Winter sports athletes urge action on global warming

Posted on April 10, 2013 by Bob Berwyn
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Winter sports athletes are urging action on climate change and energy in a letter to President Obama.

Olympic medalists, ski stars ask President Obama to speed the shift to clean energy

By Summit Voice

SUMMIT COUNTY — As Colorado ski areas struggle with a second consecutive season of below-average snowfall and the Sierra Nevada snowpack only about half of average, a group of 75 Olympic medalists and other winter sports athletes are warning that winter is in trouble.

Stepping up to represent the global snow sports community on the political stage, the athletes this week sent a letter to President Barack Obama, urging him to take action on climate and clean energy.

“Without a doubt, winter is in trouble … at risk are the economies of tourist-dependent states where winter tourism generates $12.2 billion in revenue annually, supports 212,000 jobs and $7 billion in salaries. Those are the jobs and businesses owned by our friends and families, generators of billions in federal and state income.” (more…)

Filed under: climate and weather, Environment, global warming, seasons, Snow and weather | Tagged: , , , , , , | 2 Comments »

Morning photo: Insta-spring

Posted on April 6, 2013 by Bob Berwyn

Some iPhone fun …

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Wetlands sunset.

FRISCO — To start the weekend, some of the best iPhone shots of the past week. (more…)

Filed under: climate and weather, Colorado, Morning photo, photography | Tagged: , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Morning photo: What a difference a year makes

Posted on April 1, 2013 by Bob Berwyn

No March meltdown this year

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In late March, 2012, Dillon Reservoir was well on its way to its earliest melt-out ever.

FRISCO — Precipitation and temperatures were probably fairly close to average in March, but conditions stand in stark contrast to last year, when Colorado experienced record-high temperatures during the same month, setting the stage for a summer drought and a dangerous wildfire season. By late in the month last year, Dillon Reservoir was melted all along the edges, with dark, rotten ice across the rest of its surface. This year, the snow piled up throughout the month and kept the ice well insulated from the sun. It’s never boring in the mountains, is it?
(more…)

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

Morning photo: Late winter (early spring)

Posted on March 26, 2013 by Bob Berwyn

Felt — and looked — like January

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A frosty scene along the Blue River at the inlet to Dillon Reservoir.

FRISCO —I didn’t really think I’d get another chance to shoot anymore frosty scenes this year, but our early spring storm definitely brought a flashback to January and February conditions with the added benefit of late March light. Deep snow, temps well below zero and bright sunshine — a great way to start the week in Summit County, offering some hope that the drought may be easing. (more…)

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

Morning photo: Snow, snow … snow!

Posted on March 22, 2013 by Bob Berwyn

Spring fluff

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Gotta love the way that March snow sticks to the branches.

FRISCO — Finally, in the first few days of spring, winter weather showed up for real, with one of the biggest single-day snowfalls of the season here in Frisco. The snow was wet and heavy and settled quickly, so it was hard to get a good measurement of the daily total, but at least five inches piled up here in town. And it’s getting that time of year when you really appreciate the snowfall, knowing it could be the last (although the weather forecast is calling for more wintry weather this weekend). It’s kind of like that tingly feeling feeling when the first snows of autumn fall, except in reverse. Sometimes in the middle of the winter, we take it all for granted (but not this year), and some years, we even get fed up (although we shouldn’t). But Thursday’s snowfall was just about perfect. (more…)

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

Morning photo: Brilliance!

Posted on March 20, 2013 by Bob Berwyn

Sunrise set

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One of the last sunrise scenes from this winter.

FRISCO — After the few gray mornings, the sun burst forth with a vengeance Tuesday morning. As if to apologize for the short absence, the colors practically screamed out, “here I am!” For me, the timing is kind of funky right now, but if I race out of the house right after feeding my son and making sure he gets on the school bus, I can just make it down to one of my “local” spots, in this case the first turnout along Dillon Dam Road past the gate. At the cusp of the seasons, the snow is quite different. With 12 hours of sunlight, there’s a big melt-freeze cycle going on, even out on the flats, and the wind sculpted the new stuff into a nice layer of sastrugi. If you like our daily photo essays, be sure to visit our online gallery at FineArt America for more Summit County landscapes, available as prints and greeting cards. (more…)

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Morning photo: Sunday …

Posted on March 11, 2013 by Bob Berwyn

Fresh snow, sun … what could be better?

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Yes, there are still a few life lodgepoles left!

FRISCO —I don’t know if you can feel it, but I can. Even on a cool morning after a snowstorm, the light, the very air itself, has been touched by the hint of spring. In today’s photo series, I tried to capture that delicate balance on the cusp of seasons, the warmth in the air, even as the snow reaches its greatest depth of the season on the ground. Along with this whimsical set, check our online gallery at FineArt America for a collection of Summit County landscapes, available as fine art prints or greeting cards. (more…)

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

Morning photo: Spring? Not so fast

Posted on March 6, 2013 by Bob Berwyn

Better late than never …

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Sunrise lights up the Gore against the backdrop of an incoming storm.

FRISCO — March arrived with a wintry punch last weekend, delivering a blast of much-needed snow to the high country of Colorado. It wasn’t a big storm in the scheme of things, but after a dry January and a so-so February, the freshies were more than welcome. (more…)

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

Backcountry: Four avalanche deaths since March 1

Posted on March 4, 2013 by Bob Berwyn

Slide8New snow brings spike in avalanche danger

By Bob Berwyn

FRISCO — Avalanches have killed four people since March 1, including a snowboarder near Cameron Pass (west of Fort Collins, March 2), a snowmobiler in Utah and a climber on Mountain Washington, in New Hampshire.

The latest Colorado avalanche was a monster, breaking up to six feet deep in places. The slide was estimated at 1,200 feet wide and broke trees as it crashed down the mountain. A second person was injured in the slide and evacuated from the scene by helicopter, according to the Colorado Avalanche Information Center. (more…)

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

Morning photo: Best of February

Posted on March 3, 2013 by Bob Berwyn

Winter wonders

A mid-winter sunrise over the Tenmile Range.

A mid-winter sunrise over the Tenmile Range.

FRISCO — It’s probably just as well that February is a short month, seeing as how by this time, a lot of people are ready to move on to spring. For weather forecasters, in fact, March 1 marks the start of meteorological spring, so don’t be surprised if you hear more references to the change of seasons even though the equinox (the “official” start of spring) is still a few weeks away. In the high country, it doesn’t really make all that much of a difference. March is often the snowiest month, so even if the days are nice and long, it still feels like winter. And this year, with the early season drought, we’ll take all we can get. If you like the shots in this post, visit our online FineArt America gallery for a great selection of Summit County landscapes, available as prints and greeting cards. (more…)

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

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