All Eyes On Potential Weekend Storm As Colorado Snowpack Continues To Drop
DENVER (CBS4) - The latest numbers from the SNOTEL network continue to show a declining snowpack across Colorado despite the recent weekend snow.
That might be a hard concept to understand, but snowpack is slow to respond to rapid changes in temperature.
Even though we cooled down significantly this past weekend, the process of melting from several days of near record temperatures was still talking place as the new snow was accumulating.
That means in a place like the South Platte River basin, where the bulk of the snow fell, the processes of melting and accumulation basically cancelled each other out.
As of Feb. 17 the state is sitting at 79 percent of the median which is down two percent in less than a week.
Southwest Colorado continues to have the most need for snow followed by river basins in the northwest.
Here are the differences in snowpack for each of the eight major river basins between Feb. 12 and 17.
- Yampa/White River Basin - Down 4 percent
- North Platte River Basin - Down 3 percent
- Colorado River Basin - Down 2 percent
- South Platte River Basin - Up 1 percent
- Gunnison River Basin - Down 2 percent
- Arkansas River Basin - Down 1 percent
- San Juan/Dolores River Basin - Down 3 percent
- Upper Rio Grande River Basin - Down 1 percent
- Statewide - Down 2 percent
All eyes are on the upcoming weekend as many forecast models show a cold and unsettled pattern developing, with the potential for snow just about statewide.
(credit: NCAR)
The graph above is a snapshot from the Global Forecast Systems model showing potential precipitation at 5 p.m. on Sat, Feb. 21.
It's indicating the possibility of widespread snow, even in the dry river basins of southwest Colorado.
In the short-term, a warming trend is in store for Wednesday and Thursday before big changes arrive late Friday.
Stay with CBS4 and the Colorado Weather Center for the latest as we track this developing weather situation.
(credit: CBS)
Meteorologist Chris Spears writes about stories related to weather and climate in Colorado. Check out his bio or follow him on Twitter @ChrisCBS4.
