The West's record-breaking warm winter, mapped
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Most of Colorado experienced its warmest winter on record, new data shows.
Why it matters: The analysis puts in perspective the extraordinary winter we just experienced.
By the numbers: 49 of Colorado's 64 counties saw their warmest winter months in at least 131 years, according to the National Centers for Environmental Information.
- Most of the exceptions are counties straddling the Continental Divide.
The big picture: Just about the entire Interior West saw the same unusually high temperatures in recent months.
Threat level: The implications range from bad ski seasons to upcoming concerns about water supplies and wildfires.
What they're saying: "A ridge of high pressure has dominated the western half of the country, allowing for consistent warmer weather to prevail as well as causing the jet stream to steer storms further north, limiting snowfall for the mountains," per Weather.com.
What's next: More records are being set this week as an unusual March heat dome blankets the Western U.S., with temperatures in some places expected to reach the triple digits.