Idaho Matters

Solving the disappearing snow mystery

Right now, high mountain snow is melting fast. You can see it starting to overflow rivers all over Idaho, including the Boise and Snake River. And that water is filling streams and reservoirs that are part of the Colorado River system, a lifeline for tens of millions of people in the west. But some of that snow is disappearing before it melts.

Broadcast on:: 12 Mar 2024

(MotoWebMistress / Flickr Creative Commons)

Despite the recent rain - and in some spots snow showers - the weather is starting to warm up and the mountain snowpack is starting to melt and drain into Idaho rivers and streams.

But some of that snow disappears before it melts and scientists are trying to find out why. Last year, KUNC’s Alex Hager visited a team of researchers trying to solve this mystery and he filed this report for the Mountain West News Bureau.

This story is part of ongoing coverage of the Colorado River produced by KUNC and supported by the Walton Family Foundation.