The significant snowfall of late February and early March did little to position Colorado well for summer, the Natural Resources Conservation Service said Tuesday in a news release.
The period from March 6 to April 1 was the second driest since 1986, the report said. Only 2012 saw a drier stretch during that time.
“April 9 is typically the time of year when Colorado mountain snowpack is peaking or experiencing its highest values,” the report said. “If warm temperatures and below normal precipitation continue, the peak this year will have occurred closer to March 9.”
The median snowpack April 1 was 69 percent of the 30-year median, the report said. Last year, the snowpack was 62 percent of the median.
The snowpack statewide this year was third from the lowest, which was 2002, out of 30 years.
The San Juan, Animas, Dolores and San Miguel drainage registered by far the lowest snowpack – 49 percent of the 30-year median. The drainages stood at 62 percent of the median last year.
“Seasonal snowpack decline this early in the spring is rare and occurs only once in 10 years,” the report said. “Water year 2012 was the extreme case in which the snowpack melt started early and continued unabated.”
Average reservoir storage April 1 was 107 percent above average statewide, the report said.
Average storage in the San Juan, Animas, Dolores and San Miguel basins is 90 percent of average, which is not bad but is below other basin averages. The Yampa/White basin stood at 125 percent of average, with the Colorado River basin only 1 percent lower. The Gunnison basin reservoirs were 120 percent of average, and the South Platte was 114 percent of average.
Last year, the average storage in all basins considerably was lower. The storage in the San Juan, Animas, Dolores and San Miguel drainages was 82 percent of the average.