What Could We Expect From an El Nino Winter in Colorado?

The seasons are changing. You can already feel it in the air in Northern Colorado. Soon enough the leaves will change, the temperatures will drop, and we will be experiencing winter yet again.

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In the past 66 years, Colorado has experienced eight strong El Nino periods. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is predicting a strong El Nino season for the winter months of 2023 and 2024. What does that mean for Colorado?

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The National Weather Service of Boulder tweeted out an interesting graph of the previous strong El Nino periods since 1950. Out of all eight of those strong El Nino periods, only one of these strong El Nino periods had below-average snowfall in the Denver Metro area.

Some of the most notable record snowfall amounts during these strong El Nino periods include the blizzard of 1982 that dropped more than 24 inches of snow on Denver on Christmas Eve. That strong El Nino period had a seasonal snowfall for 1982-1983 with a total of 81.6 inches for Denver. Another notable strong El Nino period was the winter months of 1972-1973 when 94.9 inches of snow was recorded during that season.

What Will Winter Look Like For Colorado in 2023-2024?

An El Nino is favored in the northern hemisphere for the upcoming winter months with chances exceeding 95 percent from December to February. As you know with the weather, it can be anyone's guess until the predicted weather event happens. We could get a lot of snow or we could get very little. Only Mother Nature knows for sure.

All you can do is be prepared for whatever is coming our way in the winter months in Northern Colorado. If you do not have a shovel, you should get one. The same goes for a snow brush/ice scraper for your vehicle. If you have the money to splurge and want to save your back, it would always be nice to have a snowblower.

When Colorado Cities Can Expect First Snow Fall of 2023

When can we expect the first snowfall in Colorado for the 2023-2024 season? According to the National Weather Service, the mean date for the first measurable snow in the state of Colorado is October 18th. Oddly, the actual first snows in the state rarely fall on that date.

Here's a look at a number of records for the earliest measurable snowfalls around Colorado. Information comes courtesy of the National Weather Service, Extreme Weather Watch, and 9News.