Washington Snowpack Well Off Seasonal Norms

Statistics confirm what your eyes have already told you as you look at the higher elevations across Washington. The snowpack across the Evergreen State is almost non-existent for this time of year. In fact with the exception of the North Puget Sound, which is at 91% of average, and North Central Washington’s Upper Columbia, which currently sits at 77% of average, all of the snowpacks statewide are 50% of average or less.

Scott Pattee with NRCS Washington said while the numbers are discouraging, he’s trying to stay optimistic about this year’s snowpack.

“That the La Niña year is going to hold true and be cooler and wetter.  That’s what all of the forecasts are saying.  So, I think we just have to turn that corner past the atmospheric river trend that we’re in right now, and cool things off and get into normal winter conditions.”

Current snowpacks numbers across Washington look like this:

• Lower Pend Oreille is 29% of average
• Spokane is 22% of average
• Lower Snake-Walla Walla is 23% of average
• Olympic is 30% of average
• Lower Columbia is 20% of average
• South Puget Sound is 30% of average
• Central Puget Sound is 15% of average
• Central Columbia is 44% of average
• Upper Yakima is 9% of average
• Naches is 31% of average
• Klickitat is 12% of average
• Lower Yakima is 0% of average

While those numbers are not good, Pattee says now is not the time to hit the panic button.

“It’s anybody’s race to win at this point, I think.  But we’re too early at this point to really say that much.  This really isn’t the first this has happened.  I was looking at some long-term sites the other day and you know what, this is only the 8^th out of 40.  Meaning it’s the 8^th worse out of 40 [Decembers].  So, we’ve seen worse years than this definitely, by far.”

Pattee is encouraging farmers, water enthusiasts and downhill skiers to have patience, noting he’s confidence snow will hit the area in the weeks to come.

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