Cooler than normal temperatures continued to prevail at Cochetopa Creek during the month of March with an average high of 43.2° and an average low of 12.3°. The normal average high is 44.2° and average low is 15.3°. Extremes ranged from a high of 60° on the 30th to a low of -6° on the 1st. There was 0.57 inches of precipitation during the month of March which was below the normal value of 0.75 inches. The weather station recorded 6.9 inches of snow with a maximum snow depth of 12 inches on the 4th.

Below normal temperatures persisted into the month of February at the Cochetopa Creek weather station. The average high was 27.6° and the average low was -3.3°. The normal high is 33.9° and the normal low is 3.1°. Temperature extremes ranged from a high of 42° on the 9th to a low of -13° on the 28th. It was drier than normal during the month with 0.36 inches of precipitation measured. The normal value is 0.66 inches. There was 7.4 inches of snow recorded during February with a maximum snow depth of 11 inches measured on the 24th through 28th.

January 2013 was a cold month across portions of western Colorado as bitterly cold arctic air settled into many of the western valleys. For Cochetopa Creek, the high temperature averaged 20.0° which was well below the normal value of 28.8°. Overnight lows were frigid with the average being -11°. The normal value is -2.7°. Temperature extremes ranged from a high of 42° on the 28th to a low of -27° on the 15th. Ovenight lows were at or below zero on 21 of the 31 days during the month. Precipitation for the month was 0.65 inches which is just about spot on for the climatological average of 0.64 inches. Cochetopa Creek recorded 8.8 inches of snow for the month with a maximum snow depth of 10 inches on the 29th-31st.

Temperatures were slightly above normal at Cochetopa Creek during December 2012, with the average high of 30.6° and the average low of 2.7°. The normal high is 30.7° with a normal monthly low of 0.8°. Extremes ranged from a high 54° on the 2nd to a low of -14° on both the 29th and 30th. Total precipitation was 0.60 inches, slightly below the normal of 0.76 inches. There was 11.0 inches of snow recorded during the month with a maximum snow depth of 5 inches on the 27th, 28th, 29th, 30th and 31st.

Drought across the southern central U.S. and a freeze in Colorado's San Luis Valley has generated intense demand for hay grown in Southwest Colorado. This year's harvest, enhanced from summer monsoon rainfall across southwest Colorado, is ready to be harvested, but getting hay cut and windrowed for baling means risking the cut hay being rained on, which can lead to mold and a subsequent inability to sell the hay. Accurate weather forecasts for rainfall are often used to decide when to cut and bale a resource that is in high demand this year. Read more online at:The Durango Herald

The April 6, 2011 Lightner Creek fire northwest of Durango began as a 10-12 acre fire, which was quickly contained by local fire authorities. Although larger snowfall amounts were recorded at higher elevations in southwest Colorado, mirroring the snowpack trend in the northern half of the state, lower elevations have received less precipitation, enhancing the fire risk to communities and residents. According to Kent Grant of the Colorado Forest Service, this pattern is typical of the La Nina conditions currently being experienced in the region.

Read more online at: The Durango Herald