Despite better than normal snowfall in February, Colorado’s snowpack is still well below where it should be by now.
Snowpack statewide improved 13 percent, but still was only 72 percent of normal as of March 1 with only a month before river basins typically reach their peak accumulations, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service. Additionally, the snowpack is just over half of what it was last year.
Brian Domonkos, NRCS’s Colorado snow survey supervisor, said more than 200 percent of normal snowfall would be needed through the end of April to overcome current deficits. He said that would be difficult to reach following some of the driest months on record.
Snowpack in the North Platte and South Platte river basins are looking the best at 91 percent and 87 percent of normal, respectively. The San Miguel, Dolores, Animas and San Juan basin is faring the worst with only 53 percent of medican snowpack.
With little chance of reaching normal snowpack peak, Domonkos said water managers will look to reservoirs to supplement streamflows. Reservoir storage is at 116 percent of average statewide, with none of the basins below average.
