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Washington mountain snowpack above normal for February

Tri-City Herald
The most common types of avalanches and reasons for them differ somewhat between the Pacific Northwest, where larger snow storms followed by rain are common, and the Rockies, where weak layers of snow hardened by cold and dry weather can give out deep within the snowpack.
The most common types of avalanches and reasons for them differ somewhat between the Pacific Northwest, where larger snow storms followed by rain are common, and the Rockies, where weak layers of snow hardened by cold and dry weather can give out deep within the snowpack. Shinichiro Tanaka AP

The mountain snowpack in Washington state grew deeper in January, totaling 109 percent of normal, despite temperatures that were slightly above normal, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Precipitation also is well above normal for the state. El Nino may mean some warmer than usual temperatures and below normal precipitation over the next few months, but the water outlook for summer still looks good, according to officials.

“With 70 percent of our typical winter already past, the rest will be a coast as long as the temperatures don’t elevate to the point to cause snow melt,” said Scott Pattee, of the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service. “We would rather save that for late March and into April.”

Water storage in the Yakima Basin is above average for the start of February. It is at 112 percent of average for the upper reaches and 127 percent of average for Rimrock and Bumping Lakes, according to the USDA.

The Yakima River flow near Parker is forecast for 123 percent of normal for April through September, although the USDA cautions that February is early for robust forecasts.

This story was originally published February 8, 2016 at 12:13 PM with the headline "Washington mountain snowpack above normal for February."

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