No, it's not April, but the cottonwoods and the aspens probably think it is, what with more highs in the 60s on the way.

Denver is expecting a high of 66 today under sunny skies, some 17 degrees warmer than normal for late February.

And Wednesday will be another beauty, with a high near 65.

Add it all up and it should come as no surprise that we are expecting a warm, dry spring.

The Climate Prediction Center says Colorado should see above-average temperatures in March, April and May, thanks to La Nina, a weather phenomenon that brings cooler temperatures to the Pacific Ocean.

The center, a division of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, also predicts that the Colorado Rockies and the Plains will have less precipitation than normal through May.

Back to this week, the snowfall in the mountains was expected to diminish this afternoon, with the next high-country storm scheduled for Wednesday night through Friday.

Metro Denver has a slight chance of showers Wednesday night, but it will be so mild that they likely will fall as rain.

Thursday will be partly sunny — with a high near 54 — and somewhat windy, with gusts as high as 23 mph.

Friday should top out at about 52 degrees.

Saturday will be nice, partly sunny with a high near 54.

Another slow warmup is forecast, with Sunday's high at 56 and Monday's at 58.

Granby, near the Continental Divide, should see a high of about 46 today and after a mild overnight, a high near 44 on Wednesday.

Highs will be in the mid-30s Thursday and Friday, but by the weekend, highs in Granby should be back to the mid-40s.

Gunnison, usually counted on to be chilly, will see highs in the 40s all week.

Not much accumulation is expected from the high-country snows the latter part of the work week.

Pueblo is expecting a high of 73 today, then highs in the 50s and 60s through early next week.

Loveland Pass is icy and snowpacked, forcing trucks with hazardous materials to use the Eisenhower Tunnel on the hour.

I-70 between the tunnel and Rifle is icy, with light snow.

Many of the mountain passes also are icy and snowpacked, including Hoosier, Fremont, Berthoud, Tennessee and McClure.