Cross country skiers line up at the start of the 2014 Ski to Sea race. (Credit: Courtney Flatt / Northwest News Network) Listen (Runtime 1:04) Read Snow-covered undulating trails will […]Read More
Erin Whorton, a hydrologist for the Natural Resources Conservation Service, measures snow on South Cascade Glacier in Washington. (Credit: Erin Whorton / NRCS) Listen (Runtime :58) Read The snowpack in […]Read More
A cross country skier follows a trail on the Sunny M Ranch property in the Methow Valley. (Credit: Courtney Flatt / NW News Network) Listen (Runtime 1:06) Read New tools […]Read More
File photo of snowy Idaho mountains. (Credit: Motowebmistress, Flickr Creative Commons) Listen (Runtime 1:03) Read For mountain snowpack to melt slowly, not all of the white fluffy stuff is created […]Read More
With about a month left in winter, Washington’s mountain snowpack is close to or above normal levels. Idaho’s situation is a mixed bag.Read More
For much of the Northwest, snowpack is above normal. That’s a good sign this time of year, when snowpack usually reaches its peak. Having enough snowpack is critical for spring and summer runoff that will supply water for irrigation and salmon runs. But that doesn’t mean everywhere has that much snow.Read More
At the start of 2020, the situation looked dismal. After a dry start to the season, Washington and Oregon had less than half the amount of snow they’d normally see in the mountains. Then came the first few weeks of January. Read More
New research says climate change is decreasing the amount of snow in the Pacific Northwest. And that has implications for water resources in the region.Read More
All this snow so late in the season prompts the much-asked question: Is this climate change? Kathie Dello, a climatologist with Oregon State University in Corvallis, says this late-winter snow is perfectly normal. But, it doesn’t mean the larger picture is all fine. Read More
According to a new federal drought monitor map, the long-running dry spell finally looks to be over in most of the Northwest. Heavy snows and precipitation in February and early March have made up the difference. That’s good news for ranchers, irrigators, river rafters and salmon. Read More
The Northwest has seen plenty of snow and cold temperatures these last few weeks. But forecasters say some areas could still face drought this summer.Read More
This warm El Niño winter in the region is worrying water managers and farmers. Many Washington and Oregon reservoirs aren’t filling up like they should, and snowpack levels are below average in many areas. Read More
For the last 35 years, the snowpack in the West’s mountains has resisted the impacts of global warming. But that could soon change, according to a new study out of Oregon State University.Read More
Late-winter snowstorms did a lot to keep Idaho mountains blanketed, helping to make up the difference for low snow levels earlier this year. According to the Natural Resources Conservation Service, Idaho farmers are in good shape for the coming summer.Read More
There’s a lot less snow in the western U.S. than there was a century ago. That’s according to new research that found dramatic declines in snowpack as the seasons have gotten warmer.Read More
