Halloween Weather Facts And Take Our Trick-or-Treat Quiz!

It seems like Halloween and snow just go hand-in-hand for Denver, but does it really always snow on the Mile High City when the Trick-or-Treaters make their rounds? The news may come as a bit of a surprise to you.

The good folks up at the National Weather Service Office in Boulder took a look at Halloween Climatology and determined that snow on Halloween isn't as common as you think...depending on how you examine the data.

NOTE: This information is based on 51 years of weather records, covering the period 1954 - 2004.

If you examine only October 31st, snow has fallen 10 times; eight of which recorded a snowfall measuring more than a trace.

If you include the number of Halloween days that no snow fell...BUT...there was snowpack on the ground...the total number of snow days associated with Halloween jumps from 10 to 21.

Now, if you include the number of times snow was recorded on November 1st, that adds another twenty days to the total.

So we go from only 10 actual Halloween days with a recorded snowfall, to 41 occurrences in 51 years if you consider the period most associated with Halloween, October 31st through November 1st.

NO WONDER WE THINK IT SNOWS EVERY HALLOWEEN!

The most recent Halloween snowfall in Denver came just last year, in a very well forecasted storm. A strong cold front pushed through the region dropping temperatures rapidly during the afternoon. Rain developed and quickly changed to snow across much of the Front Range. Totals ranged from 0.3" in Greeley to over a foot at Aspen Park! Most of metro Denver saw between 3 and 6" of snow.

The following is a list of years where Denver recorded snowfall on Halloween Day.

2004 -- 1.4" with a high of 55° and a low of 24°
2002 -- 1.2" with a high of 19° and a low of 15°
1996 -- Trace of snow with a high of 32° and a low of 28°
1989 -- 3.4" of snow with a high of 59° and a low of 24°
1986 -- 1.2" of snow with a high of 44° and a low of 33°
1977 -- 3.3" of snow with a high of 56° and a low of 28°
1972 -- 8.0" of snow with a high of 30° and a low of 15°
1966 -- 1.4" of snow with a high of 48° and a low of 26°
1963 -- 1.1" of snow with a high of 45° and a low of 27°
1955 -- Trace of snow recorded with a high of 58° and a low of 24°

Some might wonder what about 1992 and 2003? And 1997?

In 1992 it was a cold and wet Halloween, but the temperatures were warm enough in Denver to keep the precipitation all rain. Higher terrain around the city saw snow. Denver picked up 0.42" of rain with a high of 53° and a low of 35°. In 2003 it was a cold drizzle with a high of 30° in Denver and a low of 23°. Snow did fall in the higher terrain around Denver.

In 1997 while there was no snow "officially" on the ground or falling from the sky on Halloween, there were remnants from one of the most deadly and worst blizzards to ever hit the region. Two to four feet of snow, wind chills as low as 40 below zero, and 60 MPH winds crippled the region on October 24th through 25th.

Here are some Halloween Day Weather Facts for Denver:

Average high is 56°
Average low is 30­°
Average temperature during Trick-or-Treat time is about 43°
Warmest Trick-or-Treat time since 1954 was in 1999 with evening temperatures in the upper 50s after a high of 77°
Coldest Trick-or-Treat time since 1954 was in 2002 with evening temperatures in the upper teens after a high of 19°

So what will the weather be like this Halloween? Right now things look pretty good. But will Mother Nature pull any spooky tricks on us? Stay with the 24/7 Weather Center for all the latest.