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<br />SUMMARY: <br /> <br />SNOWPACK: <br /> <br />2 <br /> <br />00Q945 <br /> <br />GENERAL OUTLOOK <br /> <br />APRIL'S WEATHER CONDITIONS BROUGHT ABOVE AVERAGE <br />TEMPERATURES AND BELOW AVERAGE PRECIPITATION TO MUCH <br />OF THE MOUNTAINOUS AREAS OF COLORADO AND NEW MEXICO. <br />THIS HAS CAUSED THE SNOWPACK TO REACH ISOTHERMAL <br />CONDITIONS MUCH SOONER THAN NORMAL. MANY OF THE SNOW <br />COURSE READINGS ON MAY 1, ACTUALLY SHOWED A DECREASE <br />FROM THE READINGS TAKEN ON APRIL 1. TWENTY-ONE OF <br />COLORADO'S SNOW COURSES WERE BARE THIS MONTH. THIS <br />CONDITION WAS MOST SEVERE IN THE SOUTH PLATTE AND <br />COLORADO RIVER BASINS. IF THIS GENERAL TREND <br />CONTINUES, PEAK FLOWS WILL OCCUR EARLIER THAN NORMAL <br />THIS YEAR IN THESE AREAS. <br /> <br />COLORADO'S SNOW PACK FIGURES DECREASED DURING APRIL <br />FROM 94 PERCENT OF AVERAGE, TO ONLY 74 PERCENT OF <br />AVERAGE ON MAY 1. THIS TREND WAS ALSO SEEN IN <br />NORTHERN NEW MEXICO, WHERE SNOWPACK DROPPED FROM 124 <br />PERCENT OF AVERAGE TO ONLY 77 PERCENT ON MAY 1. THE <br />ONLY PORTION OF THE REGION WHICH INCREASED IN <br />SNOWPACK WAS THE ARKANSAS BASIN. OTHER BASINS WITH <br />ABOVE NORMAL SNOWPACKS ARE THE RIO GRANDE, ANIMAS, <br />AND SAN JUAN RIVER BASINS. THE LARGEST DECREASE IN <br />SNOW PACK WAS OBSERVED IN THE COLORADO, YAMPA, <br />GUNNISON, AND NORTH AND SOUTH PLATTE BASINS. <br />CURRENTLY, THE LOWEST SNOWPACK IN COLORADO IS IN THE <br />COLORADO AND WHITE RIVER BASINS, AT ONLY 43 PERCENT <br />OF AVERAGE. NEW MEXICO'S LOWEST SNOWPACK WAS <br />OBSERVED IN THE RIO CHAMA BASIN AT 78 PERCENT OF <br />AVERAGE. ALTHOUGH NEW MEXICO'S HIGHEST SNOWPACK IS <br />IN THE RED RIVER DRAINAGE AT ONLY 81 PERCENT OF <br />AVERAGE, EXPECTED WATER SUPPLIES ARE ABOVE AVERAGE IN <br />THE NORTHERN PART OF THE STATE. <br />