Niwot Ridge LTER Snow Report for Jan 2007
Niwot Ridge LTER Snow Report for January 31st, 2007

Cold & Snowy Greetings! The snowpack at Niwot Ridge (C1) for the end of January is good. The snow has continued to accumulate at Niwot Ridge; however, Statewide the snowfall has slowed down, and the Percent of Average SWE has dropped from 100% of average SWE at the end of December to 88% of average SWE at the end of January. Across the West, Arizona and New Mexico are the only states which increased their Percent of Average SWE.

Hand measurements made on January 31st, 2007 show 11.5 inches of Snow Water Equivalent (SWE) for 144% of the 1982-2007 average hand measurements, and a snow depth of 43 inches. This is the 4th highest end of January SWE measurement in the record. SNOTEL is reporting 11.1 inches of SWE for 144% of average.

The South Platte River Basin is at 112% of average SWE, and 114% of average total accumulated precipitation. State wide the Arkansas River Basin has the highest percent of average SWE; the Yampa and White River Basins have the lowest percent of average SWE (118%, 68% respectively). The Upper Rio Grande Basin has the highest percent of average total accumulated precipitation; the Yampa and White River Basins also has the lowest percent of average total accumulated precipitation (116%, 81%).

Across the West, Washington is the only state with above average Percent SWE and above average Percent Accumulated Precipitation (120% SWE, 118% Accum Precip). New Mexico is the only other state with above average percent SWE (103%). The California Great Basin sites and Nevada have the lowest percent of average SWE (40%, 48%). Arizona has the lowest percent of accumulated precipitation followed by the California Great Basin sites (51%, 66%). The Snowpack Index (SI) is greater than one in Arizona, New Mexico, Washington, the Arkansas River Basin, and the Lower Colorado River Basin, and less than one through out the rest of the Western US.

Until next month

Kurt

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

Season	Dec	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May		Jun	
81/82	4.75	10.5	11.75	15.5	14.9	12	(17th)		
82/83	3.63		4.75	12.75	17	11.75	(30th)		
83/84	12.6	13.25	15	18.9	20.75				
84/85	3.75	6.25	8.5	10.25	8.75				
85/86	6.5	7.5	14	15.38	17.5				
86/87	6.25	8.75	11.25	12.75	11.75				
87/88	6.5	9.1	12.4	15.75	14.5				
88/89	5.5	7.6	11	10.25	5.6				
89/90	6.5	9.25	10.75	16.1	16.5				
90/91	3	5	7.1	9.38	10				
91/92	6.65	6.75	8.5	12.25	10.25				
92/93	5.75	6.75	10.75	14	15.875				
93/94	7.125	9.063	12.25	13.25	13.25	2.5	(18th)		
94/95	2.625	3.925	7	10.125	16.75	17	(22nd)	12.375(13th)	19.75(30th)
95/96	7.5	12	17.5	20.375	18.75	6.125	(15th)		
96/97	8.75	12.625	15.125	14.625	20.375	18	(15th)
97/98	7.0625	10	10.125	12.875	17.25	12.875	(15th)
98/99	3.25	6.625	8.375	9.125	14.125	14.25	(15th)
99/2000	3.5	7.5	10.625	12.375	7.625		
00/2001	4.375	5.375	7.125	10	9.125		
01/2002	2.625	4.25	6.19	7.563	0		
02/2003	4	5.25	8.5	16.75	14.375	11.44	(15th)
03/2004	2.75	4.813	7.75	7.875	10.125	3.69	(14th)
04/2005	4.875	7.7	9.5	11.625	12.875	12.25	(15th)
05/2006	5.625	8.375	9.5	13.25	6.75	0.875	(15th)
06/2007	9.25	11.5					

Average	5.57	7.99	10.21	12.92	12.99