Denver Snowpack


Guest Mores
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Guest Mores

I remembered someone recently posted about Utah's snowpack going away?  I couldn't find the thread.

Well, I believe Denver and SLC are separated by the same mountains.  And look what I found.

https://www.denverpost.com/2019/05/31/colorado-snowpack-mountains-flooding/  Over 7 times the average amount of snow in them thar mount'ns.  I guess it won't be drying up for a while yet.

Additionally, someone else had posted about "The desert blossoming like a rose".  Well, this could very well be literal.  Much of Colorado is considered a desert area.  Mostly, it tends to be in a (what's the term?) cloud shade?  Storm shadow?  Something like that.

Well, what if it did actually get a LOT more water and it produced real farming potential?  What if that were a regular thing?

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Coloradoan here.  News is flying like wildfire - for the first time in a really, really long time, all of Colorado is out of drought status!  Of course, that doesn't mean much, since we're high and dry Colorado, but the little it takes, we've now got.  I've been through two fire-related evacuations in the last 6 years, happy to hear it.  Everything is green and nice right now.

Also former Utahn here.   Growing up in SLC, snow is something that started around October, and it went away maybe March or so.  Here in CO, we'll have a heavy blizzard one day and it'll be gone in 2 days.  I've seen my area have a fire danger and a blizzard warning at the same time more than twice.

 

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Guest Mores
57 minutes ago, NeuroTypical said:

Coloradoan here.  News is flying like wildfire - for the first time in a really, really long time, all of Colorado is out of drought status!  Of course, that doesn't mean much, since we're high and dry Colorado, but the little it takes, we've now got.  I've been through two fire-related evacuations in the last 6 years, happy to hear it.  Everything is green and nice right now.

Also former Utahn here.   Growing up in SLC, snow is something that started around October, and it went away maybe March or so.  Here in CO, we'll have a heavy blizzard one day and it'll be gone in 2 days.  I've seen my area have a fire danger and a blizzard warning at the same time more than twice.

I understand there is real farmland somewhere around Denver.  But how far do you need to go before you get to areas where they pretty much require year-round irrigation?

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The title of this thread made me miss the good ol' days where discussions concerning Denver Snuffer often popped up. Whatever happened to that guy? Has his new church reached a million members now? Or did they all get translated.

:D

 

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Guest Scott
10 hours ago, Mores said:

Mostly, it tends to be in a (what's the term?) cloud shade?  Storm shadow?  Something like that.

The term is rain shadow.

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Well, what if it did actually get a LOT more water and it produced real farming potential?  What if that were a regular thing?

More than likely this is just an outlier.  Snowfall in the region's mountains has decreased by 41% on average in the last 30 years:

https://www.postindependent.com/news/local/rocky-mountains-snowpack-has-declined-by-an-average-of-41-in-30-years/

The previous winter was one of the driest on record, so this is providing some relief, but I doubt we're out of the drought years yet.  The snow pack right now is good news though.  It's still green in the area I am working (Elk Springs in NW Colorado).

2016-2017 was a pretty good winter too, but this was the first "real" winter since 2010-2011.  Hopefully the trend continues.  There have been quite a few dry winters in recent years.

Also of note, Denver was colder on average last month than Fairbanks Alaska.  It does happen somewhat frequently on individual days, but it is extremely unusual to have the monthly average colder than Fairbanks.

Edited by Scott
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