Thanksgiving 2025 arrived on the mild side for Denver, continuing a trend of relatively quiet late-November holidays. The official high on Thursday, November 27, was 56°F, with a morning low of 18°F. That puts this year’s holiday slightly warmer than normal during the afternoon and a bit colder than normal at sunrise. For Denver—where Thanksgiving has produced everything from 70s warmth to subzero cold—2025 landed near the middle of the pack.
Then, just two days later, Denver finally logged its first measurable snow of the season on Saturday morning (11/29/25). By our local standards, that is late. The city usually sees measurable snow by mid-October, and even in very slow years, it typically arrives by early November. This year’s delayed start made the post-Thanksgiving flakes feel especially seasonal.
Below is a look at how Thanksgiving 2025 stacks up in the long historical record—and how this quiet, dry holiday compares with some of Denver’s wild Novembers.
How Thanksgiving 2025 Compares Historically
Temperatures
Denver’s Thanksgiving Day averages:
- Average high: 48.6°F
- Average low: 23.7°F
2025 vs. average:
- High 56°F: about 8 degrees above normal
- Low 18°F: about 6 degrees below normal
This combination—warm afternoon, cold morning—is not unusual for late November, especially under clear skies.
In context, 2025 wasn’t close to either extreme:
- Warmest Thanksgiving: 73°F in 1909
- Coldest low: –18°F in 1877
- Lowest max: –1°F in 1919
Compared to recent years, 2025 was warmer than 2023 and 2020, but far from the warmth of 2017 (72°F) or 2011 (69°F).
Precipitation
Thanksgiving 2025 recorded 0.00″ of precipitation, continuing Denver’s strong tendency toward dry holidays.
Historical data shows:
- Historical chance of any precipitation: 18%
- Wettest Thanksgiving: 0.44″ in 1928
- Snowiest Thanksgiving: 8.5″ in 1928
This year added to the long list of dry Thanksgivings. In the past century and a half, many years have logged zero moisture on the holiday.
Snow on Thanksgiving
The last time Denver saw measurable snow on Thanksgiving was 2015, when 1.0″ fell and the high was only 25°F.
Thanksgiving snows are uncommon:
- Only about a dozen years have recorded measurable snow since the late 1800s.
- Most of Denver’s snowiest Thanksgivings came in the mid-20th century, especially 1928 and 1958.
Not only did 2025 stay snow-free, it occurred during a November with no measurable snow at all until two days later.
A Very Late First Snow
Denver’s first measurable snow on November 29 puts this year among the latest arrivals on record. Many years see their first inch before Halloween. Some recent early-season snows:
- 2019: 7″ already on the ground by Thanksgiving
- 2020: measurable snow by early September (!)
- 2022: a couple inches before Thanksgiving
The complete absence of measurable snow from September 1 through Thanksgiving this year stands out. Some years (such as 1888, 1934, 2015) have also held off on snow into late November, but it’s rare.
The dry stretch is reflected in November’s climate totals:
- November precipitation through the 27th: just 0.08″ (far below the 0.59″ normal)
- Snowfall: 0.0″ through Thanksgiving
That makes yesterday morning’s snow feel like the long-awaited flip into winter mode.
Thanksgiving Through the Decades: A Few Historical Highlights
Using Denver’s record (1872–present), here’s where 2025 fits in the bigger story:
Warm Thanksgivings
Denver has seen ten Thanksgiving highs in the upper 60s to low 70s, most recently in 2017 and 1998. This year’s high of 56°F doesn’t approach those records but does land in the upper warm tier.
Cold Snaps
Some years have delivered true arctic air. The stretch from 1917 to 1958 produced several bitterly cold and snowy holidays, including:
- 1919 with a high of –1°F
- 1952 with a low of –5°F
- 1958 with nearly 5″ of snow
2025 is far removed from those extremes.
Thanksgiving Snowstorms
Major snow events are rare but memorable:
- 1928 remains the standout with 8.5″ of snow and 0.44″ of liquid—still the record for both wettest and snowiest Thanksgiving.
- 1987 produced 5.0″ and widespread travel impacts.
- 1958 dropped another 4.8″.
Notably, all the major snow years cluster in late-November dates (usually when Thanksgiving falls on the 27th–29th). In contrast, 2025 (11/27) went the opposite direction with sun, dry air, and a calm weather pattern.
Summary: Calm Holiday, Quick Flip to Winter
Thanksgiving 2025 delivered:
- A warmer-than-normal afternoon
- A colder-than-normal morning
- Completely dry conditions
- No measurable snow until the following Saturday
Compared to Denver’s long climate history, this year’s holiday sits firmly in the “quiet” category—pleasant temperatures, no travel-impacting weather, and a break from the dramatic swings Denver Thanksgivings can bring.
But with the first measurable snow finally arriving on November 29, the seasonal shift is underway. After a warm, dry November and a snowless Thanksgiving, winter has finally made its opening statement.