Click the link to read the article on The Denver Post website (Elise Schmelzer). Here’s an excerpt:
April 3, 2024
The statewide snowpack sat at 109% of the 30-year median on Wednesday, just a few days shy of the normal peak of snowpack for the state. Every major river basin in the state also recorded above-median snowpack, reducing the risk of large, uncontrollable wildfires and boosting the state’s water supplies. Despite a slow start to the snow season, large storms in February and March boosted the amount of water that will become available as mountain snow melts. The statewide snowpack had lagged behind the median until early March.
In Colorado, the major river basins in the state ranged between 104% and 112% of the 30-year median this week. At 119% above the median, the Arkansas River basin had the best year…
Snowpack in the Upper Colorado River Basin is at 114% of the median depth, which is critical for restoring water levels in Lake Mead and Lake Powell, the two major reservoirs in the Southwest. But even if snowpack is above average, the amount of water that reaches the reservoirs can be below average due to dry soil or high heat, said Dan McEvoy with the Western Regional Climate Center.
Snow levels are far lower in Montana, Idaho, Washington and northern Wyoming. Many river basins in those states sat at less than 70% of the median as of Sunday, the most current data show.
