Intense El Niño Could Lead To Snowier, Colder Winter For Colorado Ski Resorts

Matt Lorelli
·1 min read
5

Winter is coming, and meteorologists across the world agree on one thing -- a historically strong El Niño event is brewing.

There is plenty of disagreement in computer model forecasts, but YouTube meteorologist Matt Makens, Weatherman, tries to cut through the noise by examining historical data from past strong El Niño events.

Take a look at his forecast, and notice how a strong El Niño could produce favorable skiing conditions in Colorado:

Matt Makens, Weatherman: "There's so much discussion about what this #winter2023-24 will be in terms of #snow and #cold #weather. I've seen some quality #forecasts, I've seen some real head-scratchers. With anything involving #criticalthinking, let's apply a historical perspective before we put the "cart ahead of the horse." #Weather is a cycle, it cycles, so let's see what past #ElNiño events have done to apply toward building a #winteroutlook from #alaska to #canada, across the contiguous #unitedstates and into #mexico. This video is not an outlook; it is a historical representation of similar El Niño years of the past..."

It's easy to get caught up in the hype of preseason snow forecasts, but Matt Makens does a fantastic job at tempering expectations.

Long-range weather forecasting can feel like a crapshoot, and it largely still is. Rather than overhype speculations for clicks, Makens takes a historical data driven approach.

Based on his research, it's more likely that places like the Pacific Northwest and the Northern Rockies will experience a warmer and drier winter than normal.

The model above from NOAA shows what to expect from a typical El Niño event.
The model above from NOAA shows what to expect from a typical El Niño event.

On the flip side, ski resorts in Colorado, Southern Utah, New Mexico, Arizona, and the Sierras have a solid chance for colder-than-average winters with above-average snowfall.

Unfortunately for our friends in the Northeast, Makens' video contradicts the forecast we shared by Direct Weather over the weekend. Click here to watch.

How will this upcoming strong El Niño winter actually shake out? That remains to be seen. While we wait, stay tuned in here at Powder Magazine for all of your skiing news and entertainment.

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