Wyoming Snowpack Looking Very Good

We may have hated all the shoveling and lousy commutes during the snowstorms of March, but they did wonders for the snowpack, and therefore for summer water.

Here are the latest figures from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration...

HIGHLIGHTS:

...Wyoming March precipitation was 150 to 160 percent of average...

...Current water year precipitation increased to near 110 percent of normal across Wyoming…

…Mountain snowpack across Wyoming increased to 95 to 105 percent of median... 

…Slightly below normal snowmelt streamflow volumes are expected across almost all major basins in Wyoming...

…Wyoming reservoir storages increased to 115 to 125 percent of average for April...

Synopsis:

March precipitation totals across Wyoming were 150 to 160 percent of average. Precipitation numbers varied between 263 percent of normal over the Wind River Basin to near 117 percent of normal over the Belle Fourche Drainage (northeastern Wyoming).  Current water year (October 2015 – March 2016) precipitation across Wyoming increased to near 110 percent of average.

Mountain snowpack across Wyoming increased to 95 to 105 percent of median by early April.  Snowpack "water" numbers and/or SWEs were the highest across basins in southern Wyoming—varying between 110 to 125 percent of median.  SWEs across the Tongue and Belle Fourche Watersheds varied between 70 to 80 percent of median.

Slightly below normal (90 to 95 percent) snowmelt streamflow volumes are expected across almost all major basins across Wyoming.  Slightly above normal streamflow volumes are expected across a majority of the Wind River Basin and portions of the Shoshone and Upper North Platte Watersheds.  The Sweetwater, Powder, and Tongue River Basins are still forecasted to have below to much below normal streamflow volumes during the upcoming snowmelt season.

Reservoirs storages across Wyoming increased to 115 to 125 percent for April.