Changes in our weather

It's March again, and that generally means interesting weather for Colorado's Front Range. While this winter has been virtually absent of snow (yes, we are still well below average), March might be our best chance at changing this. March is Denver's snowiest month with 11.7 inches on average (NWS). March is truly a transition month, with a record high of 84 and a record low of -11 we can pretty much see anything during this month. A prime example of March's wild weather was in 2003, when tornadic activity turned to snow late on the 17th and left Denver with it's second worst storm in history; 31.8 inches of snow was recorded at the old Stapleton Airport. While the outlook for March 2011 calls for warmer than normal temps, and below average precipitation (a continued thank you to La Nina!), it is not unreasonable to expect at least one decent storm this month. Read on!

After weeks of tranquil weather, changes could be coming. Temperatures tomorrow should again warm into the 60s, but rain and snow will be moving into the area by tomorrow evening. Friday will be quite a bit cooler with temps in the 40s and a chance of rain and snow. By the weekend temperatures will return to the 50s.

Our attention then turns to early next week when potential for another even stronger storm may arrise! I have been watching this system for several days now, and am trying to not get too excited about it. As it stands, it looks like most models will take the brunt of the energy too far north for substantial accumulation in Denver. That said, if the system slows a little, and allows for more digging to take place, we could be in for a classic March storm. Stay tuned!