Washington Snowpack Makes Incredible Comeback In April

“Today, we’re sitting at 114% of normal statewide, compared to April 1, just a month ago, where we were at 80%, so that’s a 34% increase in an amazing April,” said Scott Pattee, NRCS Washington, talking about the turn around by the state's snowpack, thanks to wet, cool, snowy weather in the middle portion of April.

Pattee noted what was special about last month’s systems, was the fact that the entire state benefited, rather than a few specific regions. Which Pattee said will help with this year’s irrigation season.

He added the amount of snow falls was not the only benefit of last month’s winter-like weather.

“These cooler than normal temperatures throughout the month have helped to hold the snowpack in place where it was.  It was refreezing at night, unlike what it was doing in March, so we were getting some good overnight refreeze, and that’s key because if you have above freezing temperate during the day, you have to sustain that to really get the snow to start melting, and that’s what really held things up.”

How typical is it for the Washington snowpack to make this kind of jump, this late into the season?