US EditionFinal January storm will bring light flakes to Colorado’s mountains, but that won’t do much for the state’s record-low snowpack
A late-January storm brought 1-4 inches of snow, but Colorado's snowpack remains at 58% of normal, the lowest on record for this date, officials said.
- Wednesday night into Thursday morning, the final January storm brought about five inches of snow, with Summit and Grand counties receiving 1-4 inches, too little to boost seasonal totals.
- Uncommonly warm, dry conditions this winter have shifted precipitation toward rain and cut off Pacific moisture, with most Western mountain basins well below normal, creating a broad, season-long shortfall.
- The National Water and Climate Center reports Colorado's snowpack at roughly 58% of normal, with the National Resources Conservation Service showing nearly all of more than 80 basins below average.
- Lake Powell's elevation, measured at 3,536 feet as of Monday, underscores risks to hydropower and downstream deliveries, with releases set at 7.48 million acre-feet but capable of being cut to 6 million under a 2024 agreement, raising concerns among federal negotiators and governors over water management during low snowpack conditions.
- Joel Gratz wrote that long-range models and OpenSnow continue to show stormier weather starting around Feb. 10, while Kevin Perry warned `We’re in uncharted territory` as snowpack nears the lowest on Feb. 1.
10 Articles
10 Articles
One more January storm will bring light flakes to Colorado’s mountains, but that won’t do much for the state’s record-low snowpack
January’s final storm won’t bring much snow to Colorado’s high country. A cooling weather pattern arriving during the second half of February, however, could bring much needed relief to the state’s record-low snowpack. Following a stormy weekend that brought 6-12 inches to Colorado’s northern and central mountains, the northern mountains could see “a few pulses of storm energy” from Wednesday evening into Friday, according to a Wednesday OpenSn…
Aspen Times
Final January storm will bring light flakes to Colorado’s mountains, but that won’t do much for the state’s record-low snowpack
January’s final storm won’t bring much snow to Colorado’s high country. A cooling weather pattern arriving during the second half of February, however, could bring much needed relief to the state’s record-low snowpack. Following a...
Colorado water officials plan for “exceedingly grim” drought forecasts, low reservoir levels
Michelle Garrison, a state water resources specialist, saw something missing on her January drive from Oregon to Denver. No ice on the roads. No snow in the foothills. Her mind turned to drought and reservoirs and the recently expired drought management agreement between Colorado and three other states. “It makes me think that this year is going to be a real challenge,” she said. “It looked like November everywhere I drove.” Garrison presented t…
DENVER, Colorado – Starting this Thursday, the weather will bring some changes, especially to the mountains and northeastern Colorado. Light snow is expected in the northern mountains on Thursday, with modest accumulations that generally shouldn't cause major travel problems. On the plains, the day will be mostly dry, though with moderate to strong winds, gusting up to 35 mph in some eastern areas. By Friday, a shallow Arctic air mass will move …
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