An initiative of the Center for Environmental Journalism at the University of Colorado Boulder

Taking stock of the spring snowpack

Maps and charts visualize conditions at the April 1 milestone

9 graphics that visualize EPA’s climate change indicators for snow

The downward trajectory for snow carries serious consequences for water supplies, wildlife habitat, wildfire activity and outdoor recreation.

Rain or snow? Observers help scientists understand wintry weather

With a free app, volunteers gather crucial data on what type of precipitation is falling

An illustrated glossary of snow-related terms

Learn the lingo of the cryosphere

Tip sheet: monitoring the West’s snowpack

What’s the current state of the snowpack? How have conditions changed over the season?

Post-fire study finds snowpack melts earlier

Loss of forest canopy and deposition of ash alter forest hydrology

How much runoff comes from the West’s snowpack?

Snowmelt dominates many Western rivers, but climate change will reduce that contribution as raindrops replace snowflakes.

Scientists seeking answers about Mars look to the Colorado River’s canyons

Ancient rainstorms may have sculpted the red planet, similar to the monsoon rains that helped shape the Southwest’s landscape.
A man dives into a clear mountain lake from a rocky cliff. The lake is ringed with pine trees.

In “Water Bodies,” Western writers tap into intimate connections to their local waterways

In the arid West, water verbs are often bureaucratic. Rivers, streams and lakes are allocated, decreed, diverted, divided and used. Droplets are distributed to serve human needs. Scarcity drives...

Q&A: Defining the “snow deluge” and projecting its future

Scientist Adrienne Marshall explains why these extreme snow years are expected to decline in our warming world.