Local Forecasts Show Above-Average Snowpack as Runoff Begins

April showers and May flowers might make a good rhyme, but farmers, municipal water providers and industrial users across Northeastern Colorado need more data to make the thousands of annual decisions associated with the region’s water supply.

At Northern Water, water resources personnel capture data from snowpack, reservoirs and other precipitation sources from monitors throughout the region to forecast streamflows and water availability for the peak use season and beyond.

In 2024, many of the river basins that feed Northeastern Colorado directly saw precipitation levels this winter near or slightly above normal, while most of the river basins west of the Continental Divide in the Colorado-Big Thompson Project’s collection area saw above-normal precipitation. This data, coupled with information about local reservoir levels and soil moisture, informed the Northern Water Board of Directors to set a 70 percent quota in April.

The public can access water data through the Northern Water website and find specific information under the “Our Data” tab. Information such as snowpack, streamflow, water quality, water temperature and even weather conditions are just a click away.