Does it snow at the Grand Canyon?

Does it snow at the Grand Canyon? Well, it kind of depends on where you are. Are you on the rim? Are you at the river? Where along the canyon are you. To start, there is a major elevation change between the rim and the river. Secondly, the geologic formation that is the Grand Canyon starts at river mile 0 (Lee’s Ferry) and continues downstream until river mile 277. This 277 mile section of the Colorado river is know as the Grand Canyon. Along the 277 miles, the river actually drops about 1900 feet and goes through elements of three different desert ecosystems; The Upper Great Basin Desert, the Sonoran Desert and the Mojave Desert.

So does it snow? Well it certainly can. Along the South Rim of Grand Canyon National Park, the elevation varies between 7200 and 7500 feet. At these elevation, yes, it snows regularly. If planning a visit in the winter, you’ll want to keep this in mind. If you were to walk along one of the major hiking trails (let’s say Bright Angel Trail), when you arrive at the river you’ll be greeted by a wooden sign planted into the sand the states your elevation is 2400 feet. While not impossible to see snow here, it is highly unlikely.

The last variable outside of rim or river will be where along the 277 mile section are you. If you are traveling along the upper corridor (East side of the canyon), because of the higher elevations, snow is a more likely possibility. If you are traveling along the western potion of the canyon (aka the West Rim) because of the  lower elevations, snow is much less likely.