What a difference a week makes

Last week at this time we were preparing for more cold and snow on the tail of a record-setting arctic blast the week before. This week the record warmth of last fall will seem more familiar as temperatures will soar into the 60s with lows staying well above freezing some nights. The main concern this week will be the wind, especially if you live in and the foothills west of town. While Chinook winds are largely responsible for our midwinter warm spells, they can also be incredibly powerful and even dangerous at times. Some of the highest wind gusts recorded along the front range come from these events.

For those of you not quite ready to say goodbye to winter, there is some good news. Denver's snowiest month is quickly approaching... March! The recent cold snap has reminded us what winter is supposed to be like around here, but we remain well below average in terms of snowfall for the season. In fact, with a mere 18 inches of snow so far this season (16.6 inches below average) the Weather Channel gave Denver's winter a D- on their "Winter Snow-card." One would think with 43% of our snow left to fall (on average) we would have a decent chance at gaining on these numbers. Unfortunately, the National Weather Service predicts La Nina to remain strong through the Spring, which could give us weather reminding us more of last fall than last week.