IntermtnClimateSummaryJan2006 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

INTERMOUNTAIN WEST CLIMATE SUMMARY -'J.~ '* t9~(') ~(!)~e.l.lk. \9r;e:.0 't ,.,.~ ,.J;l!}rP ~ '.r1(l ~\'MW I ~ ~Lll r{1 by The Western Water Assessment l1l;:r Gzr0 1pJ "O:a.~ if. ~Gw(j Issued January 13,2006 January 2006 Climate Summary Hydrological Conditions - While the Intermountain Region is largely out of a drought, low snowpack in the southern part of the region could lead to an increase in drought conditions throughout the winter. Temperature - Although areas in the region experienced both cold and warm periods, temperatures were within 20 F of average for most of the region in December 2005. Precipitation/Snowpack - Areas experiencing above average precipitation in December 2005 included the north-central mountains of Colorado, the central and western moun- tains of Wyoming, and north-central Utah. ENSO - A week La Nina is developing and is expected to continue for 3 - 6 months. Climate Forecasts - The long-term seasonal climate forecasts predict above average temperatures for the next five months in the Intermountain West Region. There are no forecasts for precipitation for our region. The next IMW Climate Summary will be released in mid-March. In the interim, check the websites provided for the most up-to-date information. SNOW ACCUMULATION SEASON IS UPON US! In January, the first outlooks of the water year are available, based on early winter precipitation and snowpack. On the Water Supply Outlooks page, we summarize the first seasonal outlooks of runoff volume. These outlooks are very preliminary at this stage - subject to the accumu- lation of snowpack through the winter, and to spring and early summer weather. They will be updated by the River Forecast Centers (RFC) and the Natural Resource Conser- vation Service on the first of the month through the runoff season, and we encour- age you to go to the RFC webpages (see page 1 7) and see the detailed outlooks for the areas that interest you. We have not included a reservoir status page this month because reservoir levels are typically low and slowly decreasing during the winter; that page will return in the spring when the reservoirs begin to fill again. This month we also feature a tool for evaluating forecasts in several ways that may be more meaningful than the Heidke skill scores. IN THIS ISSUE 1 January 2006 Climate Summary 2 Feature: How to use the climate Forecast Evaluation Tool RECENT CONDITIONS 5 Temperature 6 Precipitation 7 U.S. Drought Monitor 8 Intermountain West Snowpack 9 Regional Standardized Precipitation Index 10 Colorado Water Availability 11 Wyoming Water Availability 12 Utah Water Availability FORECASTS 13 Temperature Outlook 14 Precipitation Outlook 15 Seasonal Drought Outlook 16 EI Nino Status and Forecast 17 Water Supply Outlook Focus PAGE 18 NOAA Earth System Research Laboratory On the Web: http://wwa.colorado.edu Contact Us - Send questions or feedback, or to sign up for our summary e-mail announcement, please e-mail us at: WWASu mmary@wwa.colorado.edu. Brad Udall - WWA Director Andrea Ray - Editor/writer Jessica Lowrey - Assistant Editor/writer Barb DeLuisi - Graphic Designer Disclaimer - This product is designed for the provision of experimental climate services. While we make every effort to verify this information, please understand that we do not warrant the accuracy of any of these materials. The user assumes the entire risk related to the use of this data. WWA disclaims any and all warranties, whether expressed or implied, including (without limitation) any implied warran- ties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. The Intermountain West Climate Summary is published monthly by Western Water Assessment, a joint project of the University of Colorado and the NOAA/Earth System Research Laboratory/, Physical Sciences Division/Climate Diagnostics Center, researching water, climate and societal interactions. ~ CIRES ~ ~