Snowpack has stacked up near or above average in critical areas that serve Denver and Colorado Springs, but is lagging in Colorado's southern mountains.

While the season started strong with heavy snow in November across the southern Rockies and southeastern plains, the conditions have eroded well below average.

"The storm tracks have just missed the southern portion and southeastern Colorado," said Peter Goble, assistant state climatologist. "They have been left with the drier and often windy conditions."

The dividing line across the state between strong snowpack up north and deficits in the south is roughly U.S. 50, said Nathan Elder, Denver Water's manager of water supply.

The Natural Resource Conservation Service data shows the two southern most river basins have received a little more than 65% of the median snowpack. While the area that serves the Colorado headwaters has received 101% of median and the area that serves the South Platte is tracking at 125% of median.

The strong snowpack in the Colorado headwaters area is good news for Denver and Colorado Springs, who rely heavily on those areas.

Without a large river of its own, Colorado Springs imports more than half its water from the Colorado River Basin. Denver also relies on the South Platte.

"We are feeling pretty good. We are a little bit better on the Colorado River than we were the last few years, this time of year," Elder said.

Another major source of water for Colorado Springs, the Arkansas River Basin, has a snowpack of 76%.

The coming weeks are critical across the state, as March typically brings some of the heaviest snows to the state and storms are expected over the next two weeks in western Colorado and the mountains. But it may fall short.

"I don’t anticipate we will fully make up the deficits by the end of the month," Goble said.

For the highly reservoir-dependent Colorado Springs and Denver, there is more good news, with strong storage already in place.

"We are fortunate to be in a good position now, with about three years of storage available," Colorado Springs Utilities said, in response to Gazette questions.

If water is available after meeting the city's needs, Utilities will lease water back to farmers in the Lower Arkansas Valley. Last year, the water provider leased more than 20,000 acre-feet of water to agriculture, the statement said.

Colorado Springs Utilities is still working on plans to expand storage in Montgomery Reservoir near the summit of Hoosier Pass. The agency expects to submit its permit applications for that project by the end of the year.

“It’s great to get a few years of average to above-average snowpack and precipitation to help fill our reservoirs," said Nick Harris, water resources engineer for Utilities. "Storage helps see us through drier years, which have become more common in Colorado and the western United States the over past few decades. Drought is a risk we consider in our long-term planning, and it’s one reason our plan calls for increased storage capacity.”

Denver is also in a strong position with 82% of its reservoir space filled a bit of ahead of the 80% expected for this time of year. Right ahead of runoff, at the end of March, Denver's reservoirs reach their low point, Elder said.

At the same time, farmers who rely on McPhee Reservoir in the southwest corner of the state are bracing for the second tough year in a row, said Ken Curtis, general manager for the Dolores Water Conservancy District. It would take an exceptional spring to recover, he said. McPhee is along the Dolores River and part of the Colorado River Basin. The lake is only holding about 50,000 acre-feet, compared to its regular 100,000 acre-feet, Curtis said.

"Everybody is praying," he said.

He expects farmers will not receive their full allocations of water and they will have to cut back production.

"Hard to pay bills when you can’t grow crops," Curtis said.

While some storms are moving in, the winter was mild and the area didn't receive any precipitation in January and some lower elevations don't have any snow.

With drought conditions across the West in states such as Wyoming, Utah, New Mexico and Arizona, it could be a tough year for the Colorado River and Lake Powell.

Lake Powell provides water to large urban centers in California, Nevada and Arizona and it has hit record lows in recent years. It's likely to see below average inflows again this year, according to the Natural Resource Conservation Service.

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A federal judge on Friday rejected Denver Public Schools’ attempt to reinstate a federal policy that treated schools as “sensitive locations” where immigration enforcement should only take place if there is immediate danger to the public.

U.S. District Court Judge Daniel D. Domenico said there is little practical difference between the prior policy, the last iteration of which was issued in 2021 under former President Biden, and a pair of memos issued by the Trump administration in January.

“The concern was that there would be no limitations or no protections for schools, necessarily, under the new memo,” Domenico said in a ruling from the bench. “That is an overstatement. And the fact that there have been no actions on school property in the time since the memo was released here, or as far as we know anywhere else, highlights that fact.”

Neither the old nor the new policy completely bans immigration enforcement actions at schools and other sensitive locations. The 2021 policy allowed such actions “either with prior higher-level approval or under exigent circumstances.” The new guidance from the Trump administration instructs ICE agents to use discretion “and a healthy dose of common sense.”

Denver Public Schools sued the U.S. Department of Homeland Security on Feb. 12 and requested a preliminary injunction that would have voided the Trump policy in favor of the previous iteration while the legal case proceeds. A week earlier, on Feb. 5, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents had raided apartment complexes in Denver and Aurora where some students lived, which the district said caused drops in attendance and widespread fear.

But Domenico said it’s uncertain whether reverting to the 2021 policy would have prevented the ICE raid at Denver’s Cedar Run apartment complex, which is located near several schools.

“I do understand that attendance is down from last year, particularly in schools with high populations of immigrant families,” Domenico said, referencing one of the main arguments that Denver Public Schools made in its lawsuit. “Teachers and administrators are having to spend some portion of their time responding to these concerns.”

But Domenico said Denver Public Schools failed to show how much, if any, of that impact was caused by the Trump administration’s guidance “as opposed to broader concerns about increased immigration enforcement.”

Domenico was nominated to the court by Trump during his first term as president. Born and raised in Boulder, Domenico said Friday that his mother was a teacher who taught English as a second language to immigrant students and that he understands that “it’s a hard thing to run a school.”

“I do not think DPS has met its high burden in this case,” Domenico said.

Domenico’s ruling on the preliminary injunction allows the Trump administration’s guidance to stand while the legal case continues.

In a statement after the ruling, Denver Public Schools said that, “While we are disappointed in the judge’s ruling, it is important to note that he acknowledged the real damages public schools have suffered.

“He also acknowledged that there are no fundamental differences between the 2021 and 2025 policy, which had not been known prior to our court ruling.”

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Shortly after Trump took office in January, his administration abolished a decades-old policy that treated schools, child care centers, churches, and hospitals as sensitive locations where immigration enforcement should only take place if there is immediate danger to the public.

Denver Public Schools’ lawsuit argued that student attendance has “decreased noticeably” since the sensitive locations policy was rescinded. Student attendance was down 3% this February compared to last February, with drops of up to 4.7% at schools that serve many new immigrant students, according to a subsequent motion the district filed last week.

The district also argued it has been “forced to divert resources from its educational mission” to prepare for potential immigration arrests at schools.

“In addition, teachers are spending time (a precious resource) responding to fears about the 2025 Policy instead of educating students,” said the district’s most recent motion.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security responded in a motion of its own by saying there have been no immigration raids at schools since the policy was rescinded, and that the prospect of such enforcement has not caused sufficient harm to the district.

The department argued that the drops in Denver’s student attendance were caused by fear and false reports of ICE raids, not the changing guidance. The department also said Denver Public Schools misunderstood the policy it’s seeking to reinstate.

Lawyers from Denver Public Schools and lawyers from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security each had 30 minutes to make their case at Friday’s hearing as Domenico peppered them with questions.

Domenico repeatedly asked attorneys for Denver Public Schools what would change if he ruled in their favor and reinstated the 2021 memo. He said there hasn’t been “a single instance” of the Trump administration’s policy “resulting in someone doing something that wouldn’t have happened under the prior policy.”

Claire Mueller, an outside attorney representing the school district in this case, argued that the previous policy provided a level of certainty that the new policy does not. DPS knew immigration agents could only show up to schools under certain circumstances, which she said “gave the organization and its community a certain level of security.”

Denver Public Schools serves about 90,000 students, about 52% of whom are Latino. Starting in late 2022, the city of Denver saw an influx of migrants from Venezuela and other countries, and the school district had enrolled about 4,000 new immigrant students by the end of last year. About 80% of those students were still enrolled this fall, according to district data.

A federal judge in Maryland temporarily reinstated the sensitive locations policy with regard to churches and other houses of worship, in response to a lawsuit brought by several religious organizations. But the Feb. 24 ruling didn’t extend to schools.

Melanie Asmar is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Colorado. Contact Melanie at [email protected].

A big warm-up is on the way across Colorado, but before that, more snow will move across the state to end the work week.

A burst of snow was falling after dark on Friday from Highlands Ranch down to Castle Rock. Douglas County was on accident alert as a result of the snowy road conditions.

The First Alert Weather Team called a First Alert Weather Day for Friday because of the heavy snow in the high country and the lighter totals expected in the Denver metro area.

Winter Weather Advisories and Winter Storm Warnings will remain in place for the mountains through 11 p.m. on Friday as more snow and wind are expected. There are also Avalanche Warnings in place for some mountain areas. With the onset of heavy snow, avalanche danger will remain high.

Steady snow will continue in the high country, while lighter flakes fall for the lower elevations. There may be a few off-and-on flurries throughout the day, but by the evening commute time, there is a better chance for the Denver metro area to see some accumulation. Totals for most of the metro will be light, with slightly higher totals expected closer to the foothills and Palmer Divide.

The snow will clear out overnight, and by Saturday a warming trend kicks in. Temperatures throughout the weekend will build, peaking with possible 70s by Monday afternoon.

Alex Lehnert

First Alert Meteorologist Alex Lehnert provides the weather forecast on CBS Colorado Mornings. Catch her latest First Alert Weather updates on TV and on our free streaming service, CBS News Colorado. Check out her bio and send her an email.

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The Department of Government Efficiency or DOGE isn’t only interested in shrinking the federal payroll but is also moving quickly to terminate federal leases and dispose of government properties considered non-essential. Colorado isn’t being spared, and the plans for unwanted office space can offer insights into what might be coming next for head counts.

The federal government has tried to shrink its real estate holdings since the “Reduce the Footprint” initiative launched in 2015 during the Obama years. Under the Trump administration, that push has gone into overdrive and is playing out in ways that are hard for outside observers to decipher, said Brian Redmon, executive vice president with Arco Real Estate Solutions in Golden.

“The numbers are staggering,” said Redmon, a former GSA employee who now advises building owners on federal leases. “There absolutely is concern. What are the long-term plans here and what agencies are being targeted?”

On its online “Wall of Receipts,” DOGE lists 748 lease terminations across the country totaling just under 9.6 million square feet and $468 million in lease savings. Colorado has 19 lease terminations representing 357,000 square feet and $9.4 million in annual savings.

That represents about 8% of the 4.4 million square feet in federal leased space in Colorado, and it is still early. Assuming 150 square feet per employee, that works out to 2,380 fewer workers required.

Additionally, the General Services Administration, which oversees federal holdings, released a list of nearly two dozen government-owned buildings or land parcels, the majority located at the Denver Federal Center in Lakewood, as non-core or non-essential. About 1 million square feet out of the 6 million square feet the federal government owns is now considered not needed, according to a list which was published earlier in the week, but removed on Wednesday.

The largest lease termination comes from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, which rents 86,809 square feet of space at 1670 Broadway in Denver. The location, known as the Amoco Tower, was rocked last summer when TIAA, its largest tenant, announced it would move roughly 1,000 financial service jobs from Denver to a new campus in Frisco, Texas, set to open next year.

The federal government paid $2.9 million a year to rent the space and exercising an early termination clause will save taxpayers $9.4 million, according to DOGE. A call to HUD’s public information officer in Denver was not returned.

The U.S. National Park Service holds the second-largest Colorado lease set to terminate, for 67,720 square feet at 1201 Oakridge Drive in Fort Collins. That lease costs $1.45 million per year. Other Fort Collins leases set to end are 43,599 square feet claimed by the U.S. Forest Service, and 7,803 square feet claimed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Services.

The U.S. Geological Survey or USGS is letting go of two leased offices in Boulder, one in Grand Junction and one in Golden. The Grand Junction office, 445 W Gunnison Ave., is the largest at 44,747 square feet and an annual lease cost of $1.2 million. The two Boulder leases run 29,170 square feet and 3,830 square feet, while the one in Golden is 8,219 square feet.

The USGS monitors natural hazards such as earthquakes, landslides, volcanoes and flooding, and is also responsible for mapping the country’s natural resource deposits and water resources. Even without those satellite offices, the USGS will retain a large footprint in the state, with 673,643 square feet of office and warehouse space in Lakewood at the Denver Federal Center, according to the GSA.

Many lease terminations in the first wave are centered on smaller field offices. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is looking to terminate a Lakewood lease for 21,015 square feet at 12596 West Bayaud Ave., as well as one in Durango for 1,245 square feet. The Lakewood location is home to the Corps’ Institute for Water Resources Risk Management Center Western Division.

Beyond losing its USGS office, Grand Junction could also lose a U.S. Social Security Administration office with 7,975 square feet, a U.S. Attorneys Office at 3,388 square feet and a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Office at 1,444 square feet. That assumes those properties are still on the next version of the non-core list that comes out and that a replacement space isn’t found.

The Environmental Protection Agency is giving up a Castle Rock lease at 10,800 square feet. Durango could lose a U.S. Bureau of Reclamation Office lease at 8,900 square feet, according to DOGE. The Mine Safety Health Administration has already terminated its lease in Craig, which is on the smaller side at 4,328 square feet, but large for northwest Colorado.

The International Trade Administration, which has a mission of helping foster global trade, is on tap to surrender 3,885 square feet of space in the north tower at 999 18th St. in Denver.

Of the 1 million square feet of commercial space the GSA deemed non-core in Colorado earlier this week, 743,803 square feet was located at the Denver Federal Center. GSA also listed several land parcels it would like to unload. Redmon, who used to work at the Denver Federal Center, said a sale could prove difficult given how spread out the buildings are and the carve-outs that will be needed to keep the campus, which has checkpoints and a perimeter fence, secure.

Many of the unwanted buildings are also obsolete. Redmon used to work in Building 41, on the non-core list, and it has interior railroad tracks in the concrete of the floor, an artifact of when the building served as part of a World War II munitions plant. Building 67, which hosts multiple agencies in its spacious 341,557 square feet, is the largest of the non-core buildings with 14 floors. It was built in 1967.

The second-largest and most surprising Colorado property to land on the non-core list is the Cesar Chavez Building at 1244 Speer Blvd. in Denver. Redmon said the GSA has made significant investments in that building, which isn’t always the case. That makes its inclusion as a non-core holding unexpected.

Less surprising are two downtown parking garages and a parking lot at 22nd and Stout streets that the federal government managed but could soon be in private hands.

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Colorado Avalanche general manager Chris MacFarland said Monday he wasn’t sure if he had another trade in him this week.

He did, and it’s a big one.

The Avs traded top prospect Calum Ritchie, a first-round pick in 2026 or 2027, a conditional third-round pick in 2028 and defenseman Oliver Kylington to the New York Islanders for center Brock Nelson and prospect William Dufour.

“I think it’s a huge add,” Avs coach Jared Bednar. “Big, long, strong, can skate. Highly productive. Getting better with age. He’s always been a trusted 200-foot player.

“To get a player of that caliber is hard to do. I think it’s an amazing add for our team.”

Nelson, 33, has 20 goals and 43 points for the Islanders this season. He’s in the final season of his contract and was considered the top rental center on the trade market.

He played for the United States at the 2025 4 Nations Face-Off.

“We have the same strength coach, so we’ve been at the same camps,” Avs star Nathan MacKinnon said. “Really excited. He’s an amazing player.”

The Avs owe a first-round pick to the Philadelphia Flyers in the deal for Sean Walker before the deadline a year ago. If that pick is not conveyed until 2026, or Colorado’s selection is in the top 10, the Islanders will get a 2027 first. They will receive the 2028 third-round pick only if the Avs win the Stanley Cup in 2025 and Nelson plays in at least 50% of Colorado’s playoff games.

Nelson, listed at 6-foot-4 and 205 pounds, has scored at least 34 goals in each of the past three seasons. He set a career high with 75 points in 2022-23.

“It’s awesome to see, from our prospective, how much faith in us management has and how much they want to win right now,” Avs star Cale Makar said, shortly after setting a career high with six points in the club’s 7-3 win against the San Jose Sharks. “They’re trying to give us the best opportunity to do that.”

Ritchie was Colorado’s first-round pick in the 2023 NHL draft (No. 27 overall) and the club’s consensus No. 1 prospect coming into this season. He played in seven games for the Avs at the beginning of this season before being returned to his junior team in the Ontario Hockey League.

Dufour, 23, was a fifth-round pick by the Islanders in 2020. He’s listed at 6-foot-3 and 210 pounds, is in his third season in the AHL and has played one NHL game. He has eight goals and 18 points in 45 games this year.

This is the sixth trade MacFarland has made since the start of the regular season. Colorado now has just one draft pick in the first three rounds of the 2025 and 2026 drafts combined: a second in 2025.

With Ritchie gone, the club’s consensus top prospect is now defenseman Mikhail Gulyayev. He was selected four picks after Ritchie at the 2023 draft.

The Avs have been scrambling to get healthy all season, and the win against the Sharks was the first time Bednar had everyone (except captain Gabe Landeskog) available. Then his boss went and made another deal that signals this club is clearly all-in to try and win a second championship in four seasons.

“We have to,” MacKinnon said. “These are our years. It’s up to us, but yeah … there’s no other way.”

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