Washington Snowpack Showing Signs Of Life

While not where it should be this time of year, the snowpack across Washington has improved month-over-month.  Matt Warbritton with NRCS noted last month’s atmospheric river dumped a lot of precipitation, but thanks to warm temperatures, most of that fell as rain, with the exception in the north Cascades.  Warbritton noted while not ideal for the middle of winter, the rains have proven beneficial.

“That precipitation, despite it falling as rain, is at least a little bit beneficial to fill up those reservoirs that are just storing really low amounts of water,” he said. 

Currently, snowpacks in Washington vary from 101% of normal in the North Puget Sound, to a low of 43% in the Lower Columbia basin. 

Warbritton said while the state of the snowpack is concerning, there is still time to put a dent in the snowpack deficit.

“And one positive right now that we're seeing statewide at most Snotel stations is the healthy water year-to-date precipitation we've received so far across the state. Across the Cascades, water year-to-date precipitation is above normal," Warbritton pointed out.  "On the Olympic Peninsula, near normal. And as we go out into eastern [Washington], near Idaho, water year-to-date precipitation is generally slightly above normal."

Warbritton added in terms of overall moisture, the rainfall Washington saw throughout December has been a saving grace for the winter so far. 

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