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Unseasonably warm and dry weather for Denver and the region

A dry and warm start to December
Posted at 11:19 AM, Dec 12, 2017
and last updated 2017-12-12 13:19:56-05

The dry weather pattern continues for Denver, the state of Colorado and most of the central Rocky Mountains. 

Tuesday, expect sunny skies and warmer temperatures. Highs climb to the mid-60s across most of the metro-area this afternoon. That's nearly 20 degrees above normal for this time of year. Winds will not be as gusty across the plains. 

The JET STREAM winds are steering the storm track well to the north and east of Colorado, leaving us with pleasant weather, but way too dry for this time in December.  As of Tuesday, it has been 64 days since Denver officially reported measurable snow.  The last time snow accumulated to at least a tenth of an inch was on October 10th.

The record number of consecutive days without snow (after the first snow of the season) is 69 days, set from November 26, 2002 to February 2, 2003.  With little or no snow in the forecast for the next 7 days, we are on track to set a new record. 

So, we are very dry, just over a quarter of an inch of moisture fell in November - that coming after a dry month of October.  The mountains and plains could really use a good, soggy storm system, but so far those have been hard to come by.

So far, we've only seen 2.8 inches of snow in Denver this season.  By early December, Denver would typically see around 17 inches of snow...so we are well below normal. 

This week will remain dry and mild as the storm track will continue to push the storms well east and north of Colorado.  Some minor cold fronts will brush by our state, but provide little relief from the dry conditions - perhaps just a little snow for the mountains.

The good news for the ski resorts is that the clear, quiet weather means COLD nights.  All Colorado resorts have the snow guns blasting and have produced very good, although limited ski terrain.  

We are watching for some signs of a change in the warm, dry pattern and there are some hints that things may shift a little in about 10-12 days.  The JET STREAM may drift back to the west enough to bring colder air in from Canada and perhaps some snow just before Christmas.  Keep your fingers crossed!

We have you covered as the weather changes - Storm Shield App. In addition, Storm Shield PLUS can provide important information about approaching severe weather. Go to StormShieldAlerts.com or call 877-438-4977 for more information or text to word SHIELD to 21000.