Winter 2021 May Bring Warmer, Drier Weather To Colorado

COLORADO — For the second year in a row, La Nina climate conditions will bring above-average temperatures this winter to a good portion of the United States, according to a new forecast released by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Meanwhile, residents of other states better bundle up because a colder, wetter season is on the way.

Colorado is among those slated to see warmer, drier weather, according to the 2021 winter forecast released Thursday by NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center, a division of the National Weather Service.

According to NOAA’s winter weather forecast, all of Colorado will continue to see drought conditions. Southern Colorado is expected to get lower-than-average precipitation, but the northern half of our state could see average precipitation.

The NOAA forecast covers three months, December-February.

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Meanwhile, wetter-than-average conditions are anticipated across portions of the northern United States, primarily in the Pacific Northwest, northern Rockies, Great Lakes, Ohio Valley and western Alaska.

Experts are also keeping a close eye on states battling ongoing drought.

Widespread severe-to-exceptional drought will continue to dominate the western half of the continental U.S., Northern Plains and the Missouri River Basin. However, the Pacific Northwest, northern California, the upper Midwest and Hawaii are most likely to experience drought improvement.

In terms of temperature, warmer-than-average conditions will most likely be reported across the southernmost tier of the United States as well as much of the eastern United States.

States in the southeast, such as Florida, are most likely to see an increase in temperatures, while below-average temperatures are predicted for southeast Alaska and the Pacific Northwest eastward to the northern Plains.

The Upper Mississippi Valley and small areas of the Great Lakes have equal chances for below-, near- or above-average temperatures, according to NOAA.

NOAA’s seasonal outlooks provide a look at the likelihood temperatures and total precipitation amounts will be above, near or below average, as well as how drought conditions are anticipated to change in the months ahead. The outlook does not project seasonal snowfall accumulations, as snow forecasts are generally not predictable more than a week in advance.

NOAA is expected to update the winter outlook on Nov. 19.