Snowpack

Colorado's state climatologist said long-range forecasts are also not signaling a 'Miracle March.'

Drought is on everybody's mind right now as the State of Colorado reckons with a snowpack that is about half of normal.

Declining snowpack is creating new challenges for irrigation, livestock, and traditional food systems in tribal communities

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.