Denver Weather: Just one week in, March is already on track to be another colder than normal month

As the first full week of March gets underway, all indications point to this month being the fifth consecutive month with colder than normal temperatures along the Front Range and throughout most of Colorado.

The recent trend of cold weather started in November when Denver stayed about four degrees colder than normal. Then December was another colder than normal month and January was cold enough to be declared the 17th coldest January on record in Denver. February was not as cold as January but it will still colder than normal. And through the first five days of March, the city is officially running more than 3 degrees below normal.

Sunday was a bit warmer thanks to a lot of wind but a cold front that passed over the Denver metro area Sunday night has triggered another cooling trend that will linger through at least Friday.

There are signs of somewhat milder weather next weekend but the long term forecasts through March 15 gives most of Colorado a good chance for more colder than normal weather.

The reason for the chillier than normal winter has been an an usual pattern across the the continental United States that has mostly kept a large ridge of high pressure over the eastern half of the country and a trough of low pressure across the western half of the country. This is also why California has experienced record snowfall in many areas and Washington DC may see the earliest cheery blossoms on record.

Regardless what may happen later this month, for now it looks quite cool for awhile. Monday will be the "warmest" day this week in Denver with 47 degrees which is still 5 degrees below normal for early March.