A summer snowfall was recorded in Denver, Colorado, on May 18, 2022, prompting questions about its rarity. The National Weather Service (NWS) advises that snowfall drops off dramatically as you go further east and northeast of higher terrain.
But with an eye on her garden, it also prompted this question from Roxane in Capitol Hill: “I hear it’s predicted to snow on May 18.
What’s the latest snow ever recorded in Denver city limits? ”stationed in Denver recorded a very rare summer snowfall in his journal: Rain began at 1:30 a.m., he wrote, and changed to snow around 3 a.m. for about 30 minutes before changing back to rain. That occurence didn’t land in Denver’s official snowfall records, however, because the National Weather Service didn’t begin taking records until January 1, 1882, almost six years after Colorado became a state.
While snow in July would be one for the books, snow on May 18 wouldn’t even rank in the top 10 of late snowfalls. According to the, the latest on record is .03 inches on June 2, 1951. But on June 29, 1975, Denver saw a whopping 5.6 inches. And more recently, on May 22, 2022, Denver registered .5 inches.
Even if Denver doesn’t see snow this week, it won’t be long before we do again. While the average date of the first measurable snowfall in town is October 18, on September 3, 1961, Denver registered 4.2 inches.
, at Stapleton Airport , and at Denver International Airport , where four measurements are taken a day.
“As you can see,” the NWS advises, “the current official observation at DIA has moved several miles to the east and northeast of the previous two locations. In general, as you go the further east and northeast of the higher terrain, seasonal snowfall drops off dramatically.
For example, the western and southwestern suburbs of Denver average between 65″ to 70″ per season while areas in and near DIA are around 47″. ”So people on the southwestern side of Denver may see snow even if none lands at the airport…or in official records. would be in effect from late that day until 6 p.m. Monday, May 18, for Colorado’s mountains, with up to a foot of snow predicted.
The NWS also issued a Freeze Watch that runs from late Monday, May 18, through early Tuesday, May 19, with temperatures as low as 30 along “the I-25 Urban Corridor and all of the plains of northweat Colorado. ” Even if Denver dodges a snowball this round, there will still be another two weeks before the date of the latest spring snowfall, so keep those garden covers at the ready, Roxane. No paywall. Always accessible.
We’re always watching out for you and our community — but we need your help to keep us going strong. Help keep Westword free and in print every week. , the alt-weekly she co-founded in September 1977. She’s been inducted into the Colorado Press Association Hall of Fame, the Association of Alternative Newsmedia Hall of Fame and the Colorado Restaurant Association Hall of Fame.
She’s also received dozens of local, state and national awards for writing, including first place for feature writing and first place for column writing with the Society of Professional Journalists. Patricia is a weekly commentator on
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