November is beginning with temperatures in the 70s in Denver — but snow is lurking, especially in the mountains.
The National Weather Service has issued a winter storm watch for the far western part of the state, with 4 to 8 inches of snow possible above 9,500 feet in the Flat Tops, San Juan and West Elk mountains, as well as over the Grand Mesa. The snow levels drop to about 7,500 feet in that area on Sunday night.
A bit closer to home, the NWS has issued a hazardous weather outlook for parts of central, east central and south central Colorado. The area covers most of the mountains and stretches out to include Colorado Springs on the Front Range.
This advisory calls for snow above 10,000 feet and showers sperading eastward throughout Saturday. Wind gusts could reach 50 mph at higher elevations. Ths snow will continue at higher elevations, including the eastern mountrains and northern El Paso County through Monday night
In Denver itself, Sunday won’t be as warm as Saturday, with a high in the 60s before temperatures start to really drop Sunday evening
The forecast does not currently call for snow accumulation in Denver, but there is a chance for a rain-snow mix in Denver on Monday morning and it is possible the city will get its first official snow of the season.
The average date for the first snow in Denver is Oct. 19, so we are a little late. The latest first snow in Denver was Nov. 21, 1934. The biggest November storm came Nov. 2-4, 1946, when more than 30 inches of snow fell. That was the third-biggest snowfall in the city’s history, according to the NWS.
The official definition of “measureable snowfall” is 1/10th of an inch and to be official in Denver it needs to be recorded at Denver International Airport.
Meanwhile, however, Denver’s high on Saturday is expected to reach the low to mid 70s under sunny skies. The average high for the first day of November is 59 and the record high is 78 degrees.
