The year is still winding down, but the data show 2021 could rank as the fourth, fifth or sixth warmest year on record for the city, said Mark Wankowski, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service. Warm years are based on an average of the daily high and low temperatures, he said.
“The last half of the year was extremely warm,” Wankowski said.
The temperatures during the second half of the year offset the relatively cold and wet first few months. Colorado Springs saw 43.2 inches of snow from January through May — 10 inches above normal, he said.
So far this season, the city has yet to see measurable snowfall at the Colorado Springs Airport, where the weather service collects data. The city is breaking the record for the latest first snowfall by 25 days so far. The previous record for latest measurable snowfall was set on Dec. 2, 2016 when .2 inches fell.
The next best chance for snow is Friday, but Wankowski said he expects the storm to split and miss the city.
The mild conditions have given Colorado Springs city operations employees, who would normally be plowing snow, the opportunity to catch up on street maintenance, such as crack sealing to extend the life of the roadways, said Clint Brown, street operations manager. The freeze-thaw cycle of a Colorado winter can damage pavement as the water seeps into road cracks, freezes and then expands.
“Crack sealing is vital to the health of the roadway surface,” he said.
The department, which includes about 140 people, is also catching up on vehicle maintenance and preparing for storms when they do hit, he said. For example, needed sand and salt is well stocked around the city, he said.
“It’s been a great opportunity for our department to sort of catch our breath,” Brown said.
The department is down about 19 drivers qualified to drive a snowplow because of the labor shortages, so when a snowstorm hits residents may need to be patient, he said. For employees that don’t have commercial driver’s licenses, the city has Ford F-550 trucks to help clear smaller streets, he said.
“We will catch up to a storm; it is a matter of time,” Brown said.
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