As Coloradans grapple with a record low snowpack heading into summer, the super El Niño and strong monsoon season in the forecast could provide some late summer relief.
Colorado’s weather is impacted by everything from temperature changes in the Pacific Ocean to pressure patterns over Texas — not to mention rising temperatures around the globe. This year’s La Niña conditions, created by cooler water temperatures in the Pacific, should have brought snow to Colorado’s northern mountains. Instead, the state ended the winter a month early with record hot days and a rapid snowmelt, prompting drought restrictions and water cutbacks around Colorado.
As of last week, the La Niña is over and the odds are increasingly good for a super El Niño later in 2026 — a climate pattern that has historically brought wetter winter conditions to Colorado, according to the National Weather Service.
It’s a tentative dose of hope for residents looking for a reprieve from record-breaking dry conditions, said Russ Schumacher, Colorado state climatologist and a professor at Colorado State University.
“Things are probably going to get worse before they get better,” Schumacher said. “I don’t think we’re going to be stuck in just dry, dry, dry for many, many more months to come. I think there is some reason for optimism.”
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