Dolores Public Library to Host State of the Snowpack Briefing March 26

A "State of the Snowpack" briefing scheduled for Thursday evening at the Dolores Public Library has been canceled, with the library citing insufficient snow conditions as the reason. The Colorado Avalanche Information Center had organized the event, with CAIC forecaster Chris Dickson set to present at 6 p.m. The library said it anticipates rescheduling the talk for the upcoming winter season.

The cancellation carries an irony that won't be lost on Dolores County residents. The San Miguel-Dolores-Animas-San Juan River Basin, the southwest corner of the state that includes Dolores County, sat at just 21 percent of snowpack norm as of March 25. Statewide, Colorado's snowpack stood at 38 percent of what is normal for the date as of March 25, still declining after a drop that began March 13. As of mid-March, the state faced its worst snowpack in the 41-year history of the USDA snow monitoring program, known as SNOTEL.

The event had been framed as an avalanche discussion for the San Juan Mountains, with Dickson slated to cover current conditions, recent observations, notable close calls from the season, and practical tips for traveling in avalanche terrain. The briefing was aimed at local residents and recreation managers. It was free and open to the public.

Dickson is based in Telluride, where he has worked as a guide and avalanche educator, and has produced more than 50 episodes of the "San Juan Snowcast" podcast. His field reports from the area this season have tracked the dramatic deterioration firsthand. In one recent observation, Dickson noted that the snowpack stood at 50 percent of average, with many sunny open slopes at all elevations completely bare and snow coverage elsewhere patchy and "reminiscent of late" spring conditions.

As of March 8, Colorado reported record-low statewide snowpack, and conditions have continued to worsen since. A warm winter combined with early snowmelt means the snowpack likely already reached its seasonal peak around March 10, weeks ahead of the typical April 8 high-water mark. The San Juan range, which drains into the Dolores River watershed, sits among the most severely affected basins in the state.

The Dolores Public Library is located at 1002 Railroad Ave. in Dolores and can be reached at (970) 882-4127. Those interested in being notified when the event is rescheduled can sign up for updates through the library's website. Each winter, CAIC forecasters and educators host free public events across Colorado to build avalanche awareness and backcountry safety skills. Given the scale of this season's snowpack collapse, the conversation Dickson planned to have with Dolores County residents may be one worth having before next winter's first snowfall.