Colorado Snow Season Rapidly Ending

DENVER (CBS4) - As temperatures soar well into the 80s along the Front Range this week, the chance for additional snow in Denver this season seems unlikely.

Snow in May is hit or miss in the first place. In the last 10 years, Denver has experienced snow in May 5 times including last week when the city officially reported 0.2" of snow at DIA on May 9. Many other locations in the metro area reported 1-2 inches almost entirely on the grass.

If last weeks' snow is in fact the final of the season for the Denver area, we'll end the season with an official total of 44.4 inches as measured at DIA. That is about a foot below our seasonal average of 57.1 inches. 2018-2019 becomes the third consecutive season with below normal snowfall at DIA. And it's not just the airport. A snow measurement site in Denver's Stapleton airport measured only 42.1 inches this season or about 15 inches below normal for that site.

A quick glance monthly snowfall in Denver since October shows it was largely the beginning of the season responsible for our below normal snowfall.

2018-2019 Monthly Snowfall At DIA
October: 3.2" (1.0" below normal)
November: 4.5" (3.0" below normal)
December: 0.5" (7.6" below normal)
January: 6.2 (0.4" below normal)
February: 13.4" (5.7" above normal)
March: 12.9" (1.5" above normal)
April: 3.5" (5.4" below normal)
May: 0.2" (1.5 below normal)

Meanwhile it was a huge snow season in the mountains with far above normal snowpack and higher than normal snowfall at most of Colorado's ski resorts. As of May 14 Breckenridge has seen 441 inches of snow this season which is 75 inches above normal and stunning 170 inches more than the 2017-2018 season.

It was just as impressive at Loveland ski area.