What's going on with our snowpack?

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Noonan32

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Can any of you Wordling water experts explain what's going on with our snowpack. We have lost over 40% of our snowpack from the high point on April 1st, without any increase in river flows into Lake Powell. So far the runoff is looking similar to 2015 and 2018 which were terrible years. On April 1st we were at 110% and now we sit at 79% and falling fast without any Lake Rise. What was shaping up to be a good year for runoff isn't looking too great at the moment. Any thoughts?
 
I was noticing the same thing. Some non-fact fact based speculation on my part here ;)
The very dry weather over the past month contributed to the already dry soils, and upstream reservoirs are soaking up the melt so far. When it really warms up over the next few weeks the lake will come up, but not near as much as I would have thought back at the end of March....

Our snowpack went from 115% to 90% in the past 2 weeks, but the streams have risen to above average flows like you would expect. Here is
the discharge on the Green River above any reservoirs affecting runoff.

 
I saw this as well, and I noticed all winter the moisture was in the 80 some percent while the snow pack was 100+ percent, perhaps there’s some correlation, along with the warm weather. We have been very warm for end of April and first week of May here in Flagstaff.
 
Hate to bare bad news but everywhere I’ve been I western Colorado there is hardly any snow left. I’m in steamboat now and very little. All the rivers are roaring right now but it won’t last long unfortunately.
 
I was thru the cut Friday on May 8 2020 at 19 ft left Sunday the 10 at 24 ft thru cut. I’ll heading back up on May 14 I suppose a wag (wildassguess) it will be upper 20 possibly 30 but I’m an optimistically swell person. We will report on this on return.
 
Kevin G said:
A very dry month with a lot of wind...bye bye snowpack and runoff. The runoff ran off.
Click to expand...
there is still alot of snow in the high country where we need it. It has been dry and windy which will significantly reduce the original oulook but the lake will still rise. The temps have not been hot enough to make the big push but that looks like it is coming next week. The runoff has not ran off yet. I bet we still get 15-20 ft but who really knows until its over! I like to be optimistic that we can launch at Hite again this year!
 
Hite won't happen. WAY too dry & windy. We'll see what happens when we get some 80s on the Western slope. Runoff still pretty weak. it's filling up the water table though !
 
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