The end of February spells the end of meteorological winter which runs from December to February.
Temperatures were all over the map in the last three months. December was warm in both Colorado Springs and Pueblo with average highs about six to seven degrees above average. Then the Arctic chill set in during January. When factoring in low temperatures too, it was the tenth coldest January on record in Colorado Springs and the 13th coldest in Pueblo. This month temperatures have been slightly below average in both cities.
That was largely driven by an arctic cold outbreak in the middle of February. We actually had more above-average temperature days than below. But the two-week stretch of Arctic cold in the middle of the month pushed the average down.
Snowfall in the last three months was above average in Colorado Springs and Pueblo. Most of this snow came in January, though.
In February, Colorado Springs picked up slightly more than seven inches of snow while Pueblo only recorded about three and a half inches.
Because our snow came during periods of intense cold, our snow was light and fluffy. Therefore, it didn’t have much moisture in it. This month, many parts of southern Colorado saw below average precipitation including in our major cities. It’s worth noting that in both Colorado Springs and Pueblo some parts of town did see some good moisture, but it didn’t favor the airports. That of course is where these measurements are officially recorded.
March is historically the snowiest month of the year in southern Colorado. The Climate Prediction Center’s March outlook gives a slight tilt toward below average precipitation.
And above average temperatures for the month as a whole.
Overall, meteorological winter this season will largely be remembered for our cold and snowy January. February will end up being close to average - even though we saw only two near "normal" days as temperatures themselves vaulted between well below, and well above average, throughout the month.
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