Weather
Colorado’s statewide snowpack is currently at 54% of normal and is melting at such a rapid rate that the state could lose all its snowpack within the next two weeks.
Despite a generally average snow year where snowpack sat around average all season, a warm spring has resulted in the snowpack melting more quickly than usual – last year it didn’t fully melt-off until mid-July. After reopening for the summer following COVID-19 closure, Arapahoe Basin ended their season earlier than usual due to a rapidly melting snowpack.
- Related: NOAA: It’s Time to Say Goodbye | The Sierra Nevada Snowpack Will Be Gone by the End of the Week
The early loss of the snowpack could have consequences later in the year with drier soils more prone to the risk of wildfire, reports the Denver Post.
Almost 30% of Colorado is under an “extreme” drought right now, with 63% experiencing some drought, according to the official United States Drought Monitor.
