It was a wild end to November. From heavy snow and sub-zero temperatures to freezing fog and snow squall warnings, we had just about every type of winter weather occur as we closed out the last November of this decade.

Denver officially received 13.7 inches of snow in November—nearly half of a foot more than the 7.5 inches Denver typical receives for the month—marking the snowiest November since 1994, when the city picked up 16.9 inches. But it’s not shocking that we just  experienced the snowiest November in more than two decades—we had four different snow events in November, not to mention the several inches that were already on the ground thanks to our big Halloween storm. So, yeah, it’s been snowy.

In fact, to date, Denver has received almost half of its yearly expected snowfall. So far, 26.2 inches have fallen at Denver International Airport, where Denver’s official records are kept. Typically, we see around 57.1 inches each season. And our snowiest months—December, March (the snowiest), and April, when the city averages the most snow—are still to come!

You may remember the bitter cold we had in November, as well. The average temperature for the month came in at 36.2 degrees, 2.1 degrees colder than normal. We haven’t experienced a November this cold since 2014, when the average temperature was equivalent to this year. We had seven days where the temperature didn’t rise above the freezing mark and one sub-zero day as well.

Although it was a cold month, it didn’t rival any major records. But it did help keep our snow around for longer. Step out onto any side street today, and you’ll find yourself navigating snow-packed and icy roads, a week after we had significant snowfall. Clouds and cold air are to blame. Ever since our pre-Turkey Day snowstorm, there has been a relatively large amount of cloud cover every day. That has helped keep the sun’s powerful rays from melting our roads and sidewalks. Also, and more significantly, Denver has spent a full week below the freezing mark. Denver dropped below freezing on November 25 around 5 p.m. and mostly remained below freezing until 8 a.m. on December 2 (there was a period of three hours during the pre-dawn hours on November 30, where we reached 33 degrees, but it was dark and no melting occurred).

The good news is the forecast calls for sunshine and warm temperatures in the short term,  which will help clear roads of snow and ice. Still, there’s the chance of above normal precipitation over the next couple of weeks. If moisture lines up with cold—that means frozen precipitation. Denver usually averages 8.1 inches of snow in December. Let’s see if we stick to that, because if we apply the snowfall we’ve already received this season, it looks like the snow may keep piling up.

Andy Stein
Andy Stein
Andy Stein is a freelance meteorologist with experience working on both local and national television.