Colorado's Rocky Mountains Record Lowest Feb. Precip In Over Three Decades

By Chris Spears

DENVER (CBS4) - Many in Colorado are asking what happened to the snow after a very wet period between November and January.

According to the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service the state recorded its lowest February precipitation in more than 30 years.

Statewide only 56% of the normal snowfall was measured by the SNOTEL network of mountain weather stations.

It was even more dismal in the southwest part of the state where only 35% of the normal snowfall was measured during February.

"February in the mountains of Colorado is typically a slightly drier month than compared to say, April. But a dry February like this could have big ramifications should March and April not pan out," said Brian Domonkos, Snow Survey Supervisor with NRCS.

Despite the dry month there is still some good news. As of March 1, statewide snowpack remained near normal at 99% thanks to a wet fall.

WILL 2016 END UP LIKE 2012?

Fingers are crossed that 2016 will not end up being like 2012, when weather patterns dried up during the month of February and stayed that way into the spring and summer.

March is a critical month for snow accumulation in Colorado.

Despite this March starting off dry there are still several more weeks to go where mountain snow accumulation will be possible.

We also know that in extreme cases it can take just one storm to 'right the ship' and get things back on track, as we saw during the epic blizzard of March 2003.

There is a little bit of good news in the short term.

A fast moving storm is expected to bring snow back into the high country Sunday and Monday before things dry out once again heading into the upcoming weekend.

Meteorologist Chris Spears writes about stories related to weather and climate in Colorado. Check out his bio, connect with him on Facebook or follow him on Twitter @ChrisCBS4.