Colorado Climate Center

Becky Bolinger and the Colorado Climate Center are highlighted, describing a research project to help ski areas managers make better drought and climate related decisions.

In 2020, Colorado saw one of its driest and warmest years ever recorded

January 9, 2021

Colorado Public Radio talked with Russ Schumacher about some of the significant weather and climate events that impacted Colorado in 2020.

Colorado's 2020 weather extremes were very on brand for the year

January 7, 2021

Becky Bolinger describes the wild weather of 2020 for 5280 Magazine.

Jeopardy! champion Russ Schumacher's tribute to Alex Trebek

November 10, 2020

Colorado State Climatologist, Russ Schumacher, was a recurring contestant on Jeopardy!. Here's his tribute to Alex Trebek, after the passing of the host.

Colorado Contends with Record-Setting Wildfires

October 26, 2020

"We're really rewriting the record book in terms of fires this year," said Russ Schumacher in an interview with Scientific American.

State firmly in drought's grip at end of 2020 water year

October 9, 2020

Peter Goble describes current drought conditions to the Grand Junction Daily Sentinel.

Hotter than ever: August was the warmest, driest month in western Colorado history - what does that mean for Routt County?

September 18, 2020

Russ Schumacher sat on a panel of experts at the Yampa Basin Rendezvous and talked about the climate changes the region is experiencing.

In 48 hours, Colorado's wild weather sets records for both heat and snow

September 8, 2020

In this NPR article, Becky Bolinger describes the roller coaster weather event that unfolded around Labor Day.

Eagle County unlikely to see much relief from hot, dry August

August 28, 2020

Becky Bolinger talked with Vail Daily about streamflows, water supply, and the current drought.

Colorado Wildfires are Climate Change 'In the Here and Now' - and a Sign of Summers to Come

August 20, 2020

Russ Schumacher discusses how hotter and drier summers contribute to wildfires with Colorado Public Radio.

Firefighters warn of wildfires through October in statewide drought

August 11, 2020

Becky Bolinger: "If we have another year like this year has been, we will have extremely concerning situation."

Colorado - the entire state - is in the midst of a widespread drought

August 10, 2020

Peter Goble to NBC News: "Hotter temperatures make drier years hurt more."

Nearly all of Colorado is under some drought status. A year ago, almost none of the state was parched.

August 3, 2020

The Colorado Sun talked with Russ Schumacher about the current drought and climate trends.

In Parched Southwest, Warm Spring Renews Threat of 'Megadrought'

July 8, 2020

The New York Times asked Becky Bolinger about this year's snowpack and how climate change might impact future snowpack.

What is a derecho?

June 15, 2020

Russ Schumacher writes an article for The Conversation, providing a physical explanation of this windy and destructive phenomenon.

Snow happens: June storms aren't uncommon in Colorado, Aspen - for now

June 14, 2020

Peter Goble tells the Aspen Times that cold and snow can still happen in a warmer climate.

CoCoRaHS wins CSU Distinguished Community Engagement Scholarship Award

May 2020

CoCoRaHS celebrates 50 millionth report

April 25, 2020

The Weather Channel interviewed Noah Newman about CoCoRaHS on this momentous occasion, 50 million observations!

State creating a new climate record with a network of weather stations

April 27, 2020

9News chatted with Zach Schwalbe and Becky Bolinger about the importance of our state's mesonet - CoAgMET.

Academic scientists adjust to a new pace under Coronavirus

March 26, 2020

Zach Schwalbe and Becky Bolinger share information about our essential activities during stay-at-home orders.

What will Colorado's wildfire season be like in 2020?

March 9, 2020

Becky Bolinger contributes some information on typical wildfire season patterns around the state and how snowpack and drought play a role.

Fort Collins to match Miami's high temperature on Super Bowl Sunday before cold, snow

January 31, 2020

Peter Goble talks about the lack of snow in January and the expected changes we'll see in February.

Colorado's top weather stories of the decade - fatal fires, floods, and the bomb cyclone

January 2, 2020

The Coloradoan summarizes the top events from 2010-2019, with input from Russ Schumacher.

Degrees of warming in Aspen

December 22, 2019

The Aspen Daily News talks about how climate change will impact snowpack in the region, with a mention to a study done by Peter Goble and Nolan Doesken.

Tuesday's storm delights Colorado water-trackers

November 26, 2019

This article summarizes the presentations given at the November Water Availability Task Force meeting, providing current conditions and also highlighting moments of the previous water year.

Colorado Went From Summer to Winter and No, That's Not Really Normal

October 30, 2019

Becky Bolinger talked with CPR about the seasonal whiplash Colorado experienced going from the hottest September on record to one of the coldest Octobers on record.

September 2019 was the warmest on record for these Colorado cities

October 1, 2019

Southern Colorado's KOAA interviewed Peter Goble about the record September heat and what could be in store for winter.

Sorry, skiers, but we're probably not going to have another epic snow year

September 12, 2019

Russ Schumacher gives his winter predictions to the Denver Post.

What a warm fall means for Colorado's leaf-peeping season

September 4, 2019

Becky Bolinger discusses the warm fall with 9News and speculates what it could possibly mean with respect to the fall foliage.

After record heat, what's in store for Colorado this fall?

September 3, 2019

Becky Bolinger gave a live interview on Colorado Public Radio's Colorado Matters to discuss the fall outlook, and what sorts of wild weather we can expect this winter.

Colorado's summer weather started cool, but has turned hot and dry

September 3, 2019

Peter Goble talked about the hot and dry August, and drought conditions, with Colorado Public Radio.

Harbinger of big heat

August 15, 2019

Russ Schumacher provides some Colorado perspective on a Washington Post article about climate change.

'We are definitely nerding out': Large hailstone may set Colorado record

August 14, 2019

Russ Schumacher and Becky Bolinger traveled to Bethune to measure the largest hailstone ever recorded in the state.

How weather forecasts are made

August 13, 2019

Russ Schumacher contributes to a Discover Magazine article on the current state of weather forecasting.

Hottest temperature ever recorded in Colorado under review

August 8, 2019

Becky Bolinger tells the story of discovering a new possible state temperature record and what the process is for verifying state climate extremes.

June's weather cool and wetter than normal

July 3, 2019

Becky Bolinger talks about why this June felt so cold compared to what we've become used to in the early summer.

Snowpack is 3,328% above average, but there's a catch

June 19, 2019

Peter Goble explains to the Durango Herald why the snowpack numbers in June are not telling the story people think. But they are telling a story.

CoCoRaHS on The Weather Channel

June 17, 2019

CoCoRaHS got to celebrate its 21st birthday with a piece on The Weather Channel. Watch Noah Newman in this Skype interview.

Here's Why May Was Filled With Extreme Weather, Like Tornadoes and Flooding

June 3, 2019

Russ Schumacher shares with U.S. News the atmospheric conditions that led to May's very exciting weather over the central part of the country.

The good and the bad that comes with record snowpack

May 30, 2019

9News asks Becky Bolinger for the good news and bad news with respect to the current snowpack and the snowmelt season.

Climate Change Will Disproportionately Affect Women, So Why are Their Voices Being Ignored?

April 22, 2019

Glamour Magazine interviewed Becky Bolinger about her experiences as a female voice in the field of climate, and how to keep women in STEM.

March 13th was a record breaking day!

March 22, 2019

A new all-time state record of low pressure, max wind gusts from three airports, and daily amounts of precipitation from 44 stations in Colorado.

Colorado Could Be Drought-Free By The End Of Spring

March 21, 2019

Becky Bolinger talks with Colorado Public Radio about how an accumulation of many storms hitting over the past couple of months has led to strong improvements in drought conditions.

Strong Winter Storm Classifies as 'Bomb Cyclone' in Colorado

March 13, 2019

The New York Times interviewed Russ Schumacher about the historic winter blizzard that hit Colorado.

When does a winter storm become a bomb cyclone?

March 13, 2019

As a major winter storm heads for Colorado, Russ Schumacher gives a nice summary on the technical defintion of "bomb cyclone."

May be headed for a wetter-than-normal spring in some areas

February 28, 2019

The Fence Post talked with Becky Bolinger about what the winter brought and what we can expect for this spring.

Four seasons: Colorado water in a changing climate

January 24, 2019

An interesting piece on the changes Colorado has experienced due to a warming climate, particularly how snow is changing. A lengthy article, but a good read, with contributions from Peter Goble.

Concern over Denver snow totals?

January 8, 2019

Russ Schumacher explains to KOA Radio why Denver hasn't seen much snow this season, and what's causing the warm January days.

Colorado can expect more of the same weather it saw in 2018

January 2, 2019

Becky Bolinger chatted with Colorado Public Radio, recapping the notable weather events of 2018 and what we can expect in 2019.

Mountain snowpack is off to promising start after last year's snow drought

November 21, 2018

The Fence Post highlights the drought in the southwest, recent improvements, and what's to come, with quotes from Becky Bolinger.

We're hoping for an epic Colorado winter to break our drought

November 1, 2018

Peter Goble chatted with 9News about why drought remains, despite a decent October, and what it would take to end the drought.

Recap of Colorado Water Year 2018

October 10, 2018

Click for more Water Year 2018 stats!

As fall is nigh, drought persists

September 21, 2018

The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel talked with Becky Bolinger about recent drought expansion in western CO and the "wait and see" mode for what the next snow season will bring.

Record-breaking heat, dry weather increase fire danger, worsen drought conditions across Colorado

September 17, 2018

Colorado Springs Gazette interviewed Russ Schumacher to learn more about the recent hot weather and how it's contributing to drought conditions.

Most weather signs are pointing to an El Niño weather pattern this fall and winter

August 31, 2018

Becky Bolinger shares with The Fence Post what an El Niño winter could mean for Colorado.

We're in Drought. So Why Can We Still Water Our Lawns?

July 24, 2018

Russ Schumacher and Regan Waskom interview with KRCC - Southern Colorado's NPR station - about the water restrictions and drought.

A new monthly precipitation record

July 18, 2018

Colorado's Hot Temps Make June the Third Warmest on Record

July 10, 2018

Becky Bolinger talks with Colorado Public Radio about the warmer than average summer Colorado has been experiencing.

Colorado's worsening drought could make 200,000-acre wildfire seasons more commonplace

July 6, 2018

The Denver Post interviews Peter Goble about drought and fire in southern Colorado.

Drought conditions persist in western and southern plains states

July 3, 2018

"...these levels of drought conditions are ranked in the bottom fifth percentile or lower. That means that typically in 100 years, only five years or less would be considered worse..."

June 2018 Southwest Drought and Monsoon Briefing

June 25, 2018

As part of the NIDIS drought webinar series for the Southwest Drought, Becky Bolinger provides an update of current drought conditions in Colorado, Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico. Watch the archived webinar here.

A hot early start to summer!

June 16, 2018

While 90-degree days are common in the summer, they are not nearly as common in May and early June. This start to summer has been the exception.

How far away was that lightning?

June 7, 2018

Is there scientific basis for counting between lightning and thunder to estimate the how far away a storm is? Becky Bolinger breaks it down for us.

How CoCoRaHS weather observing works

February 28, 2018

Noah Newman talks to 9News about the importance precipitation measurements and how signing up for CoCoRaHS can provide extra information to the weather community.

Still time to make up snowpack deficit

February 5, 2018

Assistant State Climatologist Becky Bolinger shares an update on mountain snowpack conditions and what they portend for the rest of winter.

Climate Scientists Answer Trump Nominee's Questions

February 2, 2018

Becky Bolinger answers questions about the Dust Bowl and climate change that were raised by Trump's pick to lead the White House on Environmental Policy.

Warmest November on record, with more warmth to come

December 8, 2017

State Climatologist Russ Schumacher talks about warm November with CSU's SOURCE.

A hot November wraps up Fall 2017

December 4, 2017

A Tale of Two Septembers

October 1, 2017

5-year Snapshots of Drought Across Colorado

July 18, 2017

Twitter post shows how drought has evolved every 5 years for this same week in history since 2002. Notice how western Colorado consistently shows dry conditions. Note the severe droughts that plagued the state during this week in 2002 and 2012.

Precipitation expected due to monsoon, El Niño in Colorado, Wyoming, Kansas and Nebraska

June 30, 2017

Climatologist Becky Bolinger contributes to article about the late summer outlook for Colorado.

CSU Weather Station: 140-plus years of climate data

April 13, 2017

Campus weather station and Noah Newman featured in CSU's SOURCE.

State Record Highs in March

March 18, 2017

International Women's Day

March 8, 2017

The Colorado Climate Center highlights women in climate services, specifically female State Climatologists.

Record February Heat

February 13, 2017

Dry Conditions in Colorado Could Be Shifting

November 29, 2016

9News interviews Becky Bolinger and Peter Goble about current drought conditions in Colorado.