January 1, 2017 Spring and Summer Streamflow Forecasts
Missouri River Basin Mountain Snowpack as of January 1, 2017
Upper Missouri Basin
THE HIGH ELEVATION SNOW PACK IN THE UPPER MISSOURI BASIN AS OF
JANUARY 1 WAS NEAR AVERAGE. THE SNOW PACK ABOVE FORT PECK,
MONTANA WAS 81 PERCENT. THE SNOW PACK IN THE ST MARY BASIN WAS 102
PERCENT, AND THE MILK RIVER BASIN WAS 105 PERCENT.
DECEMBER PRECIPITATION ACROSS THE UPPER MISSOURI BASIN WAS
ABOVE AVERAGE. BASIN PRECIPITATION SUMMARIES FOR THE MISSOURI BASIN
INCLUDE: MILK ST. MARY, 130 PERCENT; MILK CANADA, 181 PERCENT;
LOWER MILK, 130 PERCENT; ABOVE TOSTON, 144 PERCENT; TOSTON TO
FT. PECK, 129 PERCENT.
December 2016 Upper Missouri Mean Precip Oct-Dec WY2017 Upper Missouri Mean Precip
STREAM FLOW IN THE UPPER MISSOURI BASIN IS FORECAST TO BE
BELOW AVERAGE DURING THE UPCOMING SPRING AND SUMMER. THE ST.
MARY RIVER IS FORECAST TO HAVE 70 PERCENT OF AVERAGE APRIL-SEPTEMBER
FLOWS. RUNOFF IS EXPECTED TO RANGE AROUND 80 PERCENT OF AVERAGE
FOR THE MISSOURI BASIN ABOVE FORT PECK, MONTANA.
Upper Missouri January 1, 2017 Spring and Summer Streamflow Forecasts
OF THE FOUR MAJOR IRRIGATION RESERVOIRS IN MONTANA: LIMA RESERVOIR
HAD 122 PERCENT AVERAGE STORAGE, CLARK CANYON WAS HOLDING 72 PERCENT OF
AVERAGE WATER, GIBSON RESERVOIR HAD 80 PERCENT OF AVERAGE STORED
WATER, AND FRESNO RESERVOIR HAD 131 PERCENT OF AVERAGE STORED WATER.
THE MAJOR HYDROELECTRIC RESERVOIRS IN MONTANA (CANYON FERRY AND
FORT PECK) HAD MONTHEND STORAGE IN THE AVERAGE TO ABOVE AVERAGE
RANGE; 91 AND 114 PERCENT OF AVERAGE WATER, RESPECTIVELY.
Yellowstone Basin
THE HIGH ELEVATION SNOW PACK IN THE YELLOWSTONE BASIN WAS ABOVE
AVERAGE ON JANUARY 1. THE SNOW PACK IN THE UPPER YELLOWSTONE BASIN WAS
103 PERCENT OF AVERAGE. THE SNOW PACKS IN THE WIND, BIGHORN, AND
SHOSHONE BASINS WERE 123, 114, AND 123 PERCENT OF AVERAGE,
RESPECTIVELY. THE SNOW PACKS IN THE TONGUE AND POWDER BASINS WERE
108 AND 82 PERCENT OF AVERAGE, RESPECTIVELY.
PRECIPITATION DURING DECEMBER WAS ABOVE AVERAGE. THE UPPER
YELLOWSTONE RIVER BASIN RECEIVED 195 PERCENT OF AVERAGE PRECIPITATION
WHILE THE LOWER YELLOWSTONE BASIN REPORTED 195 PERCENT OF AVERAGE.
THE BIGHORN BASIN RECEIVED 238 PERCENT OF AVERAGE PRECIPITATION
WHILE THE WIND RIVER BASIN RECEIVED 255 PERCENT OF AVERAGE.
THE LITTLE BIGHORN - UPPER TONGUE BASIN RECEIVED 157 PERCENT OF
AVERAGE AND THE POWDER RIVER HAD 187 PERCENT OF AVERAGE PRECIPITATION.
December 2016 Yellowstone Mean Precip Oct-Dec WY2017 Yellowstone Mean Precip
FORECAST STREAM FLOW IN THE YELLOWSTONE BASIN RANGED FROM BELOW
TO ABOVE AVERAGE FOR THE UPCOMING SPRING AND SUMMER. STREAM
FLOW FOR THE WIND RIVER AT ST. XAVIER, MONTANA IS
FORECAST TO BE ABOUT 119 PERCENT OF AVERAGE. FLOW IN THE
TONGUE BASIN IS EXPECTED TO BE 72 PERCENT OF AVERAGE. FLOWS IN THE
POWDER RIVER ARE EXPECTED TO BE ABOUT 70 PERCENT OF AVERAGE.
MONTHEND STORAGE AT BOYSEN RESERVOIR WAS 116 PERCENT OF AVERAGE.
STORED WATER IN BUFFALO BILL RESERVOIR WAS 134 PERCENT OF AVERAGE.
MONTHEND STORAGE WAS 105 PERCENT OF AVERAGE AT BIGHORN RESERVOIR.
Yellowstone January 1, 2017 Spring and Summer Streamflow Forecasts
Platte Basin
THE HIGH ELEVATION SNOW PACK IN THE UPPER NORTH PLATTE BASIN WAS
95 PERCENT OF AVERAGE ON JANUARY 1. THE SNOW PACK IN THE NORTH
PLATTE BASIN BELOW SEMINOE RESERVOIR WAS 109 PERCENT OF AVERAGE.
THE SNOW PACK IN THE SOUTH PLATTE BASIN WAS 105 PERCENT OF AVERAGE.
PRECIPITATION DURING DECEMBER IN THE UPPER NORTH PLATTE
BASIN WAS 145 PERCENT OF AVERAGE. IN THE LOWER NORTH PLATTE BASIN
PRECIPITATION WAS 176 PERCENT OF AVERAGE. THE NORTH PLATTE PLAINS
BELOW GUERNSY RESERVOIR HAD 183 PERCENT. THE SOUTH PLATTE MOUNTAINS
HAD 231 PERCENT WHEREAS THE PLAINS HAD 301 PERCENT OF AVERAGE
DECEMBER PRECIPITATION.
December 2016 Platte Mean Precip Oct-Dec WY2017 Platte Mean Precip
STREAM FLOW IN THE PLATTE BASIN IS FORECAST TO BE NEAR
AVERAGE DURING THE UPCOMING SPRING AND SUMMER. RUNOFF FOR
STREAMS ABOVE SEMINOE RESERVOIR ARE EXPECTED TO BE ABOUT
99 PERCENT OF AVERAGE. STREAMS IN THE SOUTH PLATTE BASIN
ABOVE SOUTH PLATTE, COLORADO CAN EXPECT 79 PERCENT OF AVERAGE
FLOW. FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE SOUTH PLATTE BASIN FLOWS ARE
EXPECTED NEAR 89 PERCENT OF AVERAGE.
STORED WATER IN THE SOUTH PLATTE BASIN WAS 104 PERCENT OF AVERAGE
ON JANUARY 1.
North Platte Streamflow Fcst South Platte Streamflow Fcst
