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2/5/08 RMNP Water "Below Average" |
The snowpack in RMNP up until Jan. 30th is ranked "below average" compared to typical amounts for the last 30 years
By John Cordsen of the Estes Park Trail-Gazette
Jan. 30th., 2008
Water content of the snow pack in Rocky Mountain National Park is near or below average in the four areas surveyed by the Natural Resources Conservation Services (NRCS).
The NRCS conducted its first survey of the winter Jan. 30, taking measurements at Deer Ridge, Hidden Valley, Willow Park and Bear Lake. The survey measures the water equivalent (in inches) of the snow pack. Only Deer Ridge’s water content at 3.7 inches surpassed the 30-year average for that area. The average snow depth at Deer Ridge was 15 inches.
The snow water equivalent at Bear Lake was 9.6 inches. This was at 100 percent of the 30-year-average. The average snow depth at Bear Lake was 41 inches.
Hidden Valley (77 percent) and Willow Park (78 percent) were well below the 30-year averages. With an average snow depth of 24 inches, Hidden Valley’s water equivalent was 4.4 inches. Willow Park’s average snow depth of 38 inches was the equivalent of 10.3 inches of water.
Lightweight snow (approx. 5% density) covering Dream Lake on Feb. 1st - it was blown away by the next morning.
The average snow depth of all four areas was off from last year’s averages. Willow Park was the closest to 2007 totals. The 38 inches represents 93 percent of the same snow pack from last year. Deer Ridge (61 percent) and Hidden Valley (66 percent) were far off last year’s totals and Bear Lake, at 73 percent, was not much better.
The NRCS surveys are conducted the last week of the month January through April. The areas surveyed supply runoff for the Big Thompson River, which empties into the South Platte River.
Eli Notes: In 2006, the total water measured at Bear Lake was 9.5 inches for the entire year. We have already exceeded that amount for 2008. The majority of our snow/water arrives in March, April, and May of each year, so it is still very early to say what our total winter snowpack will look like since by the end of January we typically have only 25% of our total snowpack for the year.
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