Storm Mountain News

Local News

Saturday, February 18th - Search for Assault Suspect/Stolen Vehicle... 

On Friday, February 17, at 7:56AM Larimer County Sheriff’s Office received a report of a 43 year old female that had been assaulted. The victim is a resident of Fort Collins.  A citizen had witnessed an altercation between a male and a female in the 1300 block of Webster Avenue.

Further investigation revealed that the male, an ex-boyfriend, had called the female and asked for a ride to work prior to the assault.  Once in her vehicle, he sprayed her in the face with mace and hit her in the head with the can. He continued to assault her and forced her into the back seat. The victim was able to jump out of the vehicle while the suspect was driving.  The suspect stopped and got out of the car.  The victim called out for help and two employees of Citizen Printing came to her aid.  The suspect fled in the victim’s car.

The suspect has been identified as Craig Davison, 40, from Texas. Davison is described as 5’10”/ 200 lbs., green eyes, short brown hair with no facial hair. He was last seen wearing a black stocking cap, black jacket and blue jeans. He has only been in northern Colorado since the fall of 2005.  Davison has a criminal history in Texas and is wanted on charges there.

Davison stole the victim’s vehicle, a 1995 green Chevrolet Monte Carlo with temporary tag 988470C. He may also be driving a blue Geo Prism with a partial CO license plate of 777 ???.

The Larimer County Sheriff’s Office is asking for the public’s help in locating this suspect and related vehicles. Anyone with information should contact the Larimer County Sheriff’s Office Dispatch at 970-416-1985.

Temperatures Plunge Below Zero... 

Area residents awoke this morning to sub-zero temperatures across the front range.  This morning at 4:57AM, Storm Mountain News recorded a temperature of -14°F. A new official record low of -13°F was recorded at Denver International Airport.

The sub-zero temperatures have made area roads extremely slick with moderate to severe icing being reported. Several problems were reported Friday evening on FDR 128 including one incident that closed the road for over an hour after vehicles slid and collided on the switchbacks below Combat Rock.

Temperatures are expected to moderate somewhat during the day with a high of near 20°F predicted. Wind chills however could make it feel closer to -20°F. 

We would like to remind residents to keep a close watch on pets and livestock during this extreme cold as they can quickly get frostbite. Small animals are particularly at risk due to their low amount of overall body heat. Cold breed dogs such as Huskies and Malamutes are also at risk when left out without proper shelter for extended periods. Drinking water for pets and livestock should also be maintained and prevented from freezing.

Parents should assure that children are dressed appropriately if going outdoors to play. Frostbite can occur very quickly at these temperatures. Care should be taken to cover all exposed areas of skin. Ears, face, fingers, toes, ankle area, wrist area and waistband are potential problem areas.

Should frostbite occur, slowly warm the affected area. DO NOT USE DRY HEAT OR HOT WATER! Apply sterile dressing to the affected area and seek medical care if indicated. A complete frostbite information sheet, including detailed first aid procedures, is available via the link provided below.

Frostbite Information Sheet

Thursday, February 16th - Snow Blankets Area In White... 

Overnight snows have left the mountains and hillsides covered in a blanket of white with accumulations from 4" to 6" being reported across the area.

Roads throughout Larimer County are reported as snow-packed with minor icing in spots. Residents are advised to allow extra time for any travel and to expected winter driving conditions throughout the area. Chains, studded tires and 4WD are highly recommended for travel on FDR 128 and other Storm Mountain roads. As of 6:30AM, no accidents have been reported.

Snow is expected to taper off as the day progresses with a slight possibility of sunshine later this afternoon. Temperatures will remain cold with tonight's lows dropping into single digits.

Big Thompson and Estes Park Schools are reported as open with no delays.

Wednesday, February 15th - Horsetooth Reservoir Oxygen Depleted... 

Horsetooth Reservoir is being recommended for the state's impaired waters (303d) list as dissolved oxygen levels at the reservoir haven't met standards for aquatic life for the past five years.

While the specific cause for the depletion of oxygen is not clear, it is believed to be due to pollutants carried into the reservoir by streams in the area.

One source of pollutants that merits consideration is the recent heavy use of magnesium chloride and other chemicals throughout Larimer County as a dust control treatment, which coincidentally began about five years ago. Magnesium chloride is known to rapidly deplete the oxygen level in water, as well as promote the release of other toxic chemicals such as arsenic and barium from unsealed and/or recycled asphalt bases. A large number of these treated roads drain into streams that feed Horsetooth Reservoir.

In 2004 and 2005, negligent applications of magnesium chloride and other chemicals on FDR 128 allowed toxic chemicals to be washed into local streams and eventually the Big Thompson River. The result was a reported 700 fish found dead in the river near Idlewylde Dam, after heavy rains washed hundreds of gallons of chemical laden runoff from FDR 128 into the Big Thompson, in July of 2005.

Several local officials, including Tom Gonzales and Ed Schemm of the Larimer County Health Department, have insisted for three years that the use of the chemicals on FDR 128 was safe and not a threat to health or environment. This is despite numerous complaints of trees and pets dying after exposure to the runoff, illness suspected from chemical dust inhalation, and possible contamination to area groundwater supplies as noted by oily brown films in area residents household water.

The National Forest Service who owns the road and reportedly authorized the application of these chemicals to FDR 128, is reported to be currently performing in depth testing to determine the extent of the contamination, but has done nothing to date to address the concerns of affected residents. Seasonal springs in the area continue to flow with orange sludge confirmed to contain extremely high amounts of toxic chemicals oozing from them.

It should be noted that prior to the current testing expected to be complete in 2007, no proper testing has ever been done to determine impact of this specific type of magnesium chloride use on the health of humans or the environment. 

All prior testing was done on the use of medical grade magnesium chloride as a dietary supplement. Iodine, which is completely safe at very low concentration as a dietary supplement, is also one of the deadliest substances know to man in higher concentrations. The results of tests on magnesium chloride as a dietary supplement therefore have very little if any relevance to the safety of its use as dust control.

Tuesday, February 14th - Winter Returns This Evening... 

A large Pacific storm system and two cold fronts are expected to bring snow and cold temperatures to the area beginning this evening.

Snow totals form this storm are too difficult to predict at this time, with estimates ranging from of a couple of inches to a couple of feet, depending on elevation.

A one-two punch of cold will accompany this system with the first front dropping temperatures into to 30's and the second front dropping temperatures into the teens and single digits, Today's high temperature is predicted to be in the upper 50's.

While there are no official alerts or warnings in effect for our immediate area, residents are advised to stay tuned to media outlets for updates and to be prepared for winter driving conditions starting late tonight and continuing through Friday.

Alerts, watches and/or warnings for this storm will be posted on this site as they are issued.

Sunday, February 12th - Full Snow Moon Tonight... 

Since the heaviest snow usually falls during this month, native tribes of the north and east most often called February's full Moon the Full Snow Moon. Some tribes also referred to this Moon as the Full Hunger Moon, since harsh weather conditions in their areas made hunting very difficult.

The photo to the right shows the full "Snow Moon" as it appeared from Storm Mountain during the early hours of Sunday morning.

This month's full Moon officially occurs at 9:44PM MST this evening.

Photo Of The Week... 

A year round resident to our area the Purple Finch is a relatively common sight and one of the more colorful birds of winter. This week's photo, taken on Friday morning on Storm Mountain, features a male Purple Finch perched on a branch.

A plump, sparrow-sized bird with a deeply notched tail and short conical beak, Purple Finches (Carpodacus purpureus) are named for the raspberry-red color of the males. The raspberry color is deepest on the head, nape, face, throat, breast, flanks, and rump. The hindneck, back, and scapular feathers are deep red streaked with brown. Wings and tail are brown and the belly and undertail coverts are white.

Females are quite different, lacking any red color. The head is pale brown, with fine dark streaks, a dark ear patch and a white moustache stripe. The white moustache stripe is separated from the white of the throat by a brown malar stripe. Back and scapulars are brown and streaked; the rump, tail, and wings are also brown, but unstreaked. Throat, breast, and flanks are white with heavy brown streaks. The belly and undertail coverts are unstreaked white. First-summer males are similar to females but with head and rump washed in olive-yellow and deep yellow on chin and throat. Males in this plumage may sing and hold territory before molting into adult plumage in their second fall.

The state bird of New Hampshire, the Purple Finch is a bird of coniferous and mixed forests, as well as park-like areas, breeding in the northeastern United States, across southern Canada, and in the Cascades and western Sierra Nevada ranges of the West Coast. Males sing from habitual song posts often located at the very tops of conifer trees. Nests are most often found far out on horizontal branches in conifers and are made of concealing material. Food consists mostly of seeds, buds, blossoms, and fruit, usually taken from the outer branches of trees and occasionally from the ground.

Purple Finch information courtesy of Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

Bonus: Free 11" x 17" "Birds of Winter" Poster

Previous Week