Colorado's snowpack inching closer to average after slow start to snow season

Colorado's snowpack is inching closer and closer to average after a slow start to the season. As of Feb. 6, the statewide snowpack average climbed to 91%. That's up from just 68% of the average reported back in January. The start of the year came with some of the lowest early January snowpack levels in history.

Extended periods of heavy mountain snow in mid to late January gave a big boost to those snowpack levels, especially in the Northern mountains.

The Yampa & White, North Platte, South Platte, Upper Colorado, and Gunnison basins have now all climbed into the 90th percentile or higher. The Upper Colorado River basin is currently at 100% of average.

More snow this week is helping bring other basins closer to average with the possibility of feet of snow into the Southwest San Juans through Thursday. That's all ahead of more mountain snow that pushes in through the weekend.

As of now, Southern Colorado basins could use a jump in snowpack levels. The Upper Rio Grande and San Miguel & San Juan basins remain below average, at about 80th percent of normal.

The El Nino weather pattern is likely to help lift to statewide snowpack heading into the next several weeks, pulling in moisture from the sub-tropical jet.