Colorado’s rivers and streams are still filled with plenty of cold, rushing water from this season’s snowmelt. But that natural water source won’t last much longer.
Colorado’s snowpack has all but melted, according to official data from the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) this week. As of Tuesday, only 0.1″ remained on an average of 95 sites across the state.
“In southern parts of the state, (snowpack) melted out about 2 to 3 weeks ahead of where it normally is. In the northern mountains, they melted out about a week early to about on-time,” said Becky Bolinger, the assistant Colorado state climatologist.
“The snowpack melted faster for two reasons: one, it was warmer than average. Also, no snow was added to it,” Bolinger said.
Fast-melting snowpack coupled with a lack of rain plays into increased fire concerns. In southern Colorado, runoff from last winter’s boom of a snow season led to rapid growth in vegetation. Now, that vegetation is quickly drying out, providing fuel for fires.
“One of the consequences is the earlier you melt out, the earlier the fire season can begin,” Bolinger said. “You have a longer time to go until the monsoon and the relief.”
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