California devastated by oil spill, fires and drought 4:06
(CNN) -
No snow in Colorado?
No, this is not a movie but a real life drama that unfolds across the state with very real consequences.
It's been 224 consecutive days (and counting) since a measurable amount snowed in Denver, and the record for the latest date for a first snowfall has just been broken, a record that has been held since snowfall records began. in 1882. In that time, Denver has never entered December without considerable snow.
They warn about strengthening of cyclones in Asia due to the climate crisis
This prolonged period without snow has implications for the state's prolonged drought, an increasingly scarce water supply and a population wanting to hit the ski slopes.
We're at 222 consecutive snowless days for Denver.
On April 21st 2021 (222 days ago), we received 2.6 inches of snow.
Warm and dry conditions continue this week across the region.
#COwx pic.twitter.com/8CjkZBGUPF
- NWS Boulder (@NWSBoulder) November 29, 2021
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"Across the state, you're experiencing some kind of drought condition," Ayesha Wilkinson, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service, told CNN.
For example, "Denver just logged its second snowiest November," with no measurable snow seen, meaning they've had a few flurries, but nothing accumulated.
This November is only behind 1949, when literally "no flakes fell from the sky."
Colorado also appears representative of the rest of the country, as the meteorological winter begins, on December 1, and only 11.1% of the United States is covered in snow.
Tomorrow may be December 1st, but it certainly is not beginning to look a lot like Christmas across CONUS.
As of Nov. 30th, 11.1% of the lower 48 is covered with snow ❄️, the 4th lowest percentage for this day since 2003, surpassing only 2011 (10.1%), 2020 (9.5%) and 2017 (7.6%).
pic.twitter.com/6Ep2raRBNF
- NWS Weather Prediction Center (@NWSWPC) November 30, 2021
Ski centers take a break on opening day
As the state endures one of the driest and warmest periods on record, the effect it is having on ski resorts cannot be ignored.
As in the case of Telluride, some ski resorts have been forced to delay their opening day until after Thanksgiving, forgoing revenue from the extended holiday weekend.
Ski resorts have had to make artificial snow to cover the shortfall and make it possible for skiers to return to the mountains safely.
Even so, time has not exactly played in favor of this activity.
"Typically at this time of year, we're close to hitting 300 hours of snow creation, and this year we're just over 100," explained Loryn Duke, Communications Director for the Steamboat Ski Center.
"And those 100 hours have been produced in the last week. Our machines are literally taking over from Mother Nature."
Snow in Colorado.
Optimal conditions for making snow involve a "combination of low temperatures and low humidity", also known as a wet bulb.
Conditions within the mountains should remain at or below freezing both at night and during the day to help maximize base snow cover.
"We have all the tools in our kit to help Mother Nature and once she shows up, we are ready to receive her," Duke said.
Not only is snow in Colorado crucial to the nearly $ 5 billion ski industry, it is also critical to the state's access to fresh water.
Drought conditions worsen in Colorado
More than two-thirds of Colorado's water supply comes from snowpack, according to the University of Colorado Boulder Environmental Center.
Less snow means less water, which is bad news for everyone considering the prolonged drought in the western United States.
The basin of the Colorado River, whose head begins in the west of the state, supplies drinking water to more than 40 million Americans.
A water shortage has been declared for the first time, fueled in part by climate change.
Colorado's specific drought situation has worsened again.
After a brief improvement during the spring and summer, the percentage of moderate drought throughout the state was 77% last week and now stands at 88%, with no rainfall expected until next week.
Denver just posted its "third warmest November ever," Wilkinson told CNN.
The heat continues into December as all-time highs are challenged once again, along with below-average rainfall, in line with the ongoing drought.
"To date, Denver has only received 12.37 inches of liquid precipitation, whereas we would normally have 14.14 inches," Wilkinson explained.
Winter conditions can reappear
Just because the start of the winter season has been slow does not mean that the rest of the winter will be the same.
Historically, December has been known to produce some healthy snow totals in Denver, averaging 8 inches for the month.
This usually equates to meters of snow in the mountains, where skiers welcome it with open arms.
By popular request, walk chart!
Decembers are often dry, but are sometimes quite snowy!
The driest: 0 in 2013, Trace in 1905, 1906, 2002
The snowiest: 57.4 "in 1913.
Average: 8.0"
Now for some of our apple pie!
#cowx pic.twitter.com/pv3PVa2PsK
- NWS Boulder (@NWSBoulder) November 26, 2021
Joel Gratz, a snow forecast for ski resorts and a founding meteorologist at OpenSnow, told CNN Weather: "A couple of feet of snow can help a lot of mountains open up a lot of ground. One to three storms can bring this amount of snow, so things can change quickly. "
Ski enthusiasts in Colorado look for storms that come in from the southwest, because they carry abundant moisture from the Pacific Ocean that can amount to several feet of snow in the mountains.
Another favorable runway for blizzards comes from the Northwest, favoring lighter, fluffier snow, recorded by Steamboat Ski Resort as
Champagne Powder.
Climate change Denver