How likely is Denver to see its first snow this week?

Denver has officially passed the benchmark for its fifth-latest first snow on record, and the chances for snowfall this week remain slim, according to the National Weather Service.

With no snow expected Monday or Wednesday, which hold the titles for fourth-latest and third-latest first snowfalls in Denver, the city is expected to jump even higher on the latest first snow list this year, weather service forecasters said.

The city’s dry streak is expected to end this week, with up to half an inch of rain forecast to fall between noon Thursday and 6 p.m. Friday, according to the weather service.

That rain could turn to or mix with snow Thursday night and Friday morning, if the conditions are right, forecasters said.

The greatest chance for snow will be between 5 a.m. and 10 a.m. on Friday, according to hourly forecasts from the weather service. But temperatures are expected to stay above freezing at that time, so any flakes that do fall likely won’t stick.

In order for snow to count as Denver’s first snowfall of the season, at least 0.1 inches must accumulate on the ground, weather service officials said.

During the period with the strongest possibility of snow, the overall chance for precipitation — which includes rain and snow — in Denver will hover at 35%, according to the weather service.

If Denver doesn’t see its first snowfall of the season on Friday, it will officially be the city’s second-latest on record.