Even Before Recent Snow, Snowpack Is Good in Montana

It's a snowy weekend in Montana, but a day before the current storm, the Natural Resources Conservation Service released an already good-looking February 1st snow survey. Water supply specialist Lucas Zukiewicz reported near 100 percent snow water equivalent throughout Montana with 93 percent of average in the Bitterroot drainage and 100 percent in both the Upper and Lower Clark Fork. Northwest Montana had even better results with 109 percent on the Flathead and 112 percent on the Kootenai. Meanwhile East of the Divide the snowpack was 103 percent of average. Zukiewicz said January's storms increased the snow levels by about 25 percent in Western Montana. He said five of the automated SNOTEL snow gauges set new records for January.

At this point, about 70 percent of the seasonal peak snowpack is in the mountains and Lucas was looking for even more snow in the February 6th report. He got it one day later. And more is forecast by NOAA.