Overview
- The latest airborne surveys measured a roughly 90% drop in Upper Black River snowpack between late February and mid-March.
- Researchers link the rapid melt to an unusually warm, dry late winter that followed a record heat wave.
- Planes from ASU and Airborne Snow Observatories mapped full-basin snow depth with lidar on Jan. 21, Feb. 23 and March 12 to build 3D models.
- SRP reports runoff is below normal, and reservoirs are slightly more than half full with supplies considered stable for now.
- The timing insight from these flights is shaping reservoir releases, and earlier melt could increase reliance on the Salt River system as Colorado River allocations tighten.