Your nature year
Denver, Coloradothrough the year
Also for Aurora, CO, Lakewood, CO, Thornton, CO, Arvada, CO, Westminster, CO, Centennial, CO, Broomfield, CO, Commerce City, CO, Parker, CO, Littleton, CO, Brighton, CO, Erie, CO, Northglenn, CO, Englewood, CO, Wheat Ridge, CO, Lafayette, CO, Colorado Springs, CO, Fountain, CO, Castle Rock, CO: the same nearby places.
When do frost, green-up and fall color come to Denver?
Denver sits at about 5,293 feet. The USA-NPN spring index puts first leaf here around Mar 18 and first bloom around Apr 30. Spring takes about 6 weeks to go from leaf to bloom. At NOAA's Denver-Stapleton station, 0.6 miles away, the average first fall frost is Oct 8 and the last spring frost May 4, which leaves Denver some 157 growing days. The closest place we follow is Guanella Pass, 46 miles away, for fall foliage, Sep 1–30 (regional timing). Guanella Pass (46 mi) is the pick for wildflowers, Jun 15–Aug 10 (local timing). We follow 4 places within 150 miles of Denver; the nearest lies 46 miles to the west. Statewide, Colorado's fall color is usually well under way by mid-October.
Updated Sep 28. Sources: US Census Bureau, 2024 Gazetteer (places) ↗ (opens in a new tab), US Census Bureau, city and town population estimates, 2024 ↗ (opens in a new tab), NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 (annual/seasonal) ↗ (opens in a new tab)
Best this weekend nearby
- Great Sand Dunes · 145 mi · Fall foliage
Usually Sep 21–Oct 10
Sat Oct 3: Sunny, 67°F · Sun Oct 4: Sunny then Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms, 64°F
No report yet
Places in their own usual window that weekend; reports are the latest official ones, forecasts from the National Weather Service. 1 more nearby place has only regional or statewide timing, so it isn't listed.
Denver's year at a glance
- Frost possible
- Frost-free, ~May 4 to ~Oct 8
- First leaf ~Mar 18
- First bloom ~Apr 30
- Fall color under way ~Oct 11 (CO)
- Today
Near Denver right now
- Fall color is usually well under way by mid-October in ColoradoStatewide · USA-NPN volunteer observations, 2020–2025 · not a forecast~13 days
- First fall frost usually around Oct 8 · last spring frost around May 4NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Denver-Stapleton (0.6 mi, 50% dates)~10 days
- Guanella Pass · 46 mi · Regional timing: Sep 1–30Fall foliage · in its window now
- Rocky Mountain · 54 mi · Local timing: Sep 1–Oct 31Fall foliage · in its window now
- Wildflowers · Guanella Pass · 46 miLocal timing: Jun 15–Aug 10~9 months
Denver's nature year
- Spring green-upMar
- Last spring frostMay
- Wildflowers · Guanella PassJun–Aug
- Fall color (CO)Oct
- First fall frostOct
Nearby, season by season
Fall foliage
- Guanella Pass · 46 miRegional timing: Sep 1–30
- Rocky Mountain · 54 miLocal timing: Sep 1–Oct 31
- Maroon Bells · 119 miusually Sep 21–30
Wildflowers
- Guanella Pass · 46 miLocal timing: Jun 15–Aug 10~9 months
- Rocky Mountain · 54 miLocal timing: May 21–Aug 10~8 months
Snow in Denver
Snow usually becomes possible around Oct 29 (our calculation from NOAA's daily snow chances: the first day the chance of 0.1" or more of snow reaches 10%). NOAA's normals at Denver-Stapleton (0.6 mi away): 49 inches of snow in an average year, about 15.9 days with 1 inch or more.
NOAA's chance of at least 0.1 inch of snow on each date (one value per week, September to May), averaged over 1991–2020. A typical year, not a forecast.
Frost and green-up
Last spring frost
May 4
Average (50% date)
First fall frost
Oct 8
About 157 days without frost between
Spring green-up
Mar 18
First bloom around Apr 30
Frost: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals at Denver-Stapleton (0.6 mi from Denver), the day a 32 °F night is as likely as not. Green-up: the USA-NPN Spring Index, 1991–2020 average at the town.
Questions people ask
When is the first frost in Denver?
On average around Oct 8, and the last spring frost around May 4: about 157 days without frost between. These are NOAA's 1991–2020 normals at Denver-Stapleton, 0.6 miles away (the day a 32 °F night is as likely as not).
When does spring green-up reach Denver?
The USA-NPN Spring Index puts first leaf around Mar 18 and first bloom around Apr 30, on average for 1991–2020 at the town.
Where can I see fall foliage near Denver?
Guanella Pass, 46 miles (regional timing: Sep 1–30); Rocky Mountain, 54 miles (local timing: Sep 1–Oct 31); Maroon Bells, 119 miles (usually Sep 21–30). Distances are straight-line.
Where can I see wildflowers near Denver?
Guanella Pass, 46 miles (local timing: Jun 15–Aug 10); Rocky Mountain, 54 miles (local timing: May 21–Aug 10). Distances are straight-line.
When does it start snowing in Denver?
Snow usually becomes possible around Oct 29: our calculation from NOAA's daily snow chances: the first day the chance of 0.1" or more of snow reaches 10%, at Denver-Stapleton. An average year brings 49 inches (NOAA 1991–2020). A typical year, not a forecast.Sources: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 (annual/seasonal snowfall) ↗ (opens in a new tab), NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 (daily snowfall probabilities) ↗ (opens in a new tab)
How we know
US Census Bureau, 2024 Gazetteer (places) (opens in a new tab) (Sep 27) · US Census Bureau, city and town population estimates, 2024 (opens in a new tab) (Sep 27) · NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 (annual/seasonal) (opens in a new tab) (Sep 27) · USA National Phenology Network, Spring Index 1991–2020 averages (opens in a new tab) (Sep 27) · USA National Phenology Network, colored leaves observations (opens in a new tab) (Sep 28)