January 1, 2012 Spring and Summer Streamflow Forecasts
Missouri River Basin Streamflow Forecast Missouri River Basin Mountain Snowpack
Upper Missouri Basin
THE HIGH ELEVATION SNOW PACK IN THE UPPER MISSOURI BASIN AS OF
JANUARY 1 WAS AVERAGE TO BELOW AVERAGE. THE SNOW PACK ABOVE TOSTON,
MONTANA WAS 78 PERCENT OF AVERAGE. THE SNOW PACK BETWEEN TOSTON
AND FORT PECK, MONTANA WAS 96 PERCENT. THE SNOW PACK IN THE
ST MARY AND MILK RIVER BASINS WAS 76 PERCENT.
DECEMBER PRECIPITATION ACROSS THE UPPER MISSOURI BASIN WAS NEAR TO
ABOVE AVERAGE. BASIN PRECIPITATION SUMMARIES FOR THE MISSOURI BASIN
INCLUDE: MILK ST. MARY, 81 PERCENT; MILK CANADA, 85 PERCENT;
LOWER MILK, 49 PERCENT; ABOVE TOSTON, 85 PERCENT; TOSTON TO
FT. PECK, 51 PERCENT.
December 2011 Upper Missouri Mean Precip Oct-Dec WY2012 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 97 PERCENT OF AVERAGE APRIL-SEPTEMBER
FLOWS. RUNOFF IS EXPECTED TO RANGE AROUND 80 PERCENT OF AVERAGE
FOR THE MISSOURI BASIN ABOVE FORT PECK, MONTANA. FORECASTS FOR THE
MILK RIVER BASIN CALL FOR AROUND 92 PERCENT OF AVERAGE SPRING SUMMER
RUNOFF.
Upper Missouri January 1, 2012 Spring and Summer Streamflow Forecasts
OF THE FOUR MAJOR IRRIGATION RESERVOIRS IN MONTANA: LIMA RESERVOIR
HAD 150 PERCENT AVERAGE STORAGE, CLARK CANYON WAS HOLDING 119 PERCENT OF
AVERAGE WATER, GIBSON RESERVOIR HAD 45 PERCENT OF AVERAGE STORED
WATER, AND FRESNO RESERVOIR HAD 117 PERCENT OF AVERAGE STORED WATER.
THE MAJOR HYDROELECTRIC RESERVOIRS IN MONTANA (CANYON FERRY AND
FORT PECK) HAD MONTHEND STORAGE IN THE AVERAGE TO BELOW AVERAGE
RANGE; 98 AND 102 PERCENT OF AVERAGE WATER, RESPECTIVELY.
Yellowstone Basin
THE HIGH ELEVATION SNOW PACK IN THE YELLOWSTONE BASIN WAS LOW END AVERAGE
ON JANUARY 1. THE SNOW PACK IN THE UPPER YELLOWSTONE BASIN WAS
92 PERCENT OF AVERAGE. THE SNOW PACKS IN THE WIND, BIGHORN, AND
SHOSHONE BASINS WERE 89, 96, AND 96 PERCENT OF AVERAGE,
RESPECTIVELY. THE SNOW PACKS IN THE TONGUE AND POWDER BASINS WERE
137 AND 109 PERCENT OF AVERAGE, RESPECTIVELY.
PRECIPITATION DURING DECEMBER WAS NEAR OR ABOVE AVERAGE. THE UPPER
YELLOWSTONE RIVER BASIN RECEIVED 81 PERCENT OF AVERAGE PRECIPITATION
WHILE THE LOWER YELLOWSTONE BASIN REPORTED 66 PERCENT OF AVERAGE.
THE BIGHORN BASIN RECEIVED 122 PERCENT OF AVERAGE PRECIPITATION
WHILE THE WIND RIVER BASIN RECEIVED 120 PERCENT OF AVERAGE.
THE LITTLE BIGHORN - UPPER TONGUE BASIN RECEIVED 82 PERCENT OF
AVERAGE AND THE POWDER RIVER HAD 95 PERCENT OF AVERAGE PRECIPITATION.
December 2011 Yellowstone Mean Precip Oct-Dec WY2012 Yellowstone Mean Precip
FORECAST STREAM FLOW IN THE YELLOWSTONE BASIN IS TYPICALLY NEAR
AVERAGE RANGE FOR THE UPCOMING SPRING AND SUMMER. RUNOFF AT
BILLINGS, MONTANA IS EXPECTED TO BE 92 PERCENT OF AVERAGE. STREAM
FLOW FOR THE WIND-BIGHORN BASIN ABOVE ST. XAVIER, MONTANA IS
FORECAST TO BE ABOUT 95 PERCENT OF AVERAGE. FLOW IN THE
TONGUE BASIN IS EXPECTED TO BE 120 PERCENT OF AVERAGE. FLOWS IN THE
POWDER RIVER ARE EXPECTED TO BE ABOUT 108 PERCENT OF AVERAGE.
MONTH END STORAGE AT BOYSEN RESERVOIR WAS 103 PERCENT OF AVERAGE.
STORED WATER IN BUFFALO BILL RESERVOIR WAS 109 PERCENT OF AVERAGE.
MONTHEND STORAGE WAS 104 PERCENT OF AVERAGE AT BIGHORN RESERVOIR.
Yellowstone January 1, 2012 Spring and Summer Streamflow Forecasts
Platte Basin
THE HIGH ELEVATION SNOW PACK IN THE UPPER NORTH PLATTE BASIN WAS
63 PERCENT OF AVERAGE ON JANUARY 1. THE SNOW PACK IN THE NORTH
PLATTE BASIN BELOW SEMINOE RESERVOIR WAS 93 PERCENT OF AVERAGE.
THE SNOW PACK IN THE SOUTH PLATTE BASIN WAS 82 PERCENT OF AVERAGE.
DECEMBER PRECIPITATION ACROSS THE PLATTE BASIN WAS BELOW ABOVE TO
ABOVE AVERAGE. PRECIPITATION DURING DECEMBER IN THE NORTH PLATTE
BASIN ABOVE SEMINOE RESERVOIR WAS 52 PERCENT OF AVERAGE. IN THE
NORTH PLATTE BASIN BETWEEN SEMINOE RESERVOIR AND GUERNSY RESERVOIR
PRECIPITATION WAS 106 PERCENT OF AVERAGE. THE NORTH PLATTE BASIN
BELOW GUERNSY RESERVOIR HAD 108 PERCENT OF AVERAGE PRECIPITATION.
THE HIGH ELEVATIONS OF THE SOUTH PLATTE BASIN HAD 153 PERCENT OF
AVERAGE PRECIPITATION WHEREAS THE PLAINS HAD 101 PERCENT OF AVERAGE
DECEMBER PRECIPITATION.
December 2011 Platte Mean Precip Oct-Dec WY2012 Platte Mean Precip
STREAM FLOW IN THE PLATTE BASIN IS FORECAST TO RANGE FROM BELOW
AVERAGE TO AVERAGE DURING THE UPCOMING SPRING AND SUMMER.
RUNOFF FOR STREAMS ABOVE SEMINOE RESERVOIR ARE EXPECTED TO BE ABOUT
60 TO 70 PERCENT OF AVERAGE. STREAM FLOWS FOR THE NORTH PLATTE
BELOW SEMINOE RESERVOIR ARE FORECAST TO BE 60 TO 110 PERCENT OF
AVERAGE. STREAMS IN THE SOUTH PLATTE BASIN ABOVE SOUTH PLATTE,
COLORADO CAN EXPECT 80 TO 90 PERCENT OF AVERAGE FLOW. FOR THE
REMAINDER OF THE SOUTH PLATTE BASIN FLOWS ARE EXPECTED VARY FROM
75 TO 90 PERCENT OF AVERAGE.
STORED WATER IN THE SOUTH PLATTE BASIN WAS 112 PERCENT OF AVERAGE
ON JANUARY 1. STORED WATER IN THE NORTH PLATTE BASIN WAS 129
PERCENT OF AVERAGE.
North Platte Streamflow Fcst South Platte Streamflow Fcst
