Below Average Snowpack in Montana this Winter

Montana saw below-average snowpack this winter, and other western states have seen record-breaking lows. Scientists are warning this may be a glimpse of what's to come.

Montana has fared better than other areas in terms of snowpack, and recent precipitation has helped. Even so, Boise State University Geosciences Professor Alejandro Flores called this season's snow drought "historic," with a triple whammy hitting the state and the western U.S.

"December and February, were normal precipitation, but very warm," said Flores. "January was a little bit closer to normal temperatures, although it was still warmer, but just no precipitation. And that is what really has set us back in terms of the snowpack."

Flores said river basins in the Yellowstone region were closer to normal, but the snowpack below 8,000 feet plummeted in the western U.S.

He said he's concerned about how widespread the snow drought is, and adds there are few, if any, historical comparisons. He said he believes the West is starting to get an idea of what the future will look like and says states like Montana need to plan for less snowpack.

Flores said the weather in the next few months will dictate what happens with stream flow and runoff levels going into the summer. He said the bigger question is how often we'll see these snow drought years.

"Do they start to stack up more frequently?" said Flores. "Not only is this not a one-off, but is it something that we should expect more frequently as we move into the future?"

And Flores emphasized how much of our water management system relies on snowpack. He said that snowpack is becoming much less reliable, and adds researchers are already looking ahead.

"Trying to figure out," said Flores, "what that movement towards a – what some of my colleagues have called – 'low to no-snow future' means in terms of our existing water management infrastructure and how we need to adapt."