Monday April 21, 2025
8 News Now —
A late-season rollercoaster ride this year turned into a steep decline for snowpack levels that feed the Colorado River.
Since April 9, when snowstorms pushed snowpack from 91% to just over 100% in a single day, conditions have changed dramatically and levels have fallen to 70% of normal as of Friday, April 18. That’s concerning for 40 million people who rely on the river for water.
The black line in the graph below shows this year’s snowpack levels, or more technically, snow water equivalent (SWE) levels, in the Upper Colorado River Basin.
Projections from the federal government have been adjusted, showing less water flowing into Lake Powell, the nation’s second-largest reservoir. Streamflow at Lake Powell is now expected to be about two-thirds of normal this year (67%). Just two weeks ago, projections showed it would be about three-fourths of normal (74%).