Klaus Wolter, a meteorologist affiliated with the University of Colorado and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration continues to promise a dry winter.  In an article today in the Rocky Mountain News he says, “I think we should count our blessings. We got lucky” in regards to the amount of moisture the state has seen thus far.

According to Wolter, the La Nina weather pattern present in the Pacific will persist resulting in storms tracking north of our state.  The good news though is that snowpack thus far is above normal statewide and even if their predictions bear out, we should be okay come summer.  Here are the latest readings as of today:

           S N O W  -  P R E C I P I T A T I O N    U P D A T E 
  
              Based on Mountain Data from NRCS SNOTEL Sites 
                    As of MONDAY: JANUARY 14 , 2008 
----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
STATE                                                      PERCENT OF AVERAGE 
  RIVER BASIN                                     Number   Snow Water  Accum 
                                                 of Sites  Equivalent  Precip 
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

COLORADO 
  GUNNISON RIVER BASIN ......................... 11 of 13     144       137 
  UPPER COLORADO RIVER BASIN ................... 27 of 29     119       124 
  SOUTH PLATTE RIVER BASIN ..................... 15 of 15     105       101 
  LARAMIE AND NORTH PLATTE RIVER BASINS ........ 13 of 13     101       109 
  YAMPA AND WHITE RIVER BASINS ................. 17 of 19     102       111 
  ARKANSAS RIVER BASIN .........................  5 of  9     141       124 
  UPPER RIO GRANDE BASIN .......................  9 of 13     158       144 
  SAN MIGUEL, DOLORES, ANIMAS 
     AND SAN JUAN RIVER BASINS ................. 14 of 16     153       135

We of course hope the forecasters are wrong just like they have been about the last two hurricane seasons! 

Please click here for the full Rocky Mountain News Article. 

An interesting article from USA Today today discusses the fact that despite the snow we have recently enjoyed, we can’t rule out drought in 2008.  In part it says:

Despite a series of snowstorms that rescued ski areas in Colorado just before the holidays and built up the below-average snowpack, experimental forecaster Klaus Wolter says there still is a possibility of drought next year.

“My experimental forecast guidance for the late winter season (January-March 2008) continues to show a pervasive tendency for dry conditions over the full domain. Half of Colorado, and most of Arizona and New Mexico appear most likely to experience a dry season, raising the specter of renewed drought in currently drought-free regions,” said Wolter.

In other words, we can’t count on the wet weather to continue.  It is important to note that while the southern and central mountains have had lots of snow, the South Platte River basin, from which the Front Range gets most of its water, is still below normal levels.  To read the full article, click here.