DENVER — It might be hard to believe that we're already halfway through 2021, but in Colorado, we've already packed a year's worth (or more) of weather into six short months.
With the year's halfway point upon us, we thought it might be a good idea to take a look back on what we've seen weather-wise so far this year in Denver and across the state.
For starters, in Denver, 2021 is off to an exceptionally wet and cool start. Since the start of the year, Denver's picked up an astonishing 11.33 inches of precipitation (rain and melted snow liquid equivalent), almost four inches above the year-to-date average.
On the temperature side, Denver's running over a degree below its year-to-date normal with an average reading of 45.5 degrees. The year-to-date average is 46.7 degrees.
Perhaps more interestingly is that the gap is almost exclusively in regards to high temperatures. Denver's average year-to-date high temperature of just 58.4 degrees is more than two degrees off from the long-term average of 60.5.
Denver's average low temperature so far this year, by contrast, is almost equal to the year-to-date average.
That's likely a referendum on Denver's grey and wet start to a year, since wet weather tends to knock back high temperatures far more than lows.
Throw in over 80 inches of snow since January 1, and you get the cold and wet year-to-date picture in Denver. That's based on statistics at Denver International Airport, Denver's official weather observation site.
But what about the rest of the state?
A couple of maps from the High Plains Regional Climate Center (HPRCC) show what we've seen in Colorado so far this year. And similar to our drought monitor map, the difference between the west and the east sides of the state is nearly night and day.
Western Colorado is mired in one of its worst droughts in recent history, while eastern Colorado soaked in one of its wettest starts to a calendar year on record.
And temperature-wise, the cool and gray start to the year knocked down temperatures for the eastern half of the state as well.
Meanwhile, the western half of the state's much drier weather translated into a warmer than average start to the calendar year.
As for the near term, it looks like most of the state is trending on the cooler and perhaps the wetter side of average through the upcoming 4th of July holiday weekend.
Warmer weather could re-develop later next week, however.