VIDEO: โ€œDesert Dustโ€ is Causing Coloradoโ€™s Snowpack to Melt Early

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Great.  Just what we needโ€ฆ  

Dust on snow in Colorado leads to a faster melting snowpack.  The dust on the snow absorbs more sunlight, creating more heat, and it melts the snowpack much faster than it would otherwise melt.  No bueno..

โ€œScientists believe an increase in โ€œdust on snowโ€ events over the last decade may be the result of soil destabilization in the source region of Arizona and Utah.  Itโ€™s not warm air temperature that speeds up the snowmelt, itโ€™s the actual radiation from the sun that does the job.

A 60-degree day with full sun will melt more snow than a 70-degree cloudy day.  Dirt absorbs the solar radiation melting the snow around it, while clean white snow reflects the radiation preserving the snowpack longer.โ€ โ€“ ABC7 Denver

Colorado ski resort closing dates here:

2015/16 Closing Dates For North American Ski Resorts


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