At present’s snowstorm dropped somewhat snow within the Denver Metro, however considerably extra within the mountains. What does that snowpack imply for Denver’s water provide?
DENVER — The snow has lastly made its option to Denver. At Denver Worldwide Airport, .03 inches had been measured.
The mountains expect just a few toes of snow from the storm that was anticipated to complete Friday evening. That mountain snowfall might contribute to snowpack. Snowpack is the snow that sits on the bottom within the mountains till hotter climate melts it away.
Virtually all of Denver’s water comes from mountain snowmelt, mentioned College of Colorado Boulder’s Director of Western Slope Water Evaluation, Ben Livneh.
Livneh says observers don’t measure the snow by depth or inches. As an alternative, it’s measured by precipitation.
“So precipitation that falls between, say, October and April. We actually do not see any of that within the river or in our reservoirs till later in the summertime,” Livneh mentioned.
Friday’s snowfall wasn’t important, but it surely’s a begin for the Mile Excessive Metropolis.
“We in all probability solely acquired about an inch of water, which is finally what comes into the reservoirs and the stuff that we find yourself utilizing,” Livneh mentioned.
Snow observers say this 12 months’s drought is creating quite a lot of challenges for the longer term.
“We actually do want an enormous snow 12 months and we in all probability want just a few huge snow years to essentially make a dent into issues,” Livneh mentioned.
For this reason the winter months are important for Denver with a view to present a constant water provide for residents.
“All of our snow observing stations are nonetheless lagging beneath the place we usually are this time of 12 months. So regardless that we’re beneath common, I feel this snow occasion actually strikes us in the fitting path,” Livneh mentioned.
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