# Snow days in Denver Source: https://calculatesnowday.com/states/colorado/denver Denver's snow comes in upslope storms that can drop far more in the foothills than in the city, and Denver Public Schools aims to decide by 5 am. 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 Denver NWS Boulder lists Denver's 1991-2020 average seasonal snowfall as 49 inches, but says the figure is probably too low and the true average is closer to 56 inches; official measurements moved to Denver International Airport in 2007 ([NWS Boulder](https://www.weather.gov/bou/SeasonalSnowfall)). Totals vary a lot across the metro: in March 2024, at least two feet fell above 6,000 ft in the foothills while the airport measured 5.7 inches ([NWS Boulder](https://www.weather.gov/bou/March13_15_2024FrontRangeSnowstorm)). ## How Denver schools announce closures Denver Public Schools aims to make closure or delay calls by 5 am ([DPS weather](https://www.dpsk12.org/weather/)). On a weather delay, schools start two hours late and buses run two hours later than usual ([DPS](https://www.dpsk12.org/o/centennial/page/winter-weather-delays)). ## Reading the estimate in Denver 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). Denver sits at 5,280 ft ([Colorado State Capitol](https://capitol.colorado.gov/history-capitol)), below the model's 1,800 m (about 5,900 ft) cutoff, so most of the city uses Colorado's level. Foothill and mountain ZIP codes to the west can be above the cutoff and move up a level. ## Questions and answers ### How much snow does Denver get? NWS Boulder lists a 1991-2020 average of 49 inches a season but says the true average is probably closer to 56 inches ([NWS Boulder](https://www.weather.gov/bou/SeasonalSnowfall)). ### What happens on a Denver Public Schools delay? Schools start two hours late and buses pick up two hours later than usual ([DPS](https://www.dpsk12.org/o/centennial/page/winter-weather-delays)). ### Is the Denver 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 [Colorado Springs](https://calculatesnowday.com/states/colorado/colorado-springs). 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).