El Niño Is Coming. Will It Mean More Mountain Snow?

Skiers and snowboarders are jacked about the possible El Niño.

I get it, dude. A ton of fresh powder would be awesome. No disrespect to our snow-loving friends but heavy mountain snowfalls this season would go a long way in ending Colorado's menacing drought and hopefully replenish an exstreemly low snowpack. Meteorologists predict an El Niño event will hit the US this winter.

What is El Niño? Basically, it's warmer than normal Pacific Ocean water along the west coast of South America. That warmer-than-usual water disrupts typical regional and global weather.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration forecasters are predicting a 70% chance an El Niño event will take place this winter. That usually means higher than normal participation for the western portions of the US, including Colorado. The Old Farmer's Almanac is also predicting a "weak" El Niño this winter. Their weather forecast map shows most of western Colorado in the "mild, snowy" white coloration.

All of this is good news for drought-stricken Colorado. If El Niño, the "Christ Child", arrives as excepted in late December that will bring that much-needed snow this winter. Meanwhile, western Colorado will have to deal with the on-going drought situation. Grand Junction water restrictions will remain in place through October. Mesa County plans to lift the Stage 1 fire restrictions on Friday. However, that's mostly due to higher humidity levels and cooler temperatures that have all reduced the hazard. Water is still in short supply and at this point, only some type of El Niño weather event has any chance of improving the situation.

Credit: Out There Colorado