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First Snow Of 2016 Sends Denver Over Two Foot Mark For Season

By Chris Spears

DENVER (CBS4) - The first measurable flakes of 2016 started falling in Denver on Thursday, and as of 5:20 a.m. Friday there was 2.6" of new snow at Denver International Airport.

Denver Snow 2
(credit: CBS)

That pushed the season-to-date snow total over two feet for the 2015-2016 season.

Since November 5, Denver's official weather station has measured 25.2" of snow.

Copter4 Over Snow-Covered Metro Area
(credit: CBS)

DENVER SNOW STATS

Note: The averages listed below are the 30-year averages from 1981-2010 taken from the National Weather Service in Boulder.

September - 1.3" average, 0" in 2015
October - 4" average, 0" in 2015
November - 8.7" average, 11.3" in 2015
December - 8.5" average, 11.3" in 2015
January - 7" average, 2.6" as of the 8th

A snowstorm that started late on Jan 31 and surprised many who woke up on Feb. 1 dropped varying amounts of snow across the Denver area
Flash, a basset mix, enjoys the snow. (credit: Mark Neitro)

During El Niño winters the weather pattern can be snowy for Denver and the Front Range during the January-March time frame.

With the current episode of El Niño tied for the strongest on record, there's a chance the above-normal trend for snowfall will continue in the Mile High City.

February - 5.7" average
March - 10.7" average
April - 6.8" average
May - 1.1" average

Meteorologist Chris Spears writes about stories related to weather and climate in Colorado. Check out his bio, connect with him on Facebook or follow him on Twitter @ChrisCBS4.

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