Current Theme: Waterworks
	Snowpack report - Niwot Ridge - December, 2002 Mark Losleben - CU INSTAAR Research Staff

The following snowpack conditions on Niwot Ridge have been reported by Mark Losleben for December, 2002. Select here for more information about these snowpack reports

After several preliminary, and promising, snow reports, this is the first regularly sceduled snowpack report from C1, Niwot Ridge. It is very different from the earlier preliminary reports, unfortunately, but holding with anticipated (by some, anyway) El Nino type winters here on the Front Range - snowy to start and end, and dry in between.

We did start out with a snowy October and November, but we are still skiing on that snow now at the end of December. The December storms tended to be westerly, which is more benefitial to the west slope of Colorado than the Front Range. This is reflected in the basin-by-basin reports with the Upper Colorado and Gunnison basins having the highest snowpack (by percent of average) in the state. They are at 91% of average. The Upper Rio Grande has the lowest at 70%. The snowpack to cummulative winter precipitation ratios are about average, meaning there is not a climatic problem (ie. abnormally warm temperatures or other snowpack melting problems). This ratio is most out of kilter in the S. Platte basin, where snowpack is 74% of average, and the cummulative precipitation is 87%, meaning more snow has fallen than is in the snowpack compared to usual.

C1 conditions on December 31, 2002: 4.0 inches water equivalent in the snowpack (SWE) which is 71% of my 1981 to present average, and it is 16.6 inches deep. This matches very well with the SnoTel measurement of 3.8" and 73% respectively.

Until next month, hoping for fresher skiing conditions, and a Happy New Year!

The hand measured record follows.


                      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    12.0   (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     7.0     10.125   16.75    17.0  (22nd)  12.375  (13th) 
                                                            19.75 (30th)
      95/96    7.50     12.00    17.5     20.375   18.75     6.125 (15th)
      96/97    8.75     12.625   15.125   14.625   20.375   18.0   (15th)
      97/98    7.0625   10.0     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   10.00     9.125
      01/2002  2.625    4.25      6.19     7.563    0.0
      02/2003  4.00 

     Average   5.554    8.103    10.479   13.027    13.363