Colorado's 14ers retain snow far beyond when they would simply due to cold air
KOAA 5
[{'start': '0.080', 'end': '4.319', 'text': 'Even as many of our lower mountains shed'}, {'start': '2.080', 'end': '6.720', 'text': 'snow and many of us hit the trails, our'}, {'start': '4.319', 'end': '8.559', 'text': 'highest summits will be snow covered'}, {'start': '6.720', 'end': '10.880', 'text': 'well into the summer months.'}, {'start': '8.559', 'end': '12.880', 'text': 'Meteorologist Casey Doran explains how'}, {'start': '10.880', 'end': '15.160', 'text': 'the shape of the mountains allows them'}, {'start': '12.880', 'end': '17.920', 'text': 'to hold on to the snow for so'}, {'start': '15.160', 'end': '20.000', 'text': 'long. May is traditionally a month many'}, {'start': '17.920', 'end': '21.920', 'text': 'of us trade the skis for hiking boots.'}, {'start': '20.000', 'end': '23.760', 'text': 'At low elevations, trails have been dry'}, {'start': '21.920', 'end': '25.760', 'text': 'and clear of snow for months. But at'}, {'start': '23.760', 'end': '28.480', 'text': 'high elevations, this snow often lasts'}, {'start': '25.760', 'end': '30.320', 'text': "into July or even August. This isn't"}, {'start': '28.480', 'end': '31.840', 'text': 'just because of colder temperatures.'}, {'start': '30.320', 'end': '33.760', 'text': 'Check out this video from the top of'}, {'start': '31.840', 'end': '35.520', 'text': "Quandry Peak on Wednesday. It's the"}, {'start': '33.760', 'end': '36.880', 'text': 'second busiest 14er in Colorado'}, {'start': '35.520', 'end': '39.200', 'text': 'according to data from the Colorado'}, {'start': '36.880', 'end': '41.040', 'text': '14ers initiative. Many folks are already'}, {'start': '39.200', 'end': '43.680', 'text': 'hiking it, but snow covers the entire'}, {'start': '41.040', 'end': '46.399', 'text': 'route from its base at around 11,000 ft'}, {'start': '43.680', 'end': '48.160', 'text': "to the top. Quandre Peak's standard"}, {'start': '46.399', 'end': '50.160', 'text': 'route traces the east ridge of the'}, {'start': '48.160', 'end': '51.680', 'text': 'mountain. On most of the planes, direct'}, {'start': '50.160', 'end': '54.000', 'text': 'sunlight hits the ground for most of the'}, {'start': '51.680', 'end': '56.000', 'text': 'day. On 14ers, the giant change in'}, {'start': '54.000', 'end': '58.239', 'text': 'elevation means you cut that time by a'}, {'start': '56.000', 'end': '60.000', 'text': 'third or more. The mountain blocks the'}, {'start': '58.239', 'end': '61.920', 'text': 'sun from hitting westerly slopes in the'}, {'start': '60.000', 'end': '64.239', 'text': 'morning and easterly slopes in the'}, {'start': '61.920', 'end': '66.320', 'text': 'afternoon. Less sunlight means less'}, {'start': '64.239', 'end': '68.400', 'text': 'energy to melt the snow. Now, of course,'}, {'start': '66.320', 'end': '70.400', 'text': 'the air is cold at high altitudes, and'}, {'start': '68.400', 'end': '72.720', 'text': 'this contributes to holding snow. But'}, {'start': '70.400', 'end': '74.960', 'text': 'the ground itself on many 14ers is'}, {'start': '72.720', 'end': '77.439', 'text': 'frozen well into summer, too. Above'}, {'start': '74.960', 'end': '80.080', 'text': 'around 12,000 ft, it is actually frozen'}, {'start': '77.439', 'end': '82.360', 'text': 'year round, and snow melts and trickles'}, {'start': '80.080', 'end': '85.200', 'text': 'down to the frozen ground. It can often'}, {'start': '82.360', 'end': '87.200', 'text': 'refreeze. Finally, the sheer amount of'}, {'start': '85.200', 'end': '89.119', 'text': 'snow often plays a role. The vast'}, {'start': '87.200', 'end': '91.119', 'text': "majority of Colorado's precipitation"}, {'start': '89.119', 'end': '93.360', 'text': 'falls within the mountains. Snow storms'}, {'start': '91.119', 'end': '95.280', 'text': 'can continue into June on the 14ers,'}, {'start': '93.360', 'end': '97.920', 'text': 'providing fresh snow and compacting'}, {'start': '95.280', 'end': '99.680', 'text': 'older snow. The upshot here is that cold'}, {'start': '97.920', 'end': '101.840', 'text': 'air is not the only reason our high'}, {'start': '99.680', 'end': '103.759', 'text': 'mountain summits often keep snow into'}, {'start': '101.840', 'end': '105.439', 'text': 'the summer. Southacing slopes get the'}, {'start': '103.759', 'end': '107.200', 'text': 'most sunlight, so they tend to melt'}, {'start': '105.439', 'end': '108.399', 'text': 'fastest. Something to keep in mind as'}, {'start': '107.200', 'end': '112.240', 'text': 'you plan your spring hikes.'}, {'start': '108.399', 'end': '112.240', 'text': 'Meteorologist Casey Dorne, News5.'}]