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<br />COLORADO
<br />WATER SUPPLY OUTLOOK REPORT
<br />APRIL 1, 1999
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<br />Summary
<br />
<br />The weather pattern for March was warm and dry statewide, These conditions had a dramatic impact
<br />on the state's snowpack statistics which dropped to the lowest April I percentages in 18 years,
<br />Snowpack readings are now below average across the state with the driest conditions across the
<br />southern mountains, Given these conditions, most water users can now be assured of reduced water
<br />availability in 1999, Streamflow forecasts in southwestern Colorado are approaching critically low
<br />volumes. Meanwhile, the state's reservoir storage becomes increasingly more important, with good to
<br />excellent volumes reported across the state, At this late date in the winter accumulation season, water
<br />users can only hope for abundant spring precipitation to ease the current situation,
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<br />Snowpack
<br />
<br />Snowpack readings decreased sharply in all basins this month. The water content at many locations in
<br />the southern mountains, even at the highest elevations, actually decreased during the month, Snowmelt
<br />at these elevations is not typically seen until late April. Statewide, the snowpack readings decreased to
<br />65% of average on April I, a marked decrease from last month's 85% of average, For another month,
<br />the most significant impacts were seen across southwestern Colorado, Some of the lowest percents of
<br />average were measured in the San Miguel and Dolores basins, now reporting only 35% and 20% of
<br />average, respectively, The basinwide snowpack in the combined San Juan, Animas, Dolores, and San
<br />Miguel basins has now decreased to 43% of average, This is the lowest April I snowpack percentage
<br />since 1977, when the snowpack was only 29"10 of average, Other basins reporting well below average
<br />snowpack include the Rio Grande, at 53% of average; the Arkansas, at 61 % of average; and the
<br />Gunnison, at 64% of average, Conditions improve somewhat, yet remain below average, across the
<br />remainder of the state, The South Platte Basin's snowpack has now decreased to 70% of average and
<br />to 75% of average in the Colorado Basin, Once again this month, the best snowpack readings were
<br />reported across northwestern Colorado, The Yampa and White basins are reporting a snowpack at
<br />79% of average, and the North Platte Basin is reporting the highest snowpack in the state at 84% of
<br />average. Colorado's statewide snowpack remains at only 73% oflast year's snowpack on this date, and
<br />is the lowest since 1981. In that year, the April I snowpack was 59"10 of average,
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<br />Precipitation
<br />
<br />As expected, precipitation totals for March were below average, statewide, For much of the state, the
<br />March totals were less than half of the average. Those basins include the Yampa and White, Colorado,
<br />Gunnison, and the San Juan, Dolores, Animas, and San Miguel. Elsewhere, the percents of average for
<br />the month improve, yet remain well below average. Statewide precipitation was only 42% of average
<br />for the month, Since the water year began, on October I, 1998, precipitation totals are generally below
<br />average across most of the state, Only the Gunnison, Rio Grande, and Arkansas can report an above
<br />average water year total, In each case, these above average totals were assisted by above average
<br />precipitation in October, November, and January, Statewide totals for the water year remains at 92% of
<br />average,
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