NOAA’s winter outlook: Less snow expected in Colorado

DENVER (KDVR) — The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration released its winter outlook , which predicts a drier winter in Colorado.

NOAA’s winter outlook predicts temperatures, precipitation and droughts from December to February 2025 across the nation.

This year, the outlook expects La Niña will influence much of the weather across the country. While this means a wetter-than-average winter for the northern part of the country, in Colorado, it’s looking quite the opposite.

Outlook for Colorado’s winter temperatures

According to the outlook, NOAA expects the winter months in the northwest to be below-average temperatures, while the south and northeast are predicted to have warmer-than-average temperatures.

As for Colorado, NOAA said temperatures could go either way.

NOAA said the state has equal chances of being below, near or above average seasonal temperatures.

Pinpoint Weather Meteorologist Travis Michels said temperatures should be close to seasonal averages through the winter, but Colorado will be drier, especially to the southern border of the state.

The outlook doesn’t have a prediction one way or the other based on temperatures in Colorado, however, it does expect the winter in the Centennial State to be less snowy than usual.

Outlook for Colorado’s precipitation

Across the country, NOAA said wetter-than-average conditions are most likely in the Great Lakes states, Alaska, the pacific northwest and across the northern part of the U.S.

However, Colorado may be much drier.

“Widespread moderate to extreme drought continues across much of the Great Plains and in portions of the Rocky Mountains, especially farther south,” the NOAA said in a press release.

Michels said Colorado’s drought conditions are already high, and with the prediction, the conditions could get worse. Michels said he expects the conditions to get especially dry in the northern portion of the foothills.

With dry conditions in the winter, that means less snow, especially during the months when Colorado is known to get the most snow .

The prediction is consistent with the Farmer’s Almanac prediction , which expects this winter to be calmer and gentler. However, the almanac also believes there will be enough cold and snow to go around in the state.

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