Eleventh annual First Snowfall Prediction Contest starts today!
Afternoon highs in the 80s and overnight lows near 50°F have anyone else thinking snow? Just me? Well, if this crisp autumn air isn't getting you in the mood, hopefully this post will.
We're now less than 4 weeks from the date of Denver's average first snowfall, October 18th. And, while the last two years have featured later than average first snows in the city, as recently as 2020 Denver's first measurable snow came more than a month early (September 8th that year). All this to say, anything can happen... and it's time for you all to do some forecasting for us and tell us when you think the first snow of the season will arrive this year.
It's hard to believe this is the 11th year we've run this contest. We've offered many different prizes over the years, from lift tickets to Airbnb gift cards. This year we'll be sticking with the most popular prize of all: Weather5280 merchandise! Better yet, this year's giveaway will be 15 year anniversary shirts!
Like years past, the only requirement for entering the contest is agreeing to join our mailing list (it's free! we won't share your email!). We of course hope that you will also consider becoming a Weather5280 Insider if you are not one already, to help support Weather5280 for another season, but this will not be required for entry.
Enter the contest
The contest will run from today, September 22nd to October 10th, weather permitting. Tie breaker goes to the earlier entry, so don't snooze on placing your guess! At the same time, waiting for the hint of cold in the forecast may help you're accuracy as well. Tough choices on your plate today!
To enter the contest, click here (or the link below) and fill out the simple form with your entry for this year.
As you know, we enter this season with the backdrop of a strengthening El Niño. Denver has seen some pretty good early season snows during El Niño winters in the past, will that be the case again this year?
This map from climatologist Brian Brettscheider shows that historical odds do favor above average snowfall during moderate to strong El Niño along the Front Range, and a strong start to the season of course greatly helps those odds, but no snow is looking imminent in the short-range!
