Snowpack

Colorado and other Western states are experiencing the worst snow drought in decades, not because of dry conditions but really warm temperatures that change snow to rain.

At less than 140,000 square miles, snow cover across the region was the lowest ever recorded on February 1 in the satellite record, which goes back to 2001. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS) call it the “worst snowpack on record.”

Keystone, Breckenridge, Vail, Beaver Creek, Arapahoe Basin, Copper and Steamboat Resort confirmed changes to staff hours due to lackluster conditions.

A lack of snow, compounded by warm temperatures, has plagued Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming. That will impact how much water is available come spring runoff.

Pressure to reach a deal is building.Forecasts for the water supply from the Colorado River continue to grow worse as snowpack lags far behind normal across the West. And negotiators from the basins have said there are “sticking points” that remain in the negotiations in recent weeks that even marathon talks have failed to resolve.

Cold temperatures have settled over much of the Mountain West this winter, but precipitation has been harder to come by, leaving large parts of the region unusually dry for late January.

After weeks of planning for the worst, the Ouray Ice Park has ice to offer after all, just in time for the 31st Ice Festival this weekend.

The state’s snowpack, a vital water supply, is the worst on record for this time of year. Water managers expect to cling onto every last drop come summer. Listen to "Morning Edition" host Michael Lyle, Jr. discuss this story with Colorado Sun reporter Shannon Mullane and then read the entire article at the link below.

The Upper Arkansas Basin in the central part of the state is currently the driest, with about 49% of the normal snowpack.

The Colorado lawmakers’ bill would incorporate modern technology like LiDAR and satellite imagery in snowpack mapping, similar to a state-level effort that passed earlier this year.