LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Snowpacks have gotten a boost across the region thanks to this month's winter storms.
In January, researchers from the California Department of Water Resources, who compile snowpack surveys, told Channel 13 that snow depths and snow water content was down 30% compared to an average year in the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range. When looking at the Colorado River Basin, all areas were only sitting at about 36% when compared to an average year.
However, atmospheric rivers and winter storms that have passed through the area helped boost those numbers.
According to meteorological data, Lee Canyon has received 147 inches of snow this winter and more than 100 inches of that was just in February.
At Bristlecone Trail, which is near Lee Canyon and is used as a data site, the snow depth is 42 inches and the area is at 150% when compared to normal February totals.
When looking at snow in the Upper Colorado River basin, where most of our water comes from, the snow depth is now 97% compared to an average year while the Lower Colorado River Basin snow depth is 129% compared to an average year.
"If you look at the projections and what the Colorado River is capable of and the amount of snow that continues to fall, if it keeps happening, the sky is the limit," Paul Miller, a hydrologist at the Colorado Basin River Forecast Center, previously told Channel 13. "It could really bolster us."
On Monday, the Bureau of Water Reclamation released new numbers for Lake Mead.
According to their data, the current water level at Lake Mead is 1,074.71 feet. That is the highest the lake has been since April 2021.
RELATED: White House officials announce $63M investment in Colorado River System protections
In December, Colorado River Basin stakeholders also announced a pact to conserve up to 643,000 acre-feet of water in Lake Mead through 2025.
