Snowpack at 69 percent of average

Mountain snowpack in the Flathead River Basin is 69 percent of average, according to Jan. 1 figures from the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service.

The Kootenai River Basin to the west has snowpack that is 88 percent of average.

Statewide, mountain snowpack is below average.

Jan. 1 represents about 45 percent of the expected seasonal snowfall, so more than half of the snowfall season remains.

“Although La Nina-like temperatures exist in the Pacific Ocean, weather patterns indicative of La Nina, which are typically wetter and colder than average, have been rare,” said Brian Domonkos, NRCS snow water supply specialist.

Generally, precipitation in Montana started off well in October, predominately in the form of rain, yielding to drier conditions in November and even drier during December, according to a news release from the conservation service. 

According to NRCS data, current overall conditions compare closely with the start of the water year two seasons ago, which remained dry until early spring 2010 when wetter-than-average conditions prevailed.

“To recover from the current snowpack deficit, winter precipitation would need to be near 120 percent of average prior to spring runoff,” Domonkos said.

Last season snowfall amounted to 170 percent of average through the end of the snowpack season due to above-average precipitation and below-average temperatures extending into early June.