Snowfall in the Colorado mountains is lagging this season. But forecasters say there’s still plenty of time to catch up.
This week, the snowpack statewide was at 73% of the long-term average – and closer to just 63% in the northwest corner of Colorado. But meteorologists expect the continuing la Nina pattern to bring more snow to the northern and central mountains early in the new year.
“I think the first week of January is going to be pretty warm and pretty stable, but we’ll look toward the middle of January as maybe a starting point for getting back to normal,” says Kyle Fredin with the National Weather Service in Boulder. And he points out there’s still plenty more winter to go.
Despite the lackluster snow for mountain communities, Aspen travel officials say tourism is reaching a peak for New Year’s Eve – with this holiday season shaping up to be one of the busiest in years.