Colorado’s warmest-ever winter brings water concerns statewide; Dry weather large concern for Colorado’s native wildlife; Broomfield’s measles outbreak continues to spread

Headlines Friday, March 13, 2026

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    Colorado’s warmest-ever winter brings water concerns statewide; Dry weather large concern for Colorado’s native wildlife; Broomfield’s measles outbreak continues to spread KGNU News

Colorado’s warmest-ever winter brings water concerns statewide

National Weather Service, or NWS, meteorologists have published this winter’s climate data, confirming that the temperature this season has been the hottest recorded in Colorado winter—historical weather records for the state date back to about 1872, making this a nearly 150-year anomaly. The average daily temperature from December to February for the entire state was 33.6 degrees Fahrenheit, almost two degrees warmer than 1980’s previous record, at 32 degrees.

The Denver metro area had a 39.6 degree average temperature across that same time period, putting it near 1933’s record-setting 40.1 degree winter. NWS officials have reported that these high temperatures and low precipitation are occurring in surrounding states, with Wyoming and Utah experiencing similarly warm winters.

This dry weather has already led to major utility companies like Denver Water, a supplier with over a million customers, to warn its customers against overusing water. The utility company has drawn comparisons to previous years when they have enforced mandatory water restrictions.

NWS STATISTICS – READ MORE, DENVER WATER – READ MORE

 

Dry weather large concern for Colorado’s native wildlife

This historic warm and dry winter we’ve been having in the Rocky Mountains could also have consequences for wildlife behavior and habitat.

During winter in the high country, wildlife typically spend more time at lower elevations, and are less active as less food is available. Researchers say the warm winter has likely impacted those habits, but it could take years to see more permanent shifts in behavior.

Joey Livingston with Colorado Parks and Wildlife says because drought has been a big concern, they’re shifting management around beavers, and how they improve wetland habitat. “With the hotter, drier weather we’ve been having in recent years, wetlands are one of those places that can be affected by the lack of moisture and recent heat.”

He says we’ll know more about how this winter has impacted wildlife populations — especially bears — in the next month or so…when we have a better understanding of how precipitation and freezing have impacted food supplies.

This story was reported by Caroline Llanes for Rocky Mountain Community Radio.

 

Broomfield’s measles outbreak continues to spread

The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, or CDPHE, declared a measles outbreak in Broomfield last week, claiming three separate cases had been reported to the service. The CDPHE has updated these numbers as of Thursday, March 12, indicating nine confirmed cases, with a tenth infection yet to be fully confirmed. 

While officials have stated that the two confirmed cases were people living with already known infected and quarantined individuals, the third potential case was not under one of these quarantine orders and was fully vaccinated. Public health officials have continued to update known measles exposure sites on their website, linked here.

READ MORE

Thursday’s windstorm leaves 2k+ households powerless, travel stalled

A powerful windstorm swept the Colorado Front Range, leaving over 2,000 customers without power in the Boulder County region. The majority of affected households and businesses are on the Xcel Energy power grid, but unlike the shutoffs in December of 2025, Xcel did not preemptively turn off large portions of its grid. 

Xcel Energy instead chose to activate what it calls “enhanced wildfire safety settings” across the most affected regions, a system that automatically kills all electricity flow to a powerline if it senses damage.

Meteorologists estimated that wind-speeds reached as high as 94 miles-per-hour, just outside of Golden. These dangerous winds also caused travel disruptions Thursday morning, as multiple large vehicles were reported as blocking traffic flow on both Highway 93 and Highway 128.

This story was reported by Por Jaijongkit and the Boulder Reporting Lab, read more here.

 

You can hear daily headlines on the Morning Magazine, KGNU’s weekday morning show, with coverage of local and regional public affairs and news with headlines and commentary. Click here to listen to full episodes of the Morning Magazine.

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