Las Vegas Sun

Record low Colorado mountain snow won't bode well for water in the drought-stricken US West

• Greenspun Media Group

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Hydrologist Maureen Gutsch trudged through the mud and slush to confirm a grim picture: Colorado just had its worst snowpack since statewide record keeping began in 1941.

Even more troubling, mountain snow accumulations peaked a month early and contained just half the average moisture.

As a warm winter with poor skiing conditions gave way to early springtime record heat, snow is vanishing from all but the highest elevations in the West. It's a clear sign that water shortages could worsen the ongoing significant drought, barring an unexpected deluge.

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