DU Ready for First Snow

With the unseasonably warm weather in Denver this fall, it’s the one thing many of us are wondering about: When will we see our first snow?

The truth is, this fall’s mild weather is not all that rare. Michael Keables, chair and associate professor in the Department of Geography and the Environment, says the average date for snowfall in Denver is Oct. 18.

“In the last 10 years, 40 percent of the first snowfalls occurred during the month of November,” Keables says. To date, the latest first snowfall for Denver occurred on Nov. 21, 1934.

No matter when the first snow comes, DU is ready. Campus Life and Inclusive Excellence plan to host “DU First Snow.” On the first weekday that the snow measures at least one inch on campus, students, faculty and staff are invited to celebrate at the “Snow Zone” on Driscoll Green. The wintery festivities will include a fire pit and free hot cocoa and coffee. The first 500 students will get a DU first snow scarf.

It’s still too soon to predict if our latest first snowfall record is in jeopardy, but if you like the warm and dry weather, you are in luck. “Right now, the long-range seasonal forecast models predict milder temperatures and normal precipitation in Denver for both winter and spring,” Keables says.