Memorial Day means the start of camping season in the High Country! ...Or does it?

It never really did feel like winter this year in Denver and now it is starting to feel like summer will never come. After months of incredibly dry weather and unseasonably warm temperatures, May has been much of the contrary. Denver has already received 4.73 inches of precipitation this May, a whopping 2.87 inches above normal for the month. The northern mountains, which had an above average winter, continue to get hammered with snow. In fact, Aspen Ski Resort reopened some of their lifts after their base remained at 70+ inches weeks after the end of their regular season, and many river basins are boasting snowpack at 200% of normal!

All this wet weather is great news for vegetation, and has made great strides in dampening the fire danger in the northern half of the state... that said, those who have plans to head to the hills for the weekend may find themselves quite disappointed! According to the Denver Post, the snow is just not melting. The last time we had this much snowpack so late in the season was 1983.

The weather will trend warmer in Denver for the rest of the week, but chances of rain showers remain in the forecast. Much of the same for the mountains until the weekend, when more rain and snow is forecast for many locations.

Weather pattern changes in store for Denver

As I hinted to in my post earlier this week, there may finally be some changes on the way for Denver. Several weak disturbances will effect the area about every other day through most of next week, and with that will come our first chances for precip in what feels like forever. Normally such weak and unorganized systems would not earn themselves a mention in the blog, but with our yards turning to dust and fires ravaging the Front Range it seems only appropriate to give them some mention.

Tonight will be our first chance of some moisture, albeit not a very good chance. Best chances will occur well north of Denver and east of town as well. Similar scenarios are set for Sunday and Monday. At this point our best shot at picking up some real moisture may come during the second half of next week, but given the track record of this winter and the extended nature of this forecast, I am unwilling to get too excited as of yet!

#Graupel!