Colorado can expect a hotter and wetter summer, the latest National Weather Service forecast shows.
Why it matters: More precipitation is welcome news after a record warm and dry winter; however, hotter temperatures may create favorable conditions for wildfires.
The big picture: The NWS weather model issued May 21 for June, July and August shows above-average temperatures across most states, except for the northern Midwest, while precipitation is largely normal for much of the nation.
The latest forecast is based on a transition from La Niña to El Niño conditions, a dynamic that brings increased moisture from the Pacific Ocean.
The intrigue: The state's weak snowpack is also expected to portend an earlier monsoon season.
"With less snow cover to melt, the sun's energy can heat up the land surfaces more quickly late in the spring, allowing the subtropical high to develop earlier," Alan Smith, a meteorologist at OpenSnow, writes.
Yes, but:Other forecasters predict the same conditions, with the possibility of cooler, drier weather for parts of western Colorado.
What we're watching: A Super El Niño — when ocean temperatures are well above normal — is expected to develop in the fall and winter, raising the chances for a snowy winter.
