Thursday, January 7, 2021

Let it Snow!

Let It Snow!


Authored by Seth Armentrout, 7 Jan 2021


What comes to mind when you think of snow? Some see sledding and snowball fights. Some see skiing. Some see hot cocoa indoors as they await summer. But for growers in the San Luis Valley, snow means water, and water means life. 



Alamosa sees, on average, just over 7 inches of precipitation per year. For perspective, Denver and Sante Fe each see twice that much, and the United States average is over five times that amount! So how do farmers find water in such a dry place? Much of the answer comes down to snow in the mountains! 


Before it was called Mt. Blanca, the Dine called the Sacred Mountain of the East “Tsisnaasjini',” which translates roughly to “White Shell Mountain.” A white shell of snow melts throughout spring and summer in mountains surrounding the San Luis Valley, trickling into rivers, lakes, and wetlands on the Valley floor. A large amount also seeps beneath the surface, replenishing underground aquifers. A vast aquifer system drives agriculture in the San Luis Valley.The Rio Grande Basin is not unique: 60 million people in the West rely on snowmelt for water. 


Snowpack in the Upper Rio Grande Basin is slightly higher than average so far this year. Last year followed a similar trajectory, but the snowpack almost completely melted by the end of May. That was sooner than normal by over a full month! This contributed to drought conditions late in the 2020 growing season. In many areas of the West, less snow is falling, and the precipitation that does fall is coming more often as rain instead of snow. While snow can remain frozen until later in the season, rain trickles down the mountains immediately. These precipitation trends remind growers and residents of snow’s great value as a water source later in the growing season. 

The Rio Grande Farm Park’s vision includes preserving the Valley’s precious water resource, which means appreciating the snow falling up in the mountains this time of year. As we look eagerly toward kicking off the local foods season this spring, we say let it snow! 


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Photo Credits: Travis Stoker near Creede, CO 


Sources:
1. Based on Climate data from NOAA. https://www.weather.gov/pub/climateAlsPrecipitationRecords
2. Lapahie, Harrison. 2006. https://web.archive.org/web/20060814180907/http://www.lapahie.com/Sacred_Mts.cfm
3. Barnett, T.P., J.C. Adam, and D.P. Lettenmaier. 2005. Potential impacts of a warming climate on water availability in snow-dominated regions. Nature 438:303–309.
4. USDA NRCS SNOTEL. https://www.wcc.nrcs.usda.gov/ftpref/states/co/charts/swehilourgb21.gif
5. EPA Climate Change Indicators https://www.epa.gov/climate-indicators/climate-change-indicators-snowfall#ref3