It has been an unseasonably warm and dry November in Denver and really across all of Colorado. Snowpack is well below average in most basins and Denver has yet to even see snow fall this season.
As we head towards the end of November, the majority of the upcoming weather is looking to being warm and dry with a spurt of cold just before Thanksgiving. A weather feature known as a ridge of high pressure looks to dominate our weather and that may inch us closer to having one of the driest and warmest Novembers on record in many areas of Colorado. On top of that, November concludes Meteorological Fall and this Fall season is also shaping up to be one of the warmest and driest Meteorological Fall’s ever recorded in Denver.
The Details
So far this month, Colorado has had; below-average snowfall, below-average precipitation in general and above-average temperatures. Here’s where we stand:
The amount of snow that has accumulated in Colorado has been minimal. Some areas of the state, like the San Juans, are running a deficit of more than a foot of snow. Notably, every area of Colorado (with the exception of near the Nebraska border) is in a snow deficit this month.
For general precipitation (rain and snow), the story looks the same.
Every part of Colorado is currently drier than normal with areas of southwest Colorado experiencing the biggest lack of moisture. The overall pattern for moisture this month has benefitted the northern Mountains but you can see that even there, a deficit is growing.
As for our temperatures, those are running much more mild than typical.
Temperatures have been mild across the entire state this month. Areas around Durango, Telluride, Steamboat and Craig have been the warmest. The combination of warm and dry weather has led this state into expanding drought conditions almost everywhere.
The Forecast
As alluded to before, the rest of this month is looking dry and warm as well with one system approaching just before Thanksgiving.
A cold front will push through Colorado by Wednesday morning bringing much colder air with it and minimal amounts of snow. Wednesday is likely to be the coldest day of the week as cold air sets in behind the cold front. Some light precipitation will fall through the day on Wednesday – mainly in the mountains.
Total snow is looking overall light but the biggest totals should come across the San Juans, Wet, Sangre De Cristo, Elk Mountains and the Grand Mesa where up to 6 or 7-inches may fall. Other areas are expected to receive very light snow.
Forecast highs on Wednesday will be 5-15-degrees colder than normal across Colorado but that quickly changes as another ridge builds by this weekend. Temperatures across Colorado will run 10-20-degrees warmer than normal from Friday to Monday.
With only the slightest chance of seeing a few flakes fly in Denver from Wednesday afternoon to Thursday morning, the city will likely continue it’s wait till the first snow of the season. Unfortunately, it looks like we’ll have to wait until December for our first snow in the Mile High City as no major storms are on the horizon.
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