LAS VEGAS ( KLAS ) — Snowpack that will feed the Colorado River this summer has reached 100% of normal levels for the first time in 2024, according to tracking by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation.
Atmospheric rivers this week have soaked Southern California, Southern Nevada and northern Utah. But another flow of moisture through Arizona and into Colorado has produced snow that has helped raise SWE (snow water equivalent) levels to 101% of normal.
Just a week ago, Bureau of Reclamation maps showed SWE levels at 85%. But it’s been a very good seven days for the Upper Colorado River Basin. Maps showing precipitation and SWE levels (compared to normal levels over the past 30 years) provide detailed information for nine areas within the region, along with an average for the entire basin (represented by the blue box):
Feb. 8, 2024: Upper Colorado River Basin
Snow levels are highest in southwest Colorado and southwest Utah — the Lower San Juan region — where SWE went from 102% of normal on Feb. 1 to 129% on Feb. 8. A look at changes for all the regions: