Summit Voice: Week in review and most-viewed stories

Posted on April 29, 2013 by Bob Berwyn
dgh

Will the federal government tolerate marijuana legalization?

FRISCO — Cycling and wrangling over marijuana legalization are both popular topics in Colorado these days, which is reflected by this week’s list of most-viewed stories. Third on the list, surprisingly to me, was a somewhat wonk-oriented story about a conservation bill introduced in Congress — but maybe it shouldn’t be a surprise, since anything that involves bipartisan compromise in Washington, D.C. these days is truly newsworthy.

Two of the Summit Voice photo essays also managed to crack the top-10 list, including some sweet shots of our big spring snowstorm, and, of course, a pair of stories about the deadly Loveland Pass slide were also in the mix. Click “Read More” to see the list, as well as a roundup of headlines. (more…)

Filed under: Arctic, climate and weather, Colorado, Drought, Environment, Summit County Colorado, Summit County news | Tagged: , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Colorado: Denver Water says drought continues, but backs away from plan to drain Antero Reservoir

Posted on April 25, 2013 by Bob Berwyn
sdfg

Antero Reservoir, in Park County, won’t be drained.

April snowpack boost is good news for anglers

By Summit Voice

SUMMIT COUNTY — With a rebounding snowpack, Denver Water officials said this week they won’t drain Antero Reservoir, in Park County, as previously planned.

“Managing water supplies through a drought is an ever-changing process,” said Dave Bennett, water resource manager for Denver Water. “While we are still in drought and need our customers to save water, the recent snow has helped our supply situation. Keeping Antero open will be a benefit to Park County and those who love to fish there. If we drained the reservoir, it would take about three years to refill.” (more…)

Filed under: climate and weather, Colorado, Drought, Environment, rivers, water | Tagged: , , , , , | 1 Comment »

Climate study projects less rain in Hawaii

Posted on April 24, 2013 by Bob Berwyn
sdfg

Changes in Pacific Ocean-area circulation changes are projected to impact rainfall in the Hawaiian Islands.

Drying trend that started in late 1970s likely to continue

By Summit Voice

FRISCO — Global warming is shifting large-scale Pacific circulation patterns so that fewer  weather disturbances reach the Hawaiian Islands during the rainy season from November through April.

As a result, rainfall has been declining since 1978, and the trend is likely to continue, according to researchers with the University of Hawaii at Manoa and the University of Colorado in Boulder.

“For water resource and ecosystem management, and for other societal needs, we need to know whether this drying trend will continue this century,” said lead researchers Oliver Elison Timm, with the International Pacific Research Center, UHM. (more…)

Filed under: climate and weather, Drought, Environment, global warming | Tagged: , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Climate: U.S. temps below average in March

Posted on April 15, 2013 by Bob Berwyn

Coolest March readings since 1966, but drought eases in some areas

Maps compiled by NOAA show the contrast between temperatures in March 2012 and March 2013.

Maps compiled by NOAA show the contrast between temperatures in March 2012 and March 2013.

By Summit Voice

FRISCO — With an average temperature that was .9 degrees below the 20th century average, the contiguous 48 U.S. states recorded the coldest March readings since 2002, when the monthly average was a whopping 2.2 degrees below average.

The monthly readings mark a huge contrast from one year ago, when the U.S. recorded its warmest-ever March, according to the National Climatic Data Center, which released the monthly State of the Climate report today (April 15). (more…)

Filed under: climate and weather, Drought, global warming, seasons | Tagged: , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Morning photo: Spring sunshine

Posted on April 13, 2013 by Bob Berwyn

Around the reservoir

oi

Big snowdrifts are slowly melting in the lee of what were once islands in Dillon Reservoir.

FRISCO — After a spate of cold, gray days (and there are more to come), April sunshine finally broke through Friday afternoon. What a great way to start the weekend! It didn’t take long for the snow to start melting away in the flats around Dillon Reservoir, showing how far the water level dropped this winter. Beneath a few meltwater ponds, the dry, cracked mud of last autumn is still visible — apparently it takes a while for the thirsty Earth to replenish itself. More snowy and cold weather is expected starting Saturday afternoon right into the first half of next week, but the afternoon sunshine gave a hint of warmer days ahead. (more…)

Filed under: climate and weather, Colorado, Drought, Morning photo, photography, Snow and weather, Summit County Colorado, Summit County snow and weather | Tagged: , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Summit County: March delivers moisture surplus

Posted on April 12, 2013 by Bob Berwyn

Season-long snow totals still lagging

dsfg

The Colorado Climate Center maintains graphs that show average annual temperatures for individual weather stations dating back to the start of record-keeping.

Plenty of fresh snow graced the Gore Range during March. Bob Berwyn photo.

Plenty of fresh snow graced the Gore Range during March. Bob Berwyn photo.

By Bob Berwyn

FRISCO — While some Colorado residents may be yearning for daffodils, snow lovers are probably thinking better late than never, as March delivered a moisture surplus — the first month of the winter with snowfall totals significantly above average.

In Breckenridge, National Weather Service observer Rick Bly measured 34.3 inches of snow at his downtown weather station, nearly 10 inches more than the historic average of 25.5 inches. Similarly, Denver Water staffers in Dillon measured 30 inches of snow in March. The long-term average is 22 inches. (more…)

Filed under: climate and weather, Colorado, Drought, Snow and weather, Summit County snow and weather | Tagged: , , , | Leave a Comment »

Report: Global warming not a big factor in 2012 drought

Posted on April 12, 2013 by Bob Berwyn

Natural climate variability the biggest player, scientists say

drought

Drought conditions persist across the central part of the country.

By Bob Berwyn

SUMMIT COUNTY — Last summer’s crippling Great Plains drought can’t definitively be linked with global warming, according to a team of federal scientists from various agencies. In a new report issued this week, the researchers said the drought was probably caused by a confluence of natural climate variations that might only come together in a similar constellation once a century.

Cyclical variations in ocean temperatures — especially the combination of a cooler-than-average Pacific Ocean and a warm phase of the North Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation may have nudged the region toward drought conditions, but those factors tend to be more of a factor in suppressing winter precipitation. (more…)

Filed under: climate and weather, Drought, El Niño, global warming, La Niña, Uncategorized | Tagged: , , , , , , | 2 Comments »

CU study aims to spur homeowner wildfire mitigation

Posted on April 12, 2013 by Bob Berwyn

Social scientists to probe homeowner behavior in the red zone

ghk

Social scientists at the University of Colorado Boulder want to find the most effective ways to encourage homeowners to reduce wildfire risk on their property. Bob Berwyn photo.

By Summit Voice

SUMMIT COUNTY — A pair of University of Colorado Boulder social science researchers will use a $298,000 grant from the National Science Foundation to try and determine what sort of information shapes homeowner behavior in fire-prone areas on Colorado’s Western Slope.

In the past 10 years, the social and economic costs of wildfires have soared across the country, and especially in the West. As wildfire hazards increase, mitigating risks on individual properties is of paramount importance.

Starting with the premise that each household’s actions can affect the choices of neighbors, the researchers want to explore two pathways linking homeowners’ choices as they relate to awareness about risk interdependency and social norms. (more…)

Filed under: climate and weather, Colorado, Drought, Environment, forests, global warming, wildfires | Tagged: , , , | 1 Comment »

Environment: What’s the outlook for Colorado forests?

Posted on April 7, 2013 by Bob Berwyn
Colorado aspen forests and global warming

It’s not just lodgepoles — many of Colorado’s forest types are going to feel the heat of global warming. Bob Berwyn photo.

Global warming not playing favorites, as all of the state’s forests are struggling with dry conditions and increasing temperatures

By Bob Berwyn

FRISCO — I’ve been working my way through a series of stories about Colorado’s forests the past few weeks — after all, lodgepole pines are only one part of the state’s forest landscapes, and in looking at the overall picture, it’s clear that global warming and drought are probably going to have a big effect.

But it’s not all doom and gloom. Even though the pine beetle outbreak was scary big and scary fast, it looks like those lodgepole groves will grow back just fine, at least in the short-term (the jury is still out on the impacts of global warming). In some areas, the young trees that remained after the beetle outbreak are growing twice as fast as before, and in many areas, the forests are growing back with more diversity. Read the Summit Voice story here. (more…)

Filed under: climate and weather, Colorado, Drought, Environment, forests, global warming | Tagged: , , , , , , , | 4 Comments »

Summit Voice offers a unique Colorado news feed

Posted on April 7, 2013 by Bob Berwyn
mountain-pine-beetle-284x204

Ever wondered about mountain pine beetle genetics? Read Summit Voice.

Water, forests and more …

By Bob Berwyn

FRISCO — In the age of a global economy and a global environment, nearly all news is local. Case in point is last week’s report from the Department of Agriculture’s Office of Inspector General. The IG audited the U.S. Forest Service’s oil and gas drilling program, and found that there is quite a bit of room for improvement when it comes to being prepared for potential spills, and even just keeping track of required inspections.

Since the IG’s office documented a total of almost 200 spills on national forest lands in 2010 and 2011, it’s more than just a hypothetical exercise, and with oil and gas activities expected to ramp up on the White River National Forest, there are implications close to home. Read the story here. (more…)

Filed under: climate and weather, Colorado, Dillon Reservoir, Drought, events, Frisco, Summit County Colorado | Tagged: , , , , | 1 Comment »

« Previous Page — Next Page »
Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.

Join 5,597 other followers