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Colorado recently saw record-breaking heat, with temperatures reaching the 80s and 90s in many communities. At the same time, the state’s snowpack is already measuring below average this winter, raising questions about water supply, wildfire risk and outdoor recreation economies. Â鶹Ãâ·Ñ°æÏÂÔØBoulder experts are available for media interviews.

Contact cunews@colorado.edu to request an interview.

On snowpack and climate variability:

, atmospheric scientist and fellow, Cooperative Institute for Research Sciences (CIRES) studies climate variability, winter storms and the atmospheric patterns that influence snowfall. She can discuss:

• Why some winters start late for snowfall, and what drives year-to-year variability.
• What low snow years could mean for wildfire risk and water supply.
• Read more: Why hasn’t it snowed much this year, and what does that mean for Colorado?

On March heat wave:Ìý

Andrew Winters is an assistant professor of atmospheric and oceanic sciences. He can talk about:

• The unusual heat wave the country experienced over the past weekend.
• How rising temperatures could impact Colorado’s snowpack.Ìý

On outdoor recreation economies and tourism:

Natalie Ooi, professor and director, Master of the Environment (MENV) program Â鶹Ãâ·Ñ°æÏÂÔØBoulder, studies sustainable tourism and recreation economies and leads the Sustainability in the Outdoor Industry specialization. She can talk about: Ìý

• How low snowpack affects recreation economies at ski resorts and beyond.
• What it could mean for river-based tourism such as rafting and fishing.
• Read more:ÌýRecord low snowpack tests Colorado’s recreation economy |

On wildfire risks:Ìý

is a postdoctoral research fellow at the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences. He can discuss:

• How earlier snowmelt could lengthen the dry season and increase fire risk.
• How earlier snowmelt could constrain mitigation efforts, specifically prescribed fire, which increases fire risk.Ìý

On biodiversity:Ìý

Julian Resasco, associate professor in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, studies how human-induced stressors like climate change impact biodiversity.ÌýHe can talk about:

• How warm winter temperatures could shift the timing between flowers and pollinators.
• How a lack of snowmelt could impact Colorado’s organisms.
• Read more: On an iconic Colorado 14er, climate change is shifting the timing between flowers and pollinators.

On climate risk and local economies:Ìý

Ryan C. Lewis, associate professor of finance at the Leeds School of Business, studies how drought, wildfire, floods and low snowpack affect housing markets, insurance costs and business decisions. He can talk via zoom about:

• How extreme weather events disrupt local economies.
• The ways housing markets and insurance are beginning to factor in future climate risk.
• Strategies for consumers to consider climate risk in personal finance and housing decisions.
• Read more: When climate risk hits home: What it means for housing, insurance and your wallet

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