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maybe here next Tuesday. Mr. Glancy said it would be dry and warm the rest of this week, but a chance of snow here earlier next week. It's also good for the mountains next week. He said it should be warm in the plains into Sunday and than expect colder air. Klaus Wolter. NOAA Climate Diae:nostic Center. Lone: Term Weather Outlook Mr. Wolter stated that El Nino was trying to come together, but it appears to be in a holding pattem. He said near normal temperatures and precipitation are expected. Mr. Wolter said this is the driest Colorado in the last 30 years for this month; he also said February looks dry. However, we could get some snow next week. He said Colorado is mostly dry from January through March and wetter October through December. Mr. Wolter said that from April to June expect normal precipitation in the southwest, but that it will remain mostly dry, but wetter than January through March. He believes El Nino will probably be too late for our spring. Mr. Wolter also mentioned that last year February was the first month to turn things around on precipitation, and most of Colorado is close to normal now. The following executive summAry from Klaus Wolter has been added to the minutes: Executive summary (23 January 2004) 1. The most recent EI Nino event - declared over last June - is still trying to make a comeback. Weak EI Nino conditions are the safest bet for the next few months, but I would not be surprised to see EI Nino return in force later this year. However, it is not likely that it will playa role before spring is over. 2. If it had not been for last year's wet spring, 2003 would go into the history books as yet another drought year in much of Colorado. The fall and early winter have been particularly dry over eastern Colorado, while western Colorado has received the lion's share of the moisture since the storm season started in late October, leading to a decent snowpack everywhere but the Front Range. 3. My experimental forecasts for January through March 2004 advertises below-normal precipitation for most of the forecast domain, in particular New Mexico, while the northeastern plains feature a modest tilt of the odds towards receiving above-normal moisture. Compared to earlier forecasts, this one is drier than initially expected. Looking at the upcoming spring season (April-June 2004), all but northwestern Colorado and most of the adjacent states show near-normal or even slightly wetter-than-normal odds, an upward trend compared to last month's initial forecast.