A look at Lincoln area snowpack

Heavy snowfall since mid-January has bolstered Lincoln area snow packs and has led to renewed concerns about possible spring flooding, but the cold that has accompanied the snow may help mitigate the risk locally.

"Last year our snow had a lot more water in it because we were warmer," Lincoln Fire Chief Zach Muse said at the March 1 Government Day listening session. "This year, it's more of a dry, cold snow, so I think we'll get three or four or five days of above freezing temperature (and) this is going to drop significantly, this is going to settle."

The March 1 Natural Resource Conservation Service snowpack summary supports Muse's assertion. The report's snow/water equivalent figures show that, while snow pack in the Blackfoot is generally above average, it's carrying substantially less water than at this time last year.

At the Copper Bottom SNOTEL site along Copper Creek, east of Lincoln, the snow depth read 41 inches on March 1, with a snow/water equivalent of 8.9 inches, which is slightly above average. Last year, however, with a snow depth of 43 inches, and a snow/water equivalent of 11.9 inches last year, it was nearly 30 percent above average March 1.

To the south of Lincoln, Stemple Pass had 45 inches of snow on March 1 and a snow/water equivalent of 9.2 inches, compared to 2018's 47 inches of snow and snow/water equivalent 12.6 inches. Meanwhile, the Nevada Ridge SNOTEL site measured 52 inches of snow this year, with a snow-water equivalent of 11.7 inches, which is near normal. Last year now, there was about 63 inches of snow, with a snow water equivalent of 20.1 inches, which was 160 percent of average.

In general, snowpack in the high country around Lincoln appears to be lower as well. Nevada Ridge's 52 inches of snow places it slightly above average for the site, but is 11 inches below last year. Likewise, Copper Camp showed 68 inches of snow at the beginning of March, a full 15 inches lower than last year's measurement of 83 inches.

Despite the drier snow conditions in the area this year that may mitigate flooding concerns locally, there is a chance of more snow and slightly warmer (but still below normal) temperatures in the forecast, and as history shows, there's usually quite a bit of winter left in March.