Axios Colorado Springs
March 19, 2026
1 big thing: Warm winter smashes records
Hundreds of western U.S. counties — El Paso County included — just had their warmest winters on record, per the latest data.
Why it matters: The widespread record-setting illustrates the unusually high temperatures across much of the western U.S. for the past few months.
- It's been a brutally warm winter for much of the West and Southwest, with implications ranging from bad ski seasons to concerns about water supplies and wildfires in the months ahead.
By the numbers: For Colorado Springs, the average winter temperature of 37.1 degrees explains why none of our snow stuck around for long.
- More than 420 counties had their warmest December-February periods on record, based on average temperatures across that time frame.
- That's according to NOAA data covering the last 131 years.
Between the lines: "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 will likely be set this week as an unusual March heat dome blankets the Western U.S., with temperatures expected to reach the triple digits in some places.
2. Marijuana prices sink to record low
Now, onto record lows ... turns out, bud's a bargain in Colorado.
Why it matters: Colorado Springs is counting on $4 million in marijuana tax revenue this year to plug a budget hole that funds police and firefighters.
Driving the news: Legal marijuana prices are hitting a record low as the industry struggles to recalibrate from declining sales and competition from other states.
State of play: The state average market rate for retail marijuana flower from April 1 to June 30 will be $607 a pound, down from $655 during the same period last year, per data from the Colorado Department of Revenue.
- Retail prices are currently $608 a pound, Westword reports. Average prices dropped nearly every quarter since fall 2021, when the average market rate reached $1,316.
- The average market rate — which is used to set taxes — is calculated quarterly using the previous three months of retail transfers, per the Colorado Department of Revenue.
Between the lines: Cannabis flower made up 48% of annual marijuana sales, followed by concentrates (35%) and edibles (13%) as of December 2025, according to the Colorado Marijuana Quarterly Market Update dashboard.
The big picture: Colorado sales dropped for the fourth straight year.
- The state recorded just over $1.3 billion in total sales last year, a 6.4% drop compared to 2024, Sales peaked back in 2021 at $2.2 billion.
Caveat: January was Colorado Springs' best month for sales since recreational marijuana became legal last May, bringing in more than $308,000, per city tax reports.
- Yes, but: Falling prices mean that bump isn't adding up fast enough to meet the city's $4 million goal.
- Meanwhile, municipalities like Manitou Springs have already felt the pinch, though that's in part thanks to fresh competition from the Springs.
What they're saying: "We're very susceptible to supply and demand — just traditional economic forces," Ryan Hunter, chief revenue officer at Spherex, which manufactures vape cartridges, tells us.
- Limited supply meant higher prices when the retail market first launched in January 2014, Hunter adds.
3. The Peak: New 🔥 season
4. 🚠 Pic du jour: Gorge-ous
Axios Colorado Springs
