The recent snowstorm that dropped as much as two feet of powder in some parts of Colorado has sent the statewide snowpack soaring compared to the long-term norm for mid-October.

According to the most recent USDA report, the statewide snowpack is at 379 percent of the norm for October 21, with the snowpack bump from the recent storm larger than an earlier ‘first snow’ that took place in fall of 2023. Given the colder temperatures that are present in mid-October compared to the start of the month, it’s also likely that more of this initial snowpack will be here to stay opposed to last year when most of that initial snowpack disappeared before more consistent snowfall was present.

The current snowpack bump is led by southwestern Colorado’s San Miguel-Dolores-Animas-San Juan River Basin, where snowpack is at a whopping 1,905 percent of the norm for the date – also the part of the state that was favored amid most recent heavy snow. Obviously, lower overall snowpack numbers typical of early season can mean for big swings in either direction, but either way, that strong start to the season is impressive.

Overall, southern Colorado leads the charge in snowpack thus far, though northwest Colorado is also doing well. The Front Range is lagging behind a bit, but it’s still early season. Significant snow has yet to fall along the I-25 corridor, with this lack of snow expected for this time of the year.

Here’s a look at how the snowpack in other river basins around the state stacks up to the to-date norm (find a map of all river basins as the feature image of this article, above):

Upper Rio Grande: 1,465 percent

Gunnison River Basin: 862 percent

Arkansas River Basin: 764 percent

Yampa-White-Little Snake River Basin: 200 percent

Colorado Headwaters River Basin: 181 percent

Laramie and North Platte River Basin: 29 percent

South Platte: 25 percent

The next chance of snow in Colorado is later this month.