Hashtag Snow

UPDATE: SOUTHWEST SNOW

Ski into the new year! Source: Tumblr

Hey everyone and Happy New Year! Over the celebrations the Southwest was hit with some interesting weather, SNOW! I wanted to give everyone a quick update on what happened!

Most of the country is in a cold spell and with the colder weather a lot of the Southwest is looking at snow! Snowfall preparations were being made from California through Vegas to the Rockies (NBC 31/12/14). Take a look at this snowfall prediction map:

Lots of NYE snow! Source: Accuweather 29/12/14

Snowfall was observed throughout the region giving a light dusting (this isn't blizzard weather we're talking about) to the sunsoaked Southern California and dry deserts of the Southwest (Washington Post, 31/12/14). Perhaps most importantly, however, snowfall reached the Rockies and the ski resorts! Here's a selection of Colorado locations and their snowfall during the storm (Denver Post, 31/12/14):

• Alma- 7.5 inches
• Boulder- 6.5 inches
• Denver- 2 inches
• Green Mountain Reservoir- 7.5 inches
• Rabbit Ears Pass- 5 inches
• Tiny Town- 5 inches

This snowfall helps relieve pressure on the ski resorts to produce snow and may also help sustain the Colorado River by becoming snow melt in the spring. While we talk about the changing climate of the Southwest it's important to remember that while the overall trend is one of drying, there can still be periods of relief and moisture. The latter quarter of 2014 has given the Southwest rain and snow; what will 2015 bring?