Colorado River snowpack today
Snow water equivalent at the NRCS SNOTEL stations BasinMind follows in the Colorado River basin (Division 5), against the 1991–2020 median for the date.
Outside the snow season. From July into October Colorado's snowpack has usually melted out: SNOTEL stations read zero or close to it, and the median for the date is too small for a percentage to mean much. That is the season, not a drought signal; snow typically starts to build from late October.
Stations
| SNOTEL station | Elevation (ft) | SWE (in) | % of median | Reading |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Castle Peak | 11,510 | 0.0 | — | Oct 3, 2026 |
| Fremont Pass | 11,310 | 0.1 | — | Oct 3, 2026 |
| Berthoud Summit | 11,300 | 0.0 | — | Oct 3, 2026 |
| Fool Creek | 11,130 | 0.2 | — | Oct 3, 2026 |
| Grizzly Peak | 11,110 | 0.0 | — | Oct 3, 2026 |
| Arapaho Ridge | 10,960 | 0.0 | — | Oct 3, 2026 |
| Bison Lake | 10,950 | 0.1 | — | Oct 3, 2026 |
| Lake Irene | 10,680 | 0.0 | — | Oct 3, 2026 |
| Schofield Pass | 10,640 | 0.3 | — | Oct 3, 2026 |
| High Lonesome | 10,630 | 0.2 | — | Oct 3, 2026 |
| Independence Pass | 10,570 | 0.2 | — | Oct 3, 2026 |
| Elliot Ridge | 10,550 | 0.0 | — | Oct 3, 2026 |
| Ivanhoe | 10,540 | 0.1 | — | Oct 3, 2026 |
| Copper Mountain | 10,500 | 0.0 | — | Oct 3, 2026 |
| Jones Pass | 10,430 | 0.0 | — | Oct 3, 2026 |
| Vail Mountain | 10,290 | 0.2 | — | Oct 3, 2026 |
| Mesa Lakes | 10,160 | 0.1 | — | Oct 3, 2026 |
| Chapman Tunnel | 10,090 | 0.0 | — | Oct 3, 2026 |
| Kiln | 9,610 | 0.0 | — | Oct 3, 2026 |
| Willow Creek Pass | 9,520 | 0.5 | — | Oct 3, 2026 |
| Mccoy Park | 9,500 | 0.0 | — | Oct 3, 2026 |
| Summit Ranch | 9,350 | 0.1 | — | Oct 3, 2026 |
| Buffalo Park | 9,240 | 0.2 | — | Oct 3, 2026 |
| North Lost Trail | 9,190 | 0.0 | — | Oct 3, 2026 |
| Phantom Valley | 9,030 | 0.0 | — | Oct 3, 2026 |
| Middle Fork Camp | 8,960 | 0.1 | — | Oct 3, 2026 |
| Lynx Pass | 8,910 | 0.2 | — | Oct 3, 2026 |
| Stillwater Creek | 8,760 | 0.0 | — | Oct 3, 2026 |
| Nast Lake | 8,710 | 0.0 | — | Oct 3, 2026 |
| Beaver Ck Village | 8,530 | 0.0 | — | Oct 3, 2026 |
What SWE measures
Snow water equivalent (SWE) is the depth of water, in inches, you would have if the snowpack melted in place. At a SNOTEL station a snow pillow weighs the snow above it, and the weight is converted into water. Percent of median compares today's SWE with the station's median for the same date over 1991–2020: 100% is a typical snowpack for the date. More in Snowpack and SWE.
From snow to the Colorado River basin's rivers
Snow that builds from roughly October through early spring melts from April through June and becomes the spring runoff that fills reservoirs, sets how long rivers stay out of call and determines compact deliveries.
In this basin that runoff reaches reservoirs such as Lake Granby, Dillon Reservoir, Green Mountain Reservoir and Ruedi Reservoir, and runs past stream gauges such as Colorado River near Cameo.
The SNOTEL stations BasinMind follows here run from Castle Peak at 11,510 feet down to Beaver Ck Village at 8,530 feet; one station describes one spot on one slope, and the basin figure averages those reporting.
More for this basin
- Colorado River basin water today
- Active calls in the division
- The division's reservoirs
- Today's digest
- Snowpack and SWE
- Reading the U.S. Drought Monitor
Snowpack in other basins
- South Platte · Division 1
- Arkansas · Division 2
- Rio Grande · Division 3
- Gunnison · Division 4
- Yampa-White-Green · Division 6
- San Juan/Dolores · Division 7