Colorado Rockies: Opening Day weather and what to expect in April

As we near April 6, which a few of you may know, is OPENING DAY at Coors Field, I’m here to give you an idea of what to expect weather-wise at 20th and Blake when the Colorado Rockies take the field against the Atlanta Braves.

April is a dynamic time across the front range of Colorado. Weather can run the gamut from cold and snow to hot and stormy. On average, April is the fifth-snowiest month in Denver. Snowfall has ranged from 0 all the way to 33.8″, which occurred in 1933. Typical average snowfall for April is 6.8″.

Temperatures also can vary wildly, with an average high temp of 55 at the beginning of the month and closing in on 66 by the end of April. All-time April highs have touched 90 degrees, with record April lows of -2. Quite the range!

Looking forward to the end of next week, we’re still in the “long-range” forecast area. The Climate Prediction Center, which works specifically on long-range outlooks, gives us normal temps in the 8-14 day range. Precipitation forecast for Opening Day also looks like it will fall into the normal range.

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What does this mean? It means, based on the longer range macro pattern, that we’ll be on the edge of the forecasted storm track. That means … WE HAVE NO IDEA! The problem with being on the edge of the storm track is that if a storm tracks toward Colorado and it ends up just a few hundred miles north or south of Denver, it can mean the difference between sun and warmth and a shot at snowfall. It’s impossible to pinpoint those kind of fine details 36 hours out, never mind eight to 14 days.

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I’ll be writing another update late next week to give you a much more accurate idea of what to expect on Friday when the Atlanta Braves come to town to start the Rockies home schedule. Stay tuned, and as always, follow me on Twitter at @RockiesWX.