A fair number of Western river basins have benefitted from this season’s El Nino conditions when viewed through the (crucial) lens of accumulating snowpack. SWE (snow water equivalents) for western basins as of this morning look almost reasonable for this time of year…
Western basin snowpack (percentage to median) is only updated monthly, yet again looks pretty reasonable for 1 February…
Honing in on Montana’s Water Status
Taking a tighter look at Montana and the part of the Greater Yellowstone region, SWE data as of this morning is passably skimpy, and remember strong El Nino springs have historically been drier than average and that could portend lower flows down the road…
Looking at the Water Year by basin looks a tad better, but it’s way too early to stop doing your snow dance at least once a week.
Latest NWS spin on the El Nino conditions here.
