Daily Digest

Salida Daily Digest Monday, July 06, 2026

Ty McDuffey

06 Jul 2026 — 1 min read

Ty's Take

We've had enough dry years up here that talk of a strong El Niño pattern tends to get folks' attention real quick—especially anyone with skin in the water game, which in Chaffee County means pretty much everybody. A wet winter and spring could mean good snowpack on those Collegiates, decent runoff for the rafting season, and maybe some breathing room for the ranchers and farmers who've been nursing the Arkansas hard the last few years. Of course, Colorado's learned the hard way that wet isn't always a blessing—mudslides and flash floods don't ask permission. But right now, standing in October with the drought maps still showing more tan than green, most folks around here are ready to find out what "strongest in decades" actually means when the snow starts flying.

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The Mountain Mail

Strongest El Niño in decades to impact Colorado’s precipitation

Colorado faces one of the strongest El Niño weather patterns in decades, which meteorologists say will shift storm tracks further south and bring significant changes to the state's precipitation patterns through winter. The event, which peaked in strength by November-December, is expected to bring...

FOBC and AHRA host star party to celebrate Colorado’s 150th anniversary

Friends of Browns Canyon and Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Area are hosting a dark sky star party on July 9 at Hecla Junction as part of Colorado's 150th anniversary celebration, featuring presentations by professional astronomers who will teach visitors to identify constellations and observe...

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