In an average year in Denver, the first freeze usually arrives around October 7th, with the first measurable snow following around October 18th, according to the National Weather Service in Boulder. From Labor Day to that first freeze, you have about five weeks to prepare. Fall happens overnight here, so spending a couple of hours on home maintenance now can save you money.
Article Summary
Do the yard in September: roof, gutters, dead limbs, grading. Get the sprinklers blown out in the last week of September, which is also when Denver Water shuts lawn watering off this year. Then the furnace, the alarms and the dryer duct. Caulk, weatherstripping and the snow shovel can wait for the first week of October. If you plan to sell this winter, nearly all of this ends up on the inspection report anyway.
When is Denver’s first freeze?
On average, Denver’s first 32-degree night lands on October 7th. The range is wide, though. It has come as early as September 8th and as late as November 15th, per the NWS Boulder fall and winter statistics. That date comes from the city’s official station, so local temperatures can vary from neighborhood to neighborhood. Using October 7th as a deadline to get your prework done will save you plenty of headaches.
The first measurable snow averages October 18th. Early snow is wet and heavy, and since trees still have their leaves, prioritizing yard work is your best move.
What should I do in the yard before the first freeze?
Roof first, then gutters, then the trees, and all of it in September, before it is cold on a ladder.
Check the roof for hail damage
Walk around the house and look up. Dented vents, bare patches on shingles, and a pile of grit under the downspouts all mean the hail got to the roof this summer. If you see any of that, get a licensed roofer up there before the snow.
A public adjuster, Michael Stoycheff, told CBS Colorado in June that you want that roofer on your side before you call the insurance company, and that you should read your policy before you need it. He said a lot of people learn about roof exclusions and filing deadlines after the storm.
Clean the gutters twice
Gutters here fill with pine needles, seed pods and roofing grit before a single leaf drops. Clear them in September so the fall rain drains where it should, and again after the cottonwoods and ash trees finish. Clogged gutters are also how water ends up against the foundation, which I went into in the home inspection items I see over and over.
Take down dead limbs
An October snow on a tree that still has its leaves is what snaps branches, and a limb through the roof costs a lot more than an arborist. Dead or cracked branches over the roof or the driveway need to come down in September.
Look at the grading and the A/C pad
Walk the foundation and check that the soil still slopes away from the house. Then check that the air conditioner sits level. The ground here heaves every winter and the pad tilts with it. If either one is off, the fixes are in the Colorado home maintenance checklist.
When should I blow out my sprinklers in Colorado?
The last week of September. That keeps you ahead of the October 7 average, so book it now, because once the forecast turns cold you will be on a waiting list with everyone else.
This year there is a second reason to stop early. Denver Water is in a Stage 1 drought, and on August 26 its board ended lawn watering as of September 30 for all 1.5 million customers. The Colorado Sun laid out why. Reservoirs are at 72 percent when they should be above 90, spring runoff came in at 22 percent of normal, and January through July was the hottest start to a year the Denver metro area has recorded.
After September 30 you can still hand-water trees, shrubs, perennials and the vegetable bed with a shutoff nozzle, and drip is fine. Lawn sprinklers are the only thing banned. A lot of Littleton and the south metro area is on other water districts, so check the name on your water bill before you assume this applies to you. Your lawn needs less water once the nights cool anyway, so start tapering in September.
What should I check inside the house before heating season?
The furnace, the smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, and the dryer duct. Everything that burns gas is about to run for the first time since March, so the alarms are the one item on this list I would not put off.
Swap the furnace filter and book the tune-up
Change the filter. It is the cheapest thing you will do this fall and the furnace runs easier all winter. Then call for the tune-up in September, before the first cold snap and the HVAC waiting lists. If your furnace is old enough that you are wondering whether it has another winter in it, I covered that this summer: when Colorado homeowners need to replace a furnace.
Test the smoke and carbon monoxide alarms
Put new batteries in every alarm and push the test button. Since 2009, Colorado has required a carbon monoxide alarm within 15 feet of every bedroom door in any home with a fuel-burning furnace or appliance, a fireplace or an attached garage, and it kicks in when the home is sold, gets a new tenant, or has permitted work done (House Bill 09-1091). If you are missing one, fix it now. Otherwise the inspector will bring it up.
Clean the dryer duct
If loads have started taking two cycles, the duct is packed. Pull the dryer out and clean it all the way to the outside wall. The U.S. Fire Administration counts about 2,900 dryer fires a year in U.S. homes, and a third of them come down to nobody cleaning the duct.
What can wait until early October?
Sealing and the snow gear. Both fit in the first week of October, after the sprinklers are done and before the first snow.
Seal the doors, windows and trim
Run a hand around each exterior door and window on a windy afternoon. Where you feel air, weatherstrip it or caulk it. Outside, fill the small cracks around trim and window frames, because water gets in, freezes, and opens the crack wider. Read the can first. Caulk has a minimum temperature, and an October afternoon in Denver can be warm while that same night drops near freezing, so check the overnight low before you start.
Get the snow gear out
Put the shovel by the door, the brush in the car and a bag of ice melt in the garage before October 18.
Does fall maintenance help if I am selling this winter?
Yes, because nearly all of it ends up on the inspection report. Handle it now and you give away less in repair credits once you are under contract, and the house looks looked-after from the first showing. If you are thinking about listing, the 6-week checklist for the fall market picks up where this one leaves off, and you can request a home valuation any time.
Call me at 303-210-6156 or reach out through karinjacoby.com. I have been selling homes in Littleton and across the Denver metro area since 1999.
— Karin Jacoby, Dream Realty