The 2019 winter produced a record snow fall in Colorado. In the San Juan Range, snowfall was 652% above normal. Snow pack in the Elk Range was 512% above normal. State wide, the snow pack was over 300% above normal.

Many stills and video of snow clogged peaks and slopes in this production were taken up until June 19th, 2019. It appears possible and likely in many locations, even in forested areas, the snow won't completely melt this summer. There may not be a growing season for those locations. Many ski areas could still be open. A few, not on US Forest Service land, are still open, and don't plan closure until sometime in July.

Back roads, and trails remain closed indefinitely due to unprecedented amounts of avalanche debris and damage from thousands of giant avalanches this winter, most notably in March 2019 when record slides closed major highways. Some avalanches ran for miles, and produced damage paths a mile wide.

Avalanche damage is greater than an EF-5 tornado. Trees are pulverized and splintered, and human structures- cabins, houses etc are swept away without trace. Vehicles caught in an avalanche are crushed, mangled, and sometimes even broken apart by churning logs and rocks in the debris cloud. The high country is dangerous this year, even for experienced climbers.

A blessing is these damage paths will overgrow with fireweed very quickly. When in bloom, they will add their magenta color to the landscape like never before, possibly in huge stripes of magenta flowers covering the scars. In the future, when all the wood is nearly totally decayed and rotted, it will be a perfect habitat for our most beautiful wildflower, the Calypso orchid. Huge colonies are possible.

The 2019 Winter isn't over. This first weekend of Summer 2019, a winter storm is forecast above 10,000 feet, with up to ten inches of snow, high temperatures in the low 30's and low temperatures in the teens.

Last edited by Pikes Peak 14115 (6/25/2019 4:28 pm)