Niwot Ridge LTER Snow Report for Jan 2008
Greetings!

The weather at Niwot Ridge this January has been dominated by zonal airflow and orographic snowfall. Hand measurements made at Niwot Ridge C-1 on January 31st, 2008 show 7.4 inches of snow water equivalent (SWE) for 93% of the average hand measurements, and a snow depth of 29.6 inches. SNOTEL is reporting 7.2 inches of SWE for 92% of average. The Niwot Ridge road and trails are all snow covered. Consistent light snowfall has made for nice skiing.

The ENSO Diagnostic Discussion issued by the NOAA Climate Prediction Center/NCEP predicts that the current moderate La Nina conditions will continue into the spring of 2008, with expected above average precipitation in the Northern Rockies, and Pacific Northwest. Current snowpack conditions agree with the above expected La Nina impacts.

The Colorado snowpack is above average as of the end of this month(130% SWE, 125% PPT). The South Platte River Basin has both the lowest percent of average SWE and the lowest percent of average precipitation (97% SWE, 99% PPT). The Upper Rio Grande Basin has the highest percent of average SWE and the highest percent of average precipitation (169% SWE, 153 %PPT).

Across the West, the current snowpack is good. Arizona has the highest percent of average SWE and the highest percent of cumulative precipitation (157%SWE, 150%). Nevada, Wyoming, and Montana are the only states with below average SWE (92%, 94%, and 99% respectively). The California Great Basin Sites, Washington and Montana are the only states with below average cumulative precipitation (88%, 96%, and 99%).

Until next month

Cheers

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	14.375	15.25	16.75		
07/2008 5.45	7.375

Average	5.56	7.96	10.37	13.01	13.13