NRCS: Recent Snowstorms Did Not Have A Big Impact On Idaho Snowpack

The snowstorms of mid-April and early-May dropped a lot of snow in the higher elevations across Idaho, but according to the NRCS, those storms didn’t greatly impact the drought and water situation across the state. Corey Loveland with NRCS-Idaho said the state had already seen a large portion of the snowpack melt off, meaning what fell over the past 30 days really didn’t add to the snowpack, more it replaced it. And he noted while the moisture is appreciated, it has not resulted in drought relief.

Loveland noted that the 2021-2022 snow year has been extremely unique.

“Before we were getting some melt, and it was warming up, and we thought that winter was over and spring was upon us.  But, Mother Nature had a different agenda.  And so, this late coldness and additional moisture had prolonged the winter but also prolonged the runoff.”

Loveland noted the colder than normal temperatures have helped the region, allowing for the melt off to occur later and slower than typical. What’s his expectation when it comes to the irrigation season ahead?

“I still think there’s going to be water shortages, and I think that the season is not going to be extended, as far as the amount of water needed, but it will be extended in a sense, that the season will be shifted into the future, which is good.  I think in that sense, I think people will be able to utilize and irrigate a little bit further into the season.”

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