DENVER – An epic, slow-moving five-day snowstorm in November will likely go down in the Colorado weather record books when it passes this weekend.

It’s worth noting that snow in November is not uncommon in Colorado. In fact, this was actually one leave first measurable snow for Denver, which usually happens in mid-October.

But because of the long-lasting nature of this storm, it will likely be the largest the Denver metro has experienced in November in nearly three decades. The last major November storm was a two-day event on November 13 and 14, 1994. Officially, Stapleton Airport accumulated 12 inches (30.5 cm) of snow, with a total of 6.5 inches (16.9 cm) of snow falling that month.

Following Denver’s second warmest October on record, this extended winter storm is certainly a shock to the system! When it’s all said and done, Denver will see five straight days of measurable snowfall with this storm. The last time we saw these types of extended November storms was in 1991. From November 14 to 19, the city picked up 24 inches of snow.

As this storm moved south from the Pacific Northwest on Monday, it became a closed area of ​​low pressure. What does that mean? It was dismantled from the jet stream, so it’s on its own agenda, so to speak. It can sit and turn and wander slowly through the region. Now that it’s in northern New Mexico, it’s perfectly positioned (with the help of moisture from the Gulf) to bring massive amounts of snowfall to parts of the Front Range and Plains.

Let’s rewind first

The first snowfall started around 5 p.m. on election night and didn’t end until Thursday afternoon. Denver International Airport saw near-consecutive snowfall for 38 of the 48 hours. And we’re not done yet! The next round of heavy (and steady) snow rolls in on Friday morning and lasts until Saturday afternoon.

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So far, the airport has had 9.5 inches of snow, the first official snowfall of the season. This is just a taste of what’s to come. We can easily double that amount by Saturday!

The most impressive snowfall totals occurred in Lincoln, Elbert and Washington counties, where between 4 and 8 inches of snow had already fallen as of Thursday evening. With the Northeast closed all day Friday, more snow could fall in that area, especially along the Palmer Divide.

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A winter storm warning is in effect for the Denver metro and southeastern suburbs, along with the Eastern Plains, from 5 a.m. Friday through Saturday afternoon. The heaviest numbers will occur along Interstate 70 near Limon, Hugo, Agate, Punkin Center and Karval, with another 12 to 20 inches of new snow expected by Saturday.

Another 6 to 12 inches of new snow is expected to fall in the immediate Denver metro area. Castle Rock, Highlands Ranch, Kiowa, Parker and Elizabeth will receive another 7 to 14 inches of new snow. Fort Collins and Greeley will see very light snowfall from this storm.

Now let’s look ahead

What does the huge storm at the beginning of November mean for the coming winter? Can we expect a heavy snow season?

We posed that question to Greg Heavener, a warning coordination meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Boulder. He told us it’s hard to predict.

It will depend on the duration of La Niña conditions that forecasters expect for this winter, Heavener said. During a La Niña event, the jet stream is pushed north and can leave much of Colorado with below-average snowfall.

But a brief La Niña could mean more snow for Colorado.

“If the La Niña only lasted a few weeks, we could see repeated rounds of this really, really cold air coming in from the north, combining with moisture from the Gulf of Mexico to give us these winter storms,” Heavener said.

So the jury is still out on whether we will see more snowstorms like this first week of November. In the meantime, bundle up, enjoy the snow days, and avoid the roads if you can!

The big melt starts on Sunday!

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