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

Photos: Snowpack in San Juan Mountains, May 2023

This page in our free multimedia library features aerial photos of the snowpack in the San Juan Mountains of southwest Colorado. The San Juans are mostly located in southwest Colorado...

Reading list: great snow journalism

If you’re looking for a crash course on snow and the Western snowpack, check out this great reporting, writing, and visual storytelling.

Why atmospheric rivers can be both harmful and helpful

These "rivers in the sky" can cause catastrophic flooding but are also critical for the West's snowpack

What is an atmospheric river? A hydrologist explains the good and bad of these flood-prone storms...

On average, atmospheric rivers have about twice the regular flow of the Amazon River.

Water flux and toxic wells – Water Buffs Podcast ep. 12 – Kathy James

On this episode of Water Buffs, we examine how drought can harm human health, specifically how dramatic fluctuations in water availability can lead to increasingly toxic water supplies.

Helpful sites for tracking snow and the (subpar) snowpack

There’s no shortage of websites with maps and graphics visualizing snow forecasts and the state of the snowpack.

Staying safe with the Winter Storm Severity Index

This pragmatic tool from federal forecasters illustrates where snow, ice, and wind can be deadly and disruptive.

What to watch on the Colorado River in 2024

After years of dry conditions throughout the West, 2023 gave the region’s water managers the greatest gift of all: a hefty snowpack. What will 2024 bring?

Colorado River crisis — How did the nation’s two largest reservoirs nearly go dry?

Experts cite complicated operating systems, competing government agencies, rigid guidelines and climate change

Colorado squeezing water from urban landscapes

Pace of transition has accelerated, deepened and broadened