From Denverite (Andrew Kenney):
About 68 percent of Colorado is “abnormally dry,” while 31 percent is in moderate drought, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. The Front Range and plains are getting the worst of it, with a drought spreading across the greater metro area for about the last month.
Moderate drought can damage crops and pastures and may begin to affect water supplies, according to the federal agency. However, Denver may not need to panic about water restrictions just yet.
“Right now, Denver Water’s water supply is in good shape,”wrote Travis Thompson, spokesperson for Denver Water, in an email.
“Systemwide, our reservoirs are at higher-than-normal levels for this time of year at 88 percent. Typically, they are around 85 percent right now. But, we are definitely keeping a close eye on the current conditions and hoping for some much needed moisture to help begin building that snowpack for 2017.”
Forecasting models had shown a change in the weather next week to both lower temperatures and bring some snow to the Front Range, but that is looking less likely.
That incoming weather may still drop some amount of snow on the mountains, but it’s still too early to tell much, according to Noah Brauer, a meteorologist who contributes to Weather5280.
From The Greeley Tribune:
The U.S. Drought Monitor report, released Thursday, says 98.4 percent of Colorado is abnormally dry. Additionally, 30.84 percent of the state — including extreme western portions of Weld and much of the Front Range — is experiencing moderate drought, a more severe condition than abnormal dryness.
These numbers come in the wake of several weeks of unseasonably high temperatures and a lack of precipitation. In fact, a week ago, 91.1 percent of the state was abnormally dry and 24.31 percent was experiencing moderate drought. Last year at this time, only 20.09 percent of the state was abnormally dry and none of the state was experiencing drought.
Weld saw .72 inches of precipitation in October. The average for October is .89 inches. Temperatures were well above normal much of the month and have remained above normal in November.
From The Fort Collins Coloradoan (Jacy Marmaduke):
Arapahoe Basin remains the only resort open in the state, and Loveland Ski Area will open Thursday after a multi-week delay. Both can thank manmade snow because Mother Nature hasn’t been of much help.
Snow-making wizardry aside, it has to be cold enough outside for the flakes to stick, and overnight temperatures remained stubbornly warm through most of October, Loveland Ski Area spokesman John Sellers said.
“Our patience has really been tested this year,” he said.
Staff started making snow Oct. 3, and it usually takes just a couple of weeks to open after snow-making begins. Overnight temperatures only recently have dropped enough to schedule Opening Day for Thursday.
Copper Mountain Resort cited unseasonable warmth when it pushed its Opening Day back a week, from Friday to Nov. 18.
“The decision to delay Opening Day is always difficult and is not one we make lightly,” said Gary Rodgers, Copper Mountain’s president and general manager, in a press release. “Our teams have been working around the clock to prepare the mountain for the upcoming season, but we do need a little more cooperation from Mother Nature.”
Keystone Resort also pushed back its opening from Nov. 4 to a tentative Friday because of warm weather.
The economic impact of a delayed opening is not good but “not huge,” Sellers said. Bad weather or roads later in the season would be a bigger economic threat, he said.
Last year, Colorado slopes saw 13 million skier visits.
The National Weather Service’s Climate Prediction Center predicts warmer-than-normal temperatures through the rest of fall, but a lack of early fall snow doesn’t necessarily correlate with a lack of winter snow.