Mike's Weather Blog -- February 2006

February 28, 2006 - February Ends On A Warm Note

The month of February, especially the last two weeks, have brought quite the range of weather. In fact, between February 18th and the 27th we saw an 86 degree temperature swing in Denver, along with a new record low of -13 on the 18th and a record high tie of 73 on the 27th.

Other record highs yesterday include...

Altenbern, Colorado -- 64 degrees (this is in Western Colorado, 18 miles northwest of Debeque)

Gateway, Colorado -- 71 degrees (also in western Colorado)

Alamosa, Colorado -- 60 degrees

Yuma, Colorado -- 74 degrees

Laramie, Wyoming -- 57 degrees

Rawlins, Wyoming -- 52 degrees

Greybull, Wyoming -- 53 degrees

Rock Springs, Wyoming -- 67 degrees

Goodland, Kansas -- 74 degrees

Hill City, Kansas -- 79 degrees

McCook, Nebraska -- 80 degrees

We have the right setup for more records today, however, the fly in the ointment is the approaching cloud cover from the west as a Pacific storm system moves into the central Rockies. This may hold temperatures below record levels. It will be a close call!

February 27, 2006 - A Tale Of Two Seasons

We're now into the last few weeks of winter and this means the transition to spring is getting underway across the country. For Colorado, this means large swings in temperature and occasional snowstorms. Less than two weeks ago we were 13 degrees below zero. This Tuesday we'll be some 80 degrees warmer with afternoon temperatures in the 70s. And by this coming weekend we could only be looking at highs in the mid 30s to lower 40s.

Other parts of the country will begin to see a rapid increase in severe weather as we head into March. From Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas into Alabama and Georgia, it's time to brush up on severe weather safety.

Back in 1997 a long-track tornado touched down near Hope, Arkansas on March 1. It stayed on the ground over an hour traveling nearly 70 miles, wiping out a few towns and killing over a dozen people. The town of Arkadelphia was especially hard hit.

As much of the country heats up early this week, we'll watch for some more active weather by the weekend as a large trough of low pressure moves into the picture. This could bring some snow to Denver by Saturday and some storms to the deep south by this time next week.

Have a great day, stay with 7NEWS for all the latest news and weather information.

February 26, 2006 - Near Record Highs Possible By Tuesday

February is going to end on the mild side with highs climbing into the 60s. By Tuesday many locations will be climbing toward the lower 70s along and east of I-25.

The record highs for the end of February in Denver are 71 degrees today, 73 degrees on the 27th, and 74 degrees on the 28th. Tuesday is our best bet for nearing the record high territory.

The warmest February temperature ever recorded in Denver is 77 degres back on February 4, 1890. Temperatures of that warmth don't appear they will make it up to Denver, but parts of southeast Colorado will definitely be in the mid to upper 70s on Tuesday.

By Wednesday we'll cool things off as a broad trough of low pressure moves into the region, and by the weekend, we could be talking some snow with highs on reaching into the 30s.

Enjoy this beautiful stretch of weather in store, but keep it here at 7NEWS for the latest on the big cool down and potential weekend snow.

February 25, 2006 - Greeley Home And Garden Show This Weekend

Come out to Greeley this weekend for the Greeley Tribune Home and Garden Show! It is at the Island Grove Regional Park, 504 North 14th Avenue in Greeley.

7NEWS will be there along with the 24/7 Weather Experience. On Sunday Chief Meteorologist Mike Nelson will be at the booth.

For more information, click here.

February 24, 2006 - Visualizing Low & High Pressure In 3-D

I had a 7NEWS viewer email me asking what high and low pressure areas look like in 3-D, and I thought it was a great thing to share with you.

An area of high pressure (shown on the weather map as a blue "H") denotes sinking air, while a low pressure (the big red "L") shows rising air.

In meteorology, you look for rising air (motion) as an ingredient for active weather, no matter what the season. So what would this look like in 3-D?

Picture the winds feeding into a low pressure center from lower levels (ground-level and a few thousand feet higher) and rising upward toward the sky. A high pressure is just the opposite. It has winds feeding in from the upper levels of the atmosphere and sinking down toward the ground.

The flow of air around a low pressure is counter-clockwise, and around a high pressure it is clockwise.

The atmospheric research facilities in Boulder have a plethora of information available on their websites, including a visual of just this very topic. Click here to see a demonstration. Once the page loads, you will want to scroll down to see more.

Now something very interesting about our part of the world is while most relate high pressure to fair weather, it can bring cold and snow to the Front Range. If an area of high pressure moves south out of Canada and sits to our north and east, the clockwise circulation can actually cause an upslope flow here in the Front Range.

Another thing you sometimes hear about in weather is a "pressure gradient" between a high and low pressure. If you have a high and low near each other, in between will be a gradient of pressure, or change over short distance. The greater the difference between high and low (in other words, the stronger the high and low pressure) the larger the pressure gradient. The result of a pressure gradient is wind.

On those days when we get winds really cranking across the state, it is due to a tight pressure gradient in our area. On a weather map, these are shown by isobars, or lines of equal pressure. The closer they are in an area, the stronger the winds because the larger the gradient.

Add in a fast-moving jet stream overhead and the weather can get really interesting!

February 23, 2006 - Great Weather For Taking Some Pictures

We've got a really nice stretch of weather coming up statewide, perfect for taking some pictures! Aside from a brief cool down on Saturday and some occasional light snow showers in the northern mountains, February will end on a very pleasant note.

Our 24/7 Digital Album has been receiving a lot of great pictures lately, and we want you to keep sending them! Sunrise and sunsets, scenic winter scenes, and the beautiful landscape of our state all make for great subject matter.

Did you know that once the month ends, your pictures stay on TheDenverChannel for all to see? We archive all our slideshows in the Slideshow Center. To get there, just look for the Slideshow Center button on our home page.

Have a great upcoming weekend, stay safe, and let's see those great pictures!

February 22, 2006 - Front Range Season-To-Date Snow Totals

Several places along the Front Range foothills and adjacent plains are behind on season-to-date snowfall, including Denver. Some by as much as 2 feet! The snow season runs from July 1 through June 30 of the following year. (7-01-05 through 6-30-06)

Here are a few quick stats...

Denver -- 3.0 inches so far this February, 21.3 for the season

Evergreen -- 3.8 inches so far this February, 32.5 for the season

North Longmont -- 7.7 inches so far this February, 13.6 for the season

Ralston Reservoir -- 8.0 inches so far this February, 19.0 for the season

Wheat Ridge -- 5.0 inches so far this February, 21.9 for the season

To shed some hope on the situation, we still have our 1st and 3rd snowiest months ahead of us. (March and April) However, when La Nina is dominating the weather pattern, we often end the season below normal on snowfall.

We'll just have to cross our fingers that even though we are currently in La Nina, a few weather systems will be able to sneak through the Front Range with some generous amounts of moisture over the next two months!

We've had several new pictures come into our Digital Album. See the link to check these out!

Have an excellent day, thanks as always for reading the blog!

February 21, 2006 - Record Lows Set Across California

If you have friends or loved ones in California, they might be telling you how cold it has been in recent days. Several locations set some new record low temperatures after setting record highs earlier this month with strong Santa Ana winds.

Here are a few of the most recent record low temperatures...

Lake Arrowhead (So. California) -- 14 degrees

Ramona Airport (So. California) -- 26 degrees

Escondido (So. California) -- 35 degrees

Santa Barbara -- 32 degrees

Oakland -- 37 degrees

Monterey -- 35 degrees

Redding -- 25 degrees

It was cold enough that some of the higher terrain in Los Angeles, Ventura, and San Luis Obipso counties saw accumulating snow! The highest report came from Mt. Baldy in Los Angeles county with 10 inches of the white stuff!

February 20, 2006 - Get Real-Time Data With Colorado's Water

If you haven't had a chance to check out Colorado's Water, be sure to do so today.

If you have been looking for a place to get all the latest information about things like snowpack, precipitation, and streamflow then you've found your source.

From the main weather page on TheDenverChannel.com just click on Colorado's Water. Next, click on Our Watersheds in the menu at the top of the page. On the left once Our Watersheds loads up, you will see a menu. The third option is Real-Time information.

The default map is courtesy of the USGS and will show stream-flow condition at selected locations. This is real helpful if you plan to go fishing, rafting, or just hiking along a creek, river, or stream. Right now stream-flow isn't as big of a concern as it will be once the spring melt hits in May and June.

Then you will see 5 tabs above the stream-flow map. The first is called Colorado Snowpack. This takes you to all the Snowtel sites in our state to see the latest reports as storms move through the mountains.

Tabs 2 and 4 will take you to CoCoRaHS to see the latest snowfall and precipitation reports from observers all around Colorado.

The third tab is real-time avalanche information, vital for those who venture into the backcountry. We also have an avalanche safety story in the Weather News section of our weather page.

The fifth tab is going to show you the current reservoir storage in Colorado.

This is a wonderful resource and I hope you will not only use it, but also tell your friends, neighbors, family, and co-workers about it. Any teachers who might want to use this data to conduct real-time analysis are welcome to do so.

If the weekend cold snap is getting old, just hang in there. We'll warm things up this week with highs in the 40s for the most part. Today will still be just a touch on the cool side but much better than our 7 degree high on Saturday.

February 19, 2006 - Denver Breaks Several Records This Weekend

If you are a dedicated blog reader you will recall that we first talked about cold air building over Alaska back on January 21st. On the 25th we went into a bit more detail on why this is important for us to monitor, even here in Colorado.

As we moved into February Alaska finally warmed up but now there was a batch of cold air on the move. It eventually slid down into central Canada and then the lower 48 states with quite a reality check after a very mild winter.

This cold snap broke a few records that have stood more than a century! A complete recap is below.

Friday, February 17th

A new low of -10 degrees was established at 9:52 p.m., which broke the previous record low of -9 degrees set in 1993.

Saturday, February 18th

A new overnight low of -13 degrees was established at 7:13 a.m., which absolutely shattered the previous record low of -3 degrees dating back to 1880. This made for the coldest February 18th in 126 years!

A new record low daytime maximum of only 7 degrees was set at 4:43 p.m.. The previous was 14 degrees set back in 1929.

Sunday, February 19th

This morning we set a new record low of -4 degrees at 12:23 a.m.. The previous record low was 3 degrees above zero set way back in 1889. This record stands out for a few reasons...

It is another record shattered that has stood for more than 100 years.

It was the only positive low temperature record still alive for the month of February. In other words, until today, the record low for every other day in February was a negative number except February 19th.

If you are ready for a warm up, just hang in there. We will make a slow but steady climb back into the 40s by day with mostly teens at night as we progress through the upcoming week.

Have a great week and thank you so much for making 7NEWS your first and only choice in news, weather, and sports information!

February 18, 2006 - New Record Low Set Friday In Denver

After a high of only 14 degrees, the temperatures dropped like a rock Friday night. By 9:52 p.m. the thermometer at Denver International Airport hit 10 degrees below zero, breaking the old record of 9 below that has stood since 1993.

Today's record low of 3 degrees below zero was shattered as the clock struck midnight. It has stood since 1880, making this the coldest February 18th in over 125 years for the city!

February 17, 2006 - A Brownish-Red Snow Falls Over Portions Of Colorado

A 7NEWS viewer from Breckenridge emailed in with a report of brownish-red snow on the ground after Thursday's morning snowfall. He asked if there had been some volcanic eruption or something huge that would have transported dust to Colorado.

In checking some of the comments left by CoCoRaHS observers on their Thursday morning reports, more people witnessed this unusual snow in the mountains of Boulder county, leaving a reddish-orange sediment when the snow was melted down into water.

Assistant State Climatologist Nolan Doesken had a phone call from Rocky Mountain National Park Headquarters that the fresh snow from last night was a "burnt umber" color.

Still yet another report from a 7NEWS viewer of the same thing on Berthoud Pass.

So what in the world could cause this strange snow? The answer: WIND! The day before the snow we experienced very strong south and southwest winds blowing over the very dry landscape of Arizona, Utah, New Mexico, and southern Colorado. Those winds picked up dust and sediment and kept them airborne over Colorado. Some of this dust settled out of the sky along with the fresh snowfall overnight, leaving the reddish-brown layer of snow that many woke up to on Thursday morning in Colorado's High Country.

February 16, 2006 - Learn All About Mountain Snowpack And Water Supply

When we talk about snowpack in the mountains, what comes to mind for you?

Many will say spring melt and our drinking water. Others will relate mountain precipitation to the coming fire season.

Do you ever wonder how we measure the snow and how the forecasts for water supply are created?

You can get these answers and so much more with the newest link on Colorado's Water, our new public education outlet right here on TheDenverChannel.com!

In addition, you will find links to avalanche information, the SNOTEL network, and forecasts for streamflow.

Just click on Colorado's Water in the blue navigation menu on the weather page and look for the "Mountain Snow" link on the top right of the page.

February 15, 2006 - Extended Period Of Cold Settling Into Much Of Colorado

For everyone who has been asking where is the winter at this year...well...it is here! We are going below freezing starting today and will remain there through at least early next week in many locations. Daytime highs will be in the 20s for a good chunk of real estate with overnight lows in the single digits above and below zero. In Denver highs should average between 20 and 27 degrees with lows between 2 and 8 above zero between Thursday and next Tuesday.

The unsettled pattern will keep a chance for snow in the forecast. For the most part accumulations should be light but along the Colorado - Wyoming state line some places could get 8 to 14 inches of the white stuff by Friday; this includes Fort Collins.

It is a tricky forecast due to the upper level pattern versus the surface flow. Aloft we have winds coming in from the southwest, while surface winds are northerly. In the summer this is a good setup for rotating thunderstorms, but in the winter it's a nightmare forecasting in a state like Colorado where the terrain plays such a key role in the weather.

Shallow cold air blowing in on northerly winds call pool up against a barrier like the foothills, keeping the Urban Corridor locked in clouds and light snow or freezing drizzle. Meanwhile, a few thousand feet up in elevation where the shallow cool air doesn't reach, a mild southwest flow can bring partly cloudy skies with temperatures quite a bit warmer than Denver. (key thing to remember: cold air is dense and sinks, where warm air is not as dense, and therefore it rises)

In the case of our current pattern, the shallow air should be deep enough to make it over the terrain barriers (Palmer Divide and Foothills) and bring much cooler weather to everyone east of the divide. But it just goes to show you one of the many things we meteorologists have to consider when forecasting for weather patterns such as this.

The moisture will be a nice present from Mother Nature to Denver and surrounding areas that have been so dry this winter. After a very wet October, we've seen below normal precipitation and snowfall ever since. For the period November 1 through February 14, Denver is almost 1.25 inches behind on liquid precipitation, and about 20 inches behind on snowfall.

Hopefully we can break the streak of below normal precipitation this month and end at least average, if not slightly above. Keep your fingers crossed!!

Meanwhile, get those jackets and sweaters back out and stay warm over the next several days!

February 14, 2006 - A Widespread Frost And Freeze Hits Florida

If you were in Florida this morning hoping to catch some tropical warmth, you would have been mighty disappointed! As of 1 a.m. this morning temperatures were already near or at record levels in some locations with 5 more hours of cooling to go!

1 a.m. temperatures in Florida 2/14/06 --

Pensacola -- 35 degrees

Crestview -- 26 degrees

Tallahassee -- 27 degrees

Jacksonville -- 30 degrees

Ocala -- 27 degrees

Orlando -- 39 degrees

Melbourne -- 34 degrees

Tampa -- 38 degrees

Naples -- 43 degrees

West Palm Beach -- 42 degrees

Miami -- 47 degrees

As of this posting the official morning lows weren't posted, but you can rest assured with the "severe clear" skies and light winds the lows were even colder than the 1 a.m. readings!

It was also chilly on Monday with a high of only 61 degrees in Key West. This tied a record low daytime maximum that was last set in 1895.

Other highs yesterday (with the normal in parenthesis) include...

Jacksonville -- 50 degrees (67 degrees)

Tallahassee -- 51 degrees (67 degrees)

Sarasota Bradenton --56 degrees (73 degrees)

Tampa -- 53 degrees (71 degrees)

Fort Myers -- 58 degrees (76 degrees)

Daytona Beach -- 53 degrees (71 degrees)

Orlando -- 55 degrees (74 degrees)

West Palm Beach and Fort Lauderdale -- 58 degrees (76 degrees)

Miami -- 58 degrees (78 degrees)

Why so cold? Clear skies, dry air and light winds with a strong area of high pressure. This helps to keep it cool during the day and allows for exceptional radiational cooling at night.

Speaking of cold, we've got quite the change coming up in our forecast starting as early as tomorrow. A period of cold and unsettled weather is moving in with highs averaging in the 20s and lows in the single digits for Denver and the plains over the next 5 days.

February 13, 2006 - Record Snow Cripples The Northeast Cities

The same storm that rolled through Colorado late last week met up with Atlantic and Gulf moisture over the weekend along with cold air from Canada, resulting in one intense nor'easter.

Fairfield, Connecticut came in with just over 30 inches of snow from the storm, with nearly the entire state seeing between one and two feet of snow.

In New York City, Central Park recorded 26.9 inches, setting a new record snow total from one single storm. Chinatown recorded 24.7 inches, the Bronx 24.5 inches, and La Guardia Airport got 25.4 inches of snow.

The storm crippled air travel into the Big Apple and kept thousands at home. Travel was also difficult as far north as Boston and south as northern Virginia. Even travel by train was slow, if not impossible, due to snowdrifts on the tracks. Numerous locations up and down the I-95 corridor saw at least a foot of snow.

Along the coast, many experienced flooding from 60 m.p.h. winds that drove the high tide inland. Numerous trees and branches fell under the weight of the heavy snow.

February 12, 2006 - Changing Jet Stream To Bring Winter Back To Colorado

A shift in the jet stream will allow another chunck of very cold air to slide south along the spine of the Rockies, bringing cold and snow back into the forecast for Colorado.

Out ahead of the change expect very mild temperatures to start the week, with highs in the 50s to lower 60s across most lower elevations. By Tuesday night into Wednesday the bottom will drop out as temperatures plummet and snows develop.

At this time we could be talking a good 3 to 6 inches of snow in the Denver Area. That can change if the track of this low pressure developing changes, so you will definitely want to stay with me and my team, Colorado's Most Trusted Meteorologists, for the latest forecast information.

Meanwhile, if you have plans to travel east today or tomorrow it will likely be snarled. Up to 2 feet of snow has fallen from New York to Boston. The Central Park Zoo has recorded it's 2nd heaviest snow from one storm in the city's history! At last count, 22.8 inches had fallen, only 4 inches behind the record set back in the late 1940s.

February 11, 2006 - Winter Storm To Cause Major Delays In The East

A developing winter storm will bring rain, sleet, and heavy snow (depending on the location) from the mountains of Tennessee and North Carolina all the way up to Maine this weekend.

6 to 12 inches of snow is possible from Washington D.C. right up through New York City and potentially even Boston. Some coastal locations between New York and Boston may even see up to 20 inches of snow.

As of noon Saturday, the New York City Metropolitan Area was under a blizzard warning expecting strong winds up to tropical storm force strength along with heavy snow. A Blizzard Watch was in effect for the Boston Metro.

If you have flight plans to the east coast anytime this weekend you will very likely encounter delays and/or cancellations. We have a complete resource of travel information for you right here on TheDenverChannel.com! Just click on the weather page and then travel weather. Information such as current airport delay status and the national forecasts are available to you.

February 10, 2006 - Temperatures Drop Like A Rock Behind Cold Front

A strong Canadian Cold Front blew through Colorado on Thursday afternoon dropping temperatures from the 50s to the 20s in just a matter of hours.

Afternoon highs climbed into the upper 60s and lower 70s over southeast Colorado on Thursday afternoon but had fallen into the 30s by midnight.

A round of snow developed with upslope winds Thursday evening and dropped 1 to 3 inches in the Urban Corridor in just a matter of hours. Those who got off work after 10 pm had a slow and slick drive home.

The chill will stick with us through Saturday with mostly sunny skies through the weekend.

Winds will shift from the north to the west by Sunday and that will warm us back to seasonal levels, in the upper 40s to lower 50s.

February 9, 2006 - Several New Record Highs Set Across California

Wednesday brought some new record highs to several California locations, with some places almost needing the air conditioning in mid-February!

Take a look at these new records...

Fullerton, Santa Ana, and Wild Animal Park -- all reached 90 degrees

Long Beach -- 89 degrees

Conga Park, Los Angeles, and Yorba Linda -- all reached 87 degrees

Riverside -- 86 degrees

Santa Maria -- 85 degrees

Salinas -- 83 degrees

Oakland -- 77 degrees

Modesto -- 76 degrees

San Francisco -- 74 degrees

Sacramento -- 72 degrees

Tucson, Arizona tied their record high on Wednesday at 81 degrees.

It won't be nearly that warm today in Colorado, but do enjoy the warm weather during the first half of today because a strong cold front will drop temperatures by some 30 degrees by Friday. Light snow will be developing later this evening into the overnight hours with a few inches not out of the question for Denver and the I-25 Urban Corridor.

Keep it tuned to 7NEWS and TheDenverChannel for all the latest information from Colorado's most trusted team of meteorologists.

February 8, 2006 - Record Dry Spell Continues Across Arizona

Today will be day 113 in Phoenix without even a trace of rainfall, which shatters the previous record of 101 days set between September 23, 1999 and January 1, 2000. If you ignore traces, the record dry spell for Phoenix is 160 days, which began on December 30, 1971.

It is important to note that this is just for the official National Weather Service observation site for Phoenix, which is at the Sky Harbor International Airport. Some areas in the Phoenix Metro have seen rain, such as Deer Valley and Scottsdale, which both saw a trace back on January 15th.

There are some locations in Arizona that have even longer dry spells on record. In 1899, the Yuma weather station went 179 days without precipitation.

The dry streak is affecting northern Arizona too, with Flagstaff now in their driest period in recorded history. Weather records date back to 1898 in Flagstaff.

For the period of September 1, 2005 through February 6, 2006...the city has only recorded 2.49 inches of rain and melted snow. Previously the driest stretch between those dates was in the years of 1950-51.

So far this snow season, Flagstaff has only recorded 1.6 inches, the least amount ever recorded to this date in history. The previous least amount during this period was 2.5 inches in the years of 1930-31. To date, Flagstaff should normally have seen just under 60 inches. Last year during this stretch they picked up over 95 inches of snow by early February.

What a difference a year can make!!

The cause? La Nina.

La Nina is a periodic cooling of ocean waters in the equatorial Pacific. This impacts global weather patterns, and usually makes the southwestern U.S. drier than normal in the winter.

The last La Nina event was a multiple year episode, from 1998-2001. Typically, La Nina recurs every three to five years and can last anywhere from 9 months to a few years.

February 7, 2006 - Monday Brought A Taste Of Winter To Northern Georgia

Mother Nature brought a chill along with some freezing rain, sleet, and snow to northern Georgia yesterday. Areas in and around the Atlanta area picked up anywhere from a trace to 2 inches of snow over the higher terrain north of town. There was some light icing on interstates and bridges.

Snow also fell in northeast Tennessee and southwest Virginia with up to 6 inches in higher elevations.

Back here in Colorado we are looking at our next chance for snow later this week as a cold front moves down from Canada.

February 6, 2006 - First Taste Of Winter In Weeks On The Way For Some

The first taste of Old Man Winter in weeks is in store for some as the arctic blast that held Alaska for so long moves south.

Cold air has already made it as far south as northern Georgia and Alabama where some light snow is possible today with highs in the 30s.

By tomorrow a second surge of cold air will nudge into northern North Dakota and Minnesota with highs in the 20s. By the weekend those highs will only be in the single digits and lower teens.

Will the cold air make it to Colorado?

Right now it looks like we will see a cool down, but the core of the really cold stuff should remain over the Upper Midwest and Great Lakes. There could even be a touch of light snow Friday into Saturday with highs only in the 30s for Denver.

Have a great week and thanks for reading the blog!

February 5, 2006 - Bitter Cold No Longer Grips Alaska

Fairbanks, Alaska has forecasted highs near 20 degrees above zero this coming week, which is like a summer heatwave compared to how things were in January. Many places in the state of Alaska spent days in the 30s and 40s below zero after a 3 week arctic blast.

Fairbanks ended the month as the coldest January since 1971 and the coldest calendar month since December 1980.

The town of King Salmon came close to its all-time record low temperature of 48 degrees below zero. Last month they had a stretch of overnight low temperatures between 38 and 44 degrees below zero.

That cold air has slipped south and east this week, and will bring some colder air to parts of the lower 48 by this coming weekend.

February 4, 2006 - Looks Like A Snowy SuperBowl For Detroit

Much of lower and all of southeast Michigan are under Winter Storm Warnings today as rain turns to snow. A very strong area of low pressure is developing in the Ohio River Valley and will race northeast, pulling down cold air from Canada and moisture off the Great Lakes. Before the game begins tomorrow they could be looking at 6 to 12 inches in the Motor City.

Here in Denver it will be cool and blustery with a few snow showers scattered about. Right now it doesn't look like anything too heavy. So start making those pots of chili and soup and get ready to watch some great football right here on ABC!

February 3, 2006 - Get Real Time Snowpack And Water Information

Are you looking for a place to get all the latest information about snowpack, precipitation, and runoff? Our new program, Colorado's Water, is your source.

From the main weather page on TheDenverChannel.com just click on Colorado's Water. Next, click on Our Watersheds in the menu at the top of the page. On the left once Our Watersheds loads up, you will see a menu. The third option is Real-Time information.

The default map is courtesy of the USGS and will show stream-flow condition at selected locations. This is real helpful if you plan to go fishing, rafting, or just hiking along a creek, river, or stream. Right now stream-flow isn't as big of a concern as it will be once the spring melt hits in May and June.

Then you will see 5 tabs above the stream-flow map. The first is called Colorado Snowpack. This takes you to all the Snowtel sites in our state to see the latest reports as storms move through the mountains.

Tabs 2 and 4 will take you to CoCoRaHS to see the latest snowfall and precipitation reports from observers all around Colorado.

The third tab is real-time avalanche information, vital for those who venture into the backcountry. We also have an avalanche safety story in the Weather News section of our weather page.

The fifth tab is going to show you the current reservoir storage in Colorado.

This is a wonderful resource and I hope you will not only use it, but also tell your friends, neighbors, family, and co-workers about it. Any teachers who might want to use this data to conduct real-time analysis are welcome to do so.

Have a great day, thanks for reading today's blog.

February 2, 2006 - Mace In Space Is Here, Be Sure To Check It Out

What in the world is Mace in Space?

It is the newest feature on TheDenverChannel.com completely dedicated the our skies!

Hosted by our Weekday Morning Meteorologist Scott Mace, and written in conjunction with Denver Astronomer Larry Sessions, together they will give you a monthly overview of what is happening in our nightly skies. From moon phases to the planets, and stars to constellations, you will find it all right here each month.

There are even links to sky charts, a sky calendar, and more. It is really cool so be sure to check it out and send the link for Mace in Space to all your friends, family, and co-workers.

From the home page of TheDenverChannel.com just click on Weather and look for Mace in Space in the blue navigation menu of our weather page.

Have a great day today and please stay with 7NEWS all day long for the latest weather information on this storm system affecting the state.

February 1, 2006 - January Tally Of Weather Stats For Denver

January 2006 in Denver did in fact finish in the top 10 warmest Januarys. We were in 8th place (tied with the year 1896) with an average monthly temperature of 37.4 degrees. A normal January would be about 29.2 degrees for the average temperature. To get the average, you add up all the high and low readings, then divide by the total number of temperatures. It was the warmest January in 20 years for Denver. The warmest on record was in 1986 with a balmy average temperature for the month at 40.3 degrees!

We saw 0.28 inches of precipitation last month, just over a quarter inch behind normal. Most of that fell in the form of snow, with 3.6 inches recorded for January in Denver.

It was a sunny month with 87% of all possible daylight hours recorded as having sunshine.

Two records were established during January 2006 for Denver, and both were record ties. On January 6th the high reached 66 degrees (last set in 1903) and on the 7th it was 69 degrees (last set in 1969).