Wolf Creek Snowfall Totals & Snowstorm Averages
This page pulls together information on when, how much and how often Wolf Creek, Colorado has snow.
There are data and descriptions here of how many days it snows and the total amount of snowfall that Wolf Creek usually gets. There are also monthly and yearly counts of the days that Wolf Creek normally has heavy snowstorms. Plus there's information on when Wolf Creek can expect the first and last snowfalls of the season.
All the numbers are averages, based on weather data gathered from 1981 to 2010 near the Wolf Creek Ski Area, at an elevation of 10,640 feet (3,243 metres).
How Often it Snows at Wolf Creek
This first table lists monthly and yearly totals for amount of snow and how many days it snows at least 0.1 inches (0.25 centimetres).
| Days | Inches | Centimetres | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10.0 | January | 57.7 | 146.6 |
| 10.4 | February | 63.6 | 161.5 |
| 11.7 | March | 66.7 | 169.4 |
| 8.7 | April | 46.9 | 119.1 |
| 3.7 | May | 12.3 | 31.2 |
| 0.5 | June | 0.6 | 1.5 |
| 0.9 | September | 4.2 | 10.7 |
| 6.0 | October | 27.0 | 68.6 |
| 9.8 | November | 57.4 | 145.8 |
| 10.2 | December | 55.7 | 141.5 |
| 71.9 | Year | 392.1 | 995.9 |
These averages don't show how much the snowfall at the Wolf Creek Ski Area varies from year to year.
In December, for instance, one in four years totals 86 inches (seven feet, two inches) or more of snow. Another 25 percent of years don't even receive half that, with 39.2 inches or less for the month.
Similarly in January, fresh snowfall in the heaviest years amounts to over 79 inches, while the lightest years get under 30.3 inches.
New snow for February ranges even more widely, from over 90.2 inches (7.5 feet) in heavy snowfall years to 30 inches (2.5 feet) or less in light years.
When Wolf Creek Has Its First & Last Snowfalls
The first snowfall of autumn for Wolf Creek usually arrives in October. Every few years though, the snow arrives as early as September.
The season's last snowfall typically happens in May, although at least one out of four years also get a little new snow in June.
Wolf Creek is normally free of fresh snow every year during July and August.
How Many Snowstorms Wolf Creek Gets
Most days of snowfall at Wolf Creek result in at least an inch of fresh snow left on the ground. For 44 days a year on average, the amount of new snow totals three inches or more.
Snowstorms of over five inches a day normally occur 27 times annually at the Ski Area. Typically 13 of these storms are major blizzards that dump ten inches or more in one day. Snow events this severe can descend on Wolf Creek anytime from September to May.
| 1 inch 2.5 cm |
3 inches 7.6 cm |
5 inches 12.7 cm |
10 inches 25.4 cm | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8.8 | 6.2 | January | 4.6 | 2.2 |
| 9.9 | 7.2 | February | 5.0 | 2.5 |
| 11.0 | 7.6 | March | 4.9 | 2.2 |
| 8.0 | 5.5 | April | 3.3 | 1.1 |
| 3.1 | 1.8 | May | 0.8 | 0.2 |
| 0.4 | 0.1 | June | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| 0.6 | 0.3 | September | 0.1 | 0.1 |
| 5.2 | 3.3 | October | 1.9 | 1.0 |
| 9.1 | 6.3 | November | 4.2 | 2.1 |
| 9.0 | 5.6 | December | 3.8 | 1.8 |
| 65.1 | 43.9 | Year | 28.6 | 13.2 |
Reference
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. 1981-2010 U.S. Climate Normals. (Data Access. FTP.)