(C) Daily Montanan This story was originally published by Daily Montanan and is unaltered. . . . . . . . . . . Snowpack at record-low levels to start 2024 across much of Montana – Daily Montanan [1] ['Blair Miller', 'More From Author', '- January'] Date: 2024-01-10 Snowpack in many areas of Montana is at record-low levels to start 2024, and above normal precipitation is needed through the rest of the winter in order to get the state back in line with median levels, according to state and federal forecasters. The statewide snowpack sat at 4.7 inches of snow water equivalent as of Wednesday, which is 0.8 inches below the lowest average snowpack seen since 1991 statewide, according to data from the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service. That is also more than 3 inches below the median snowpack for Jan. 10 since 1991. While a multi-day blast of Arctic air will bring below-zero temperatures across the state for the next several days, and a few inches of snow, particularly in western Montana, forecasters said in a report released on Jan. 1 that most mountain ranges’ snowpack was only about 30 to 60% of normal for this time of year, and an ongoing lack of precipitation could have dire consequences for the ski industry this winter and water supply moving into the summer. “There are 3-4 months remaining in the normal snowpack accumulation season. Current snow water equivalent deficits are generally about 2-4 inches below normal, with several upper elevation locations in Montana having deficits of about 7-9 inches,” forecasters wrote in the monthly Montana Water Supply Outlook Report produced by NRCS. “It would take a major change in what the last couple months brought for weather, but the current deficit could be recovered in a couple large storms.” While 92% of Western data sites that measure snow were below median levels as of last weekend, Montana, northern Wyoming and parts of Idaho have seen the worst of it so far. “Very little precipitation fell over the past 30 days, and temperatures were 3-8 °F above normal. At lower-elevation stations, what little snow was present melted during the long stretch of dry and warm weather,” NOAA forecasters said in a report released Wednesday. “Significant snowfall is in the forecast over the next week, which will help to improve conditions but likely will not erase the seasonal deficits.” In the Jan. 1 report, forecasters noted that Montana has seen other years that had low snowpacks to start January, most recently in 2016 and 2017. The report noted that in 2017, the southwest Montana snowpack recovered by the spring because of record-high snowfall in February. But they cautioned that 2017 seemed like a bit of an outlier. “The snowpack wasn’t quite as low as it currently is and to rely on record high precipitation isn’t ideal,” the forecasters wrote. “Winter weather needs to arrive soon so the snowpack can recover. The further winter progresses with below normal precipitation, the harder it will become to make up from a snowpack deficit.” After a cold and heavy snowstorm in October hit most of the western half of Montana, temperatures have been above normal and precipitation below normal in the months since, except for a wet bout in northwest Montana in November and December. While east of the Continental Divide, the river basins have held onto the snow from the October storm, most of the areas west of the Divide were not so lucky. “Currently 14 low-elevation SNOTEL sites and Snow Courses are snow free in Montana and its northern Wyoming river basins and about 110 are reporting their lowest snowpack or second lowest snowpack on record,” NRCS forecasters wrote in the Jan. 1 report. Soil moistures are at or below normal in most of Montana as well, and nearly all of the state west of the Continental Divide is now experiencing moderate drought conditions. This winter’s El Niño has performed about as expected in Montana, with above-average temperatures and below-normal precipitation so far. The Climate Prediction Center is forecasting below-to-nearly normal temperatures and normal precipitation for the next 1-2 weeks, before warming back up in the 3-4 week outlook. “Needless to say, seasonally normal temperatures and well above normal precipitation would be welcomed across the entire region,” forecasters said earlier this month. Meanwhile, several Montana ski areas, including Discovery and Showdown, have been partnering with other local ski areas that do not have enough snow to open to allow passholders to come ski at their mountains until the snow starts falling. In addition to the winter recreation that brings in millions to Montana each year, this winter’s snowpack is likely to have major ramifications on drought that has plagued western Montana in recent years as well as on water levels and temperatures in Montana’s river basins. That is particularly the case in the Jefferson basin, where studies are underway to figure out why trout are dying in record numbers and streamflows have been lower than normal, and in northwest Montana, where a fast-melting snowpack led to record low levels at Flathead Lake this year and political turmoil. [END] --- [1] Url: https://dailymontanan.com/2024/01/10/snowpack-at-record-low-levels-to-start-2024-across-much-of-montana/ Published and (C) by Daily Montanan Content appears here under this condition or license: Creative Commons CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. via Magical.Fish Gopher News Feeds: gopher://magical.fish/1/feeds/news/montanan/