Arrow-right Camera
The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Outdoors blog

Spokane region snowpack 22 percent of normal

The base of the Mt. Spokane Ski and Snowboard Resort chairlifts had little snow on Dec. 10, 2014. (Mt. Spokane Web cam)
The base of the Mt. Spokane Ski and Snowboard Resort chairlifts had little snow on Dec. 10, 2014. (Mt. Spokane Web cam)

RIVERS -- Washington’s winter snowpack set a record low for the month of April, making way for low water supplies and perhaps more devastating wildfires later this year, the Associated Press reports.  

The Natural Resources Conservation Service says the April 1 report found the statewide winter snowpack at only 22 percent of normal, shattering the previous record of 33 percent of normal set in 2005.  

The Cedar River basin was snow free, followed closely by the Olympics at only 3 percent of the 30-year median for April 1. That’s the lowest ever recorded in both basins.  

The Methow River Basin reported the highest at 79 percent of normal for April 1.  

Western Washington basins were 44 percent of normal.  

Snowpack along the eastern slopes of the Cascade Range was 24 percent of normal.   
 



Rich Landers
Rich Landers joined The Spokesman-Review in 1977. He is the Outdoors editor for the Sports Department writing and photographing stories about hiking, hunting, fishing, boating, conservation, nature and wildlife and related topics.

Follow Rich online:




Go to the full Outdoors page