Rocky mountain current snow pack:

[REW]

The rocky mountain snow pack is looking generally favorable this year for this time of the year:

https://www.boisestatepublicradio.or...holiday-storms

This better snow pack could mean a lot of good for the less than average previous snow packs out west for the last few years.

[Yellowfin123]

looks not to bad for the green and the colorado

[Buffalo Fishhead]

Originally Posted by Yellowfin123

looks not to bad for the green and the colorado

Yeah, but a lot of the drainages in the Missouri Basin are below normal , but for several of those drainages some of the best snowpack comes in March and April, even into early May in some years.


Buffalo Fishhead

[Yellowfin123]

yea that maps kinda showed that and your right, the yellowstone, gallitan, madison, jefferson, all those that dump into the mighy mo get a big pack late winter into spring

[eyewinder]

Originally Posted by Yellowfin123

yea that maps kinda showed that and your right, the yellowstone, gallitan, madison, jefferson, all those that dump into the mighy mo get a big pack late winter into spring

As do the Rockies that drain into the North Platte.

[Daddybigfins]

It’s not looking good for this year. At this point we won’t be able to reach an average snowpack. The ramp at Crooked Creek marina on the west end of Ft Peck was only usable for a very short time last summer and forecasted water levels for July 1st this year indicate it won’t be usable at all. There are a few more ramps that will possibly be high and dry also. Those of us that fish the Missouri system need to start doing our rain dancing!

[Buffalo Fishhead]

Originally Posted by Daddybigfins

It’s not looking good for this year. At this point we won’t be able to reach an average snowpack. The ramp at Crooked Creek marina on the west end of Ft Peck was only usable for a very short time last summer and forecasted water levels for July 1st this year indicate it won’t be usable at all. There are a few more ramps that will possibly be high and dry also. Those of us that fish the Missouri system need to start doing our rain dancing!

There are still 2 to 2 1/2 months in which the snow pack can build in Missouri River tribs above Ft. Peck so don't give up yet

Plus, remember the rains in late May 2011 across eastern MT that caused all the flooding in the Missouri system downstream of Ft. Peck. Shift those rains to the west and you will have higher water than desired.

Buffalo Fishhead

[Daddybigfins]

That isn’t a guess or gut feeling, the long range forecast is for continued drought. The bureau of reclamation hydrologists come up with the Ft Peck water level forecast. I’m just the messenger-

I want the moisture for a thousand reasons but especially because I like fishing out of Crooked Creek in May.

[REW]

In this link, it looks like the western 1/3rd of the Montana snow pack is at a nominal 100% level. However, the remaining 2/3rds of the states snow pack appear to be at about a 70% level - March 2022.

https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/mt/snow/

[Scratcher]

Well this projection is not favorable.

https://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/produc.../two_class.php