Don't let those blue skies fool you

With blue skies and temperatures consistently above freezing, some are wondering, what happened to winter?

Meteorologist Randy Mann said he thinks it’s unlikely the region will see another big snowfall this season.

“But we could still get a little more snow in March,” Mann said. “The calendar still says winter.”

Spring officially begins March 20 — still nearly four weeks away. But this Friday the high temperature is expected to rise into the 50s.

Mann said it’s not uncommon to have warmer, dry patches in the winter months. People are then often caught off guard by the return of winter weather, he said.

“El Ninos are warmer, so the weather is typically milder and drier,” Mann said.

The region could see some rainfall this weekend, he said.

The National Weather Service forecast for the region issued Tuesday said high pressure will deliver dry and mild conditions through the rest of the work week. The risk for light valley rain and mountain snow arrives this weekend and early next week. Expect a warming trend into the end of the week, before a slight cool down.

“Next year, it could be interesting,” Mann said. “Computers are saying we could be on the opposite side of things.”

The El Nino weather pattern is rapidly falling apart, he explained, leading into a weather pattern that will likely bring more snow and colder temperatures than the region has seen.