As the weather starts to become colder and images of snow at the highest peaks start filling our screens, many Colorado skiers start desperately trying to figure out exactly what this upcoming ski season will look like.
Obviously it’s impossible to truly predict how much snow we’ll be getting in March when it’s only September. We might prep for a devastatingly dry year only to have it dump the whole season, or we might prepare for an epic year just to see a few small storms throughout the cold months. There is no way of knowing for certain.
But we can look at data and trends from previous seasons. What has high precipitation in the summer meant for snow in the winter? How has a shorter period of over 90 degree days affected how cold it tends to get in the winter? How do specific patterns, like El Niño and La Niña, tend to affect our ski season? Those questions can’t give us everything, but they can give us a bit.
This year, after three consecutive La Niña years, the world is headed into an El Niño winter. For many areas of the country, this means warmer temperatures, more rain, and less of the good stuff (deep pow pow). For others, that means plenty of snow. Unfortunately, for the mountains of Colorado, it could mean literally anything. But what does it mean for Denver? 9NEWS Meteorologist Cory Reppenhagen has the answer:
So there you go! It could mean quite literally anything for the mountains. Sorry to disappoint. Those living in Denver can expect plenty of snow, though! Great, right?
This gives me mixed emotions. On the one hand, snow rules, and if large amounts of Denver snow means large amounts of mountain snow, sweet! But that’s not what it means. If anything, I fear that this just means worse commutes for less of a reward, but we’ll just have to wait and see!
Featured Image Credit: Breckenridge Ski Resort via Facebook