The storm track has taken a turn to the N over the past few weeks producing a blizzard for the northern plains with snow for the northern Rockies. Even western CO has seen some rain and snow but areas E of the Continental Divide from Fort Collins to Denver have experienced minimal moisture at a time of year when we average measurable precipitation, roughly 1 out of 3 days in April and May. How dry has it been? Lets take a look…
At DIA the last date of measurable rain was on 3/29 with 0.17″ there was a “measurable” rain in April on 4/10, when 0.01″ of moisture was observed which is technically measurable but NOT meaningful. If some of the longer term weather models are right we will get some moisture to move in over the weekend which would take us through the 22nd of April. Normal April precipitation is 1.71″ using the 1981-2010 data. We will likely not make up 1.70″ of moisture over the final 7-8 days of the month but it is not unheard of. Going into April DIA was 1.24″ above normal with 2.89″ of moisture reported compared to 1.65″. The lack of moisture so far in April if we ended up dry would take DIA to near normal for the year to date. The lack of moisture when we typically receive at least a higher frequency of storms in tandem with breezy conditions on almost a daily basis has slowed the “green up” of the native grasses and has resulted in high fire danger for this time of year. It has not just been dry at DIA either here are some other April precipitation totals as of the 19th of the month.
Aurora – 0.02″
Berthoud – 0.13″
Boulder – 0.12″
Castle Rock – 0.03″
Colorado Springs – TR
Denver (Botanic Gardens) – 0.05″
Fort Collins – 0.10″
Lakewood – 0.18″
Pueblo – 0.40″
Colorado Springs has been equally as dry as the Denver area during the month of April as only a trace (TR) of moisture has been observed at the Colorado Springs municipal airport. Further south into Pueblo more moisture has been observed as a storm system impacted this portion of the state early in the month and produced some beneficial moisture. Hopefully the month will end with more active weather and meaningful moisture for the I-25 corridor! As I’ve always said… April snows bring May lawn mows! Let it rain, snow, whatever, we need some moisture.
Below are the monthly extremes for the month of April: https://www.weather.gov/bou/Denver_Monthly_Extremes
Denver’s MONTHLY TEMPERATURE, RAINFALL, AND SNOWFALL EXTREMES FOR APRIL
Top 20 Warmest April’s
(1872-Present)
| Rank | Avg | Year |
| 1 | 56.4 | 1981 |
| 2 | 56.3 | 1946 |
| 3 | 55.5 | 1930 |
| 4 | 55.3 | 1943 |
| 5 | 54.8 | 1992 |
| 6 | 53.8 | 1954 |
| 7 | 53.6 | 1881 |
| 8 9 | 53.3 53.3 | 2012 1888 |
| 10 | 53.2 | 1948 |
| 11 | 52.8 | 1925 |
| 12 13 | 52.2 52.2 | 1969 1910 |
| 14 | 51.8 | 1987 |
| 15 16 17 | 51.5 51.5 51.5 | 2006 1942 1915 |
| 18 | 51.4 | 1934 |
| 19 20 | 51.2 51.2 | 1965 1932 |
Top 20 Wettest April’s
(1872-Present)
| Rank | Avg | Year |
| 1 | 8.24 | 1900 |
| 2 | 5.86 | 1999 |
| 3 | 4.95 | 1905 |
| 4 | 4.94 | 1885 |
| 5 | 4.13 | 1957 |
| 6 | 4.09 | 1933 |
| 7 | 4.07 | 1935 |
| 8 | 4.01 | 1942 |
| 9 | 3.95 | 1967 |
| 10 | 3.75 | 1914 |
| 11 | 3.73 | 1973 |
| 12 | 3.67 | 1906 |
| 13 | 3.66 | 1915 |
| 14 | 3.65 | 1922 |
| 15 | 3.52 | 1972 |
| 16 | 3.33 | 1884 |
| 17 | 3.3 | 1894 |
| 18 | 3.22 | 2009 |
| 19 | 3.15 | 1944 |
| 20 | 3.1 | 1883 |
Top 20 Snowiest April’s
(1882-Present)
| Rank | Avg | Year |
| 1 | 33.8 | 1933 |
| 2 | 32 | 1885 |
| 3 | 28.3 | 1920 |
| 4 | 28.2 | 1945 |
| 5 | 25.5 | 1957 |
| 6 | 25.4 | 1909 |
| 7 | 25 | 1907 |
| 8 | 24.8 | 1973 |
| 9 | 23.3 | 1935 |
| 10 | 21 | 1922 |
| 11 | 20.4 | 2013 |
| 12 | 19.7 | 1999 |
| 13 | 19.6 | 1900 |
| 14 15 | 19.5 19.5 | 1944 1918 |
| 16 | 18 | 1884 |
| 17 | 17.8 | 1974 |
| 18 | 17.6 | 1959 |
| 19 | 17.2 | 1995 |
| 20 | 17.2 | 1972 |
Top 20 Coldest April’s
(1872-Present)
| Rank | Avg | Year |
| 1 | 38.8 | 1920 |
| 2 | 40.5 | 1997 |
| 3 | 41 | 1983 |
| 4 | 41.1 | 1873 |
| 5 | 41.4 | 1957 |
| 6 | 41.7 | 2013 |
| 7 | 42.2 | 1945 |
| 8 | 42.3 | 1984 |
| 9 | 42.5 | 1999 |
| 10 | 42.6 | 1918 |
| 11 | 42.8 | 1953 |
| 12 13 14 | 42.9 42.9 42.9 | 1995 1968 1884 |
| 15 16 17 18 | 43.2 43.2 43.2 43.2 | 1973 1944 1909 1874 |
| 19 | 43.7 | 1970 |
| 20 | 43.8 | 1951 |
Top 20 Driest April’s
(1872-Present)
| Rank | Avg | Year |
| 1 | 0.03 | 1963 |
| 2 | 0.05 | 1878 |
| 3 | 0.23 | 2002 |
| 4 | 0.31 | 1880 |
| 5 | 0.32 | 2008 |
| 6 | 0.33 | 1996 |
| 7 | 0.34 | 1982 |
| 8 | 0.39 | 1908 |
| 9 | 0.4 | 1925 |
| 10 | 0.48 | 1955 |
| 11 | 0.5 | 1881 |
| 12 | 0.53 | 1992 |
| 13 | 0.54 | 2020 |
| 14 15 16 | 0.6 0.6 0.6 | 1930 1923 1902 |
| 17 | 0.65 | 1988 |
| 18 | 0.67 | 2006 |
| 19 | 0.71 | 2000 |
| 20 | 0.72 0.72 | 1956 1936 |
Top 20 Least Snowiest April’s
(1882-Present)
| Rank | Avg | Year |
| 1 2 3 | 0 0 0 | 1992 1943 1930 |
| 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 | T T T T T T T T T | 2002 1969 1946 1925 1915 1910 1889 1888 1887 |
| 13 | 0.2 | 1963 |
| 14 15 | 0.3 0.3 | 2006 1965 |
| 16 17 | 0.5 0.5 | 2010 1896 |
| 18 | 0.8 | 1985 |
| 19 20 | 0.9 0.9 | 2007 1919 |
- Temperatures in degrees Fahrenheit.
- Precipitation and Snowfall amounts in inches.
- Average April Temperature is 47.8 degrees (from 1991-2020 DIA data).
- Average April Precipitation is 1.68 inches (from 1991-2020 DIA data).
- Average April Snowfall is 8.8 inches (from 1882-2020 Historical Record).
- Average April Snowfall is 6.7 inches (from 1991-2020 Stapleton data).
- Official Snowfall Observations, for DIA, didn’t start until the 2007-2008 snow season, so no 30 Year Average is available.
- Data collected at the Downtown City Office from 1872-December 1949, then at the Stapleton Airport Office from January 1950-February 1995, then at Denver International Airport from March 1995-Present.