01/06/06 Snow pack better, but more needed

01/06/06 Snow pack better, but more needed

A dramatic weather shift in late January 2005 resulted in the significant melt of the Northwest snow pack earlier than expected, adding to very dry, even drought like conditions in much of the region this past year. So needless to say, the region is keeping a close eye on how this winter's snow pack will develop. So what is the first assessment of the 2006 snow pack? ROSS: We're generally about seventy per cent of average for what we should be for this time of year. But in context, it's actually a positive number. We're certainly below average. Our snow pack is not where it should be for early January but we went through a three to four week period through the first three weeks at least of December with virtually no mountain snow pack. Right at Christmas time we were about half of our normal snow pack so we've had a lot of storms over the last week. We've made up some ground on our snow pack. That news from hydrologist Charles Ross of the National Weather Service in Spokane may sound like another foreboding forecast, but now take it in the context of comparison of this winter's snow pack to last winter. ROSS: I'd say the pace of our snow pack this year is certainly better over where we were last year. When you look at some of our readings in the mountains, a couple of places have about as much water in the snow pack now as they did in February of last year when we went through the long stretch without any snow pack or any addition to the snow pack. So we're not at normal levels but we believe to be at a better spot than we were last year. The best readings are coming from the Southern Idaho region where snow pack is close to normal. The Cascades are also reporting slightly below average snowpack, but enough precipitation that conditions appear favorable for run-off. The least favorable snow pack is coming from the mountains of the Inland Northwest in Eastern Washington and Oregon, and North Idaho. Now Ross and others studying the snow pack will say there is still a lot of weather to experience between now and April. And right now, the best estimate they can give is a short range forecast. ROSS: Right on through January, it looks pretty active. Now that's not to say that another dramatic change in the weather patterns can't occur this winter because we've already seen a few what we'd say pretty interesting weather swings so we're pretty active right now. But I'd prepare for really any possible scenario as we head through the rest of the winter and into the spring. Ross says the next scheduled snow pack report for much of the region will be released in early February.
Previous Report01/05/06 Healthy beef cookbook
Next Report01/09/06 C.A.F.O. rule revisions