An "end of the official water year" report is not usually done, but
being an unusual year this may be of interest to some.

The following table gives the % of average (1971-2000) snowpack SWE and precipitation
for April 30, 2002, and the % of average
precipitation on September 30, 2002 for all Colorado basins (as listed by the
NRCS SnoTel network).

April 30 values are presented, even though April 1 is the standard date
marking maximum snowpack in the western US, because  the Colorado snowpack
usually increases through April, unlike many of the more western states.
September 30th precipitation is given because it is the end of the water year.

Some preliminary comments:
Measures of drought in Colorado would include any combination of many factors (duration
of below average snowpack (which is often more important than rainfall), annual
precipitation, areal extent, soil moisture pre-conditions, seasonality
of precipitation occurrence).  Drought indicies, such as the SPI and PDSI,
give a measure of drought severity by incorporating many such fators.
Other considerations of drought assesment include the relative porportion
of precipitation that was sequestered as snowpack.  For example when %SWE is less than %PPT, it
indicates factors other than lack of precipitation
are reducing the snowpack (warmer temperatures, lower
reltive humidity, higher ablation rates, etc).

In addition to the meteorological, or hydrological, approach to drought, there is also
the social, or adminstrative aspect.  For example, if 100% of the
water rights are used in a year, that defines a drought year to some water managers.
(This suggests that through devlopment and legislation, the state
could - may have already - legislatied itself into drought conditions even during
normal years).

The complex nature of drought, then, may explain the apparent contradictions
or quick "jumps" from  normal to drought conditions, particularly as reported
by the media.  Thus it may depend upon
who is evaluating the conditions, what their main concerns are, and whether they are
speaking meteorologically, or legislatively.

The past five years data is presented because of media reports of drought durations
this long in SW Colorado, and of up to four years for the rest of Colorado.
Notice that 2002 has many of the drought idicators: wide areal extent (the entire state),
low %SWE to %PPT ratio, and very low total precipitation.

A short summary:
1998: normal to above, especially snowpack, for entire state.
1999: above average annual precipitation statewide, but below average
      snowpack except for NE Colorado mountains (S. Platte, Larmie/N Platte).
2000: below average snowpack central and north, and much
      below in the south.
2001: above average to average snowpack and precipitation in south, and below in north.
2002: well below averge snowpack and precipitation statewide.


                2002              2001          2000            1999           1998
Basin         Apr30   9/30     Apr30  9/30     Apr30  9/30     Apr30  9/30     Apr30  9/30
            %SWE %PPT %PPT  %SWE %PPT %PPT  %SWE %PPT %PPT  %SWE %PPT %PPT  %SWE %PPT %PPT
Gunnison      22  63  64     78   87   87    58   78   85     94  98   111   130 106  94
Upper Colo    30  65  66     80   86   87    80   92   95     92  96   104   104  96  94
S. Platte     34  60  67     87   89   92    94   98   95    120  112  119   109  97  72
Lar/N Platte  48  69  67     74   87   80    92  100   98    100  104  102    92  92  95
Yampa/White   38  68  70     72   87   82    76   95   96     94  103  103   103 100  93
Arkansas      21  55  58     91   93   96    68   92   94     92  107  115   116 106 104
Up Rio Gr.     9  46  48    118  114   98    32   71   64     82  108  119   105 106  96
San M., Dolor. 8  48  52    100  108   96    46   72   71     82  105  124    99  96  95
San Juan, Animas

Sno Tel Data  Niwot Ridge, C-1
Snow Water Content (inches)
Values are for the end of given month
except as noted for May and June