As Roaring Fork Valley residents navigate this winter’s low precipitation, leaders at the Aspen Center for Environmental Studies (ACES) are warning that shifting average temperatures are also a significant concern. At the beginning of the month, Forest and Climate Director Adam McCurdy noted the asymmetric warming trend in ACES’ monthly “Wild Tracks” newsletter. Asymmetric warming […]
snowpack
Posted inBusiness
Roaring Fork foot traffic, commerce remain hot despite lack of snowfall
Dry is a word many Coloradans don’t like hearing in January. Less snow means harsher skiing conditions, and sparse moisture could adversely affect the next wildfire season. For the Colorado Headwaters River Basin, where resorts like Sunlight and all Aspen SkiCo mountains reside, it’s experiencing its lowest snowpack in state history. And at just 55% […]
Posted inEnvironment
Roaring Fork Watershed faces ‘exceptional’ drought
January 2026 began with a drought that persisted through 2025. Signs were already apparent last winter, which saw the lowest average snowpack in a decade. Despite rains in September and October, for much of last year, all of Colorado was experiencing drought conditions. Both November and December saw less precipitation than average, and warmer temperatures […]
Posted inNews
Scuttlebutt
Carbondale burglaryJust after midnight, Dec. 3, Carbondale police responded to a residential burglary in the area of Garfield Avenue. The homeowner was awoken by the sound of someone inside their house and confronted the intruder, who fled with several stolen items. Carbondale officers located a vehicle connected to the suspect based on the homeowner’s descriptions. […]
Posted inEnvironment
March begins with snowpack only slightly below average
Weather cycles have made the past few months feel unseasonable in the Roaring Fork Valley. Strong storm cycles have dropped a foot or more of snow at a time, but these have been interspersed with warmer-than-typical high pressure systems that felt like false springs. Sunny days and temperatures in the 40s and 50s melt snow […]