March brought above normal temperatures and below normal precipitation to Mesa Verde National Park. The average high for the month was 51.8° and the average low was 29.6°. The normal monthly high is 49.7° and the low is 28.7°. Extremes ranged from a high of 67° on the 16th to a low of 14° on both the 24th and 25th. Precipitation measured 0.36 inches for the month which was well below the normal value of 1.74 inches. The Mesa Verde weather station measured 1.5 inches of snow during March with a maximum snow depth of 7 inches reported on the 1st.

February was below normal for both temperatures and precipitation at Mesa Verde NP. The average high was 36.3° compared to the normal value of 42.6°. The average low was 17.9° compared to the normal low of 22.8°. Temperatures extremes ranged from a high of 49° on the 9th to a low of 8° on both the 11th and 12th. There was 1.14 inches of precipitation recorded during the month. The normal value is 1.63 inches. The park reported 17.5 inches of snow during January with a maximum snow depth of 15 inches measured on the 11th.

January 2013 was below normal for temperatures but above normal for precipitation at Mesa Verde NP. The average high was 34.2° compared to the normal value of 39.6°. The average low was 12.6° compared to the normal low of 19.5°. Temperatures extremes ranged from a high of 49° on the 9th to a low of 8° on both the 11th and 12th. There was 2.60 inches of precipitation recorded during the month. The normal value is 1.80 inches. The park reported 9.2 inches of snow during January with a maximum snow depth of 11 inches measured on the 14th.

Temperatures at Mesa Verde National Park were slightly below normal for the month of December 2012. The average high was 39.0° compared to the normal of 39.7°. The average low was 18.7° compared to the normal value of 20.0°. Extremes ranged from a high of 56°on the 3rd to -5° on the 20th. It was a wet month for the area with 2.06 inches of precipitation. The normal for December is 1.52 inches. The park received 30 inches of snow in December with a maximum snow depth of 14 inches recorded on the 16th.

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