After a year of peaks and valleys, the mountains in Summit County are still holding onto a sliver of its frozen water storage, but it likely won't last long.
Snowpack measuring sites on June 16 registered less than 1 inch of snow water equivalent, which is the amount of liquid water trapped in its snowpack. The 30-year median for the sites hitting zero is June 20, and there is typically just under an inch of snowpack left by June 16 each year.
A healthy stream of snowstorms starting in late-October helped build and maintain snowpack levels above the historic average until mid-April, when unseasonably warm weather and a lack of storms caused the snowpack to deplete and drop below normal ahead of the date when levels typically peak.
A series of spring storms from mid-April to mid-May weren't enough to bring levels above normal, but a stretch of cool temperatures and cloudy days helped push the snowpack above the 30-year median around May 19. Snowpack has remained near historic levels since that point, only dropping consistently below normal within the past week.
Statewide data shows a different story. Snowpack levels haven't been above normal since around Dec. 16.
A heat wave is expected to create conditions that could produce record-breaking heat by the weekend, persisting into next week, according to the National Weather Service. Portions of the Western Slope west of Summit County are currently under a red flag warning, which means conditions are ideal for wildfire combustion and rapid spreading.
The fire danger is moderate in Summit County as officials say they expect the heat wave and drying pattern to persist.
Temperatures could reach 83 degrees Fahrenheit on Friday in Dillon, according to National Weather Service forecasts, while temperatures in Breckenridge could hit 81 degrees.
There is a 20% chance of storms on Tuesday, but the week is expected to be clear and warm.
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