News - Local
Colorado snowpack at 86 percent of average on Jan. 1
Posted: Jan 6, 2010 7:31 AM by Associated Press
The snowpack in the Colorado mountains was 86 percent of the long-term average on Jan. 1.
The federal Snow Survey Office for Colorado reported Tuesday the snowpack in the state's eight major river basins ranged from 74 percent in the northwest corner of Colorado to 97 percent in the southwest.
The two east-flowing river basins that supply water to much of the populous Front Range were each at 90 percent or better.
The measurements represent the amount of water stored in the snow compared with the average from 1971 to 2000.
The totals are closely watched because they help predict how much spring runoff will be available for agriculture and municipal water systems in Colorado and several downstream states.
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