Denver hasn't shared the snow love felt by ski areas, with the Mile High City having 8.2 inches for the season -- way behind the average of 20.8-inch usual by New Year's Day.
Several resorts opened ahead of schedule because the snow came early and it was good -- making for plenty of happy skiers and snowboarders.
As meteorologists, we’re watching the snowpack numbers almost every day. This year the state is in great shape, especially when comparing the numbers to last January, when Colorado’s 54 percent snowpack had the state at a 37-year low. So far this season, totals are nearly at 100 percent, even above for some of the northern Colorado basins.
For Denver, December is usually the third snowiest month. It it hadn’t been for the 0.5 inch of snow reported at Denver International Airport on Dec. 31, the city would have tied for the least snowy December on record. There have only been two days all season with more than an inch of snow at DIA (Oct. 14 and Nov. 11.)
The New Year’s Eve storm did bring great totals to southern Colorado, perhaps the most deserving region in all the state. Still suffering from some of the worst drought conditions across the country, the snowpack there hasn’t seen the strong start like their mountains to the north. Those 27 inches at Wolf Creek are more than welcome!
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