winter

Some classic spots in Grand Teton National Park (GTNP) open up for cross-country skiing, snowshoeing and walking on Dec. 20. Explore Moose-Wilson Road, Signal Mountain Summit Road and Teton Park Road, which’ll be regularly groomed throughout the winter.

More precipitation is falling as rain, instead of snow — which impacts ski resorts, tourism and ecosystems.

Avalanche centers across our region were exempted from a U.S. Forest Service hiring pause for seasonal workers.

The U.S. Forest Service is spending another $20 million to remove flammable underbrush and logs from forests to reduce wildfire risk. Some of the funding will be used to turn that chopped timber into firewood for Indigenous families in parts of the Mountain West to heat their homes.

In Reno, Nev., the first freeze is now coming more than 40 days later on average than it did five decades ago. That comes with a number of consequences, including longer allergy seasons and more opportunities for mosquitoes to spread disease.

New research shows that climate change is causing mountain lakes to rapidly lose ice cover in the winter. That can harm the Mountain West region’s water quality – and native fish.

In places with some of the harshest winter conditions in the lower 48, people are insulating their houses with straw. The alternative material is a way to lower carbon footprints and is surprisingly resilient.

The federal government says this is the nation’s warmest winter on record. And a new study shows human-caused climate change was the driver in many cities, including parts of the Mountain West region.

The year was 1949. Some skiers and cowboys were at a bar in Leadville, Colorado. Naturally, the conversation went to ‘who’s fastest?’ So they decided to see about it – but as a team. The cowboys pulled the skiers on their horses down Main Street, and that’s how what we know today as ‘skijoring’ began – at least according to the “legend”. Over the years, the sport has gained traction, bringing in lots of money and visitors to small Rocky Mountain communities during winter. But, this all depends on snow, and this year’s unseasonably warm weather has made it tricky.

Recent reports from Climate Central show that winter’s coldest and warmest temperatures are on the rise, with some particularly dramatic results seen in cities in our region. But even within that broad trend, extreme cold is still very much a possibility.