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<br />- 3 - <br /> <br />o The USGS was awarded funding through the CWCB to collect physical measurements of <br />snow water equivalent to draw comparisons to SNODAS model output. It is known that <br />SNODAS represents snowpack faithfully near SNOTEL but what is hoped to be gained is <br />to see if the snowpack SWE is faithfully represented in areas not near SNOTEL sites. <br />o SNOTEL Grants - The CWCB has worked with the NRCS and local water users to <br />provide small amounts of funding to convert NRCS Snowcourse Sites to daily automated <br />SNOTEL sites. New sites in Colorado in place or in process are: <br />· Grayback south of Del Norte for the Conejos and Rio Grande Basins <br />· Cochetopa Pass for the Saguache and Gunnison Basins <br />· Bear River in the Upper Yampa Basin <br />· Three locations in the Arkansas Basin scheduled for installation summer 2007 <br />· One location in the Cache La Poudre Basin scheduled for installation summer <br />2007 <br />o The NRCS stated that although this program has been successful a recent request for 23 <br />new SNOTEL sites in New Mexico with funding for equipment but no funding for annual <br />operations and maintenance has created issues. In the future new sites may need to <br />include an operations and maintenance fee upfront to assist the NRCS in maintaining the <br />new sites coming online. <br /> <br />Nolan Doesken - State Climatolo2ist. Colorado Climate Center. CSU <br />. Colorado is known for sunshine, changing seasons, mountains snows, periodic droughts, <br />occasional storms and a little bit of everything some times on the same day. <br />. The average of all rain gages for a 30 year time ,- <br />I <br />period, by month, shows that May, July, and Augustl <br />are the rainiest months. I <br />I <br />. The average annual precipitation map at right shows J <br />I <br />the highest precipitation in blue and the lowest totals I <br />I <br />in orange. The perception is where the precipitation I <br />totals are the highest then you have the flood risk 1 <br />I <br />and this just isn't so. I <br />I ",' <br />. In general snow in Colorado melts at a predictable 1 ,. <br />I. <br />rate and time of year. Snowmelt floods usually I' <br />require prolonged very warm temperatures and/or ~ <br />widespread late-season snowpack including snow on <br />south facing slopes. <br />. The Fort Collins average precipitation map showed <br />a smoothed 30-year average line but the actual <br />precipitation you will get in chunks. In this year <br />four storms were 65% of the annual precipitation. <br />. A small fraction of storms are a large fraction of <br />our precipitation, especially at lower elevations. <br />. We know when the probabilities of heaviest rain <br />events will occur seen at the right. <br />. A Historical reminder was shown where some of <br />the storms were local flash floods, rain floods, <br />snowmelt floods, and many were in May and June. <br />o 1864, May 20, JUll 9-10, Cherry Creek, <br /> <br />COLORADO <br />PRISM 1971_2GOOMeanAnnuaIPreclpitation <br /> <br /> <br />HEAVY RAIN PROBABILITIES <br />> 2" IN 24 HOURS SOMEWHERE IN COLORADO <br />DURING CONSEClJTlVE 10,DAY PERIOD <br /> <br />25 <br /> <br />20 <br /> <br /> <br />15 <br /> <br />10 <br /> <br />5 <br /> <br />o <br /> <br />o 1876, May 22, Denver <br />Flood Protection. Water Project Planning and Finance. Stream and Lake Protection <br />Water Supply Protection. Conservation Planning <br />