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<br />- -- -I <br /> <br />Executive Summary, Part I <br /> <br />(21 April&4 May 2006) <br /> <br />1. A weak 2005-06 La Nina pattern emerged last fall and clearly influenced our <br />winter weather. Its sea surface temperature anomalies appear to have peaked two <br />months ago. Meanwhile, they have almost completely disappeared even as the <br />overlying atmospheric circulation has not appreciably shifted in its response just yet. <br /> <br />2. Our temperature roller-coaster ride through late March was replaced by very <br />persistent warm, windy, and dry weather in eastern Colorado through most of April. <br />Despite above-average snowpack in the northern mountains at the beginning of April, <br />snow melt has started ahead of schedule in all but the highest elevations. Due to <br />increased evaporation rates, not all of the melting snow is finding its way into our <br />streams. Red flag fire conditions have threatened the eastern plains and lower Front <br />I Range foothills. If it were not for the twice as deep snowpack at higher elevations, the <br />parallels with April 2002 would be ominous indeed. During the last 10 days, more <br />typical spring weather has reduced the fire danger and slowed the snowmelt in the <br />northern Front Range. <br /> <br />I Source: klaus.wolter@noaa.gov; http://www.cdc.noaa.gov/people/klaus. wolter/SWcasts/ <br />