Recent storms boost snowpack to 99% of median

A late winter storm has boosted the Flathead River Basin snowpack to normal. As of Monday, the snowpack was 99% of the median, though some sites remain well below normal and others higher than normal.

The Grave Creek SNOTEL site in the upper Whitefish Range, for example, is 117% of the median, while the Flattop Mountain site, which is in Glacier National Park, is just 79% of the median.

Glacier overall is drier than most areas. The Many Glacier SNOTEL, which isn’t in the Flathead drainage, but still inside the park, is just 73% of the median.

The snowpack this winter started out robust, with some places 200% of the median, as the region saw early season snowstorms.

But January was dry and February was better, but not wet. March also looked like it was going to be warm and dry, but the weather turned the past few weeks, including a robust storm that dumped on the high country over the weekend.

Grave Creek, for example, picked up 1.4 inches of snow water equivalent in the past week. Badger Pass, south of Marias Pass, picked up 3 inches of snow water equivalent.

Snow water equivalent is the depth of water that would cover the ground if the snow cover was in a liquid state, the National Weather Service notes. Different snows have different water equivalents depending on the amount of air/water in the snow itself.

The weekend snow was largely wet and heavy. This week temperatures will warm up. Wednesday was supposed to be 60 and later in the week we should see 50s, with rain expected at lower elevations.