It has recently been reported that the National Weather Service is looking into the role that La Niña will play in the Aspen ski season. Thus far, skiers and snowboarders are curious as to their fate as they plan to soon trek to their Aspen home rental.
According to the Old Farmer’s Almanac La Niña won’t play a role, on the other hand 2011-2012 may be one of the mildest and driest winters on the books for Colorado in recent history. The famed book places Colorado in the south of the intermountain region and further predicts that “winter temperatures will be above normal, especially in the south, with the coldest periods in early and late December and mid- and late February. Precipitation and snowfall will be above normal in the north and below normal in the south. The snowiest periods will occur in early November, mid-December, mid-January and early and late March.”
Much like last year that saw those who enjoyed Aspen vacation rentals experience a chilly April and May, the almanac expects for the two months to be cooler and snowier than average. Additionally, if you’re planning a ski trip to Aspen, Colorado, you may want to consider the weeks of or after January 13 and March 22, as the almanac predicts heavy snow fall during those periods.
Just how valid are the Old Farmer’s Almanac’s predictions? Last year it predicted mild and dry conditions for Colorado last winter, and Aspen visitors experienced mixed results. There ended up being plentiful amounts of snow above 8,000 feet for the majority of the winter, and to skiers’ and snowboarders’ delight the snow continued to fall into April and May. Hooray for spring skiing!
While the almanac predicts a quite dry year in Aspen, the National Weather Service is hedging against it and predicts there to be plenty of snowfall in the fall and throughout the winter. Time will definitely tell.
Just a word of advice…last year was an amazing ski season, so you don’t want to hold off on making a decision on booking Aspen rentals because of conflicting weather reports. Good luck on your ski adventures!!
