fmpden

Because of massive amounts of snow this season, most of the ski resorts are extending their season by at least one week and some are adding two. Skiing should be good till end of April.

Gretchen

Had wonderful pics from DS and DGD at Copper this week!!

Tabernash2

This has been the PERFECT ski season in Winter Park, Colorado, for sure: constant fresh snow. And Denver has been mild, which is a bonus. I doubt we'll ever see an epic season like this one again.

fmpden

But the mild Denver winter has it draw backs - no water. We are dry and well behind for the year. We can hope for a wet Spring. For Denver to get a lot of snow or rain, the lows need to come out of the SW. So far it has been mostly from the NW which dumps on the mountains.

Tabernash2

But we have snowpack, so no drought. It has been trying to rain today in central Den, but no luck yet.

DH drove to Den from WP this morning. He said it was snowing really hard till Idaho Spgs.
Wonderful ski season.

Gretchen

Does the snow pack really help the Denver drought conditions--which are pretty chronic these past years. I don't see the runoff for the city.

Tabernash2

Sure it does, because the reservoirs will be full. We won't have water restrictions. What do you mean about not seeing the "runoff formthe city"? Where do you think it goes?

Denver is a naturally arid climate with such low humidity most all the time, but we are not in a drought.

Tabernash2

http://www.plantmaps.com/interactive...onitor-map.php

Tabernash2

http://www.denverpost.com/outdoors/c...-year-colorado

More info, FYI.

Gretchen

That is good news for this year. I hope it holds up for the summer.

Tabernash2

We'll be good all summer. Thank goodness. The years of water restrictions can be brutal. The trick is to zeriscape, and not put in an expanse of lawn that needs watering.

fmpden

Actually, Gretchen, you are pretty close. The snow pack in the mountains does nothing to alleviate drought or near drought conditions on the plains. It just means that Denver probably will not be on water restrictions this year and everyone is free to washing cars and have green lawns. We are dry this year as we are several inches behind. The abnormally dry area is just a little east of the city and creeping closer.

Most of Denver's water comes from central mountain snowpack via Lake Dillon so a full Lake Dillon is important. There are some deep wells in the area particularly in the southern Denver suburbs. But agricultural irrigation comes primarily from the Platte and Colorado. Those in between are in having some serious drought problems. And the SE corner of the state is in a severe drought.

The run off from the city goes into the Platte river and is not captured by anyone. We may avoid water restrictions this summer for the first time in several years but it is still dry and we could have used more snow in the metro area this winter. We still have time as April and May can be very wet.

Tabernash2

What was the last year we had watering restrictions? I don't think Denver did last year.
BTW, the subject was Denver, not the plains. Two completely different discussions.

fmpden

Denver and the plains are one and the same. Last year we were still under water restrictions. On June,2013, the Denver water board moved from Stage 2 to Stage 1 drought restrictions which still exist till today. Big difference between Stage 1 and 2, is that you can water your lawn three days a week instead of only 2. The limitations on hours of watering, car washing, washing concrete, etc., still exist. To say, "But we have snowpack, so no drought." is more than a little inaccurate.

It isn't two different discussions, it is one and the same. The snowpack has no impact on the drought conditions on the plains, including Denver. It just has an impact on the availability of water and how that water can be used.

And even by the maps that you posted, the area in and around Denver is dry to abnormally dry. And that was the point of the discussion.

Tabernash2

I forgot you know it all, fmpden. Silly me.

"Denver and the plains are one and the same." BTW, this is hilarious.

Continue being the all-knowing Colorado expert. It must make you happy to shoot down anything I say about the state, where I'm a long-time resident.

fmpden

I don't know what you are arguing about. Look at on a map. Denver sits on the plain that runs up to the foothills along the front range. Don't know how else to describe it.

Tabernash2

You are not familiar with the multitude of micro-climates in Denver alone, apparently. Equating Denver and the planes is dumb.

Gretchen

I do remember when lake Dillon was abysmally scary low several years ago, and then mostly back up a year ago. We didn't get out this year.

fmpden

OK, I yield !!! Would love to know where all of the multitude of micro-climates are in Denver and why the Denver Water board has us classified as us as being in a Stage One drought? And you are correct. Equating Denver to a plane is dumb.