Denver, CO – Colorado may be heading toward a colder, wetter, and potentially snowy stretch during the Thanksgiving travel window, as long-range federal forecasts show above-normal precipitation statewide from November 23 through November 29.
According to the Climate Prediction Center’s 8–14 Day Outlook issued Saturday, all of Colorado lies within a 40–50% probability zone favoring wetter-than-normal conditions. The state sits beneath one of the strongest early-season cold pools expected across the Rockies and High Plains, a pattern that often supports widespread snow chances during late November.
The mountains and high-elevation regions—including areas around Vail, Aspen, Steamboat Springs, and Breckenridge—appear most likely to see accumulating snow if storm systems cross the Rockies. These areas traditionally experience some of the earliest and most significant Thanksgiving travel impacts when moisture aligns with cold air.
Along the Front Range, including Denver, Colorado Springs, Fort Collins, and Boulder, temperatures may fluctuate near the rain–snow threshold. This means upcoming systems could produce periods of cold rain, wet snow, or a mix depending on the timing of each storm.
Eastern Colorado—from Limon to Burlington and the Plains corridor—remains in the same elevated precipitation zone, though colder overnight temperatures may help shift some events toward wet snow if systems track favorably.
Thanksgiving week is one of Colorado’s highest-volume travel periods, and stormy late-November patterns frequently slow traffic on I-25, I-70, and mountain passes such as Vail Pass and Eisenhower Tunnel. Air travel at Denver International Airport is also sensitive to mixed precipitation and rapidly changing conditions.
Forecasters say snowfall totals and exact timing will become clearer early next week as short-range models begin capturing individual systems.
Travelers across Colorado should monitor forecast updates closely as the holiday period approaches.
