Early November snowstorm cuts "abnormally warm" fall short, more snow Friday

Colorado Springs welcomed back winter this week after a short-lived and abnormally warm fall with snowfall accumulations ranging from 7 to 12 inches as of Thursday evening, and more to come Friday.

Students celebrated snow days across the Pikes Peak region, with several districts canceling classes both Wednesday and Thursday. Many made the call early Thursday afternoon to cancel or delay ahead of even more snow in the forecast Friday.

Thursday's snow closed major interstates and highways across the state. Interstate 25 southbound closed from Pueblo to the New Mexico Border due to poor road conditions and . US 36 Eastbound/Westbound was closed between Last Chance and the Kansas state line.

Locally roads were also a challenge to navigate. Mountain Metro buses stopped service by mid-morning. Snowplows were out clearing primary and secondary roads, focusing on keeping one lane clear as snow was falling. Colorado Springs Operations and Maintenance Manager Corey Farkas urged caution for the first large snow event of the year with more accumulation expected Friday.

"We have people moving into the city all the time who maybe have never driven in snow, so we always expect there to be some issues during the first snow that are out of our control," Farkas said at a press conference Thursday.

Plowing focus was on primary and secondary roads during active snowfall, Farkas said. Those asking for snow removal in neighborhoods and small streets should not expect a response until the city has gotten ahead of the main streets.

By 5:45 p.m., the active winter weather event dashboard, rolled out last year on the county's website , showed that plows were slowly making their way through lower priority roads, but had not been through neighborhoods recently.

Colorado Springs does not use de-icer to treat roads before snowfall because the city does not have the space to store the tens of thousands of gallons needed. Colorado Department of Transportation uses a liquid anti-icer to help prepare highways before winter storms and a de-icer to clear ice as it forms.

That is in the process of changing, according to Gazette reporting . Farkas said the Public Works department finished an 80,000-gallon storage facility last year on the north side of the city. A similar facility is in the works on the south side, with the goal to open by the end of 2025.

The Colorado Springs Police Department on Cold Accident Reporting status since Tuesday, meaning minor accidents with no injuries or damage can be reported online.

Several flights out of Colorado Springs Airport experienced delays due to the inclement weather. By mid-afternoon, nearly all flights were back on track, making up for morning delays. Airport officials urge travelers to check the status of their flights prior to arriving at the airport Friday in case of more delays.

While this multi-day wintry weather system has disrupted day-to-day life and is rare, it's not of a historic , according to meteorologist Cameron Simcoe with the National Weather Service in Pueblo.

Colorado Springs typically sees its first snowfall in September or October Simcoe said. This year, the city avoided the flurries and stayed abnormally warm, nearly eight degrees warmer than is typical. The normal temperature for the month is 64.7 degrees and the city was at 72.5 on average. Several records were broken throughout the month.

Featured Local Savings "Summer decided to hang on a little bit longer and we just had a ridge of high pressure that was stubborn and stuck around the western US that kept us warm," Simcoe said.

This week's snowstorm may seem massive, especially with continued snowfall for Friday, but it does not come close to the city's record for November, Simcoe said.

In 1991, Springs Airport received 26.3 inches of snow in November, setting the record for the city. Even with snowfall estimates ranging up to nine inches in some areas, the city will likely not break a record with this storm.

"I would say chances are extremely low for break the record snow for November," Simcoe said. "It's probably very unlikely, but you never know. There could be another storm system or two throughout the month, and that could push us over the edge."

In late 2023, the city did not see a storm like this one. The only one that comes close is when the airport recorded 7.1 inches of snow on Oct. 24, 2023. That storm only lasted two days, with just over an inch recorded on the second day.

As the Pikes Peak region enters its final stretch of the storm, Colorado Springs is expected to receive another 5 to 9 inches throughout the city. Winds are a concern according to the National Weather Service, as gusts ranging between 30-40 mph could create blowing snow. The wind and snow combined could lead to blizzard conditions, meaning extremely low visibility.

Once the storm wraps up by Saturday morning, the forecast is looking good for fans of sunshine. The region will see a slow warming trend, with temperatures still slightly below average. No major storms are in the immediate future, Simcoe says.

The weather has had some positive impacts, despite the disruptions drivers and students are facing, as several municipalites have ended fire restrictions . El Paso, Teller, and Douglas Counties all lifted their restrictions and bans this week amid the storms.

Click or tap here for CDOT updates on the latest road conditions.