Grand Junction’s Wettest December; Snowpack Improves
November and December 2007 in Grand Junction were polar opposites. iHad it not been for the 0.05 inches of rain that fell during the last hour of the last day of the month, November would’ve have tied for the driest November on record (it’s now the 6th driest). In contrast, abundant rain and snow has brought this December to the wettest on record in Grand Junction.
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Despite a few wet months in 2007, Grand Junction lagged behind the yearly average precipitation for nearly all of the year. However, that changed on December 7th, when 0.60 inches of rain pushed the total annual precipitation above the normal yearly amount.
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As of December 28th, a total of 2.04 inches of precipitation (rain and water equivalent of snow) has fallen at the Grand Junction Regional Airport. This sets a new record for the month, beating the old record of 1.89 inches (set in 1951).This brings the 2007 precipitation to 9.71 inches, nearly three-quarters of an inch above the average yearly total (8.99 inches).
Snowfall was also ample in Grand Junction this December. As of the 28th, 9.8 inches has fallen at the airport. Although not a December record (19.0 inches in 1983), it is the 11th snowiest amount and twice the December average.
Snowfall throughout the month was also generous to most of western Colorado and eastern Utah in December. At the month’s beginning, all major river basins had a below normal snowpack. Now, as the month comes to a close, all basins except those in northeast Utah and extreme northwest Colorado are above to well above normal.
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Mountain Snowpack (% of Normal) 2007 |
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| River Basin | Dec 1 | Dec 28 |
| Upper Colorado |
58 |
103 |
| Gunnison |
54 |
117 |
| Yampa / White |
45 |
84 |
| Upper Rio Grande |
50 |
143 |
| San Juan |
58 |
135 |
| Green |
29 |
58 |
| Duchesne |
54 |
79 |
| SE Utah |
50 |
149 |
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