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<br />COLORADO
<br />WATER SUPPLY OUTLOOK REPORT
<br />MARCH 1, 1999
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<br />Summary
<br />
<br />The 1999 water year is shaping up to be a dry one for Colorado, Below average snowpack totals were
<br />measured across the state again this month, At this late stage, it would take a dramatic change in
<br />weather patterns to bring significant improvements to the state's summer water supplies. Below average
<br />runoff is forecast nearly statewide, with the potential for significant shortages in some southern basins,
<br />At least the state's reservoir storage remains in good condition, Although generally lower volumes are
<br />in storage than last year at this time, they remain at above average for this time of year, Most water
<br />users can only hope now for a wet spring to improve the current situation.
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<br />Snowpack
<br />
<br />Snow surveys conducted near March ] across Colorado show little overall change in percentages of
<br />average from last month, Percentages remain below average in all basins, with the highest percentages
<br />occurring across the northern basins and decreasing to the lowest percentages across the southern
<br />basins of the state. Snowfall patterns during February continued with what has become the trend of the
<br />winter of ] 998-] 999;, a steady series of stonns, bringing small accumulations to the northern
<br />mountains. A fewer number of those stonns track far enough south to deliver accumulations to the
<br />central mountains, Meanwhile, the southern mountains remain too far south to benefit from these
<br />stonns, and the La Nina stonn track continues to withhold moisture from the entire Four Comers
<br />region, The statewide snowpack decreased slightly from last month and is now 85% of average, This
<br />year's snowpack continues to track in a similar fashion to last year's, and is currently 97% of last year's
<br />readings, As expected, the highest percentages were measured in the North Platte, and in the combined
<br />Yampa and White basins. These basins reported percentages of98% and 92% ofaverage, respectively,
<br />Snowpack readings across the Gunnison, Colorado, and South Platte basins ranged from 80% to 90%
<br />of average, Percentages then decrease to 70"10 to 80"/. of average in the Arkansas, Rio Grande, and the
<br />combined San Juan, Animas, Dolores, and San Miguel basins. With just a month remaining in the
<br />normal snowpack accumulation season, the remaining few weeks will have a significant impact on the
<br />state's summer water supplies, March will be an especially critical month for southern Colorado,
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<br />Precipitation
<br />
<br />February precipitation at lower elevations was below average in all ofthe m~Lbasins_ofthe <tat..
<br />I lie lowest totaISIor the month were measured in the South Platte basin, which reported only 28% of
<br />average precipitation for the month. Other basins reporting weU below nonnal precipitation for
<br />February include the San Juan, Animas, Dolores, and San Miguel basins, at only 45% of average; the
<br />Gunnison, at 70% of average; and the Rio Grande, at 73% of average. The greatest totals, as a
<br />percentage of average, were measured in the Yampa and White basins, which recorded 95% of average
<br />for the month. Statewide, February's precipitation was only 69% of average, Totals for the water year,
<br />since October I, 1998, have decreased to below average in all basins except the Gunnison, Rio Grande,
<br />and Arkansas basins, Statewide, the water year totals remain slightly above average, at 106% of
<br />average.
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