On Thursday, the Climate Prediction Center made an announcement stating that El Niño conditions were already present and anticipated to intensify in the upcoming months. According to forecasters, there is a 56% probability of it developing into a robust El Niño event and an 84% likelihood of reaching a "moderate" level of strength.
Notably, this year's El Niño has arrived earlier than the usual timeframe. Typically, El Niños have initiated in late summer or early fall over the past decade. The current El Niño is predicted to continue strengthening and maintain its robustness throughout the winter of 2023-2024.
With the recent developments of weather patterns and trends, what does that mean for the landscape and climate of Colorado? And how does landscaping with El Nino change things for homeowners and property management companies alike?
What is El Nino?
This year's weather pattern is anticipated to be the opposite of what has been observed in the past three years, which featured consecutive La Niña seasons.
Typically, El Niño events bring cold and wet winters to the Southern United States. A strong El Niño, in particular, is associated with increased rainfall in the Southwest and California. However, it's worth noting that California already experienced a cold and wet winter this year, even in the absence of El Niño conditions. Colorado has definitely experienced all the benefits of El Nino, as we have received a wetter Spring and still receive consistent rainfall at the start of the Summer season.
What will landscaping in 2023 and beyond look like
With the recent conditions seen so far, homeowners and property management companies have probably been struggling to keep their landscapes under control. The storm and rainfall produce a much more available environment for plants, lawns, and trees to grow. It is likely that the grass has been looking more overgrown quicker than usual. Plants have most likely bloomed and grown larger.
With the consistent storm conditions, some plants and trees might have suffered damage from wind and other factors. Therefore, some properties could be looking at broken tree limbs or fallen plant debris. It is likely that landscaping in 2023 and the subsequent years with El Nino will require a lot more landscape maintenance at more frequent intervals.
Landscape maintenance for commercial and residential properties
While it is a blessing to have a larger amount of rainfall and stormy weather for our dry and arid climate; residents of Aurora, Lakewood, Littleton, Parker, and Denver might struggle to keep up with the added landscape maintenance needed to keep their properties looking well. While the season to sign up for landscape maintenance contracts is already well underway, if your property management or home is in need of landscape maintenance services, Vista Landscaping is here to help. Vista Landscape Development can repair and replace sod, plants, and trees and improve your landscape to better weather the latest conditions brought on by recent climate trends. Even more, if your property requires more maintenance, Vista Landscape offers competitive and efficient landscape maintenance packages.
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