Snowpack falls below normal

RBC | Unseasonably warm and dry weather dominated the first two-thirds of March in Colorado and much of the intermountain western United States. Many automated SNOw TELemetry (SNOTEL) measurement stations in Colorado were unable to escape the heat including a substantial portion of the higher elevation locations which led to early season snowmelt. On April 1 statewide snowpack was at 108 percent of normal, down from 139 percent of normal last month and 156 percent on Feb 1.
“It has been a bit of a rollercoaster snowpack season,” says Brian Domonkos, Colorado snow survey supervisor, referring to record low snowpack accumulation in October and November, followed by record high snowpack accumulation in December and January, and now a return to near record low snowpack accumulation again in March.
Relatively good snowpack remains in the Gunnison, Arkansas, and combined San Miguel, Dolores, Animas and San Juan Basins all above 118 percent of normal.
Only the combined Yampa and White Basins are now below normal with 86 percent median snowpack and 122 percent average reservoir storage. That’s higher than last year’s numbers at this time of 79 percent and 120 percent.