Snowpack news: Statewide snowpack above 100% of average, south dry, north wetter #COdrought

Statewide Basin High/Low graph May 13, 2014
Statewide Basin High/Low graph May 13, 2014

From CBS Denver:

The Mother’s Day snowstorm that hit Colorado put the state’s snowpack well over 100 percent of normal.
Before the storm snowpack measured at 93 percent of normal on average across the state.

“Statewide totals went from 94 percent of normal on Friday to 120 percent as of today,” said Snow Survey Assistant Supervisor Mage Hultstrand…

“We had over an inch of water added to the state,” said Hultstrand.

It’s that additional water that’s raising concerns of how it will impact this year’s flood risk.

“The stage is set for potential flooding because we do have a high snowpack and because damage to stream channels from the flooding last September,” said meteorologist Chad Gimm.

The recent storm may have been more helpful than hurtful.

“We don’t want to continue adding to an already large snowpack but the cooler temperatures and the additional fresh snow does delay the melt,” said Hultstrand.

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