Spring Runoff Concerns Plague Mountain Towns As Snow Continues To Fall
SUMMIT COUNTY, Colo. (CBS4)- Communities in Colorado's high country are starting to worry about what the spring runoff will look like, especially as it continues to snow.
The runoff season should be under way, but heavy snow continues to fall and pileup in the mountains, increasing the snowpack.
"We generally expect snowpack levels to be decreasing this time of year, and for the last week and a half they've been steadily increasing," said Asst. Summit Co. Manager Thad Noll.
Emergency managers are expecting flooding to happen once the weather warms to normal spring-like temperatures.
The level of flooding could be higher than anticipated with the biggest runoff in the past 15 years expected.
"Last time this happened we had some roads washing out, we had a lot of localized flooding," said Noll.
Summit County is preparing to give out free sand bags to those who live along water ways. Homeowners in low-lying areas near water are also urged to prepare for rising water levels.
"A lot will depend on the weather between now and early to mid June," said Noll.
