A Review of the 2003 Water Year in Colorado Nolan Doesken Colorado Climate Center, CSU
Mike Gillespie
Snow Survey Division, USDA, NRCS Prepared by Odie Bliss
http://ccc.atmos.colostate.edu http://www.co.nrcs.usda.gov/snow/
1
2
Departure from average, degree F
Water Year 2002 8
6
4
2
0
-2
-4
-6 Oct
Nov
Dec
Jan
Eastern Plains
Feb
Mar
Foothills
Apr
May
Mountains
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Western Valleys 3
2003 WY Temperature Departures Water Year 2003 10
Departure from average, degree F
8 6 4 2 0 -2 -4 -6 Oct
Nov
Dec
Jan
Eastern Plains
Feb
Mar
Foothills
Apr
May
Mountains
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Western Valleys
4
October 2002 % of Average
5
November 2002 % of Average
6
December 2002 % of Average
7
January 2003 % of Average
8
February 2003 % of Average
9
Blizzard of March 17-20, 2003
http://www.crh.noaa.gov/den/awebshtml/wfosnow.shtml
10
11
The disappearing fence
12
The disappearing fence
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The disappearing fence
14
The disappearing fence
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March 2003 % of Average
16
April 2003 % of Average
17
Winter (Oct 2002 – Apr 2003) % of Average
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April 1 Snowpack
http://www.co.nrcs.usda.gov/snow/data/getsnomap.html
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Colorado Snowpack for 2003 COLORADO SNOWPACK Summary for 2003 USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service JANUARY
FEBRUARY
MARCH
APRIL
MAY
JUNE
120 110 100
% OF AVERAGE
90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 Gunnison
Colorado
S. Platte
N. Platte
Yampa-White
Arkansas
Rio Grande
San Juan*
State
*Includes Animas, Dolores, San Miguel Basins
20
May 2003 % of Average
21
June 2003 % of Average
22
July 2003 % of Average
23
August 2003 % of Average
24
September 2003 % of Average
25
May-Sep 2003 Growing Season
26
2003 Water Year Precipitation
27
Fort Collins Daily Accumulated Precipitation for WY2002 and WY2003 Fort Collins Daily Accumulated Precipitation 25 WY2002
WY2003
Precipitation (inches)
20
15
10
5
0 Oct
Nov
Dec
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr Day
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
28
Joe Wright Snotel 60 SNOW WATER EQUIV.
Inches of Water
50
PRECIPITATION
AVERAGE SWE
AVERAGE PRECIP.
Joe Wright SNOTEL
40
30
20
Water Year 2003 10
0 OCT
NOV
DEC
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
29
Berthoud Summit Snotel 50
SNOW WATER EQUIV.
PRECIPITATION
AVERAGE SWE
AVERAGE PRECIP.
45 40
Berthoud Summit SNOTEL
Inches of Water
35 30 25 20
Water Year 2003
15 10 5 0 OCT
OCT
NOV
DEC
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
30
Wolf Creek Summit Snotel 60 SNOW WATER EQUIV.
Inches of Water
50
PRECIPITATION
AVERAGE SWE
AVERAGE PRECIP.
Wolf Creek Summit SNOTEL
40
30 Water Year 2003
20
10
0 OCT
NOV
DEC
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
31
Cache La Poudre River Streamflow 3500
Cache La Poudre River at Mouth of Canyon Discharge, (1000 CFS)
3000
2003 Discharge
Mean Discharge
2500 2000 1500 1000 500 0 OCT
NOV
DEC
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
32
Colorado River Streamflow 12000
Colorado River near Dotsero, CO Discharge (1000 CFS)
10000
2003 Discharge
Mean Discharge
8000
6000
4000
2000
0 OCT
NOV
DEC
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
33
Animas River Streamflow 5000 4500 4000
Animas River at Durango, CO
Discharge, (1000 CFS)
2003 Discharge
Mean Discharge
3500 3000 2500 2000 1500 1000 500 0 OCT
NOV
DEC
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
34
Streamflow for 2003 vs. Average 700
Acre Feet (Thousands)
600
2003
Average
500 400 300 200 100 0 G
e
oir
e
e
nd ra
r ud Po
o Ri
at rg Pu
r ylo
as
gle Ea
Ta
im An
pa m Ya
35
2002 Streamflows for Selected Basins 700
Acre Feet (Thousands)
600
2002
Average
500 400 300 200 100 0
G
e
oir
e
e
nd ra
r ud Po
o Ri
at rg Pu
r ylo
as
gle Ea
Ta
im An
pa m Ya
36
Reservoir Storage by Basin for Oct 1, 2003 100 90
October 1, 2003
Percent of Average
80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 Statewide
Gunnison
Colorado
South Platte
Arkansas
Rio Grande
San Juan*
*includes the Animas and Dolores basins
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Reservoir Storage by Basin For Oct. 1, 2002 100 90
October 1, 2002
Percent of Average
80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 Statewide
Gunnison
Colorado
South Platte
Arkansas
Rio Grande
San Juan* 38 *includes the Animas and Dolores basins
Colorado Reservoir Storage Colorado Statewide Reservoir Levels on October 1st for Years 1997-2003 and Mar 1, 2004 140
133
130 122
Percent of Average
120 100
100
93
80
74
78
60 48
40 20 0 Oct 1. 1997
Oct 1. 1998
Oct 1. 1999
Oct 1. 2000
Provisional Data Provided by NRCS
Oct 1. 2001
Oct 1. 2002
Oct 1. 2003
Mar 1. 2004
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April 1 Snowpack History APRIL 1 SNOWPACK COLORADO STATEWIDE 160 148 146
140
130
112 114
114 109
Percent of Average
126
120
119
120
109 104
100
127
126
106
95
105
104104
99
97
87
91 93
85 87
80
90
89 84
94 87
74 65 59
60
52 46
40 20 0 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03
Year
40
Colorado Climate Center
Colorado State University
• Data and Power Point Presentations available for downloading
• http://ccc.atmos.colostate.edu click on “Drought” then click on “Presentations”
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