Colorado ยท season guide
Sledding season in Boulder
NOAA's 1991 to 2020 climate normals for the Denver-Stapleton weather station, about 27 miles from the middle of our Boulder hill list show October as the first month that averages an inch of snow or more (3.9 inches). The normals are monthly averages, so they can't give a first-snow date. Some years come early, some late.
October snow is part of the record here: the normal for that month is 3.9 inches.
Unusually, March (8.8 inches) averages more snow than December (6.6 inches), so the season runs late.
Across a normal year the station records about 49 inches of snow. That puts Boulder at 44 of 98 metros on this site, ranked from snowiest down.
Snow doesn't sit around long, though. Only about 42 days a year have an inch or more on the ground, which is low for this much snowfall. Go soon after a storm.
That's close to Denver, the nearest metro on our list (49 inches).
Denver uses the same weather station on this site, so the snow numbers match. The hills don't.
3 of the 4 hills we list here come from a city, county or park district page.
Month by month
| Month | Average snowfall | Days with 1 inch or more of new snow | Days with 1 inch or more on the ground |
|---|---|---|---|
| October | 3.9 inches | 1.2 | 1.5 |
| November | 7.3 inches | 2.5 | 5.4 |
| December | 6.6 inches | 2.3 | 10.0 |
| January | 6.4 inches | 2.3 | 10.0 |
| February | 7.6 inches | 2.5 | 9.3 |
| March | 8.8 inches | 2.3 | 3.9 |
| April | 6.2 inches | 2.1 | 2.0 |
Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, station USW00023062. "Not stated by source" means NOAA publishes no value for that station.
Lit hills
None of the sources we used for Boulder mention lights on a sledding hill. Plan on daylight, and see our national lit hills list if you're travelling.
Local rules
- City rules say sledding on city property is only allowed where designated and posted. Source
Short answers
When does it usually start snowing in Boulder?
In NOAA's 1991 to 2020 normals for the Denver-Stapleton station, October is the first month averaging an inch of snow or more. The normals are monthly averages, not a date.
How much snow does Boulder get in a year?
About 49 inches a year at the Denver-Stapleton station, per NOAA's 1991 to 2020 normals.
Are there lit sledding hills in Boulder?
None of the sources we used mention lights. Plan on daylight.
Updated