Weather Predictions For 2023

We’ve been reading up on weather predictions for this year. Colorado has already had an interesting start to its winter, with a seemingly dry fall introducing a cold and snowy turn of the year. The mountains seem to be stacking up some good powder for skiing and, hopefully, water reserves for the summer. We’ve looked into the next few months with the Farmer’s Almanac and NOAA to see what we can expect for 2023.

2022’s weather patterns were fueled by La Nina, which is defined as a periodic cooling of ocean surface temperatures along the Pacific equatorial region and dramatically affects weather patterns in western and central Americas. This past year we saw an abnormally high amount of rain in southwestern Colorado, with drier, arid conditions on the plains. California saw immense drought, fires sparked all throughout the west, and our country’s largest reservoirs reached record lows. But La Nina this winter looks to shift as we head into April, and we may see different weather patterns emerge.

This winter with La Nina this winter, as the winds shift during February to April, we should see an intensification of current weather patterns. This means more snow! And potentially heavier snow than predicted (as we’ve seen a few times already). If you like hitting the slopes or winter sports at all, this is going to be a great winter for you. Last year, NOAA predicted a drier fall with a potentially normal winter for Colorado. Over the last few years a ‘normal’ winter has been light snowfall and long periods of warm winters. I have a feeling the Farmer’s Almanac has a better prediction for this year for Colorado: cooler temperatures all round with more snow!

From what we’ve seen of this beautiful state in the winter, we should prepare for a good winter. Maybe even a long winter, with a late snowfall around Mother’s Day to give us that extra bit of moisture for spring planting. This does mean, however, we should not plan to plant our flowers early. The intensification of La Nina as the tradewinds bring through warmer air and pull the arctic coldness away, we may see a surprise winter storm at the start of spring. It happens often and frequently, so better to prepare for that than waste hard work beautifying our gardens.

If La Nina persists into 2023 Colorado is in for another dry spring and a hot summer, just like last year. This is great for outdoor activities, drives in the mountains, camping, and late nights in the city. It also forebodes fires, drought conditions, and high temperatures on the plains and the city. This does largely depend on what happens in the Pacific Ocean and if the surface temperature of the water continues to be below normal. If it rises, and we switch over into an El Nino, then we might start seeing more of those early afternoon summer storms rolling through.

We’ll be keeping an eye on the weather as we approach spring to prepare for our gardens. Keep up with The Wise Team on media and through our blog. And if you’re looking to move to this gorgeous state, get in touch with us. We’re the #1 Realtor in Longmont, and in the top 1% of Realtors with Keller Williams nationwide.