After last weekend’s storm, snowpack across much of the basin saw a modest boost, especially in the northern and central Rockies, but overall levels are still running below average for late January. That means we’re gaining ground, but we’re not out of the woods yet.
Here in southwest Colorado and the Four Corners, basins like the Dolores and San Juan picked up some new snow, which is good news for spring runoff. That fresh snow helps protect soils, recharge streams, and build the natural “water savings account” we rely on for summer. But compared to a typical year, totals are still on the light side.
Major reservoirs like Lake Powell remain well below full, even as managers continue balancing water releases and storage to meet downstream needs.
The takeaway: this winter’s storms are helping, but we’ll need steady snowfall through February and March to improve outlooks for rivers, farms, and communities across the region. For now, it’s a watch-and-wait season in the Upper Colorado River Basin — and every storm still counts.
