“This year is different in that we are getting a dry spell now, and had a snowy December,” said Joe Ramey, meteorologist for the NWS. “The biggest difference is high pressure building in from the west that keeps us in a dry climate.”
Ramey said the seven-day forecast for the area looks dry and he expects no new snow in the mountains. Though snowpack for the year is about normal, the upcoming week could weaken those numbers.
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Last year, snowpack at this time on the mesa was at 114 percent of normal. Vail Mountain is at 123 percent of normal, compared to last year’s 117 percent of normal.
Ramey said that the San Juan Mountains did well through December. However, the area has “dried out considerably” in January. Red Mountain’s snowpack is at 129 percent of normal, compared to last year’s 157 percent.
Ramey said that the patterns are favoring the Park Range near Steamboat Springs, dumping a considerable amount of snow in that area.
“Our area is getting little to none, and that is not going to change for a least a week,” Ramey said.
The high pressure moving in this weekend is expected to bring freezing temperatures to the valley, while the mountains will stay considerably warmer. The pressure also prevents the exchanging of air, causing air quality to progressively worsen through the week.
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