Public Information Statement
Snow Reports from
Saturday's Snowfall
(posted by Keno on Jan 25 at 1205pm
)
Still hoping a few more reports may come in as I start writing this report up. But I'll just start off in saying that we pretty much saw what was forecasted by myself and the NWS, and my caution paid off on my stating that we would likely see closer to the lower snow totals being predicted by the NWS, than the possible foot of snow that we ending up not seeing here in town; but I'll always go with showing the higher end snow totals when the NWS suggests we might see such totals.
So, with that noted, here's the snow totals, starting with here at the Crestone Weather Station, located in Chalet 1 at 8,085 feet, I measured 5.6" of snow with a snowpack of 5.9"*.
Then reports from our spotters, guess I'll start with only one more report from Chalet 1, by Arrowhead Way (and I can't recall her elevation, got to remind my friend to include that in the report), but she reports 4.5+". Next, let's head north into the town of Crestone, where the first report comes from Birch Street, south of town line (just under 8,000 feet), 4.5" storm total reported. Then we head higher up to 8,165 feet by E. Galena Ave, where they saw 5.3". Now from the last report from a spotter, yeah, we didn't get too many reports in this time, but from our now lone spotter out in the Grants, by Brook Trout Road, west of Wagon Wheel around 7800 feet, just 2.1" of snow, and if you were out that way yesterday, you know that the valley locations saw a lot less than the rest of the area. Finally from our government report for our nearby mountains to our east, South Colony, at 10,800 feet, the report shows only 5.6" of new snow and a very low snowpack (for 10,000 feet) of 10.3", that's just 54% of the normal average. I should note that I'm using a new service that only shows the average snowpack and not the deepest totals.
As usual, I thank the local spotters for their report.
*I should note that with the snowpack total noted, I'm been asked how could we have a larger snowpack (SP) than the total snow that fell, when the snowpack reported the day before was just a trace? There's actually 2 reasons, but I'm not gonna get into why that happens with some NWS reports, but with my own, the reason why is.... The SP was 0.4" more than the total snow that fell yesterday because when we report a trace of snowpack, we do so when less than 50% of the ground has snow cover. Here at my home, about 30% of the ground still had snow cover, but where there was snow, it averaged about 2+" as of late Friday. However, where I take the official snowpack readings, it was on average half an inch, officially 0.4 of an inch, so I went with that total and that's why the snowpack for yesterday was noted at 5.9", even if it was actually a bit more than that, since I don't measure the snowpack at all spots on the land where I take my measurements for this.
Record Low Snowpack ever
seen in Colorado is happening right now!
(posted by Keno
on Jan 14, 2026 at 1125 pm)
Colorado is experiencing its lowest ever statewide snowpack on record as of mid-January 2026, with many basins and stations at historic lows since measurements began in the late 1980s, raising significant drought and water supply concerns. As of January 13, 2026, the lowest ever seen season-to-date snowpack is happening. Statewide levels are around 62% of the normal for that date. Our statewide records date back to 1987. This record low marks a critical point in the water year, especially for the Upper Colorado River Basin and Southwestern U.S. water supplies. Impacted areas include all water basins in the state, and in turn, this will impact water for the entire U.S. Southwest.
The low snowpack signifies severe drought conditions and potential water shortages for cities and agriculture in the entire region. Colorado's snowpack is crucial as it melts, supplying water to rivers and reservoirs for millions of people and agricultural lands across much of the West. The unprecedented low levels in early 2026 signal a challenging year for water resources. Man-made climate change is real and happening already, right in front of our very eyes, yet our federal officials are doing nothing to stop it, if anything, they are trying to reverse measures put in place several years ago that would have at least put a dent in the problem - yet even those measures weren't strong enough to help keep things from exploding out of control.
Sadly, that explosion is now in process and mankind is destroying planet Earth for our future generations to come, with the U.S. leading the way in this destruction. These corrupt politicians need to be stopped before it's too late. Please remember to vote this upcoming fall to remove these dangerous fools from public office. Your children and/or grandchildren, who are too young to vote, need you to help their generation right now in cleaning up this mess that we and past generations started.
FYI: One last note. The local snowpack in our mountains above town at South Colony (located at just under 10,800 feet), as of this morning at 2am, is only at 53% of normal, while our entire water basin (Arkansas River Basin) is even in worst shape, at just 49% of normal.
Yet Another Record High Reached Today
(posted by Keno on Jan
4, 756 pm)
The number of new high temperature records made this winter season here in the Crestone-Baca is getting to be ridiculous, will winter ever really get here? Well yes, it will, but in the meanwhile, the spring like weather keeps our energy bills down. Today, we saw yet another record high, this time it was a tie for the record, but still a record nevertheless, when the thermometer rose up into the 50s and settled at 51 degrees at 144 pm. This record was first reached in 2001.
Warmest Ever December Temperature Record Broken
(posted by Keno on Jan 3, 1008 pm)
Well, we all know just how ridiculously warm it was this past December (other than for the first week), and now it's official, as the average temperature for the entire month was 30.7 degrees, and that breaks the highest temperature record for the month and goes down as the warmest December ever seen in the Crestone-Baca! The old record was 30.5 degrees, set in 2010. Now, while we only broke the record by just 0.2 degrees, both of these two records are just so outrageously high for the last month of the year, as the now third warmest December ever, is 28.8 degrees (seen in 2017), so 2010 and '25 are now the only two years since record keeping has been taken, where our area saw an average high each day of over 30 degrees!
On a good note, we also saw the lowest ever amount of Heating Degree Days (HDD) in December, as only 1,019 were seen in the month. What that means is that our heating bills were a lot lower than what they would have been in any average December (average HDD for December is 1,302). With the way our rates been going up so much in the last few years, well, our bills are still high anyway, but nowhere as high than they would have been if we had seen just a normal December.
Seasonal Snow Spotters are always needed and wanted!
(posted by Keno on October 4 at 827 am)
I'm always looking
for new volunteer weather spotters, especially snow spotters, for our area
for this new snow season.
What is needed to be a snow spotter? Just
a ruler - or a yard stick for when it snows a lot, while a rain gauge, a
snow board (no, not the kind you ski on, but the original white snow board
used by the NWS to measure snow on) and a snow rule would be even better
(but only a few of our spotters have them). A home weather station is real
cool to have too, especially to report temperatures on record cold nights!
But for being a snow spotter alone, only a everyday ruler is needed to be
one!
Places where we need new spotters the most? Do
understand: All locations in our entire area are important locations (!), so
even if we have a spotter in one area already, any new spotters are still
welcome to join our team! But, where do we need new spotters the most for
this new season? Well, we are down to just one spotter in the Grants, so we
could use 2 more, since the Grants cover a wide open area. Our lone spotter
there is on the western side by Willow Creek. We also need at least one new
spotter in Chalet 2, it may be a small area, but it's the one spot that sees
the most different snow totals from other areas in our town, and usually
sees the most snow per storm, but then again, not always, sometimes it sees
the least, too. So we all miss not having a spotter there anymore! We've
always have needed a spotter in Casita Park, it's the only spot on
the local map where we never have had one! But I hope each year we'll get
one and I'm still hoping!.... Will the 2025-26 snow season see our first one? I also would love to have a
new spotter 15 miles away in Moffat, as my grandson Cooper, no longer lives
out there. While Moffat sees the least snow in our small town's area, knowing what they get
out that way
is so very important for locals here in the Crestone/Baca who - as we all know,
must pass thru Moffat on our way out of town heading north or south on
highway 17. So knowing snow totals out in the valley before traveling, is important
indeed to us in the foothills, especially since CDOT removed the live cams we used to have out that way and we all
relied on and miss seeing.
In Chalet 1, besides myself, we have 2
solid spotters, and sometimes a third, and all 3 of them do a great job (as
all our spotters do!). Last year we had 2 spotters in or around the town of
Crestone and I believe both of them will return, and again, 2 very important
spotters who supplied us with great reports! The one spot in Crestone where
we never have had a spotter is around or in the area of, the western side of
town, and we could sure use one over there! We have one excellent spotter
off T Road in the Baca Townhouses, sure hope he's be back for this season.
We never have had any spotter in Chalet 3 (!), it might be only that one
long block, but
it's still an important area, too and I'd love to see somebody there join our team
for this season. I also have an on and off spotter in the Two Trees area,
which is of course a good bridge area between the Chalets and Grants, so a second
spotter there would be helpful. Then, one
of our former spotters from the Grants, who moved well north of here deep in the
woods, yet I can't recall now exactly where she is at.... But, it's a great
location and I hope she returns again this season, too! BTW, to all my current
spotters, I haven't forgotten to get ahold of you in emails yet, like I do at the
start of each new season, but I got in a new snow measuring video you should
enjoy watching, which I'll be sending to you soon.
Now, and again, even in all of the
places I noted above where we do have spotters - more new reporters are always
wanted and are always welcomed to join us! So to anybody who wants to join
us - anywhere in our area, please email me at keno@fairpoint.net if you
would like to join our Crestone-Baca Spotter Team and I can tell you a bit
more on how easy it is to join our local team in doing this fun community
service! All I need to know on my end in your email is: Your name, where in
town you are located - and at what elevation you are at. Do note that your
exact address is not needed, just your location, and since some spotters
don't wish to be named online (in our snow report), I won't do that unless
you tell me you don't mind being named. But yes, all locals are welcome to
join us in reporting snowfall for our greater area! So please do so this
snow season in reporting snow totals if you feel like joining us! Thanks!
Keno
