|
|
Latest Boundary County snowpack
and water supply |
|
January 1, 2015 |
by NewsBF Staff
The early read on our water supply for next
spring and summer is in.
Boundary County area snowpacks for the current
water year are currently running only a little
below average, with the biggest part of the
snow-accumulation months still ahead.
Moyie Drainage Area
According to the National Water and Climate
Center, since the start of the current water
year on October 1, the snowpack in the Moyie
collection basin area is at 86% of its 30-year
average. Precipitation at one monitoring site on
the Moyie shows 17.7 accumulated inches since
October 1, which is 123% of the Moyie's 30 year
average.
Kootenai Drainages
The snowpack for the Kootenai basin area stands
at 73% of its 30-year average. The Bonners Ferry
monitoring site showed precipitation for the
month of October at 1.46 inches, which is 88% of
the 30 year average for that location.
November precipitation at the Bonners Ferry site
was a total of 2.16 inches, which is 74% of the
30 year average precipitation for that month.
December figures are not yet available.
At the Porthill monitoring site, precipitation
for the month of October was 1.41 inches, which
is 94% of the 30 year average. November had
precipitation of 3.40 inches--127% of the
November 30 year average.
November is historically Boundary County's
highest precipitation month, according to the
National Water and Climate Center data.
What the models say
According to the Columbia Basin Bulletin, the
Northwest River Forecast Center says their
complex modeling system for projecting water
availability is predicting runoff through the
entire Columbia Basin system (to which the
Kootenai River is a tributary) at 99 percent of
its 30 year average from April through
September.
The Northwest River Forecast Center recalculates
their projections and models virtually every
day, based on snowpacks, soil moisture content,
streamflows, and other relevant hydrologic
conditions.
Boundary County's next shot at getting snow
could come anytime. High temperatures in our
area are predicted to move into the twenties and
thirties over the next several days, with chance
of snow at 30% until Saturday, when the chance
of snow increases to 60% Saturday night.
This coming Monday, right in time for school to
start back, the chance of snow increases to 80%. |
|
|
|
Questions or comments about this
article?
Click here to e-mail! |
|
|
|
|
