Researchers are trying to unravel the mystery of snow that falls but never shows up in the river. Bella Biondini/High Country News High winds tore at Gothic Mountain as the sleeping giant watched over the cabins nestled in Gothic, Colorado, a remote outpost accessible only by skis during the valley’s harsh alpine winters. The plumes … Continue reading The Case of the Colorado River’s Missing Water
California’s snowpack was more than twice the average in much of the state in early March 2023. Mario Tama/Getty Images Dan McEvoy, Desert Research Institute After three years of extreme drought, the Western U.S. is finally getting a break. Mountain ranges are covered in deep snow, and water reservoirs in many areas are filling up … Continue reading Is the Western drought finally ending? That depends on where you look
Parts of the Mountain West could be nearly snowless for years at a time in just a few decades. Snowmaking at Aspen Highlands Ski Resort started on October 13, leaving spots of snow on the ground and aspen trees.Kelsey Brunner Sarah Sax/High Country News Across the Central Rockies, it’s been an unseasonably warm, dry year. … Continue reading Winter without Snow is Coming
Another dangerous fire season is looming in the Western U.S., and the drought-stricken region is headed for a water crisis Dry conditions across the West follow a hot, dry year of record-setting wildfires in 2020. Communities were left with scenes like this, from California’s Creek Fire. Amir Aghakouchak/University of California Irvine Mojtaba Sadegh, Boise State … Continue reading Another dangerous fire season is looming in the Western U.S.