Will rain from El Niño save Colorado from severe drought? We asked a climatologist

About this episode

The episode discusses the potential impact of El Niño on Colorado's drought conditions with climatologist Russ Schumacher.

The promise of the weather phenomenon known as El Niño. Don’t let this week’s spring snowstorm fool you: Mountain snowpack across Colorado's high country is dismal, and much of the state is in a persistent drought. Which means less water in reservoirs and dry conditions that are ripe for wildfire this summer. But there’s one potential bright spot: Forecasters are predicting an especially strong El Niño in the months ahead. El Niño is a climate pattern that can reshape weather across the West – and potentially bring badly needed rainstorms. But how soon will it get here? And are we pinning too many hopes on El Niño? To learn more, we reached out to Colorado’s State Climatologist and Professor of Atmospheric Science at Colorado State University Russ Schumacher. He told Erin O'Toole that an El Niño could bring some needed relief to the parched Front Range by early fall. * * * * * Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.org Questions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: NOCO@KUNC.org Like what you're hearing? Help more people discover In The NoCo by rating the show on your favorite podcast app. Thanks! Host and Producer: Erin O'Toole Executive Producer: Brad Turner Theme…

People in this episode

Host: Erin O'Toole

Guest: Russ Schumacher

Topics covered

• El Niño
• drought
• climatology
• weather patterns
• Colorado
• wildfire risk

Keywords

• El Niño
• Colorado drought
• climatologist
• weather phenomenon
• wildfire
• rainstorms

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: KUNC

Places: Colorado, Front Range, Colorado State University

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