Winter in Colorado, 2012-2013

[DOUBLE H]

I've been visiting relatives in the Denver area and the foothills, one of my sisters lives near Conifer. Got 3 inches of snow this morning at her house, more toward Bailey and Grant. I was planning on going home a different way (South Park to Poncha Springs to Gunnison. A nasty wreck on 285 south of Jefferson kiboshed that brainstorm.

Still, whatever rain/snow we are getting statewide is certainly welcomed!

[CosmicWizard]

I was visiting my brothers at a bible camp near Pine Junction/ Bailey last week. My brother informed me that there was 10 inches of snow the day after my departure, and the temp dropped down into the single digits. From Bailey, I drove down to Salida where I spent time hiking, and then the night at the hostel. Drove down to Joyful Journey hot springs and soaked for a few hours before heading back to GJ via the route thru Saguache to Gunnison. Not much traffic on that road. What a joy to drive thru there, except for the persistent wind that day.

[wanneroo]

Originally Posted by jazzlover

I'm happy as the dickens that western Colorado is getting some moisture, but many areas are still reporting less than 50% of normal precipitation since January 1st. The implication is that, not only has the 2012-13 water year been woefully short, but the drier than normal precipitation pattern is persisting. Not good signs. Drought Prediction Center is predicting no improvement through the end of July for just about everything west of the Great Plains from central Montana to the Mexican border, including all of New Mexico and the western half of Texas, as well.

One thing that I'm devastated about: it appears likely that there will be essentially no green chile crop in New Mexico this year. Most of the green chile growing area near Hatch appears that it will only have 5%-20% of its normal irrigation water this summer, completely insufficient for a chile crop. The Rio Grande River, due in part to low snowpack at its headwaters in Colorado, is already essentially dry in central and southern New Mexico, with no improvement expected this year--so, no irrigation water.

Drove across NM today and yesterday and it's all pretty dry in the riverbeds. However I did get rained on here and there, same as in Arizona.

Colorado is getting a lot of late season moisture so lets hope it continues into the summer.

[1AngryTaxPayer]

How do El Nino years usually hit CO? I thought you all got hammered with moisture. If so you guys may be in for a wet one All the signs of one are here on the coast.

[jim9251]

Warming trend this week with scattered afternoon thunderstorms. Supposed to be near or at 90 in Delta and Junction (UGH) and in the mid 70's in Ridgway and Ouray.

[Josseppie]

Originally Posted by jim9251

Warming trend this week with scattered afternoon thunderstorms. Supposed to be near or at 90 in Delta and Junction (UGH) and in the mid 70's in Ridgway and Ouray.

Low to mid 90s here in Pueblo!

[Mike from back east]

Originally Posted by 1AngryTaxPayer

How do El Nino years usually hit CO? I thought you all got hammered with moisture. If so you guys may be in for a wet one All the signs of one are here on the coast.

Here's what I find online, from NOAA in Boulder.

Here's the main El Nino page from NOAA.



Here's an excerpt from a 6-year-old posting that sums up the difficulty of predicting COLO weather.

Originally Posted by jazzlover

The problem with generalizing about the effects of "El Nino," "La Nina," or other climate phenomona in Colorado is that Colorado is a large state located far from moisture sources, and with extremely varied terrain. As an example, quite often an "El Nino" year will bring increased Pacific moisture to Colorado in the spring. That can enhance spring snows (the ones that give the mountains a lot of their moisture) on the Western Slope of Colorado. At the same time, it can inhibit Gulf of Mexico moisture migrating towards Colorado in spring. So, the Western Slope may get above normal spring precipitation, while the Eastern Slope and plains get less than normal. ... Normally, June is the wettest month in the lower and mid-elevations of northern Colorado and southern Wyoming, and August is the wettest month in much of the lower and mid-elevations of southern Colorado and northern New Mexico. .... temperature, precipitation and weather patterns in Colorado vary considerably from "normal" in most every year. .... good to remember an old climatological saying: "Climate is what you expect, weather is what you get."

It would appear that the 2012-2013 "Winter" is over in Colorado, though some snow may fall at higher elevations just about any month of the year.

I'm closing this thread now and have started a new thread for Summer 2013 weather in Colorado.