Washington Snowpack in Good Shape For This Time of Year

Many lower elevations of Central and Eastern Washington are free of snow, but don’t let that worry you. Scott Pattee with the NRCS told the Washington Ag Network there is snow in the higher elevations, and the snowpack is not in bad shape for this time of year.

“We’re sitting at about 85% of normal statewide right now, which is down a little bit from the first of the month when we were up to about 93% or so. But that’s because we haven’t received much new snow since the first of the month but that’s only been eight days.”

Pattee noted many feel the region could be in trouble, since we don’t have the snowpack we enjoyed last winter. He was also quick to note that while the low elevations has not received snow, it has precipitation, which is excellent news. Pattee added while there have been winters were the faucet has turned off after January 1^st, he does not believe 2018 will follow that model. In fact, he said odd are in the region’s favor we’ll see more snow as the winter continues.

“Even if we don’t get totally up to that 100% number on snowpack especially in the Yakima Basin where we have a lot of really good carry over water in the Yakima reservoirs, I think we’ll be in really good shape.”

As far as the current snowpack levels are concerned: