<br /> - 4 -
<br />0 1885, Ju125, Colorado Springs 0 1969, May 4-8, Jefferson/Boulder
<br />0 1894, May 29-31, Boulder County Counties
<br />0 1904, May 20-21, Larimer County 0 1970, Sep 4-6, Southwest Colorado
<br />0 1911, Oct 4-6, Durango, etc. 0 1976, July 31, Big Thompson Canyon
<br />0 1921, JUll 2-6, PueblolPemose 1981, Ju12-3, Trinidad
<br />0 1935, May 30-31, HalelElbert 0 1983 & 1984, Widespread, large
<br />0 1938, Sep 2, Morrison & Colo Front volume snowmelt floods
<br /> Range 0 1997, Ju128, Fort Collins
<br />0 1951, Aug 2-3, Larimer County 0 1997, Ju129-30, Sterling
<br />0 1955, May 18-23, Southern Front 0 1999, Apr 30, Colo Springs & Arkansas
<br /> Range Valley
<br />0 1956, Ju130-Aug 3, Denver 0 Many other smaller or more localized
<br />0 1965, JUll 13-20, DenverlEastern Colo storms, such as Pemose, July 2006
<br />
<br />Really big floods are not that uncommon and most of them would not have been anticipated even
<br />1-2 weeks in advance even with today' s forecast skill.
<br />Rain on snow is a problem for the Sierras and Cascades. But is it a problem in Colorado? It is not
<br />generally a problem and most of Colorado's worst floods are rainfall floods. Flash floods are
<br />especially problematic over sparsely vegetated sloped surfaces.
<br />CoCoRaHS (Community Collaboration Rain and Hail Network System). There are 1,000 people
<br />committed to collecting rain and hail data in Colorado. At least 100 do it every day. With more
<br />gages then we at least know what hit us and can learn more about storm characteristics. Nevada
<br />just joined the CocoRaHS program. These data help better calibrate radar data. California is
<br />interested in joining the program.
<br />Nolan's Flood and Water Availability Task
<br />Force presentations are posted to the CWCB and
<br />Colorado Climate Center web sites. Visit
<br />http:// ccc. atmos.colostate.edu
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<br />
<br />Mike Gillespie, Snow Survey, NRCS
<br />. The snow~ack statewide is 76% of average as of
<br />March 29t . A dry march made snowpack go
<br />from 92% to 76% of the long term average.
<br />. The following graphs are current conditions and
<br />projections of statewide snowpack for May 1
<br />being 69% of average, for June 1 being 2% of
<br />the long term average for Colorado.
<br />. The snow water equivalent map for March 29th,
<br />2007 shows a number of sites particularly in
<br />southwest that have melted out at low elevations.
<br />. In the Arkansas basin a typical March is about
<br />20% of peak snowpack accumulation and to
<br />miss out of full month is devastating to
<br />snowpack.
<br />. Snowpack
<br />o Upper Colorado basin - pretty early
<br />peak, 83% of average and needing nearly
<br />438% of average precipitation from this
<br />point to get to the normal peak.
<br />
<br />Flood Protection. Water Project Planning and Fi
<br />Water Supply Protection. Com
<br />
<br />Colorado SNOTEL Snowpack Update Map
<br />
<br />Percent of Average
<br />
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<br />
<br />Current as of Mar 29, 2007
<br />
<br />Colorado SNOTEL May 1 Snowpack Projection Map*
<br />
<br />Percent of Average
<br />
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<br />
<br />
<br />Current as of Mar 29, 2007
<br />
<br />Colorado SNOTEL Jun 1 Snowpack Projection Map*
<br />
<br />Percent of Average
<br />
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<br />Subjecll<>f'ev",i""
<br />
<br />Current as of Mar 29, 2007
<br />
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