Mitch Tobin
@mitchtobin.bsky.social
Author of snow.news and co-director of waterdesk.org at the University of Colorado Boulder. I'm a Durango-based writer and multimedia journalist interested in snow science and the American West's snowpack.
Pinned
Mitch Tobin
@mitchtobin.bsky.social
· Oct 14
Aspen changing in the San Juan National Forest, near Pagosa Springs, Colorado.
A deep dive into how snow, ice, and cold have changed the course of warfare, and why the specter of a nuclear winter still haunts me.
www.snow.news/p/snow-and-w...
www.snow.news/p/snow-and-w...
Snow and warfare: 1776-2026, Part 2
How the cryosphere has shaped military history—and why the specter of nuclear winter endures
www.snow.news
November 25, 2025 at 10:00 PM
A deep dive into how snow, ice, and cold have changed the course of warfare, and why the specter of a nuclear winter still haunts me.
www.snow.news/p/snow-and-w...
www.snow.news/p/snow-and-w...
Reposted by Mitch Tobin
In burned forests, the West’s #snowpack is melting earlier: As blazes expand to higher elevations, the impacts cascade downstream -- Mitch Tobin (WaterDesk.org) coyotegulch.blog/2025/11/24/i...
November 24, 2025 at 1:18 PM
In burned forests, the West’s #snowpack is melting earlier: As blazes expand to higher elevations, the impacts cascade downstream -- Mitch Tobin (WaterDesk.org) coyotegulch.blog/2025/11/24/i...
As the West warms, wildfires are burning at higher elevations and charring watersheds where the snowpack accumulates. New research has found that snow is melting earlier in burned areas. I wrote about the study—and the implications for the water supply and ecosystems.
waterdesk.org/2025/11/in-b...
waterdesk.org/2025/11/in-b...
In burned forests, the West’s snowpack is melting earlier
As blazes expand to higher elevations, the impacts cascade downstream
waterdesk.org
November 20, 2025 at 5:13 PM
As the West warms, wildfires are burning at higher elevations and charring watersheds where the snowpack accumulates. New research has found that snow is melting earlier in burned areas. I wrote about the study—and the implications for the water supply and ecosystems.
waterdesk.org/2025/11/in-b...
waterdesk.org/2025/11/in-b...
Reposted by Mitch Tobin
An impactful #AtmosphericRiver is forecast to make landfall over CA this evening and bring multiple days of heavy precipitation to the state through Sat. Forecasts have trended towards a slower AR, prolonging the event duration & increasing precip. totals. Read more cw3e.ucsd.edu/cw3e-ar-upda...
November 12, 2025 at 11:23 PM
An impactful #AtmosphericRiver is forecast to make landfall over CA this evening and bring multiple days of heavy precipitation to the state through Sat. Forecasts have trended towards a slower AR, prolonging the event duration & increasing precip. totals. Read more cw3e.ucsd.edu/cw3e-ar-upda...
Tonight's northern lights in southern Colorado
November 12, 2025 at 4:48 AM
Tonight's northern lights in southern Colorado
Reposted by Mitch Tobin
Slowest start to a snowpack season since 2017, and 3rd-slowest on record. For all intents and purposes, it's basically our slowest (the difference between 2017/2000 and this year is microscopic).
Really need that pattern flip to help out the mountains next week.
#COwx
Really need that pattern flip to help out the mountains next week.
#COwx
November 11, 2025 at 11:35 PM
Slowest start to a snowpack season since 2017, and 3rd-slowest on record. For all intents and purposes, it's basically our slowest (the difference between 2017/2000 and this year is microscopic).
Really need that pattern flip to help out the mountains next week.
#COwx
Really need that pattern flip to help out the mountains next week.
#COwx
Reposted by Mitch Tobin
See an update on the West’s snowpack and an explanation of how Milankovitch cycles shape the Earth’s climate from journalist @mitchtobin.bsky.social (co-director of WaterDesk.org at CU Boulder) at www.snow.news/p/early-seas...
November 7, 2025 at 9:32 PM
See an update on the West’s snowpack and an explanation of how Milankovitch cycles shape the Earth’s climate from journalist @mitchtobin.bsky.social (co-director of WaterDesk.org at CU Boulder) at www.snow.news/p/early-seas...
New post on snow.news provides an update on the West’s snowpack and an explanation of how Milankovitch cycles shape the Earth’s climate.
www.snow.news/p/early-seas...
www.snow.news/p/early-seas...
Early-season snowpack update
Plus, SnowSlang: M is for "Milankovitch cycles"
www.snow.news
November 7, 2025 at 5:41 PM
New post on snow.news provides an update on the West’s snowpack and an explanation of how Milankovitch cycles shape the Earth’s climate.
www.snow.news/p/early-seas...
www.snow.news/p/early-seas...
Reposted by Mitch Tobin
Heavy autumn rains brought relief to drought-plagued portions of the Southwest, but across the Colorado River basin ongoing water supply concerns still linger amid tense policy negotiations and near record-low reservoir storage. #cawater #coloradoriver mavensnotebook.com/2025/11/05/w...
WATER DESK: Rainfall brings Colorado River drought relief, but concerns for next year’s water supply remain
A forecasted winter La Niña, lingering drought conditions and dwindling reservoirs are causing water managers to worry. By Cassie Sherwood, The Water Desk Heavy autumn rains brought relief to drought-...
mavensnotebook.com
November 5, 2025 at 5:23 PM
Heavy autumn rains brought relief to drought-plagued portions of the Southwest, but across the Colorado River basin ongoing water supply concerns still linger amid tense policy negotiations and near record-low reservoir storage. #cawater #coloradoriver mavensnotebook.com/2025/11/05/w...
Reposted by Mitch Tobin
New #GRL paper led by Kyla Bazlen shows that lower, earlier snow leads to streamflow spread out more over the water year. Proud to have worked on this with Kyla! agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/...
November 5, 2025 at 6:49 PM
New #GRL paper led by Kyla Bazlen shows that lower, earlier snow leads to streamflow spread out more over the water year. Proud to have worked on this with Kyla! agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/...
Reposted by Mitch Tobin
Statewide snowpack at just 26% of average, lowest snowpack at this point of the season since 2017.
Worth noting since it's so early in the season that these numbers are prone to big swings. Still, not a great start.
#COwx
Worth noting since it's so early in the season that these numbers are prone to big swings. Still, not a great start.
#COwx
November 4, 2025 at 8:26 PM
Statewide snowpack at just 26% of average, lowest snowpack at this point of the season since 2017.
Worth noting since it's so early in the season that these numbers are prone to big swings. Still, not a great start.
#COwx
Worth noting since it's so early in the season that these numbers are prone to big swings. Still, not a great start.
#COwx
Rough start for Colorado's snowpack, according to the Colorado Avalanche Information Center.
www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=...
www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=...
November 5, 2025 at 3:10 AM
Rough start for Colorado's snowpack, according to the Colorado Avalanche Information Center.
www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=...
www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=...
My primary interest in snow revolves around topics such as streamflows and skiing, but I’m casting a broad net at snow.news, and I know I can’t tell the story of snow without exploring the morbid and tragic angles.
www.snow.news/p/snow-and-w...
www.snow.news/p/snow-and-w...
Snow and warfare: 1776-2026, Part 1
Wintry weather has confounded warriors for ages, and the cryosphere lies at the crux of some of recent history's most consequential battles.
www.snow.news
November 4, 2025 at 6:06 PM
My primary interest in snow revolves around topics such as streamflows and skiing, but I’m casting a broad net at snow.news, and I know I can’t tell the story of snow without exploring the morbid and tragic angles.
www.snow.news/p/snow-and-w...
www.snow.news/p/snow-and-w...
Reposted by Mitch Tobin
New video: A glacier on Antarctica’s Eastern Peninsula experienced the fastest retreat recorded in modern history—in just two months, nearly 50 percent of the glacier disintegrated. Watch this video to understand what happened. Study by @ciresnews #Antarctica #glaciermelt
November 3, 2025 at 8:17 PM
New video: A glacier on Antarctica’s Eastern Peninsula experienced the fastest retreat recorded in modern history—in just two months, nearly 50 percent of the glacier disintegrated. Watch this video to understand what happened. Study by @ciresnews #Antarctica #glaciermelt
We’re very grateful for a new grant from the Walton Family Foundation to support The Water Desk and our work to strengthen water journalism in and around the Colorado River Basin.
www.colorado.edu/today/2025/1...
www.colorado.edu/today/2025/1...
Private philanthropy spurs sustainability initiatives at CU Boulder
CU Boulder's sustainability momentum continues to grow with a new commitment from the Walton Family Foundation to support programs that address Western water
www.colorado.edu
October 14, 2025 at 6:28 PM
We’re very grateful for a new grant from the Walton Family Foundation to support The Water Desk and our work to strengthen water journalism in and around the Colorado River Basin.
www.colorado.edu/today/2025/1...
www.colorado.edu/today/2025/1...
Reposted by Mitch Tobin
New research shows the glaciers of the Sierra Nevada have probably existed since the last Ice Age more than 11,000 years ago. The remnants of these glaciers are projected to disappear in the coming decades as temperatures continue to rise. www.latimes.com/environment/...
As California glaciers disappear, people will see ice-free peaks exposed for the first time in millennia
The glaciers of California's Sierra Nevada are disappearing as temperatures rise. Scientists recently found that the glaciers probably have never before melted in human history.
www.latimes.com
October 1, 2025 at 6:22 PM
New research shows the glaciers of the Sierra Nevada have probably existed since the last Ice Age more than 11,000 years ago. The remnants of these glaciers are projected to disappear in the coming decades as temperatures continue to rise. www.latimes.com/environment/...
Today is the last day of the 2024-2025 Water Year.
This animation shows snow water equivalent from October 1, 2024, to June 1, 2025.
www.nohrsc.noaa.gov/nsa/
This animation shows snow water equivalent from October 1, 2024, to June 1, 2025.
www.nohrsc.noaa.gov/nsa/
September 30, 2025 at 5:57 PM
Today is the last day of the 2024-2025 Water Year.
This animation shows snow water equivalent from October 1, 2024, to June 1, 2025.
www.nohrsc.noaa.gov/nsa/
This animation shows snow water equivalent from October 1, 2024, to June 1, 2025.
www.nohrsc.noaa.gov/nsa/
Three recent studies of the Pacific Ocean have concluded that our emissions are helping drive the Southwest's megadrought.
waterdesk.org/2025/09/huma...
waterdesk.org/2025/09/huma...
Human emissions are helping fuel the Southwest’s epic drought
Three studies of the Pacific Ocean conclude that lower precipitation isn’t just due to natural causes
waterdesk.org
September 25, 2025 at 7:42 PM
Three recent studies of the Pacific Ocean have concluded that our emissions are helping drive the Southwest's megadrought.
waterdesk.org/2025/09/huma...
waterdesk.org/2025/09/huma...
It's great to see snow falling again in Colorado. This map shows accumulations over the past 14 days.
September 23, 2025 at 11:36 PM
It's great to see snow falling again in Colorado. This map shows accumulations over the past 14 days.
Reposted by Mitch Tobin
The Pacific "blob" is back, except this time it stretches across the entire North Pacific Ocean Basin. This is altering weather patterns, led to Japan's hottest summer on record, and could affect your winter weather too. Also hit hard is marine life. www.cnn.com/2025/09/19/c...
September 19, 2025 at 1:09 PM
The Pacific "blob" is back, except this time it stretches across the entire North Pacific Ocean Basin. This is altering weather patterns, led to Japan's hottest summer on record, and could affect your winter weather too. Also hit hard is marine life. www.cnn.com/2025/09/19/c...
Reposted by Mitch Tobin
Snowpack ‘hotspots’ better than basin-wide mapping for predicting water #cawater capitalpress.com/2025/09/17/s...
Snowpack ‘hotspots’ better than basin-wide mapping for predicting water | Capital Press
Adding new snowpack monitoring stations at strategic locations would be better at predicting water supply in the western U.S. than basin-wide mapping — and it would be less expensive — […]
capitalpress.com
September 18, 2025 at 5:12 PM
Snowpack ‘hotspots’ better than basin-wide mapping for predicting water #cawater capitalpress.com/2025/09/17/s...
I wrote about a fascinating study that found the average age of the water in Western streams during snowmelt runoff was 5.7 years old. The flows were dominated by groundwater, which has important implications for predicting the water supply.
waterdesk.org/2025/09/when...
waterdesk.org/2025/09/when...
When the West’s rivers surge each spring, older groundwater dominates the runoff
A better understanding of groundwater in the headwaters could improve streamflow predictions.
waterdesk.org
September 18, 2025 at 6:50 PM
I wrote about a fascinating study that found the average age of the water in Western streams during snowmelt runoff was 5.7 years old. The flows were dominated by groundwater, which has important implications for predicting the water supply.
waterdesk.org/2025/09/when...
waterdesk.org/2025/09/when...
Reposted by Mitch Tobin
Our latest research on fire impacts on snow melt timing across the Western US was just published in @aaas.org Science Advances. Read here: www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Impact of current and warmer climate conditions on snow cover loss in burned forests
Wildfires are causing earlier snowmelt across the western US, and this effect would be exacerbated with projected warmer winters.
www.science.org
September 18, 2025 at 2:55 PM
Our latest research on fire impacts on snow melt timing across the Western US was just published in @aaas.org Science Advances. Read here: www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
New post: update on the Southwest’s snow drought, some cool hydrologic cycle graphics, and photos from Telluride.
www.snow.news/p/snowpack-u...
www.snow.news/p/snowpack-u...
Snowpack update
Plus: H is for hydrologic cycle graphics
www.snow.news
March 21, 2025 at 1:52 AM
New post: update on the Southwest’s snow drought, some cool hydrologic cycle graphics, and photos from Telluride.
www.snow.news/p/snowpack-u...
www.snow.news/p/snowpack-u...
EPA continues to publish a revealing set of climate change indicators.
I wrote about the troubling trends for snowfall, snow cover, and the American West’s snowpack.
www.snow.news/p/epa-climat...
www.epa.gov/climate-indi...
I wrote about the troubling trends for snowfall, snow cover, and the American West’s snowpack.
www.snow.news/p/epa-climat...
www.epa.gov/climate-indi...
9 graphics that visualize EPA’s climate change indicators for snow
The downward trajectory for snow will impact water supplies, wildlife habitat, wildfire activity and outdoor recreation.
www.snow.news
March 7, 2025 at 6:36 PM
EPA continues to publish a revealing set of climate change indicators.
I wrote about the troubling trends for snowfall, snow cover, and the American West’s snowpack.
www.snow.news/p/epa-climat...
www.epa.gov/climate-indi...
I wrote about the troubling trends for snowfall, snow cover, and the American West’s snowpack.
www.snow.news/p/epa-climat...
www.epa.gov/climate-indi...