The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Kremmling Field Office snow surveyors Mark Volt and Vance Fulton took the March 1st. snow survey measurements during the last days of February. Even with the recent warm weather, the survey shows that the county is in pretty good shape up high, they said.

Valley snowpack has decreased significantly during February.

Snowpack in the high elevation mountains above Middle Park now ranges from 86 percent to 125 percent of the 30-year average, with the overall average for Middle Park at 104 percent.

“Last year at this time we were at 102 percent of average,” they said.

Snow density is 28 percent, which means that for one foot of snow there is 3.4 inches of water, which is normal for March 1st.

Most of the snow courses around Middle Park have been read since the 1940s. Snow course readings are taken at the end of each month, beginning in January and continuing through April. March is historically the snowiest month and the April 1 readings are the most critical for predicting runoff and summer water supplies, as most of our high country snowpack peaks around that time.