Snowpack levels running close to average

Snowpack levels across Montana are about 4 percent below the median average, compared to 3 percent above last year. Snowpack in the Flathead River drainage is about the same — 7 percent below the average, compared to 4 percent above average last year.

“Typically on Feb. 1, nearly 65 percent of the average seasonal snowpack has accumulated, meaning approximately one third of the snowfall season remains,” said Brian Domonkos, a water supply specialist at the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service in Bozeman.

Streamflow forecasts typically reflect snowpack levels, Dononkos said. The forecast for the Flathead River drainage is 3 percent above the median average for April through July this year, compared to 11 percent below average last year.

For detailed snowpack information, visit online at

www.wcc.nrcs.usda.gov/ftpref/data/snow/basin_reports/montana/wy2013/basnmt2.txt.

For detailed streamflow forecasts, visit online at ftp://ftp.wcc.nrcs.usda.gov/support/water/provisional_forecasts/montana/mt.txt.