Snowpack conditions across Washington state mountains are near record low levels, prompting Gov. Jay Inslee to declare a drought emergency for three key regions as shown in the picture. Snowpack is a mere 7 percent of normal in the Olympic Mountains. Across the Cascades (incl. Yakima and Wenatchee), it ranges from 8 to 45 percent of normal and it is 67 percent of normal in the Walla Walla region. Statewide, snowpack averages 27 percent of normal.
With its vital agricultural regions, Inslee feels now is the time to prepare for drought conditions. An unusually warm winter has caused much of the precipitation to fall as rain, leaving mountain snowpack a fraction of normal. A healthy snowpack is key to feeding rivers across the state and sustaining farms and fish through the drier Summer months.
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