasters said.
The city’s dry streak is expected to end this week, with up to half an inch of rain forecast to fall between noon Thursday and 6 p.m. Friday, according to the weather service.
That rain could turn to or mix with snow Thursday night and Friday morning, if the conditions are right, forecasters said.
The greatest chance for snow will be between 5 a.m. and 10 a.m. on Friday, according to hourly forecasts from the weather service. But temperatures are expected to stay above freezing at that time, so any flakes that do fall likely won’t stick.
In order for snow to count as Denver’s first snowfall of the season, at least 0.1 inches must accumulate on the ground, weather service officials said.
During the period with the strongest possibility of snow, the overall chance for precipitation — which includes rain and snow — in Denver will hover at 35%, according to the weather service.
If Denver doesn’t see its first snowfall of the season on Friday, it will officially be the city’s second-latest on record.
Denver’s latest-ever first snow was recorded on Dec. 10, 2021, according to the weather service. It’s unclear if Denver will pass that record this year. On average, the city sees its first snow by Oct. 18.
The last time Denver recorded measurable snow this year was on April 18, according to the weather service. By Friday, it will have been 217 days without snow — the sixth-longest snowless stretch recorded in the city.
According to the weather service, the top five snowless stretches include:
- 232 days in 2021, from April 22 to Dec. 10;
- 232 days in 1887, from March 5 to Oct. 23;
- 225 days in 1888, from March 27 to Nov. 7;
- 220 days in 1889, from March 23 to Oct. 29;
- And 219 days in 1886, from April 5 to Nov. 10.
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