Colorado’s mountain snowpack is off to its slowest start in decades, and the ramifications that could come with that dry start could be felt for years to come if something doesn’t change.
According to Denver Water, the snowpack above Dillon is currently the lowest it has been for this point in the season since record keeping began in the late 1970s.
Snowpack in the Upper Colorado River Basin above Dillon is sitting at about 46% of the typical average. That’s roughly 2.8 inches of snow water equivalent (SWE) the amount of water that would be produced if the snow melted instantly. Typically, that number would be closer to 6 inches by midwinter, according to Denver Water.
“It’s the worst it’s been in more than half a century,” said Nathan Elder, manager of water supply for Denver Water…