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Upper Arkansas · Colorado

Upper Arkansas River Basin Snowpack

Every rapid we run in summer starts as snow in the Sawatch and Mosquito ranges. How deep that snowpack gets decides how big the runoff will be, when it peaks, and how long the high water lasts. Below you'll find live NRCS SNOTEL data for the Upper Arkansas headwaters and a plain read on what it means for the season ahead.

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Upper Arkansas Snowpack

Live snow in the headwaters.

Our guides watch the snowpack all winter to plan the season ahead. So can you. Compare this year with past seasons, straight from the NRCS SNOTEL network.

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Median peak date
Median today
Of median peak

Ivanhoe SNOTEL Fryingpan headwaters, source of Fry-Ark water
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Upper Arkansas River Basin Snow Water Equivalent
Source: NRCS SNOTEL, Upper Arkansas Headwaters
A new water year has started

The gauge resets every October 1. Snow usually starts sticking in the high country by mid-October, so check back as the first storms roll in. Last season is shown on the chart for reference.

What Snowpack Means for Your Trip

Snow water equivalent is the amount of water stored in the snow. It's the best early read on how big, and how long, the rafting season will run. Upper Arkansas seasons fall into three ranges.

LowUnder 90% of median

Runoff crests earlier and settles quickly. The big-water window is short, but mid-to-late summer brings steady, friendly flows. Great for families and first-timers.

This season
Normal90–110% of median

The classic Arkansas season. A strong spring rise peaks in late May or June, then a long, consistent run of great rafting carries into August.

This season
HighOver 110% of median

Bigger, longer runoff. Advanced sections run powerful at peak and age minimums may tighten, but the season stays exciting later into summer.

This season
Beyond the Snowpack

Western Slope Water Keeps Summer Flowing

The Arkansas doesn't run on Upper Ark snow alone. The Fryingpan-Arkansas Project diverts water from the Fryingpan River, a tributary of the Colorado on the Western Slope, under the Continental Divide and into the Arkansas basin, where it's stored in Twin Lakes.

That stored water supplies the Voluntary Flow Management Program (VFMP), which times releases to target about 700 cfs at the Wellsville gauge east of Salida through the heart of summer. It's a big reason late-season rafting stays steady, even in a thinner snow year.

So we also watch the Ivanhoe SNOTEL site in the Fryingpan headwaters. More snow there means more water to bring across the Divide for July and August.

700 cfsVFMP target at Wellsville
Twin LakesWhere Fry-Ark water is stored
IvanhoeSNOTEL site, Fryingpan headwaters

How to Read the Chart

1
Find the basinThe chart pulls the NRCS SNOTEL index for the Upper Arkansas Headwaters, the snow that feeds every section we run.
2
Read the Y-axisIt shows snow water equivalent in inches; the X-axis runs through the water year, starting October 1.
3
Compare to the medianThe dashed line is the 1991–2020 median for each date, so you can see whether this season is running above, below, or right at typical.
4
Plan your tripMatch the reading to the three ranges above to see what kind of season is shaping up.

Why We Watch

The Upper Arkansas Headwaters index averages automated SNOTEL sites above Leadville, Buena Vista and Salida. That snow is what feeds the Granite, Nathrop and Parkdale gauges once runoff starts.

A deep snowpack usually means a bigger, longer high-water window in late May and June. A thin year peaks earlier and settles into friendly summer flows sooner. Late spring storms and a hot May can shift the timing either way.

We track the snowpack all winter to plan staffing, trip schedules and age minimums for the season ahead.

Not sure what this season means for your group? Our guides watch the snowpack all winter. Give us a call.

Talk to a Guide (719) 395-2466

THANK YOU FOR A GREAT SEASON!

We're closed for the 2026 season! Check back later this winter or call us at 719-395-2466 to book your 2027 adventure.
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