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User:KingLucarius/sandbox/Snowfall in Boulder, Colorado

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Climatology

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Winter snowfall is a significant contributor to the annual precipitation of large portions of the overall dry and semi-arid climate that dominates large portions of Colorado. Boulder, Colorado is one such city, normally receiving around 92.8 inches (2367.3 mm) of snowfall throughout the autumn, winter and spring months of the year. Despite snowfall typically peaking in the early to mid-spring months of the year, specifically March; instances of measurable snowfall have been observed historically in every month of the calendar year except for July and August. Due to snowfall being practical for most of the year across higher elevations in the United States, no seasonal bounds for it are specified by the National Weather Service (NWS). However, totals listed below are reset to the following year on July 1, similarly to the seasonal bounds used by agencies for designating tropical cyclones in the Southern Hemisphere.

History & methodology

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Beginning in 1893, the National Weather Service and their Denver-Boulder (BOU) office began keeping archives of snowfall data in Colorado. This practice has continued into the present day with such archives available for several different locations across the state. For the purposes of this article, all listed data and information is be based upon the archives for Boulder, Colorado. Below are a set of tables depicting historical snowfall in the city; separated by season, their classifications relative to the 1991-2020 mean, and the criteria for said classifications.

Classification criteria
Category % of 1991-2020
normal
Snowfall
total
Normal - ~ 92.8"
Extremely active Above 150% Above 139.2"
Above normal Above 114% Above 105.8"
Near normal 85-114% 78.9-105.8"
Below normal Below 85% Below 78.9"

Historical snowfall by season

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50
100
150
200
1951
1961
1971
1981
1991
2001
2011
2021
  Extremely active
  Above normal
  Near normal
  Below normal
Historical snowfall by season
Boulder, Colorado
Season Snow T M Avg. Classification
2023-24 22.1 5 4 4.42 Current season
2022-23 80.9 31 23 2.61 Near normal
2021-22 88.7 26 20 3.412 Near normal
2020-21 103.3 35 24 2.951 Near normal
2019-20 152.0 25 21 6.08 Extremely active
2018-19 95.1 32 28 2.972 Near normal
2017-18 62.4 28 24 2.229 Below normal
2016-17 71.5 19 17 3.763 Below normal
2015-16 109.7 23 19 4.77 Above normal
2014-15 117.1 30 23 3.903 Above normal
2013-14 89.8 33 24 2.7 Near normal
2012-13 124.5 27 23 4.611 Above normal
2011-12 94.7 27 18 3.507 Near normal
2010-11 47.3 30 20 1.577 Below normal
2009-10 134.5 37 32 3.635 Above normal
2008-09 81.1 30 19 2.703 Near normal
2007-08 82.9 38 28 2.182 Near normal
2006-07 122.2 32 27 3.819 Above normal
2005-06 51.4 30 17 1.713 Below normal
2004-05 76.7 26 20 2.95 Below normal
2003-04 70.6 26 22 2.715 Below normal
2002-03 99.0 31 23 3.194 Near normal
2001-02 63.4 33 23 1.921 Below normal
2000-01 83.8 34 27 2.465 Near normal
1999-00 71.9 25 17 2.876 Below normal
1998-99 81.4 27 17 3.015 Near normal
1997-98 132.6 32 24 4.144 Above normal
1996-97 129.4 39 30 3.318 Above normal
1995-96 93.2 Near normal
1994-95 104.0 Near normal
1993-94 112.5 Above normal
1992-93 95.3 Near normal
1991-92 73.3 Below normal
1990-91 76.6 Below normal
1989-90 91.8 Near normal
1988-89 92.5 Near normal
1987-88 94.8 Near normal
1986-87 124.7 Above normal
1985-86 92.1 Near normal
1984-85 72.2 Below normal
1983-84 88.5 Near normal
1982-83 70.8 Below normal
1981-82 20.8 Below normal
1980-81 40.0 Below normal
1979-80 115.4 Above normal
1978-79 67.7 Below normal
1977-78 76.0 Below normal
1976-77 39.8 Below normal
1975-76 58.9 Below normal
1974-75 84.0 Near normal
1973-74 83.8 Near normal
1972-73 128.3 Above normal
1971-72 76.3 Below normal
1970-71 67.2 Below normal
1969-70 134.5 Above normal
1968-69 46.4 Below normal
1967-68 97.7 Near normal
1966-67 56.4 Below normal
1965-66 63.5 Below normal
1964-65 98.9 Near normal
1963-64 74.0 Below normal
1962-63 59.5 Below Normal
1961-62 81.5 Near normal
1960-61 74.5 Below normal
1959-60 90.8 Near normal
1958-59 101.5 Near normal
1957-58 70.4 Below normal
1956-57 103.2 Near normal
1955-56 84.7 Near normal
1954-55 72.0 Below normal
1953-54 63.6 Below normal
1952-53 89.0 Near normal
1951-52 85.3 Near normal
1950-51 96.9 Near normal
1949-50 54.7 Below normal
1948-49 91.4 Near normal
1947-48 109.7 Above normal
1946-47 137.0 Above normal
1945-46 52.8 Below normal
1944-45 87.3 Near normal
1943-44 105.3 Near normal
1942-43 70.0 Below normal
1941-42 76.5 Below normal
1940-41 72.5 Below normal
1939-40 73.5 Below normal
1938-39 87.7 Near normal
1937-38 76.7 Below normal
1936-37 64.9 Below normal
1936-36 60.9 Below normal
1934-35 42.9 Below normal
1933-34 57.1 Below normal
1932-33 75.2 Below normal
1931-32 52.6 Below normal
1930-31 98.9 Near normal
1929-30 78.1 Below normal
1928-29 65.2 Below normal
1927-28 63.5 Below normal
1926-27 50.0 Below normal
1925-26 75.8 Below normal
1924-25 21.5 Below normal
1923-24 73.3 Below normal
1922-23 70.7 Below normal
1921-22 43.1 Below normal
1920-21 62.0 Below normal
1919-20 90.3 Near normal
1918-19 52.9 Below normal
1917-18 34.3 Below normal
1916-17 103.3 Near normal
1915-16 66.7 Below normal
1914-15 64.2 Below normal
1913-14 104.9 Near normal
1912-13 62.9 Below normal
1911-12 68.3 Below normal
1910-11 55.6 Below normal
1909-10 80.5 Near normal
1908-09 142.9 Extremely active
1907-08 38.1 Below normal
1906-07 96.2 Near normal
1905-06 50.7 Below normal
1904-05 68.5 Below normal
1903-04 38.2 Below normal
1902-03 78.5 Below normal
1901-02 45.2 Below normal
1900-01 70.5 Below normal
1899-00 60.9 Below normal
1898-99 114.7 Above normal
1897-98 63.1 Below normal
1896-97 ≥ 41.0 Below normal
1895-96 N/A Missing
1894-95 ≥ 42.5 Below normal
1893-94 ≥ 23.0 Below normal

Snowiest single storms

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List of the snowiest winter storms (> 18")
Storm Season Snowfall Month
Xylia 2020-21 21.3 March
Ruth 2019-20 18.7 April
Dorothy 2019-20 22.5 November
Yogi 2012-13 20.5 April
Nixi 2011-12 22.7 February
Six 2009-10 23.0 October
Twenty-Five 2008-09 20.4 March
Nine 2006-07 26.0 December
Twenty-Four 2002-03 22.5 March
Twenty-Four 1997-98 20.8 March
Two 1997-98 29.9 October
Thirty-Eight 1996-97 19.8 April

Base timeline

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Statistical MPI timeline

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2020-29

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2023-24

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2022-23

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February 2023 North American storm complexDecember 2022 North American winter stormTornado outbreak of December 12–15, 2022#Non-tornadic impacts

2021-22

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April 2022 North American storm complexFebruary 2022 North American winter stormJanuary 14-17, 2022 North American winter stormTornado outbreak of December 10-11, 2021

2020-21

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March 2021 North American blizzardFebruary 15-20, 2021 North American winter stormFebruary 13-17, 2021 North American winter stormDecember 15-17, 2020 nor'easterHurricane Zeta#East Coast of the United States

2010-19

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2019-20

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Storm CiaraNovember 26 - December 3, 2019 North American blizzard

2018-19

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April 2019 North American blizzardMarch 2019 North American blizzardFebruary 2019 North American winter stormJanuary 2019 North American winter storm

2017-18

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2016-17

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Tornado outbreak and floods of April 28 - May 1, 2017January 2017 North American ice stormJanuary 4–8, 2017 North American winter storm

2015-16

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April 2016 United States storm complexLate March 2016 North American blizzardTornado outbreak of February 23-24, 2016December 2015 North American storm complex

2014-15

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Tornado outbreak sequence of May 5-10, 2015Early March 2015 North American winter stormJanuary 31 - February 2, 2015 North American blizzardNovember 13-21, 2014 North American winter storm

2013-14

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March 2014 North American winter stormDecember 2013 North American storm complexOctober 2013 North American storm complex

2012-13

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March 2013 nor'easterLate December 2012 North American storm complexDecember 17-22, 2012 North American blizzard

2011-12

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January 2012 Pacific Northwest snowstorm2011 Halloween nor'easter

2010-11

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Tornado outbreak of April 14-16, 2011January 31 - February 2, 2011 North American blizzardJanuary 25-27, 2011 North American blizzardJanuary 8-13, 2011 North American blizzard2010 New Year's Eve tornado outbreakOctober 2010 North American storm complex

2000-09

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2009-10

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February 25-27, 2010 North American blizzardFebruary 5-6, 2010 North American blizzard2009 North American Christmas blizzardOctober 2009 North American storm complex

2008-09

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January 2009 North American ice stormDecember 2008 North American snowstorms

2007-08

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January 2008 North American storm complexMid-December 2007 North American winter stormsEarly-December 2007 North American winter storm

2006-07

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April 2007 nor'easterFebruary 2007 North American blizzardJanuary 2007 North American ice storm2006 Colorado Holiday Blizzards2006 Colorado Holiday Blizzards2006 Colorado Holiday BlizzardsEarly Winter 2006 North American storm complex

2005-06

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2004-05

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December 21–24, 2004 North American winter storm

2003-04

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2002-03

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North American blizzard of 2003

2001-02

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2002 Central Plains ice storm

2000-01

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1990-99

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1999-00

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1998-99

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1997-98

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1997 Western Plains winter storms

1996-97

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