Denver, CO – Colorado enters the December 13–26 holiday stretch with a pattern that leans warmer and wetter, according to new NOAA long-range outlooks — a setup that favors rain or a rain–snow mix for lower elevations while keeping the strongest snow potential confined to the mountains.
NOAA’s latest outlook places much of Colorado inside an “Above Normal” precipitation zone, meaning Pacific systems will likely continue moving across the Rockies during the holiday window. However, temperatures will play the deciding role on whether those systems deliver snow — and this year, temperatures lean warm.
Most of the Front Range, including Denver, Boulder, Colorado Springs, and Fort Collins, falls under a “Leaning Above Normal” temperature pattern. This suggests snow levels may sit higher than usual, reducing the likelihood of a widespread white Christmas for the I-25 corridor. Instead, precipitation during this period may fall as rain or a mix, depending on the timing of incoming fronts.
According to NOAA meteorologists, warmer Decembers often mean the following for Colorado:
– Snow chances drop on the plains
– High country snow remains plentiful
– Precipitation events become elevation-dependent
The mountains will see the biggest benefits from the active pattern. The central and northern Rockies — including Vail, Breckenridge, Aspen, Steamboat, and Winter Park — are expected to receive multiple rounds of accumulating snow. Travel across mountain passes such as Eisenhower Tunnel, Vail Pass, Monarch Pass, and Berthoud Pass could be impacted during the holiday rush.
Eastern Colorado, by contrast, is less likely to see any Christmas-week snowfall unless a colder front arrives immediately ahead of a passing system. While not impossible, this scenario is not favored by current guidance.
The December 18–24 period remains the most likely time for storm activity statewide, though lowland snow will depend heavily on colder air that is not strongly forecasted to arrive this year.
Residents should monitor updated local forecasts as December approaches, especially those traveling through mountain corridors where snow remains likely.
