US EditionColorado engulfed in severe drought as snowpack hits record low
Statewide snow-water equivalent averaged 3.3 inches, or 22% of the 30-year median, after March heat drove the fastest melt on record.
- On April 1, Colorado snowpack hit its lowest level in recorded history, with statewide snow-water equivalent averaging just 22% of the historic median, according to the Colorado Climate Center.
- Colorado State Climatologist Russ Schumacher noted that record-shattering heat in March drove the fastest snowpack melt-off ever recorded, with statewide levels dropping by nearly 5 inches in two weeks.
- Of 64 mountain sites monitored across Colorado, 60 recorded their lowest snowpack measurements ever for April 1, and 18 locations that had never been snowless before now show no snow at all.
- More than one-fifth of Colorado is now facing exceptional drought conditions, the highest level on the Drought Monitor, prompting governments and water managers to implement immediate water restrictions and wildfire preparations.
- Forecasters expect April to bring more active weather than March had, which may slow the melting of remaining snow, though officials warn this will not alleviate the significant water deficits already established.
11 Articles
11 Articles
It’s official: This is Colorado’s worst snowpack year on record, as some mountain sites start April snowless for first time ever
Large swathes of the Colorado Rocky Mountains that are usually covered in snow this time of year started out the month barren, leading climate experts say the state is officially facing its worst snowpack on record. Of the 64 sites across the mountains where manual snow course data has been collected monthly for more than half a century, 60 either tied or had the lowest measurements on record for April 1, according to the Colorado Climate Center…
It’s official: This is Colorado’s worst snowpack year on record, as some mountains start April snowless for first time ever
Large swathes of the Colorado Rocky Mountains that are usually covered in snow this time of year started out the month barren, leading climate experts say the state is officially facing its worst snowpack on record. Of the 64 sites across the mountains where manual snow course data has been collected monthly for more than half a century, 60 either tied or had the lowest measurements on record for April 1, according to the Colorado Climate Center…
It’s official: This is Colorado’s worst snowpack year on record, as some mountain areas start April snowless for first time ever
Large swathes of the Colorado Rocky Mountains that are usually covered in snow this time of year started out the month barren, leading climate experts say the state is officially facing its worst snowpack on record. Of the 64 sites across the mountains where manual snow course data has been collected monthly for more than half a century, 60 either tied or had the lowest measurements on record for April 1, according to the Colorado Climate Center…
March was extremely warm in the U.S., especially in the southwestern half of the continent. The western United States has also been warm all winter, and this combined to lead to record low snowpack in the mountains there in early April.
Colorado engulfed in severe drought as snowpack hits record low
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