COLORADO (KOAA) — As we track more record heat today in southern Colorado, our snowpack is already suffering from last week's warmth.
After peaking on March 9 at only 8.5 inches of liquid water, Colorado's snowpack is in freefall. The snowpack is down more than 2.5 inches of water equivalent in a week. There is no precedent for a drop like this at this point in March. On average, Colorado has nine more inches of water in the snowpack today. The prior daily record low is more than 3" above where we stand today.
Last week, the state was already in very bad shape, but most basins were above half of average. However, last week's heatwave was crushing. All southern basins, including the local Arkansas basin, are now in the 20th percentile range compared to average. There is really not much snow left in these basins.
Along with seeing the lowest ever peak snowpack, we are now in the peak of a second heatwave, which will cause further declines. This means we are watching the potential to see the earliest ever full melt off. Currently, the earliest melt date is between June 4th and June 5th according to data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).
An increasing amount of the state is experiencing drought. Only about 15 percent of the state is drought-free, and that number is dropping weekly.
We are likely to see a temporary pattern change as we begin April with a more active storm track bringing in rain and snow. But even if we do get some snow in April, a higher sun angle and warmer temperatures will make it hard for this snow to stick around.
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