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Above-average precipitation in western Colorado may carry into December

The Climate Prediction Center says December may bring above-average precipitation to many mountain areas. Extra moisture would be welcome news to southwest Colorado, an area that remains under an exceptional drought.

Denver’s weather during November wasn't too exciting. In the mountains, however, it was a different story as snowfall left much of the state with above-average snow pack.

The Climate Prediction Center said December may bring above-average precipitation to many of those same areas. Extra moisture would be welcome news to southwest Colorado, an area that remains under an exceptional drought.

No records were set for high or low temperatures. The average of both was 38 degrees. That number is only 0.7 degrees below average. While there is still one more day to go, November 2018 will go down as a close-to-average month as far as temperatures go.

Rain and snow, on the other hand, was much further below average. While there is a chance for snow in Denver on the last day of November, it is not going to be significant, with little to no change to the current numbers.

Three and a half inches of snow has fallen, so far, in Denver for November 2018. The month averages 8.7 inches of snow. Precipitation, rain and melted snow will also remain below average. On average, more than half an inch of moisture hits the ground around the metro area during November. So far Denver has only seen 0.30 inches.

The state made up for Denver’s lack of rain and snow in the mountains. Many northern and central mountain areas currently sit above 100 percent for snowpack. The current state-wide average is at 117 percent of average. This is a huge improvement over this time last year when the state wide average sat at only 65 percent.

The Climate Prediction Center’s forecast for precipitation for the month of December suggests many locations in western Colorado will continue to see above-average snow or rainfall.

This does not necessarily mean huge snow storms for Colorado’s mountains, but it is a more promising sign for a part of the state that remains under severe to exceptional drought conditions. It will take an exceptional snow season to make up for the drought in just one year in western Colorado. If that does not happen, it will take several years of average to above-average snowfall in Colorado’s mountains to come out of the drought.

Temperatures throughout western Colorado and along the Front Range are forecasted to be above-average during December as well.

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