Drought conditions have nearly enveloped Colorado this fall, as forecasters call for a dry winter across the West and a late-season fire blazes near Estes Park.
The U.S. Drought Monitor maps released Thursday showed most of the state is now classified as in drought conditions, with portions of Teller and Park counties west of Colorado Springs slipping into drought over the last week. The last time less than 30% of the state was considered in drought was October 2019, the drought monitor said.
The National Climate Prediction Center expects La Niña, a Pacific weather pattern, will continue to drive dry conditions across much of the Southwest — including Colorado — through February, according to a forecast released Thursday.
This week, the USDM Hot Topic spotlights #Colorado, where #drought coverage (77.7%) has more than doubled since late August and drought has persisted for several years.
To keep track of drought news in Colorado, visit https://t.co/G4TCRnsDB9. pic.twitter.com/mjYBosBCD2
— Drought Center (@DroughtCenter)
Most of El Paso County is in moderate drought following a dry fall. The area also saw below average moisture in October, receiving .26 inches of precipitation below the average of .77 inches, according to the National Weather Service.
Colorado Springs has also yet to see any snow this season. The city’s first snow typically falls on Oct. 26, said Kyle Mozley, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service. However, it is still far short of breaking a record. The most delayed first snow of any winter season for the city was Dec. 2, 2016, he said.
The Front Range has also seen a mild fall in general, with temperatures above normal for October, the Colorado Climate Center showed. The mild fall has kept trees and other vegetation from going dormant and so they are still using up water that would otherwise be locked in place by cold temperatures, he said.
“It’s nice to have the warm weather; it is not doing us any favors,” he said.
The dry conditions have meant ski season is getting off to a slow start, with a few resorts pushing back their opening dates. Many ski resorts aim to open on or around Thanksgiving weekend.
Wolf Creek Ski Area, known for getting the highest average annual snowfall in Colorado, opened on Oct. 16, but later closed on weekdays because of unseasonably warm and dry temperatures, owner Rosanne Pitcher said.
The resort’s barrel brigade has been out harvesting snow from steep terrain and moving it via snowmobile to main runs to keep the area open, she said.
The resort has also been able to make snow and it’s holding, she said.
“The days are shorter, that’s what’s saving us,” she said.
Pitcher said while the La Niña can bode ill for snow in the state, Wolf Creek got lucky during the La Niña pattern last year and saw big storms.
“Of course we are hoping the weather turns around a little bit,” he said.
Arapahoe Basin, Winter Park and Loveland resorts are also all open, according to Colorado Ski Country, a trade association.
Snow is predicted in the northern and central mountains on Saturday, according to Open Snow. The middle of next week could also bring snow across the state that could bolster resorts.
Eldora, outside of Boulder, is slated to open Friday, followed by Purgatory, near Durango, on Saturday. Aspen, Snowmass and Steamboat are slated to open Thanksgiving week.
Monarch Mountain, one of the resorts closest to Colorado Springs, has yet to set an opening date because it is waiting for snow, spokesman Dan Bender said. The resort does not make any snow, so it is completely reliant on the weather.
When the resort is ready for the lifts to start turning, they will, he said.
“I am not ready to panic,” he said.
This content was originally published here.