Snow Season Forecasts Vary Throughout The West

WASHINGTON, Feb. 13, 2002—At the beginning of this year’s snow season, climate and water supply conditions in the West varied considerably, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS).

"Conserving and managing scarce water supplies is a priority in many parts of the country," said NRCS Chief Pearlie S. Reed. "In the West, most of the available water comes from melting mountain snowpack."

NRCS continuously monitors snowpack in the western states and each year, from Jan. 1 through May 31, works with the National Weather Service to forecast the expected amount of seasonal snowmelt runoff in the West, where snowmelt provides about 75 percent of the water supply. Experts at NRCS state offices and the National Water and Climate Center issue a variety of reports and forecasts throughout the snow season.

Snowpack data as of Feb. 1, 2002, continue to show a wide contrast from well above average totals in the Pacific Northwest to well below average in the Intermountain West and Desert Southwest. The northern Cascades of Oregon report the highest snowpacks, which are greater than 150 percent of average. Snowpacks have diminished in the Rocky Mountain states due to the reduced frequency of winter storms in that region.

Data collected show that Pacific Northwest seasonal streamflow volume forecasts have improved significantly from last year. Most streamflow forecasts in Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Nevada and California remain above average. However, in central Montana, central Wyoming, Colorado, southern Utah, Arizona and New Mexico dryness persists where prospects for spring streamflow are either below or much below average.

As of Feb. 1, 2002, all major western storage reservoirs were below seasonal averages, reflecting the water shortages of last year’s drought that impacted much of the West.

The latest available snowpack and water supply information and details on the data collection system are available online at http://www.wcc.nrcs.usda.gov.

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