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COLORADO WATER SUPPLY OUTLOOK REPORT JUNE 1, 2004 Summary A .warm and dry weather pattern prevailed across Colorado during May. Snowmelt continued nearly unimpeded throughout the month, and by June 1 most of the state's snowpack had nearly melted out for the year. While reservoir storage levels exceed those of last year nearly statewide, those volumes remain well below average across much of the state. Summer water demands are expected to take a toll on reservoir storage because expected runoff is below average across most of the state. Streamflow forecasts across northern Colorado are extremely poor, continuing drought concerns for water users in these basins. Snowpack The warm and dry weather pattern that gripped the state during May produced rapid melting of an already below average snowpack. By June 1, statewide snowpack totals had dropped to only 23% of average and were only 69% of last year's readings on this date. Snowpack percentages are extremely poor across the state, ,and range from a low of only 13% of average in the South Platte basin to a high of 40% of average in the North Platte basin. In comparison to last year, the current readings are more than two times last year's totals in the Rio Grande and combined San Juan, Animas, Dolores, and San Miguel basins. The Gunnison basin is the only other basin reporting a greater snowpack than last year, at 123% of the 2003 totals. Elsewhere across the state, this year's June 1 snowpack is well below last year's. In the South Platte basin, which benefited the most from the March blizzard of2003, this year's snowpack is only 21 % of last year's June 1 snowpack. Several factors are contributing to these low snowpack percentages: this winter's below average accumulation provides less water equivalent to melt, May's warm temperatures have produced a rapid melt out of the existing snowpack, and a lack of additional snowfall in May brought no improvement to snowpack totals. While these low snowpack percentages cause concern for water users, they can at least be somewhat relieved that the most important factor in determining runoff volumes is the seasonal maximum accumulation. While this year's seasonal maximums were below average and were reached earlier than average, they're certainly well above the June 1 percentages. This year's snowpack, which reached peak accumulations nearly a month early, is also expected to completely melt out about a month early. It's anticipated that all of Colorado's SNOTEL sites will be melted out by mid-June this year.