# Snow days in Colorado Springs

Source: https://calculatesnowday.com/states/colorado/colorado-springs

Colorado Springs gets less snow than Denver, but because it sits higher, the calculator treats much of it as a snowier place. Enter a school's ZIP code below to see the chance of a closure or late start from the latest National Weather Service forecast. The number is an estimate; the district makes the call.

By [Muhammad Shakeel](https://calculatesnowday.com/about#editor). Updated 3 November 2026 for the 2026-27 school year. District plans change; check the district's own page.

## Snow in Colorado Springs

Colorado Springs averages 32.5 inches of snow a year (1991-2020 normal, [NWS Pueblo](https://weather.gov/pub/climateCosDailyNormalsRecords)), less than Denver. Upslope storms can still bury the area: in November 2024, 24 to 36 inches fell across the southern foothills, the Palmer Divide and the plains to the east ([NWS Boulder](https://www.weather.gov/bou/HistoricSnowfallNovember2024)).

## How Colorado Springs schools announce closures

Several districts serve the city. Colorado Springs School District 11 may choose a delayed start, a remote learning day, a full closure or a normal day, announced through its alert system and local TV ([District 11](https://north.d11.org/aboutus/inclement-weather-info)). Academy District 20 sends closure and delay notices by email and text no later than 5:30 am. Its first five weather closures are traditional snow days; after that, middle and high schools switch to live eLearning that starts two hours late ([Academy District 20](https://asd20.org/alerts-and-communication/weather-related-communication)).

## Reading the estimate in Colorado Springs

Level 3 of 4: Snow every winter

For a suburban public school in Colorado, any one of these gives the model about an even chance of a closure on its own:

- **5 in** of snow from 6 pm to 8 am (snow between 4 and 8 am counts extra)
- **0.1 in** of ice from freezing rain, from the evening before to the end of the school day
- a wind chill of **-20°F** between midnight and 8 am

Above 1,800 m (about 5,900 ft), the forecast point moves up to **level 4, snow belt: schools are well prepared**: about 7.5 in of snow, 0.15 in of ice or a wind chill of -30°F for the same even chance.

Places whose forecast grid point is above 1,800 m (about 5,900 ft) move up one level. These are model assumptions, not district rules. [How the snow levels work](https://calculatesnowday.com/how-it-works#snow-levels).

This is where the model's elevation rule matters most. Colorado Springs Airport sits at 6,187 ft ([AirNav, FAA data](https://www.airnav.com/airport/KCOS)), above the 1,800 m (about 5,900 ft) cutoff, so much of the city is likely to be treated as snow-belt level and needs more snow for the same estimate, even though it averages less snow than Denver. The result panel names the level used for each search.

## Questions and answers

### Why can the estimate be lower in Colorado Springs than in Denver for the same storm?

Places whose forecast grid point is above 1,800 m (about 5,900 ft) move up one snow level in the model, which raises the amount of snow needed. Much of Colorado Springs is above that line; most of Denver is not. [How the snow levels work](https://calculatesnowday.com/how-it-works#snow-levels).

### How much snow does Colorado Springs get?

About 32.5 inches in a normal year, based on 1991-2020 ([NWS Pueblo](https://weather.gov/pub/climateCosDailyNormalsRecords)).

### Is the Colorado Springs snow day estimate an official closure notice?

No. It is an estimate from the National Weather Service forecast. Only the school district can close schools, so check its announcement before changing your plans. [How accurate the estimate is](https://calculatesnowday.com/how-it-works#accuracy).

More about [snow days in Colorado](https://calculatesnowday.com/states/colorado), including [Denver](https://calculatesnowday.com/states/colorado/denver). For what closes schools anywhere, read [how much snow it takes](https://calculatesnowday.com/guides/how-much-snow-to-cancel-school) and [how cold it has to be](https://calculatesnowday.com/guides/how-cold-to-cancel-school).