2019/2020 Water Year Very Dry For Central Washington

The new water year started Thursday October 1^st, and for many across central Washington, the hope is this water year will be better than the last. Marilyn Lohammn meteorologist with the National Weather Service said while the past 12 months were dry for many in the Northwest, it was extremely dry for those living just east of the Cascades.

“Yakima, it will be one of their driest years on record, with only 3.96” of moisture. And Wenatchee it was the 6^th driest with 4.03”[of moisture].”

Lohmann noted that Pullman reported nearly average amount of precipitation this year. And the stations in Walla Walla, Moses Lake, Tri-Cities and Pendleton all had weeks where precipitation was abundant, whether that was flooding in February or heavy rain in May.

“It’s just been hit or miss across the regions. But it does look like that little area in central Washington extending from Wenatchee down to Yakima and on down to the Oregon border has been the driest in the state.”

Much of the Washington and Oregon are under a drought designation as we start the new water year.

Oregon's final drought numbers from the 2019-20 water year.

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