March precipitation was below average in the Sun-Teton-Marias River basin. Storms on March 11th and the 31st brought most of the month’s precipitation. Even after having a record-setting start to the water year, the basin is slightly behind average for water year-to-date precipitation.
With that said, all the basin’s SNOTEL sites currently have above-normal snow water content, which is a result of the significant amount of snow they received before October 1st. Typically, the basin’s snowpack peaks in mid-April, and all non-burned sites have already reached their typical peak
values.
Spring is young, and there is still an opportunity for significant snow in the coming weeks. However, if that doesn’t pan out, the snowmelt driven component this season should not be lacking. Current streamflow forecasts indicate near to slightly above average streamflows are possible for the April 1st through July 31st period.
April 15 Snowpack Map
If you would like to view the entire state hydrological report for April, click on this link.
