The forecast for this station is on its way.
16-day outlook, three models| Station | SWE | % median | Depth | 48 h |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SlumgullionCO · 13 mi | 1.6″ | 400% | 6″ | +3″ |
| Wager GulchCO · 21 mi | 1.5″ | — | 6″ | +4″ |
| Upper Rio GrandeCO · 21 mi | 0.0″ | — | 0″ | 0″ |
| Middle CreekCO · 22 mi | 2.1″ | — | 4″ | +1″ |
| Moon PassCO · 23 mi | 0.1″ | — | 0″ | −1″ |
| Cochetopa PassCO · 26 mi | 0.0″ | — | 0″ | 0″ |
| Upper San JuanCO · 32 mi | 0.1″ | — | 0″ | — |
| BeartownCO · 33 mi | 3.4″ | — | 10″ | +4″ |
SWE is the depth of water you would get by melting the whole snowpack. Rat Creek's 5″ of snow holds 2.1″ of water, so the pack is about 42% water. Fresh powder is often 5 to 10%; old spring snow can be 40% or more.
The station reports every hour by radio telemetry to the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service. This page refreshes each hour. Readings are provisional until NRCS quality control.
It compares today’s SWE with the 1991–2020 median for the same calendar day at this station. Above 100% means more water in the snowpack than on a typical year’s same date.
At 11,680 ft in Mineral County, Colorado (37.9357°N, 106.9819°W), in the Rio Grande Headwaters basin.
Vertex runs the HRRR, RRFS and GFS weather models at the station’s own elevation and carries the measured snowpack forward hour by hour. Treat it as guidance, and check your avalanche center’s forecast before heading out.