NOAA Water Supply Report

The December water report is out from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration...

Wyoming Water Supply Synopsis:

…Wyoming December precipitation was nearly 140 percent of average...

...Current water year precipitation is averaging near 100 percent of normal across Wyoming…

…Mountain snowpack across Wyoming is 100 to 110 percent of average...

…Near normal snowmelt streamflow volumes are expected across major basins in Wyoming...

…Wyoming reservoir storages are 100 to 105 percent of average for January…

December precipitation totals across Wyoming were nearly 140 percent of average. Precipitation numbers varied between 200 percent of normal over the Big Horn River Basin to near 85 percent of normal over the Upper Bear Drainage (Southwest Wyoming). Current water year (October-December 2014) precipitation across Wyoming is nearly 100 percent of average.

Mountain snowpack across Wyoming was 100 to 105 percent of normal by early January. Snowpack "water" numbers and/or SWEs were the highest across basins west of the continental divide—varying between 115 to 140 percent of median. SWEs across basins east of the continental divide varied 85 to 110 percent of median.

Near normal (90 to 105 percent) snowmelt streamflow volumes are expected across almost all major basins across Wyoming. Above average streamflow volumes are expected across the Powder River Watershed as well as portions of the Shoshone River Drainage. The Sweetwater River Basin as well as lower portions of the Wind River Watershed are forecasted to have below normal streamflow volumes during the upcoming snowmelt season.

Reservoirs storages across Wyoming are slightly above average for January.