climate

Hot, dry, and windy conditions bring critical fire danger to western Colorado today, with Red Flag Warnings in effect. Cooler temperatures, rain, and mountain snow arrive Tuesday.

Warm, breezy weather continues across the Four Corners with highs well above normal. Snowpack remains low at about 54% of median.

A little more than an inch of precipitation fell on Cortez in February. And about three dozen people convened in Cortez’s Veterans Park on Sunday for what was called an Angry Knit-In.

La Niña remains in place but is expected to fade by spring, shifting to ENSO-neutral conditions that could bring more typical precipitation to the Four Corners.

An unusually warm and dry January has pushed much of the western U.S. into one of the worst snow droughts in decades, with record-low snowpack raising concerns for water supplies and wildfire risk.

Clear nights cause radiational cooling, letting heat escape into space and making valleys like Cortez and Mancos colder than surrounding ridges.

A new snow drought update shows record-low snow cover across much of the western U.S., with warm temperatures and rain replacing snow. Experts warn that low snowpack could worsen water supply concerns and impact recreation if conditions don’t improve.

Experts say the federal government does not want to be the decision maker, and is pushing states to come to an agreement on future water use that will inform the river's post-2026 operating guidelines. CU Boulder's Chris Winter weighs in on the Interior's draft environmental impact statement.

Forecasters say La Niña remains in place, but a shift to neutral conditions later this winter could shape snowpack and water supplies.

Farm leaders warn of mounting losses as trade tensions, global beef markets, and low snowpack threaten agricultural stability heading into 2026.