Farmer's Almanac Says Don't Get Too Excited Over Early Snow

By Chris Spears

DENVER (CBS4) - Snow lovers around Colorado and the nation have been giddy over the past few days from seeing pictures of late summer snow in the Rockies.

From Pikes Peak to the mountains around Telluride, and from the Sangre de Cristo Mountains to the peaks around Breckenridge, many places have reported at least a dusting of new snow over the past 36 hours.

But according to 'The Old Farmer's Almanac' those of us hoping this is a sign of what's to come could be disappointed.

The almanac's outlook for Colorado calls for mild and dry weather between November and March.

My answer to the almanac? Let's not count our chickens before they hatch.

Forecasters at The Old Farmer's Almanac are likely counting on the development of La Niña, which is the opposite of El Niño. During a La Niña winter the storm track often shifts to the north of Colorado and the result can be a winter with below normal snowfall.

But we're not exactly sure that La Niña is developing. The latest report from NOAA shows a 55-60% chance of La Niña developing this fall and winter.

While history shows that Colorado trends drier-than-normal during a La Niña winter, there's also other factors at play that influence our climate.

In addition, no two La Niña episodes are ever alike, so don't give up hope on a snowy winter with just one forecast.

Let's watch the global trends in the days and weeks ahead and see how things evolve in the days and weeks ahead as summer winds down and fall weather patterns begin to take shape.

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.