Four Corners Snowpack On The Rise!

Last year's snowfall across the Four Corner states was very disappointing.  In fact, the lack of snowfall, followed by below average rain during the spring, put much of the region into categories of  "Extreme" and "Exceptional" drought.  Below is the current Drought Monitor. But it looks like the 2018/2019 snow season is off to a very good start for much of the Four Corners.  And if the snow keeps falling, it will go a long way to alleviate the drought conditions and get this region back on track with regard to moisture levels. Take a look at the numbers below for each state: COLORADO The Centennial State has done very well so far with snow.  Overall, the state is sitting at 118% of average snow levels.  But many basins are well above this level.  The South Platte Basin is 158 percent of average levels.  The Arkansas Basin is at 150 percent.  Southwestern Colorado has a little catching up to do.   The San Juan mountains are a bit below average.  But there's certainly plenty of time to catch up.

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  UTAH The Beehive State has gotten a fair amount of snow, but not nearly as much as Colorado.  The central and northern part of the state are fairly close to normal levels.  The Duchesne River Basin is right at 100 percent of normal snow levels.  However, the southern portion of the state has some ground to make up.  The Upper Sevier and Dirty Devil Basins are at 64 and 65 percent respectively.  And Southwestern Utah is at just 27 percent.   NEW MEXICO The Land of Enchantment has seen a good amount of snow in the Cimarron River and Pecos River Basins.  The Skiing must be great in the mountains above Santa Fe.  However, the rest of the state is well below average.  The Rio Chama River Basin, along the with San Francisco River Basin, both have about half of their normal snow levels.  The other basins are doing a little better.   ARIZONA In the Grand Canyon State, it's either feast or famine when it comes to snow.  Central Arizona has been doing great!  This region has seen between 125 and 200 percent of normal snow levels.  But much of the southeastern part of the state has only received about a quarter of normal snowfall thus far.  Hopefully these numbers will rise as the winter months arrive.   FORECAST  But what does the immediate future hold for the Four Corners?  Is more snow on the way?  Let's take a look at the forecast models. There will be some relatively light snow totals this week.  But the next big storm system is poised to strike the Four Corners this weekend.  Snow will start building into the region Saturday night, and by Sunday morning, a good portion of the region will be getting moderate to heavy snow. Snow will continue throughout much of the day on Sunday.  By Sunday night, the snow will have lifted out of Arizona. And by Monday morning, most of the snow will be out of Utah and New Mexico.  But Colorado could still see substantial snow on Monday before it comes to an end. For the very latest winter weather information on the Four Corners, and for the rest of the country, stay tuned to WeatherNation.  You can watch on the Dish Network across the country.  You can also tune in to our digital platforms... Amazon Fire TV, Roku, and Apple TV. For WeatherNation:  Meteorologist Matt Monroe