|
<br />COLORADO
<br />WATER SUPPLY OUTLOOK REPORT
<br />FEBRUARY 1, 2000
<br />
<br />Summary
<br />
<br />t'
<br />
<br />Increased snowfall during January brought some relief to Colorado's dry mountains, Snowpack
<br />percents of average increased significantly from last month in nearly all basins, While the latest
<br />readings are an improvement, the state's snowpack remains well below average, especially across the
<br />southern mountains, With only two remaining months in the average accumulation season, water users
<br />should continue to closely monitor the mountain snowpack conditions, The improved snow pack has
<br />resulted in improvements in streamflow forecasts, however, most forecasts remain below average to
<br />well below average, Reservoir storage continues to track at above average volumes and should help
<br />supplement below average flows in some locations,
<br />
<br />Snowpack
<br />
<br />During the last week of January, several strong storms brought heavy snow accumulations to
<br />Colorado's mountains, These storms increased the snowpack percent of average in all basins except
<br />the Arkansas, which remained unchanged during the month, The greatest increase over last month's
<br />percentages were seen in the Gunnision Basin, which increased from 32% to 61 % of average, followed
<br />by the Colorado Basin, which increased from 51 % to 79% of average, The highest snowpack
<br />percentages were measured across northern Colorado, and include the North and South Platte, and the
<br />Yampa and White basins, Readings in these basins range from 85% to 88% of average, Snowpack
<br />percentages decrease toward the south, and the lowest percentages were measured in the Rio Grande
<br />Basin, at only 29% of average, The San Juan and Animas sub-basins are also reporting extremely low
<br />snowpack percentages as well, at only 23% and 32% of average, respectively, The current snowpack in
<br />the Gunnison, Arkansas, Rio Grande, and San Juan, Animas, Dolores, and San Miguel basins is the
<br />lowest February I percentage since 1990, Similarly, Colorado's statewide snowpack is only 66% of
<br />average, and is the lowest statewide snowpack on February I since the 59% of average was recorded on
<br />1990, The current snowpack remains below last year's in all basins, ranging from 33% of last year in
<br />the Rio Grande Basin, to 98% of last year in the South Platte Basin, Statewide, the current readings are
<br />only 75% of last year's,
<br />
<br />Precipitation
<br />
<br />January ended the string of consecutive months with below average precipitation for most of Colorado,
<br />While southwestern Colorado received near average precipitation in January, it was the first month that
<br />was near average since September 1999 in the Rio Grande and the combined San Juan, Animas,
<br />Dolores, and San Miguel basins, Elsewhere across the state, precipitation was generally above to well
<br />above average, Those basins reporting some of the highest monthly totals include the Arkansas,
<br />Gunnison, Colorado and Yampa and White basins, This wet month helped improve water year
<br />percentages statewide, While seeing improvements, water year percentages remain below average
<br />statewide and remain extremely low across southwestern Colorado, As a whole, the state recorded
<br />136% of average precipitation for the month of January, but remains at only 53% of average for the
<br />first four months of the 2000 water year,
<br />
|