Snowpack ??

[downthepipe]

I was looking at the snowpack maps and it looks like most places in the west are in the 80-90% of “normal” range. Of course “normal” is now taken from the first two decades of the 2000’s so 80% of normal is drought. Here in S Idaho we have had one of the driest Februarys I can ever remember. How is it where you are at?

 

[justinspicher]

We are sitting under some good snow pack, just had a couple of storms blow through and dump feet in some areas.

 

[Phaseolus]

In Colorado snowpack on snow courses it is about normal. What concerns me is that at lower altitudes where there be should be lots of snow it is mostly bare. Snow courses only tell how much snow is at the snow course sites, which are typically at higher altitude. If we don’t have an exceptional spring I fear we won’t be fiilling many reservoirs.

 

[Blackbird]

Here in SW Colorado was 70-80 percent in the area I’m in but just had a good storm come through that should push those numbers up

 

[Pony Soldier]

Snow levels are about normal at my place north of Butte. Water level in that snow is the question. It's mostly ice chrystals below the crust. As my neighbor once told me that the snow level from a ranchers point of view is meaningless. It melts off on frozen ground and travels to the lower valleys. We are heavily dependent on the rains in late may and June for the groundwater as well as a favorable soil temperature in that same period. Last year we got three killing frosts in June and the party was over. The hay fields headed out at 8 inches and the grass in the hills stopped growing at about 2 inches. The weekly rain showers through July, August and September were nonexistant. Hopefully That won't be repeated.

I really think that the temps really influenced the forage growth because even the ranches with irrigation showed a bad year.

 

[dtrkyman]

Santa Fe is down, same here as stated above, some snow up top but very little at lower elevation. We need snow bad!

Have not checked lately but Wolf Creek seemed to be getting decent snow.

 

[Customweld]

I was looking at the snowpack maps and it looks like most places in the west are in the 80-90% of “normal” range. Of course “normal” is now taken from the first two decades of the 2000’s so 80% of normal is drought. Here in S Idaho we have had one of the driest Februarys I can ever remember. How is it where you are at?

If it wasn’t for the last week in December, we’d be hurting… We may get what we need in March and April.

 

[Wyobull]

Wyoming is going to be in trouble if we don’t get a bunch of moisture of some form this spring

 

[mtwarden]

Montana the northwest corner is near 100%, southwest 75-85%.

We could definitely use some more snow.

 

[chapman8523]

We're doing just fine here in AK.

 

[AZ8]

That graphic is a bit misleading for Arizona. Up until the storm on the 24th, we were in trouble. We got about 12-14 inches on this last storm, but with March approaching and the higher sun angle, it won’t last long.

Otherwise, it’s been a terrible winter.

 

[SWOHTR]

Here in Washington the entire west side just about lost their minds around new years due to snow and ice...so I think ok?

Meanwhile we have oceans of water with levels rising...someone please put a nuke plant up and start up an RO plant...

 

[CorbLand]

Northern Utah is ok but we need a good spring. We don’t have enough to make up for the last couple years. If we don’t get a good spring, we might be in some trouble.

 

[BwanaKubwa]

I wonder if my fellow montanas remember how our snowpack was last winter? It was at 100 percent and our creeks and rivers never rose

 

[mtwarden]

^ the moisture was there in the mountains, but a lot of snow came off earlier than normal- I remember vividly getting swept off my feet on the upper North Fork of the Blackfoot and swimming for my life to get to other side in late May

 

[ToolMann]

A topic I can finally provide some professional insight too. I manage the largest utility water conservation/demand management team in the state of Colorado. Snowpack and SWE become regular discussions as we creep into the later stages of the snow season. We mostly hear public discussions of snowpack as a percent of historical average, which makes sense as it is how it is most often measured. As some of you have pointed out, the Snow Water Equivalent (SWE) is the important number. But snowpack is only part of the equation. Soil moisture (very low the last few years) timing and duration of runoff all play big rolls in yield. 2021 saw decent snowpack and below average yield (in some cases much below) for most basins. Spring/summer rains in urban and agriculture areas can also be very beneficial, as even though they don't necessarily impact yield they do stall demand, allowing more water to be left in reservoirs. As we inch into March it will be very important the "snowiest month of the year" comes through.

 

[Ucsdryder]

In Colorado snowpack on snow courses it is about normal. What concerns me is that at lower altitudes where there be should be lots of snow it is mostly bare. Snow courses only tell how much snow is at the snow course sites, which are typically at higher altitude. If we don’t have an exceptional spring I fear we won’t be fiilling many reservoirs.

You haven’t seen my lawn!!! Damn snow won’t go away. Curse you north facing house!

 

[Wrench]

Sitting here at Priest lake and it's snowing. Still have 3 feet more on the deck than last year.

 

[Phaseolus]

You haven’t seen my lawn!!! Damn snow won’t go away. Curse you north facing house!

It pays to have a south facing driveway and home entrance!

 

[eldeuce]

ah, but I LOVE my south facing backyard!
Having spent half my life above the 45th parallel, I can deal with shoveling a little snow in the front whilst enjoying cold adult beverages on those sunny, Winter Colorado days in the back!