DENVER — Sunday marked Denver's average last measurable snowfall date, but May (and even early June) snowfall is far from unheard of this time of year.
So, are we done with snow yet for the season? The quick answer is we've probably got another chance or two left in the season, but there's a decent chance that Saturday's slushy snow across the metro area was the last accumulating snow event of the season.
Denver's average last measurable snow is on April 28, but we've had two notable late season snows in recent years that many of you will probably remember. In May 2019 and May 2022, the Denver area saw notable three-inch-plus snowstorms, both of which came during the back half of May.
But, Denver's only had measurable May snowfall in five of the last 11 years. Denver's latest measurable snow on record came on June 2, 1951.
There's been a general downward tick in April and May snowfall in recent years, particularly in April. April is, on a long-term average basis, the second-snowiest month of the year in Denver. That number has been slashed considerably in recent years, though, according to fellow 9NEWS Meteorologist Cory Reppenhagen.
Denver's average last freeze is on May 5.
But if you're hoping to turn on those sprinklers for the rest of the spring and summer, chances are that you're probably OK. Pipes usually won't freeze if the temperature drops into the low 30s or even if they nick the upper 20s for a few hours. If temperatures do drop down to freezing or below, cover up your backflow preventer to make sure that water within it doesn't freeze.
The chances for a hard freeze - defined as temperatures below 28° - are quite low at this point in the season. Denver's average last hard freeze is on April 21, though we haven't had one after May 10 since 2005. In other words, it's pretty tough (though not impossible) to get a hard freeze this late into spring.
With virtually no chance for a hard freeze in the 7-day forecast (and low odds for a regular freeze, defined as temperatures at or below 32°), we'll very likely to enter the second week of May without any freeze or hard freeze issues.
If you want to be safe about it, you could wait another week or two and check the forecast then. But for most of the Denver area, it's unlikely we'll have another hard freeze again this season, and that means you're probably safe to turn on those sprinklers for the season.
So while you might not be able to put away the snow shovels quite yet, you can fairly safely turn on your sprinklers.
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