ABQJOURNAL: Weather Phenomenon Could Cause Problems for Southern Colorado By Robert Weller, Associated Press

Already parched by drought, southern Colorado could be denied much-needed snowfall for months to come because a strengthening La Nina weather pattern that usually pushes moisture to the northern and central Colorado mountains, forecasters said Tuesday.

Southern and southwestern Colorado mountains have between 34 and 47 percent of their average snowfall and are unlikely to catch up, they said. …

Colorado is in a classic La Nina pattern now, with heavy snow in the north and central mountains, but dry conditions along the Front Range and in the South. Windy conditions also are sucking moisture from the ground and have helped spread several wildfires in the last month.