Western Slope snowpack rises above average but forecast for Eastern Plains remains ‘bleak’
Snowfall in recent weeks boosted southwestern Colorado but climatologists say the state still needs more snow
The Denver Post
Chris Dillmann/Vail Daily
Snowfall in western Colorado elevated some snowpack levels to above-average conditions but that snowy weather must continue for it to recharge the parched soil, diminishing streams and low reservoir levels, climate data shows.
While the Western Slope is in much better shape than it was in early December, Becky Bolinger, a climatologist with Colorado State University, said the eastern portion of the state hasn’t been so fortunate. There, wildfire risk persists and crops and livestock could suffer from the lack of moisture, she said.
“When you get into the lower elevations and onto the plains I think it does turn into a more bleak picture,” Bolinger said.
But for the time being at least snowpack levels on the Western Slope, which feed into the Colorado River, are moving in the right direction, Bolinger said.
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