Snowpack percentages decline in all river basins

BOZEMAN — Just when it seemed like the snowpack was on the right track to rebound from the dry December and January, March yielded substantially different weather patterns than the cold and wet conditions experienced during February.

Snowpack percentages on March 1 were at a high point for the year, boosted by well above normal snowfall leading to near to above normal snowpack for almost all Montana river basins. “Unfortunately, March weather started off on the opposite trajectory. Warm, dry air spilled into the state during the first week of the month and many mountain SNOTEL sites matched record daily average temperatures on March 5,” said Lucas Zukiewicz, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) water supply specialist for Montana. The weather patterns of the first week foreshadowed the weather patterns for the month. While seasonal temperatures returned for brief periods, monthly temperatures recorded at most mountain locations were above normal for March.

The Jefferson Basin had a snow water equivalent of 92% of the median for 1981-2010 in early April, according to the NRCS. Jefferson County was considered abnormally dry, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.