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MARCH SNOWFALL BOOSTS MOUNTAIN SNOWPACK

April 7, 2009

For More Information:
Roy Kaiser, 406-587-6991
Larry Cooper, 406-587-6842

Bozeman--March mountain snow water content gains were well above average. In the Columbia River Basin, March snow water content was 170 percent of average, in the Missouri River Basin it was 163 percent of average, and in the Yellowstone River Basin it was 134 percent of average. After minimal gains in February, there have been significant snow water content increases during March.

Seasonal snowpack accumulation on April 1 for the Columbia is 96 percent; Missouri is 93 percent; and Yellowstone is 91 percent. State-wide mountain snow water content was 100 percent of average and 91 percent of last year. West of the Continental Divide snowpack was 98 percent of average and 86 percent of last year. East of the Continental Divide snowpack was 100 percent of average and 97 percent of last year.

Snow Water Content
River Basin Percent of Average Percent of Last Year February Percent of Change
Columbia 98 86 +13
Kootenai, Montana 97 80 +19
Kootenai, Canada 100 107 +26
Flathead, Montana 93 84 + 7
Flathead, Canada 85 78 +20
Upper Clark Fork 108 106 +18
Bitterroot 105 88 +14
Lower Clark Fork 95 74 +11
Missouri 100 98 +13
Missouri Headwaters 101 97 +12
Jefferson 103 102 +12
Madison 96 89 +11
Gallatin 102 94 +11
Missouri Mainstem 100 103 +16
Headwaters Mainstem 108 114 +11
Smith-Judith-Musselshell 105 114 +14
Sun-Teton-Marias 93 88 +20
Milk (Bearpaw Mountains) 118 108 + 1
St. Mary 73 67 + 4
St. Mary & Milk 80 74 + 1
Yellowstone 102 98 + 7
Upper Yellowstone 106 100 +10
Lower Yellowstone 96 96 + 2
Statewide 100 92 +13

State-wide, streamflow forecasts average 89 to 101 percent. West of the Continental Divide, streamflow forecasts average between 95 and 103 percent and east of the Continental Divide, they average between 85 and 100 percent.

Water users and water managers need to pay particular attention to local basins affecting their water supplies, as there are localized areas where snowpack and streamflow forecasts are below average.

Following are streamflow forecasts for the period April 1 through July 31. THESE FORECASTS ASSUME NEAR NORMAL SPRING CONDITIONS AND DO NOT ACCOUNT FOR WELL BELOW AVERAGE (70% or less) OR WELL ABOVE AVERAGE (130% or more) SNOWMELT OR SPRING RAIN. Specific forecast probabilities are available in each individual River Basin Report.

Streamflow Forecasts
River Basin April to July this Year Percent of Average April to July Last Year Percent of Average
Columbia 95 to 103 99 to 106
Kootenai 85 to 91 101 to 108
Flathead 90 to 98  98 to 106
Upper Clark Fork 102 to 114  88 to 99
Bitterroot 99 to 105 106 to 112
Lower Clark Fork 97 to 101 110 to 114
Missouri 83 to 98 75 to 91
Jefferson 89 to 105 73 to 91
Madison 86 to 92 100 to 106
Gallatin 97 to 106 99 to 109
Missouri Mainstem 86 to 99 87 to 100
Smith-Judith-Musselshell 86 to 108 45 to 62
Sun-Teton-Marias 66 to 82 82 to 97
Milk 78 to 99 59 to 88
St. Mary 83 to 91 95 to 102
Yellowstone 91 to 102 93 to 105
Upper Yellowstone 93 to 101 94 to 103
Lower Yellowstone 87 to 103 92 to 107
Statewide 89 to 101 87 to 99

NOTE: The April to July Last Year Percent of Average column above is what was forecast last year, NOT what actually occurred.

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