Throughout Colorado’s snow season, the USDA publishes a ‘snowpack report’ at the state level and by region. Records date back to 1987 and the report is updated each day, providing a look at how Colorado’s snowpack stacks up to that of prior years.

By this point in the season, most Coloradans are likely aware that not much snow has been falling as of late – that said, the December 24 snowpack report revealed that snowpack has never been this low on the date since records started.

Currently, the state has 3.2 inches of snow water equivalent. It hasn’t been that low on December 24 since at least 1987, though it did come close at 3.3 inches in 2018 and 2000. For the sake of comparison, the all-time high snowpack for the date occurred in 1997 at 11.1 inches – 247 percent of where it’s currently at. Meanwhile, the long-term median snowpack for December 24 is 5.9 inches of snow water equivalent.

Three of Colorado’s river basins – those in the state’s northwest quadrant – also have all-time low snowpack for December 24, including the Yampa-White-Little Snake river basin, the Colorado Headwaters river basin, and the Laramie and North Platte river basin.

Here’s a breakdown of where the snowpack is at in each region as of December 24, depicted in inches of snow water equivalent:

Arkansas River Basin (southern Colorado): 51 percent of snowpack norm

Record low (SWE): 1.9 inches

Current (SWE): 2.2 inches

Colorado Headwaters River Basin (western Colorado, north of Grand Junction): 49 percent of snowpack norm

Previous record low (SWE): 3.5 inches

Current (SWE): 2.9 inches

Gunnison River Basin (western Colorado, south of Grand Junction): 52 percent of snowpack norm

Record low (SWE): 2.2 inches

Current (SWE): 3.0 inches

Laramie and North Platte River Basin (northern Colorado): 67 percent of snowpack norm

Previous record low (SWE): 6 inches

Current (SWE): 5.6 inches

San Miguel-Dolores-Animas-San Juan River Basin (southwest corner of state): 47 percent of snowpack norm

Record low (SWE): 0.8 inches

Current (SWE): 3.3 inches

South Platte River Basin (northern Front Range): 60 percent of snowpack norm

Record low (SWE): 3.1 inches

Current (SWE): 3.0 inches

Statewide: 54 percent of snowpack norm

Previous record low (SWE): 3.3 inches

Current (SWE): 3.3 inches

Upper Rio Grande River Basin (southern Colorado): 51 percent of snowpack norm

Record low (SWE): 1.2 inches

Current (SWE): 2.6 inches

Yampa-White-Little snake River Basin (northwest Colorado): 61 percent of snowpack norm

Previous record low (SWE): 4.8 inches

Current (SWE): 4.4 inches

Some snow is set to roll into the state on December 25 and December 27, which could provide a bit of a bump in terms of snowpack. That said, even with the moderate snowfall that’s expected, Colorado’s snowpack should still be stuck close to all-time lows (since at least 1987) headed into the new year.

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