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<br />003472 <br /> <br />The rawinsonde data do not allow identification of storms by basin, <br />so storms are assumed to impact the entire mountainous region of Colorado <br />simultaneously. The effect of this assllllption is not known; it is <br />.assessed, however, as are our other assllllptions, in a later section. <br /> <br />Seeding opportunities during dry, normal and wet winters can be <br />assessed best by grouping the 12 basins by sub-:-regions of the state that <br />are "homogeneous" in terms of latitude and the orientation of each basin to <br />the prevailing wind. The sub-regions chosen and the basins within them are: <br /> <br />South: Dolores, Uncompaghre, Piedra, San Juan and Rio Grande <br /> <br />North: White and yampa <br /> <br />East Central: La Garita, South Platte and Arkansas <br /> <br />West Central: Gunnison and Eagle <br /> <br />Analysis of seeding opportunity was conducted by sub-regions. <br />Sub-regions were combined for moutain-wide results. <br /> <br />Selection of Snowoourses <br /> <br />Sno\;Course water content measurements were used to identify dry, <br />normal and wet winters and to validate the use of interpolated SOUndings. <br />Maximum spring readings--usually April l--were used. Twenty-four courses <br />situated in or near the 12 basins were selected with the help of Bernie <br />Shafer of the Soil Conservation Service Snow Survey Unit. The courses <br />selected, which are listed in Table 1 and depicted on Figure 2, are at <br />relatively high altitudes and have lengthy periods of record. <br /> <br />13 <br />