IT'S LATE JANUARY, AND NEW MEXICO'S ALL IMPORTANT MOUNTAIN SNOWPACK ISN'T NEARLY WHAT IT SHOULD BE. NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGIST BRENT WACHTER SAYS SNOWPACK TOTALS IN MOST AREAS OF THE STATE ARE 50 TO 80-PERCENT OF NORMAL. HE SAYS THAT MEANS LESS RUNOFF THIS SPRING.

PART OF THE PROBLEM, SAYS WACHTER, IS THAT RECENT SNOWS HAVE BEEN OF THE DRY VARIETY... LACKING THE WATER NEEDED FOR RUNOFF. HE SAYS NEW MEXICO COULD GET SOME WET SNOW THIS WEEKEND...BUT IT'LL MOSTLY BE ABOVE 95-HUNDRED FEET OF ELEVATION.