Colorado Snowfield Loses Summer Skiing

Colorado’s St.

Mary’s perennial snowfield had narrowed to a shallow strip by late July, threatening the summer skiing and snowboarding tradition associated with the site. Scientists and longtime visitors link the decline to human-caused warming, reduced winter accumulation, and increased summer melting, with Colorado summers warming by about 2.5 degrees Fahrenheit since 1980. The condition illustrates how warming and low snowpack are affecting alpine snowfields and mountain recreation.