This National Public Radio story follows Thomas Painter, a scientist with the National Snow and Ice Data Center at the University of Colorado, as he researches the effects of dust on the Colorado Rockies snow pack. The story discusses how dust acts as a catalyst to melting snow, where the dust comes from, and explains some of the environmental and economic repercussions of widespread premature melting. The site also features links to other NPR dust- and drought-related articles.
