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Fresh snow helping to combat large Colorado wildfires

Northern Colorado active wildfires
Northern Colorado 3-day snowfall totals
Posted at 5:10 PM, Nov 09, 2020
and last updated 2020-11-09 20:21:49-05

Snow has been falling in the mountains of Colorado since the weekend, and all of that fresh pow-pow is not only helping ski resorts, but also the wildfire crisis.

It's quite a different story from this time last year, when by mid-November, we had already seen several big snow storms.

After a dry start to the month, the snow we're seeing now is a welcome sight!

Three day snowfall totals have been pretty impressive for parts of Colorado. Reports coming out of Northern Colorado have ranged between 8-20 inches of snow.

Northern Colorado 3-day snowfall totals
Northern Colorado 3-day snowfall totals

Not only has the snow been helpful, but it's the moisture in the air and the colder temperatures that's also offering a helping hand to firefighting efforts.

Of the three major wildfires still burning, the Cameron Peak Fire and East Troublesome Fire are now the two largest fires in Colorado's history.

Northern Colorado active wildfires
Very latest on the wildfires in Northern Colorado

The Cameron Peak Fire has scorched 208,913 acres, and tonight sits at 92% containment.

The East Troublesome Fire has burned 193,812 acres of land, and is currently 47% contained. I do expect containment numbers with this fire to rise this week with more snow in the forecast.

The Calwood Fire, which broke out October 17th in Boulder County, has scorched more than 10,000 acres and is 85% contained.

Looking ahead...it's more good news with snow showers through mid-week, and then another round of wintry weather in the forecast this weekend for the mountains.