Snowpack levels in Summit County remain above normal, outpacing the past five seasons, as there is slightly more than a month before snow levels typically peak and begin to melt off, according to data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
The Blue River Basin, which encompasses all of Summit County, is currently sitting at 122% of the 30-year median for snow-water equivalent, which is a snowpack measurement that quantifies how much liquid water is trapped in the snowpack. The 30-year median is used to describe what normal snowpack levels look like across the state.
The Blue River Basin has just more than 15 inches of liquid water trapped in its snowpack, and the basin typically reaches 17 inches of snow-water equivalent before the graph typically peaks around April 16. During the 2023-24 and 2022-23 seasons, the basin held about 13 inches of snow-water equivalent on March 10 before reaching 17 inches of snow-water equivalent right around April 16.
The 2021-22 season brought snowpack levels that closely mirrored the 30-year median at 12.5 inches of snow-water equivalent around March 10, and the 2020-21 season failed to ever go above the 30-year median, while the 2019-20 season was just shy of this year's snowpack level.
In the 2018-19 season, snowpack levels surged to around 21 inches of snow-water equivalent, the highest level for the basin on March 10 in the past decade.
Summit County's snowpack is currently outpacing the normal snow levels statewide by a wide margin. Colorado's snowpack is currently 90% of normal at 12.5 inches of snow-water equivalent while last year the state was right around the 30-year median of 14 inches of snow-water equivalent.
Snowpack levels are essential to the environment, economy, public safety and outdoor recreation. The levels often determine the length of rafting seasons, fish health, drought resiliency, water quality, restrictions on water use and moisture levels of plants, which determines fire dangers.
With multiple storms predicted for the second week of March, much of Colorado should see a boost in their snowpack levels, according to forecasts from local meteorologists.
The National Weather Service is predicting snow showers Thursday through Sunday for Summit County, although snow total expectations were not released as of Monday. Meteorologists at OpenSnow.com say northern mountains, like those in Summit County, should begin to see snowfall Wednesday that lasts until Sunday evening, with totals hitting above a foot by Sunday night.
OpenSnow founder and lead meteorologist Joel Gratz wrote in his daily blog that Summit County should see significant snow beginning to fall Friday throughout the day, between 3-5 inches total, before additional snow accumulates Saturday into Sunday morning.
"Total snow from Thursday through Sunday should be 10-20+ inches in the southern and the south-central mountains and likely 6-12+ inches in the north-central mountains and the northern mountains," Gratz wrote.
Snow could linger into Monday before another system arrives between March 18 and 19, though details are limited.
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