Summit County: February snowfall a mixed bag

Posted on March 4, 2012 by Bob Berwyn

Colorado's snowpack is still lagging behind average.

Above-average totals reported in Breck; but below average in Dillon

By Bob Berwyn

SUMMIT COUNTY — For the second month in a row, snowfall totals were above average at the official National Weather Service observation station in the town of Breckenridge.

It was a different story in Dillon, where both snowfall and precipitation were well below normal. (more…)

Filed under: climate and weather, Colorado, La Niña, Snow and weather, Summit County snow and weather | Tagged: , , , , , | 3 Comments »

Weather: December one of the driest in recent years

Posted on December 24, 2011 by Bob Berwyn

Front Range moisture helps ease demand for West Slope water

The snowpack across much of northwest Colorado has dipped below 70 percent of average.

By Bob Berwyn

The eight to 14-day outlook from the Climate Prediction Center.

SUMMIT COUNTY — The lack of snowfall in the high country is starting to show in the snowpack readings across the western part of the state, where readings have fallen below 70 percent of average — about 67 percent in the Colorado River Basin, which means that the snowpack is about one-third less than the average for this time of year.

In a strange twist on the La Niña weather pattern, the Front Range snowpack is above average, which doesn’t directly help the spring runoff on which much of the state depends. But good winter moisture on the Front Range does help ease demand for stored water, at least early in the season.

If there’s good news, it’s the above-average snowpack in the Upper Rio Grande Basin in south-central Colorado, where moisture hasn’t been over-abundant the past few years. A full list of SNOTEL site snow depth readings in online here. (more…)

Filed under: climate and weather, Colorado, La Niña, Snow and weather, Summit County snow and weather | Tagged: , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Climate: NOAA issues La Niña advisory

Posted on September 12, 2011 by Bob Berwyn

Drought may continue across south-central U.S.

La Niña is credited with delivering above average snowfall to parts of the Rockies last winter.

Last winter's La Niña brought plentiful snow to Colorado from November through May.

By Summit Voice

SUMMIT COUNTY — It’s official — La Niña is back, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Climate Prediction Center, which last week upgraded its La Niña watch to a La Niña advisory.

“This means drought is likely to continue in the drought-stricken states of Texas, Oklahoma and New Mexico,” said Mike Halpert, deputy director of the Climate Prediction Center. “La Niña also often brings colder winters to the Pacific Northwest and the northern Plains, and warmer temperatures to the southern states.” (more…)

Filed under: climate and weather, Colorado, Environment, La Niña, Snow and weather, Summit County Colorado, Summit County news, Summit County snow and weather | Tagged: , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment »

Summit County: February weather stats

Posted on March 3, 2011 by Bob Berwyn

Statewide Colorado snowpack at 115 percent of average.

Breckenridge snowfall above average once again; statewide snowpack at 115 percent of normal

By Bob Berwyn

SUMMIT COUNTY — Although the end of February snowpack readings as a percent of average dwindled for the second month in a row across western Colorado, the state as a whole can probably expect average to above-average runoff in spring, according to the latest figures released by the Natural Resources Conservation Service.

The statewide snowpack is at 115 percent of average, and February storms boosted snowpack totals in the state’s southern river basins to near normal for this time of year, especially in Sangre de Cristo Mountains and the Rio Grande Basin, where the March 1 snowpack was at 88 percent of average, the lowest reading in the state. (more…)

Filed under: climate and weather, Colorado, La Niña, seasons, Summit County Colorado | Tagged: , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment »

Weatherblog: Deep freeze

Posted on February 2, 2011 by Bob Berwyn

A huge storm system extends from the Northeast west to Nevada and south to Texas, feeding in part of a subtropical jet stream streaking off the Pacific and across central Mexico.

Warmer air to move in Wednesday night, snow possible on the weekend

By Summit Voice

SUMMIT COUNTY — In what are likely to be the coldest readings of the winter, temps had dropped to minus 20 degrees by 10 pm. in Frisco and Wednesday’s highs are forecast to stay below zero. Some warm air advection will begin to modify the air mass Wednesday night, but don’t look of highs to climb back above freezing anytime soon. Thursday’s highs are forecast to reach into the mid-teens and by Friday and Saturday, temps will be back within a few degrees of seasonal average, with highs in the upper 20s — and that will feel downright balmy.

The average high for Feb. 2 is 32 degrees and the average low is 1 degree. The record low of minus 41 degrees was set back in 1939 and the record high for the date is 53 degrees, set in 1953. And warmer days are ahead. By the end of February, the average daily high will climb all the way into the upper 30s. The all-time record high reading for the month is 59 degrees, set on Feb. 22 in 1943. The coldest reading ever in February was minus 45 degrees, set in 1916 (all temperature records for Frisco). (more…)

Filed under: climate and weather, Colorado, global warming, La Niña, seasons, Snow and weather, Summit County Colorado, Summit County snow and weather, Weatherblog | Tagged: , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

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