[{"_1":2,"_88":-5,"_89":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6571383,"mediaKeyId","3180656-f38a65816471af658990f355fda55eb6","parentId",3180656,"title","Colorado Climate Center: March was warmer and slightly drier than recent normals; seasonal outlook tilts warm and dry","audioSeconds",2558,"startMs",47000,"endMs",2605000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3180656-f38a65816471af658990f355fda55eb6&start=47&end=2605","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3180656-f38a65816471af658990f355fda55eb6/thumbnail_47000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6571383/Colorado/Colorado-Climate-Center-March-was-warmer-and-slightly-drier-than-recent-normals-seasonal-outlook-tilts-warm-and-dry","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6571383-500f30d54264d0e71e556c74ea9cc69c/orig.mp4?Expires=1771075908&Signature=J6Ts2e-OdNeC37G5fIqpYV2VQfNMIDPyhQNOzFSReaCiq97VHtg6~GkKbPoxOPb4RwtNye6ApkG4QGmnksHkiSJGxI7lP~yyKRnOE8St10MdM6JTTNCmP15tdJ7CR8Y-kymMRpXHn2U709KgYCPlLk8tjwQDhJgjgmas~6W3VwY~V4HUE8EUkCAxl-RDC7Ir~gYRFLpS-FFL~ZdQ2LpVKqVpatJ2jEkRXUyc1OsHKsVzr0bR6Lury94lCiIYKcQUTAHYwcWTr666mG0xCh3h8d9Ige6lJD4g6Js7NOMryxCbB2~CEmaW8wzSSEjsMfJRed-madXk1FcjBg0GHYqNeA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author"," Colorado Water Conservation Board","date","2025-05-02T15:58:11.723Z","article","Assistant State Climatologist Peter Goble of the Colorado Climate Center told the Colorado Water Conservation Board\u0000Water Conditions Monitoring Committee on the committee's April 2025 call that March was \"warm and dry,\" and that seasonal forecasts tilt toward a warm, possibly drier-than-normal summer for parts of Colorado.

Goble said Colorado's March temperatures averaged about 2.6 degrees Fahrenheit above the 1991\u00002020 climatological normal and that statewide precipitation for March was slightly below that normal (on the order of two-tenths of normal statewide). He summarized the month as \"the warmest March that we've had since 2017\" when measured against the recent 1991\u00002020 baseline and noted that precipitation varied substantially across the state.

Why it matters: warmer-than-normal spring temperatures and uneven snowpack increase uncertainty for runoff timing, reservoir refill and wildfire risk, officials said. Goble pointed to notable regional differences: the Northern Front Range saw below-normal March precipitation until late-month rains, while much of Southern and Southwestern Colorado was drier and remains at risk as the region transitions into its dry season.

Supporting details
- Historical context: Using gridded observations back to 1895, Goble said March 2025 ranked among the warmer Marches in the long record and was the warmest since 2017 by the recent-normal comparison.
- Precipitation: March 2025 was close to two-tenths below the 1991\u00002020 precipitation normal statewide, with pronounced deficits in parts of the Arkansas River Valley and Southwest Colorado. Goble said March was the driest statewide since 2018 in his regional comparisons.
- Drought status: Goble said about 55% of Colorado was classified as D0 (abnormally dry) or worse on the U.S. Drought Monitor and about 37% was D1 (moderate drought) or worse as of the latest map. He noted very little extreme or exceptional drought statewide but flagged pockets such as areas near Wolf Creek Pass with historically low peak snowpack for that station.
- Wind and dust: Goble reviewed a March 18 windstorm that produced gusts reported from in-state observing stations above 50 mph (which he noted are measured at lower heights on some stations so 10-meter gusts can be higher) and produced dust transport across the southern plains. He said that spring is the windiest season for the plains and that La Ni\u0000a1a springs can be windier than normal.

Outlook and seasonal signals
Goble said La Ni\u0000a1a had broken down and that conditions were neutral going into spring and summer, but that lingering sea-surface temperature patterns can create \"lagged La Ni\u0000a1a impacts.\" The Climate Prediction Center seasonal outlook issued for May\u0000June\u0000July shows an increased probability of above-normal temperatures for much of Colorado and an increased tilt toward below-normal precipitation in parts of southern and western Colorado.

On the monsoon and summer precipitation, Goble emphasized model uncertainty: dynamical models and statistical relationships show a tilt toward warm, dry conditions in some scenarios, but monsoon-season precipitation is hard to predict and could change seasonal outcomes for southern and western basins.

Quotes
\"We're in what we call the warm and dry quadrant, 2.6 degrees above our 1991 through 2020 normal,\" Goble said of March statewide.

\"La Ni\u0000a1a has officially gone away,\" Goble added, noting that neutral conditions decreased the chance of a wet extreme in spring.

Ending
Goble encouraged continued monitoring and cross-agency coordination on snowpack and drought maps as the state moves from peak snowpack into runoff and the summer fire season. The Water Conditions Monitoring Committee will reconvene in May for its next regular briefing.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Water Conditions Monitoring Committee Meeting - April 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Assistant State Climatologist Peter Goble of the Colorado Climate Center told the Colorado Water Conservation Board Water Conditions Monitoring Committee that March 2025 was warmer than the 1991\u00002020 normal and slightly below normal for precipitation, and that seasonal outlooks tilt toward warm, drier conditions for parts of Colorado.","taxTitle","Natural Resources - Colorado Water Conservation Board, State Agencies, Organizations, Executive, Colorado","taxId",27266,"location","Colorado","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6571381,"NRCS: statewide snow water equivalent ~80% on April 20; southern basins lag northern basins",2198,2626000,4824000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3180656-f38a65816471af658990f355fda55eb6&start=2626&end=4824","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3180656-f38a65816471af658990f355fda55eb6/thumbnail_2626000.jpg","/articles/6571381/Colorado/NRCS-statewide-snow-water-equivalent-80-on-April-20-southern-basins-lag-northern-basins","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6571381-8c8a14dadfabb0b2cb0d7603c32f3922/orig.mp4?Expires=1771075908&Signature=mVDQrmyZjWo9Nsg899o834AvUp4MJHqCrjVvoYV6oeCh~zeOwfCE9TnNyvu~uKmCIL1qJ5T6ftBTrZDn8dHJ6FNUlIvxkYSCGieqvyJOI3qMR~V7hixFJOMFmIvGV3p6VzUsHev8VoqUnXkjGrhwcoxEzZLuzLJesuSyUDBTgRhqKUICS0vfI~ohtEVtdgWcADkZv3UpHJax6mIhoojeGJ0fmDJPFLyeykSI7Z8ivMfRJWFs6p0tUn64hAbd-JmNiqbN09wJoytktRU5uWKQzDt9MGUvrSNd-lZ1FMEHf0pyyknSLu8oikMeKHfOCvJwxHnzGAIZqRAXcaNFA5qgkA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Nagin Bell, a hydrologist with the U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Colorado data-collection office, told the Colorado Water Conservation Board\u0000Water Conditions Monitoring Committee that statewide snow water equivalent (SWE) measured about 80% of median as of April 20, 2025, down from about 86% on April 1.

Why it matters: lower-than-median SWE and early melt reduce late-spring and summer runoff in affected basins, affecting reservoir refill, water deliveries and agricultural planning.

Key facts and figures reported by NRCS
- Snowpack: Statewide SWE was reported at roughly 80% of median on April 20 and had declined from 86% on April 1. NRCS highlighted substantial basin-to-basin differences: northern basins (South Platte, Colorado headwaters) were closer to normal, while southern basins (combined San Miguel, Dolores, Animas, San Juan, Upper Rio Grande) were notably low, with some basins in the 40% range of median.
- Water-year precipitation: NRCS reported water-year-to-date precipitation near 98% of median statewide.
- Short-term declines: 30- and 60-day precipitation values had dropped (NRCS reported values on the order of ~80% and ~79% of median for those windows), reflecting recent melt and a drying trend.
- Streamflow forecasts: Median exceedance (streamflow) forecasts were about 86% statewide (a slight decrease from 88% the prior month). NRCS staff noted basin-level differences: Upper Rio Grande and parts of the Southwest showed substantially lower exceedance probabilities.
- SNOTEL/site ranking: NRCS said many SNOTEL and snow-course sites in southern Colorado were reporting values in low-percentile categories: roughly one-third of sites fell in the lower 15th percentile of their period of record, with several southern sites at or near their lowest recorded snowpacks.
- Soil moisture and reservoirs: NRCS said 20-inch soil moisture sensors showed generally strong soil moisture in many southern areas, which helped runoff efficiency, while the South Platte had drier early-season soils. NRCS summarized statewide reservoir storage in the March/April reports at roughly the low- to mid-90s percent of median (NRCS presented slightly differing values across slides; the speaker noted March reservoir storage around the low-to-mid 90s percent of median and that storage is lower than at the same time in 2024).

Forecasts and projections
NRCS presented forecast-evolution plots and exceedance charts for major points. Examples cited by NRCS:
- Navajo Reservoir inflow (April 1 forecast): the 50% exceedance forecast was about 305,000 acre-feet, notably below the 30-year median cited on the slide (~630,000 acre-feet).
- Rio Grande near Del Norte: a 50% exceedance forecast around 310,000 acre-feet was cited on NRCS slides; the speaker noted early snowmelt had begun and that observed streamflows at some points were already elevated relative to median because melt was occurring earlier than normal.

NRCS caveats
Bell emphasized that forecasts update frequently; exceedance probabilities and runoff projections are derived from current snow and weather inputs and can change with new precipitation. She advised users to consult NRCS forecast-evolution tools and site-specific plots for detailed planning.

Quote
\"Statewide snow water equivalent is at 80%,\" Bell said on April 20, noting the decline from early April and the notable north\u0000south contrast across basins.

Ending
NRCS recommended continued monitoring and noted that May forecasts and incoming precipitation will be critical to final runoff volumes. The committee moved on to the wildfire outlook after NRCS's presentation.","The NRCS reported statewide snow water equivalent at about 80% of median on April 20, down from 86% on April 1, with significant regional differences and streamflow forecasts below median for many southern basins.","actionData","errors"]

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Colorado Climate Center: March was warmer and slightly drier than recent normals; seasonal outlook tilts warm and dry

NRCS: statewide snow water equivalent ~80% on April 20; southern basins lag northern basins