Colorado Snowpack Levels to Get a Much-Needed Boost Thanks to Spring Storm

The calendar may be flipping to May, but it still feels like winter for some of the nation's higher terrain. A late-season snowstorm is going to produce significant snow across the Colorado Rockies by the end of the week. Read on for a closer look at the incoming winter weather maker.

Spring Snow Will Boost Unseasonably Low Snowpack Levels in the Rockies

A spring snow event is going to dump much-needed snow across a large swath of the Rocky Mountains in Colorado. The late-season snow will help to boost the region's lagging snowpack levels following an abnormally dry winter for much of the interior West. The snow machine will fire up as cold air diving down from Canada meets up with a surge of moisture coming in from the Pacific Ocean.

The snowflakes will be confined to the top elevations of the region. Lower elevation cities such as Denver will escape with cold rain. The foothills and mid-level terrain in Colorado are forecast to see a mix of rain and snow.

The top ridges and peaks in the region are likely to see 6 to 12 inches of fresh snow from this system. This is the time of the year when any accumulation is beneficial. Rising temperatures in the spring and early summer melt the existing snowpack, sending water down into the streams and rivers heading into the dry season.

Much of the interior West experienced a severe snow drought this winter. Climatologists have been warning for months that the lack of snow will result in exceptionally low water levels across the Colorado River as the summer progresses.

How dry has it been in the mountains? Aspen, Colorado, has only picked up 29% of its usual seasonal snowfall to date. In the northern part of the state, Steamboat Springs has recorded less than 50% of its average by this time in the season.

On the other side of the Rockies, Denver is also dealing with a snow drought. The Mile High City is measuring less than 60% of its average snowfall to date.

Lake Mead is also dealing with low water levels. Located on the border of Arizona and Nevada, this lake's water levels and the hydroelectric output at nearby Hoover Dam are falling to near the lowest levels seen since the 1930s. This is notable as many agricultural interests in the Great Basin region rely on the water from the Colorado River.

The Great Basin will now need to count on the moisture associated with the North American monsoon season to help mitigate the winter snow deficits. The monsoonal rain typically moves into the Southwest and beyond later in the summer as tropical moisture and humid air coming up from the Pacific fuels the development of thunderstorms. Unfortunately, this precipitation stream is highly unpredictable and localized, meaning that it is not a sure thing.