Colorado ยท season guide
Sledding season in Denver
NOAA's 1991 to 2020 climate normals for the Denver-Stapleton weather station, about 8 miles from the middle of our Denver 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 Denver at 43 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 Boulder, the nearest metro on our list (49 inches).
Boulder uses the same weather station on this site, so the snow numbers match. The hills don't.
All 10 hills we list here come from local sources rather than the park or city.
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
1 hill on our Denver list has lights according to the cited source. Light schedules change, so check the source page before a night trip.
Local rules
We didn't find a city-wide sledding rule for Denver in the sources we checked. Individual parks may post their own signs, and those win.
Short answers
When does it usually start snowing in Denver?
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 Denver 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 Denver?
Yes. 1 hill on our list has lights per the cited source: Ruby Hill Park.
Updated