Temperatures were cooler than normal in Fort Collins during March with an average high of 53.4° compared to the normal of 54.7°. The average low was 26.3° compared to the normal of 28.2°. Extremes ranged from a high of 76° on the 15th to a low of 8° on the 24th. Despite a few potent winter storms crossing the region during the month, conditions ended up being drier than normal. Fort Collins received 0.98 inches of precipitation compared to the normal value of 1.59 inches. There was 12.7 inches of snow during the month with a maximum snow depth of 5 inches on both the 23rd and 24th.

February brought below normal temperatures and above normal precipitation to the historic Ft. Collins weather station. The average high was 45.3° and the average low was 18.1°. The normal high is 46.5° with a normal low of 20.9°. Temperature extremes ranged from a high of 61° on the 17th to a low of 6° on the 25th. The month started off dry but turned stormy by the middle and end of the period. The station recorded 0.55 inches of precipitation compared to the normal value of 0.40 inches. There was 8.9 inches of snow measured during the month with a maximum snow depth of 5 inches recorded on the 24th.

The new year got off to a fairly normal start in terms of the temperature around Fort Collins. January's average high was 45.6°, slightly above the normal value of 44.2°. Overnight lows averaged 15.5° which was slightly below the normal of 17.9°. Temperature extremes ranged from a high of 62° on both the 23rd and 24th, to a low of -4° on the 15th. It was a dry month for the Fort Collins weather station with 0.11 inches of precipitation measured. Snowfall for the month was 2.6 inches. Normal precipitation is 0.40 inches and normal snowfall is 7.9 inches. The maximum snow depth measured during the month was 2 inches on the 1st, 2nd and 3rd.

Temperatures were slightly above normal at the Fort Collins weather station during the month, with an average high of 43.9° and an average low of 18.0°. The normal high is 42.8° and the normal low is 17.7°. Extremes ranged from 63° on the 5th to -1° on the 29th. Precipitation measured 0.40 inches which was slightly below the normal value of 0.50 inches. There was 8.4 inches of snow during the month with a maximum snow depth of 3 inches on the 25th and 27th.

A record-setting 73 days of high temperatures in Denver above 80 degrees finally ended in September, a streak which lasted since late June. The previous record, set in 2002, was 59 consecutive days of temperatures above 80. August of 2011 was the hottest August in record for Denver, and the sixth-hottest month ever on record for the city. Read more online at: The Denver Post

Despite an uptick in precipitation throughout April, fire danger remains high for most of the northern Front Range. High winds add to the potential for wildfires to spread quickly, and with the increase in thunderstorm activity in the late spring, the potential for lightning to start fires increases dramatically. Recovery efforts from the Franktown and Crystal fires earlier this year are well underway, but the potential for further wildfires remains a risk due to continued drought conditions along the northern Front Range.

Read more online at: Fire Weather Index Page