Breckenridge moisture now above average for the year

Posted on May 6, 2013 by Bob Berwyn

Late season storms target north-central Colorado mountains

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Snow cover on Peak 8 at Breckenridge Ski Area reached a peak after the resort closed for the season. Bob Berwyn photo.

By Bob Berwyn

FRISCO — A surge of April moisture brought the year-to-date snowfall total in Breckenridge right up to average, according to National Weather Service observer Rick Bly, who said that last month ended up being the fifth-wettest April on record, dating back to the late 1800s.

Bly tallied 49.5 inches of snow, compared to the average 24.7 inches. The snow that fell in April was equivalent to 4.14 inches of water, nearly double the average of 2.1 inches. For the water year to-date, Bly has measured 12.3 inches of snow-water equivalent, nearly an inch above average. (more…)

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

Morning photo: Weekend whimsy

Posted on May 6, 2013 by Bob Berwyn

Camera play

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Sunday morning, down at the end of our street.

FRISCO — A few shots and edits from the weekend … (more…)

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Morning photo: One more time …

Posted on May 5, 2013 by Bob Berwyn

Snowy bliss

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Shooting into the sun can be dicey, but sometimes it’s worth the try.

FRISCO — I’m still shorting through shots from our early May snowstorm and working up a few edits of the iPhone and DSLR shots, including the top image, which is literally a roadside view right here in our Frisco neighborhood, if you know where to look. I used an iPhone for the scene, but instead of using an Instagram filter to try and lighten up the foreground, I ran it through the iPhoto program on my laptop to try and preserve some of the snoothness that gets lost in Instagram sometimes. The rest of the images were all taken with the Nikon. (more…)

Filed under: Morning photo, photography, seasons, snow, Summit County Colorado, Summit County snow and weather | Tagged: , , , | 1 Comment »

Morning photo: Let the meltdown begin!

Posted on May 4, 2013 by Bob Berwyn

It’s May already, right?

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Dusk light over Peak One, Frisco, Colorado

FRISCO — It doesn’t take long after the snow stops falling for the melting to begin. That’s just the nature of the season. By early May, the sun is strong, so as soon as the clouds lift, it starts to happen. I look for for puddles on the edge of Dillon Reservoir for a good dose of reflection, and here’s how it looked the last few days. (more…)

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Morning photo: May snow

Posted on May 3, 2013 by Bob Berwyn

Bonus powder

Fence line.

Fence line.

FRISCO —I never thought I’d be shooting snowscapes in early May, but then again, living at 9,000 feet in the Colorado high country, you just never know. At this point, it can’t even be billed as the last storm, with the National Weather Service forecasting a chance of more unsettled weather next week. Of course, cool conditions in late spring aren’t unprecedented. Old-timers will remember Cinco de Mayo powder days at A-Basin and even Breckenridge back in the 1980s. A wet spring often helps ease Colorado out one of its periodic droughts. In any case Frisco was sparkling Thursday morning. Here’s what it looked like. (more…)

Filed under: climate and weather, Morning photo, photography, seasons, Snow and weather, Summit County Colorado, Summit County snow and weather | Tagged: , , , , , , | 1 Comment »

Morning photo: Best of April

Posted on May 2, 2013 by Bob Berwyn

Spring … or winter?

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Moon set over the Gore Range.

FRISCO — With measurable snowfall on almost half the days in April, it felt a bit more like winter than spring in Summit County — although there were a few balmy days just to hint at the season ahead. And all in all, it ended up being a good month for photography, with a great moon set, some wonderfully snowy scenes (that April snow really sticks to everything) and even some great closeups of nesting ospreys … (more…)

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Colorado: Forest Service finalizes plan to protect bats

Posted on May 2, 2013 by Bob Berwyn
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White-nose syndrome is spreading outward from the Northeast. Graphic courtesy whitenosesyndrome.org.

White River National Forest keeps a few caves closed permanently, requires cave registration and decontamination

*Click here for more Summit Voice coverage of white-nose syndrome

By Bob Berwyn

FRISCO — The White River National Forest is well-known for its many ski areas and stunning high-elevation wilderness areas, but the forest is also a Rocky Mountain stronghold for bats. And with a deadly disease poised to move into the region, resource managers are taking steps to try and protect the flying mammals with a new cave access policy.

Based on a regional study completed a few weeks ago, WRNF supervisor Scott Fitzwilliams has decided to keep several caves with biologically significant populations closed all year, and other caves may be closed seasonally. Year-round closures are to be enacted on ranger districts if white-nose syndrome is documented within 250 miles. The regional policy and supporting documents are online at this Forest Service website. (more…)

Filed under: biodiversity, Colorado, endangered species, Environment, Summit County Colorado, Summit County news | Tagged: , , , , , | 1 Comment »

Colorado: No doubt, still a drought

Posted on May 1, 2013 by Bob Berwyn

Annual State of the River meetings will update residents on water planning

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Receding waters of Dillon Reservoir leave big swaths of shoreline exposed.

By Summit Voice

FRISCO — While spring snowfall has brought some relief to small parts of Colorado, the majority of the state is still gripped by one of the worst droughts on record. The southeastern plains and the southwest mountains in particular have experienced a string of dry years, leaving soil moisture well below normal.

Statewide reservoir storage is also near historic low levels, and even with decent spring runoff in a few river basins, water managers will be scrambling to try and refill key s like Dillon and Green Mountain reservoirs. (more…)

Filed under: climate and weather, Colorado, Drought, Environment, rivers, Summit County Colorado, Summit County news, water | Tagged: , , , , , | 2 Comments »

Morning photo: signs of spring

Posted on May 1, 2013 by Bob Berwyn

meltdown …

A stand of aspens is partially submerged by a spring snowmelt pond near the Meadow Creek trailhead in Frisco, Colorado.

A stand of aspens is partially submerged by a spring snowmelt pond near the Meadow Creek trailhead in Frisco, Colorado.

SUMMIT COUNTY —At long last, the melt season has started in the Colorado high country, nearly a month later than last year. As it goes in the mountains, things change in a hurry once it warms up. Tender green sprouts shoot up at the edge of crusty snowbanks, sometimes growing an inch per day. There’s not a lot of time — at 10,000 feet, most plants have to reach flowering stage within just a couple of months. Springtime in the Rockies! (more…)

Filed under: Summit County Colorado, photography, seasons, Morning photo, Colorado | Tagged: , , , , , , , | 1 Comment »

Summit Voice: Week in review and most-viewed stories

Posted on April 29, 2013 by Bob Berwyn
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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 »

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