HydroStatus

Upper Colorado snowpack today

Snow water equivalent (SWE) and water-year precipitation at the 136 NRCS SNOTEL stations in the Upper Colorado River Basin, the mountains that drain into Lake Powell. As of Oct 29, 2026, day 29 of water year 2027.

Snow water equivalent
84%
of the 1991–2020 median for this date · 53% of average
Basin-average SWE
0.41 in
median 0.49 in · average 0.78 in
Water-year precipitation
189%
of average since Oct 1 · 4.46 in vs. 2.37 in
Toward the normal peak
3%
of the average peak, 15.32 in around Apr 3
Stations reporting
135 of 136
average elevation 9,597 ft

This water year against the normals

Water year 2027Water year 20261991–2020 median1991–2020 average
0 5 10 15 OctNovDecJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSep normal peak, Apr 3
Basin-average snow water equivalent in inches, October through September, for every station reporting each day (135 stations this year), against the 1991–2020 median and average of the same stations.

By river basin

The eight sub-basins (USGS HUC-4 subregions) that drain into Lake Powell. Click a basin for its chart, stations and peak-snowpack history. Snow water equivalent and precipitation in inches.

BasinSitesElev (ft) SWEMedian% medAvg% avg Precip% avgNormal peak% of peak
Colorado Headwaters 30 of 30 10,089 0.36 0.78 46% 0.97 37% 2.07 91% 16.03 · Apr 6 2%
Duchesne-Lower Green 24 of 24 9,165 0.11 0.29 40% 0.62 18% 5.49 237% 12.21 · Mar 30 1%
Upper Green 20 of 21 8,948 0.15 0.54 28% 0.73 21% 2.66 136% 14.83 · Apr 8 1%
San Juan 17 of 17 10,030 1.28 0.49 263% 0.9 142% 9.32 332% 16.93 · Mar 13 8%
Yampa-White 16 of 16 9,044 0.14 0.51 28% 0.92 16% 2.69 96% 20.49 · Apr 3 1%
Gunnison 11 of 11 10,140 1.02 0.48 213% 0.71 144% 6.06 265% 15.15 · Apr 3 7%
Dolores-San Miguel 10 of 10 10,132 0.12 0.07 175% 0.45 26% 7.66 311% 14.23 · Mar 29 1%
Dirty Devil-Fremont 7 of 7 9,427 0.15 0.05 300% 0.33 46% 4.27 234% 9.22 · Mar 14 2%
Upper Colorado 135 of 136 9,597 0.410.4984% 0.7853% 4.46189% 15.32 · Apr 33%

A dash in a percent column means the 1991–2020 normal is zero for this date (snow-free at most stations), so no percentage is possible. Every figure averages the stations reporting within the last 3 days; percent of normal is the sum of their readings over the sum of their normals, the NRCS convention.

Every station, mapped

Snow water equivalent, percent of 1991–2020 median: under 50%50–90%90–110%110–150%over 150% median is zero today not reporting

Hover a dot for the station's reading; click for its page. Basemap: USGS The National Map.

Water-year precipitation

Water year 2027Water year 20261991–2020 average
0 10 20 30 OctNovDecJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSep
Basin-average precipitation accumulated since October 1, in inches, against the 1991–2020 average. SNOTEL precipitation gauges count rain and snow together.

Peak snowpack by water year

Since 1981 the basin-average snowpack has peaked as high as 24.07 in (Apr 13, 1997) and as low as 8.53 in (Mar 7, 2026). The 1991–2020 average peak is 15.32 in around Apr 3.

Water yearPeak SWE (in)Peak date% of normal peakApril 1 SWE (in)Stations
2027 (to date) 0.45 Oct 25 3% — 135
2026 8.53 Mar 7 56% 4.08 136
2025 13.19 Mar 22 86% 12.61 136
2024 16.49 Apr 1 108% 16.49 134
2023 23.77 Apr 6 155% 23.16 133
2022 13.26 Mar 22 87% 12.9 133
2021 13.1 Mar 28 86% 12.94 133
2020 16.16 Mar 31 106% 16.07 131
2019 20.19 Apr 3 132% 20.03 132
2018 10.75 Mar 29 70% 10.44 132
2017 19.13 Mar 9 125% 17.59 132
2016 14.41 Mar 31 94% 14.4 132
2015 11.4 Mar 7 74% 8.88 131
2014 17.04 Apr 7 111% 16.54 129
2013 12.72 Apr 20 83% 11.06 129
2012 11.7 Mar 8 76% 8.56 126
2011 22.15 May 1 145% 19.84 119
2010 15.63 Apr 7 102% 14.31 115
2009 18.61 Apr 17 122% 16.83 113
2008 21.98 Apr 12 144% 20.31 106
2007 12.4 Mar 11 81% 11.63 106
2006 18.75 Apr 7 122% 18.2 104
2005 20.31 Apr 1 133% 20.31 104
2004 14.27 Mar 8 93% 11.71 103
2003 15.47 Apr 8 101% 14.89 101
2002 10.88 Mar 26 71% 9.9 99
2001 15.8 Apr 14 103% 13.71 98
2000 15.84 Apr 3 103% 15.72 97
1999 15.9 May 5 104% 13.26 97
1998 18.49 Apr 18 121% 16.21 96
1997 24.07 Apr 13 157% 21.81 95
1996 19.2 Mar 31 125% 19.11 95
1995 21.22 May 8 139% 19.11 95
1994 14.57 Apr 11 95% 13.19 94
1993 23.78 Apr 19 155% 21.78 92
1992 13.79 Mar 31 90% 13.75 92
1991 15.26 Apr 1 100% 15.26 92
1990 12.52 Mar 30 82% 12.44 91
1989 16.91 Apr 4 110% 16.23 90
1988 14.55 Apr 1 95% 14.55 88
1987 15.52 Apr 12 101% 15.29 88
1986 21.68 Apr 18 142% 20.51 88
1985 18.32 Apr 1 120% 18.32 74
1984 23.97 May 6 157% 20.98 57
1983 23.39 May 3 153% 20.37 57
1982 22.94 Apr 11 150% 21.81 58
1981 11.61 Apr 8 76% 10.7 57

Peak of the basin-average daily SWE over the stations with data that year. Fewer stations existed in the early years, so early peaks are averages of a smaller, somewhat different set of sites; the station count is shown for that reason.

Sources and definitions

Data: NRCS National Water and Climate Center Air-Water Database (AWDB) REST API, daily SNOTEL values and 1991–2020 daily medians and averages, pulled nightly. Station roster: active SNTL stations with official huc starting '14' (winter_snotel_roster.json). All current-year values are provisional and subject to NRCS revision. See also the winter outlook for what this snowpack means for Lake Powell's April–July inflow, and data & methodology.