Crested Butte Snowfall Totals & Accumulation Averages

How Often it Snows in Crested Butte

The next two tables list monthly and yearly totals for amount of snow and how many days it snows at least 0.1 inches (0.25 centimetres).

10-year snowfall averages in Crested Butte, 2010 to 2019

Days		Inches	Centi­metres
9.5	January	37.7	95.8
8.0	February	28.8	73.1
6.1	March	22.1	56.0
5.8	April	14.1	35.7
2.6	May	6.8	17.3
0.0	June	0.0	0.0
0.0	September	0.2	0.5
2.1	October	6.4	16.1
6.3	November	20.7	52.7
8.6	December	33.5	85.2
49.6	Year	168.1	427.0

30-year snowfall averages in Crested Butte, 1991 to 2020

Days		Inches	Centi­metres
11.7	January	42.2	107.2
11.7	February	35.2	89.4
9.7	March	29.1	73.9
8.3	April	19.4	49.3
3.3	May	6.7	17.0
0.2	June	0.3	0.8
0.5	September	1.2	3.0
3.9	October	8.5	21.6
8.5	November	25.3	64.3
11.3	December	35.1	89.2
69.1	Year	203.0	515.6

These averages don't show how much the snowfall in Crested Butte varies from year to year.

In December, for instance, one in four years totals over 57.7 inches of snow. Another 25 percent of years receive less than 18.2 inches for the month.

Similarly in January, fresh snowfall in the heaviest years amounts to over 55.4 inches (over five feet), while the lightest years get less than 21.6 inches.

New snow for February ranges from 40.2 inches or more in heavy snowfall years to under 21.6 inches in light years.

When Crested Butte Has Its First & Last Snowfalls

The first snowfall of winter for Crested Butte usually arrives in October, although it's not uncommon for snow to land in September.

The season's last snowfall typically happens in May. While rare, June can also gets a little fresh snow.

Crested Butte is normally free of snow every year during July and August.

How Many Snowstorms Crested Butte Gets

Most days of snowfall in Crested Butte leave an inch or more of fresh snow on the ground. For 27 days a year on average, the amount of new snow totals at least three inches.

Snowstorms of over five inches a day normally occur 13 times a year. Major blizzards that dump ten inches or more in one day typically happen two or three times a year. Storms this severe can descend on Crested Butte any time from November to May.

Number of days per month and year on average in Crested Butte with a total snowfall of at least 1, 3, 5 or 10 inches

1 inch 2.5 cm	3 inches 7.6 cm		5 inches 12.7 cm	10 inches 25.4 cm
10.3	5.7	January	3.1	0.7
9.5	5.0	February	2.2	0.5
8.3	3.5	March	1.7	0.4
6.9	2.6	April	0.7	0.1
2.3	0.8	May	0.3	0.1
0.1	0.0	June	0.0	0.0
0.4	0.1	September	0.1	0.0
2.8	1.0	October	0.4	0.0
7.0	3.5	November	1.7	0.3
9.2	4.8	December	2.3	0.6
56.8	27.0	Year	12.5	2.7

How Much Snow Normally Accumulates in Crested Butte

Although each spring and fall are different, the snowpack in Crested Butte can top ten inches anytime from October to May.

For close to half of winter, Crested Butte has at least twenty inches of snow on the ground. It averages 73 days a year with snow that deep.

Average total days per month and year in Crested Butte with snow depth of at least 1, 3, 5 or 10 inches on the ground

1 inch 2.5 cm	3 inches 7.6 cm		5 inches 12.7 cm	10 inches 25.4 cm
31.0	30.6	January	30.0	29.0
28.5	28.5	February	28.5	28.4
30.4	30.0	March	29.6	27.6
17.8	15.7	April	13.6	10.4
2.5	1.5	May	0.9	0.3
0.1	0.0	June	0.0	0.0
0.3	0.1	September	0.0	0.0
3.8	1.4	October	0.7	0.1
19.2	14.9	November	10.3	5.2
30.0	28.5	December	26.1	20.9
163.6	151.2	Year	139.7	121.9