Ski resorts in Colorado are reaping the benefits of a strong La Niña year, while Denverites still have to drive into the mountains just to get a look at some snow.
La Niña, the weather phenomenon in which there are cool temperatures in the Pacific Ocean, creates storms that dump above-average snowfall in the northern and central mountains, while keeping everything east of the Continental Divide dry and windy.
By the end of November, Denver usually has seen 16.5 inches of snow on average. This year, the National Weather Service has recorded only 1.5 inches in Denver to date.
Steamboat Springs ski resort, however, reported breaking its record for total snowfall in the month of November with 90 inches of snowfall. The previous record was set in 2005, when 83 inches fell on the mountain.
Other ski resorts have reported similar success. Mystalynn Lee, spokeswoman for Winter Park, said Tuesday that the resort had 77 inches for November, including 10 inches in the past 48 hours.
And David Roth, spokesman for Copper Mountain, said this year is among the top seven Novembers on record.
Yesenia Robles: 303-954-1372 or yrobles@denverpost.com
