Winter leaves snowpacks in good shape

SNOTEL sites track snow-water conditions in watersheds

Elizabeth Larson
Capital Press Staff Writer

March 9, 2007

There have been concerns around certain parts of the West that 2007 was going to be a much drier year, but a look at the snowpack levels across four Western states shows that, while lower than last year in some areas, snow levels overall aren't down significantly.

The Natural Resources Conservation Service tracks snowpack and water levels for many of the Western states.

For anyone interested in weather and maps, the Natural Resources Conservation Service has an array of reports on snow, precipitation and temperature, updated on a daily basis.

Phil Pasteris, supervisory physical scientist and branch leader of the agency's water and climate services division, helped explain some of the reports and their comparisons.

He said this year hasn't been as wet as last, but in states like Oregon, Pasteris pointed out that water basins are looking pretty healthy.

The agency's SNOTEL reports show that, in Oregon, most of the water basins along the Cascades are around 100 to 120 percent of normal for snow-water equivalent, while to the east, especially around the Middle Columbia and John Day areas, snow-water equivalents are in the 60 to 80 percent range and below.

Those levels are definitely lower than last year's, when SNOTEL reported that all the state's water basins were at least 100 percent of average.

There's been particular concern in California this year for water, after a dry winter, followed by a freeze, and then storms that didn't necessarily hit all parts of the state.

Conditions in California this year form a sharp contrast to last year, when most of California's water basins reported snowpacks at, in most cases, well above average.

Snow-water equivalent maps generated by NRCS show that most basins are hovering between 40 and 80 percent of average, far below where they were last year.

California's Department of Water Resources reported March 2 that the state's snowpack water content had risen to 65 percent of average, after dropping to 40 percent in February. In January, the state snowpack measured 59 percent of normal.

This year's snowpack averages have been well-below normal, but state hydrologists have tried to calm concerns about the D-word - "drought" - by reminding people that the state's reservoirs are filled and that the past two wet years have created a cushion of sorts in terms of water supply.

Idaho is also noting less snow-water equivalent in its snowpack this year than last.

The majority of Idaho's water basins are in the 60 to 80 percent of normal level, with some northern basins reportedly closer to 100 percent. Some basins, such as Owyhee and Little Wood, reportedly have about the snowpack now as they did at this point last year.

As far as snow-water levels go, the healthiest of the four states appears to be Washington. Most of its basins report levels between 100 and 120 percent of normal, with some areas near Seattle as high as 140 to 160 percent of average for snow-water equivalent. Those numbers are slightly better than Washington's 2006 statistics.

The SNOTEL reports are handy and interesting tools for anyone interested in weather and water supply. Check them out online by visiting www.wcc.nrcs.usda.gov. From there, go to the left-hand column and click on "SNOTEL Data," which will take users to a small map of Western states. By clicking on a state, users can access specific snow-measuring stations.

For SNOTEL comparison reports, from the www.wcc.nrcs.usda.gov site, click on "New GIS State Maps," which will take users to another window; from there, click on "Snow." The next page to pop up will allow users to choose a state, and a map of water basins and snow-water levels, updated daily, will pop up.

For California residents interested in daily snowpack measurements, visit the Department of Water Resources site at cdec.water.ca.gov/cgi-progs/reports/DLYSWEQ.html.

Elizabeth Larson is based in Lucerne, Calif. Her e-mail address is elarson@capitalpress.com