Temperatures are expected to soar into the upper 80s and 90s later this week along the Front Range, potentially breaking records for March. This comes after months of record-breaking warm temperatures across the West.
Fall, winter, and now spring – which will officially start on the spring equinox on Friday – have shattered records going back to the 1890s. This has led water providers to worry about the spring water supply and lower basin states to raise concerns about the Colorado River’s flow.
“I think that a lot of people are just like, ‘Great, it's a warm winter, I get to be outside more,’” said Peter Goble, assistant state climatologist. “And I've enjoyed that to some extent, too, but it's just something that looms in the back of your mind that this is going to drastically impact our water supply in Colorado.”
The National Weather Service forecasts temperatures in the 80s Thursday through Saturday in Durango and the mid-80s to low-90s for Denver and the plains. Temperatures in the mountains will be in the 60s and 70s. March is already 6 degrees above-average, according to the Colorado Climate Center.
“The above-normal temperatures will continue this week, with an early heat wave or a warm wave of weather on tap for Wednesday through at least the first part of this weekend,” Goble said.
He added that we’re on track for the warmest March ever.
The warmest day in March on record in Denver was 84 degrees in 1971. In Fort Collins, the record for the warmest day in March was 81 degrees in 2012. Goble said both records are likely to be shattered this week.
Goble said it’s almost certain that climate change is playing a part.
“We understand that climate change is driving our averages upward and that trend is related to anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions and is likely to continue,” he said.
Red Flag warnings for fire danger are in effect across the entire eastern side of the state on Wednesday.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Climate Prediction Center forecasts continued drier-than-normal conditions across most of the West and warmer-than-normal temperatures through March.
Additionally, the record-breaking snow drought across the West is expected to continue. Colorado’s snowpack is the lowest on record in 40 years.
“This year really, really stands out in terms of the winter statistics,” said Goble, pointing in part to a weak La Niña season causing warm weather patterns.
But he added: “We don't have a full explanation for why we've seen such persistent, warm, dry high-pressure conditions.”
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