climate change

Most of the states in our region have at least one county that violates the Environmental Protection Agency’s National Ambient Air Quality Standard, with the most problematic issues involving particulates in the air and heat.

Drought this spring has increased significantly across our region, with some states already hitting the highest levels.

For example, Utah’s Zion National Park has four days annually on average above 92.4 degrees – its 99th percentile temperature. That could jump to 21 days, or even higher.

The percentage of adults in the West who say they’ve been personally affected by an extreme weather event, including wildfires and high heat, jumped 13% in the last two years.

In recent decades, wildfires have gotten larger and more intense, and community-destroying blazes are an increasingly common occurrence. But new research looking at centuries of wildfires shows that compared with fires in the 19th and earlier centuries, today’s blazes pale in comparison – at least in terms of size.

A new scientific analysis shows spring is getting warmer across the U.S. because of climate change. Some of the fastest-warming cities are in the Mountain West, threatening to shrink water supplies and increase wildfire risk.

Lawmakers defunded the state’s two-decade program that also benefits downstream states. But they’re optimistic those states will pay for Wyoming’s share to keep it going.

Cintia Moore, a Nevada Assembly member, wants to model regulations passed in Arizona. Her proposal would prevent utility companies from shutting off power between May and October and require them to offer payment plans to those who fall behind on their utility bills.

Cloud seeding may end in Wyoming, which state water managers say could mean less water for Colorado River Basin users. But, one lawmaker's mission is to defund the program and so far, it’s working.

Butterfly Pavilion near Denver is partnering with the Government of Mexico to conserve the winter habitats of monarch butterflies.