Wondering what the conditions will be this summer?
As a result of a heavy drought last year, Colorado saw some of the worst snowpack conditions in history and the summer rafting season was cut short as many of our Colorado rivers suffered from drastically lowered water levels. If you read about or rafted in these conditions, you’re probably wondering about the 2013 rafting season.
Thanks so several recent storms, things are starting to look up; the Colorado Rocky Mountains have been receiving higher snowfalls during the last few weeks, and experts are predicting plenty of moisture during the rest of February. With steady winter storms forecasted for the next two months, the Colorado snowpack is on its way to a full recovery.
The most recent data on Colorado’s snowpack is currently at 74% of normal, however this data is from February 7th, and so it does not include the fresh snow over the last four days (several new feet fell in several parts of the state over the weekend). We should see an increased percentage the next time the data is updated. With a string of predicted storms in the near future, we should approach a normal snowpack level very soon.
This increase in snow is great news for our rafting season as the rivers in Colorado are expected to be running at a much higher level than last year. More snow in our Rocky Mountains means more water in our rivers, and this increase in water levels will make for faster rapids and more exciting river trips. Several rivers could see a much longer season than last year, and some of the rivers that didn’t run at all last year could have a respectable season this summer.
On the flip side (pun intended!), we can also feel confident that we won’t have so much snow this summer that the rivers will flow too fast. The perfect amount of snow means that the rivers flow at just the right rate – fast enough to be exciting but not so fast that sections have to be closed or age limits have to be changed. At AVA, we’re optimistic that we might just end up with a perfect rafting season.
As you plan your 2013 whitewater rafting trip, don’t hesitate to contact AVA Rafting for snow and water level updates. We’ll help you figure out the perfect trip for your group.
