Extremely Favorable Water Supply Outlook for this Summer
If you enjoy drinking water, keeping your plants green, and appreciate an agricultural bounty--there is good reason to smile. The water outlook is exceptionally favorable for this summer
As noted in my previous blog, the last two months have brought far wetter than normal conditions over the region, including a restored snowpack.
The latter is illustrated by the SNOTEL snow water equivalent map, which indicates an overall state snowpack a bit more than 100% of normal.
The City of Seattle reservoir storage is way above normal-- in fact as high as the usual peak reservoir level in May and early June (and Seattle has been letting out plenty of water to prevent dams from being overtopped). Similarly bountiful conditions are found for the Everett and Tacoma water systems.
But the biggest water challenge is always on the eastern slopes of the Cascades, water that supplies the huge agricultural industry of the region. One key source of water is the Yakima River and its associated reservoir system. As shown in the graph below, the Yakima storage system went from well below normal in November to above normal today, with the water level now as high as early April last year.
The other major sources of water for Columbia Basin agriculture is the Columbia River, whose water run-off volume for April to September is predicted to be 106% of normal by the National Weather Service's Portland River Forecast Center. All good.
And the precipitation is not over. The latest UW WRF model 180 h forecast of accumulated precipitation (below) suggests 2-5 inches of water content in our mountains, with several feet of snow above roughly 4000 ft.
And to top it off the latest NOAA Climate Prediction Center three months forecasts are for normal temperatures and normal to above normal precipitation over the region.
The bottom line is that we are in exceptionally good shape regarding water for the upcoming summer and early fall, with no sign of drought or water shortages. With well-filled reservoirs, lots of snow, and much more precipitation in our near future, there is little likelihood of water issues later this year.
As noted in my previous blog, the last two months have brought far wetter than normal conditions over the region, including a restored snowpack.
The latter is illustrated by the SNOTEL snow water equivalent map, which indicates an overall state snowpack a bit more than 100% of normal.
The City of Seattle reservoir storage is way above normal-- in fact as high as the usual peak reservoir level in May and early June (and Seattle has been letting out plenty of water to prevent dams from being overtopped). Similarly bountiful conditions are found for the Everett and Tacoma water systems.
But the biggest water challenge is always on the eastern slopes of the Cascades, water that supplies the huge agricultural industry of the region. One key source of water is the Yakima River and its associated reservoir system. As shown in the graph below, the Yakima storage system went from well below normal in November to above normal today, with the water level now as high as early April last year.
The other major sources of water for Columbia Basin agriculture is the Columbia River, whose water run-off volume for April to September is predicted to be 106% of normal by the National Weather Service's Portland River Forecast Center. All good.
And the precipitation is not over. The latest UW WRF model 180 h forecast of accumulated precipitation (below) suggests 2-5 inches of water content in our mountains, with several feet of snow above roughly 4000 ft.
And to top it off the latest NOAA Climate Prediction Center three months forecasts are for normal temperatures and normal to above normal precipitation over the region.
The bottom line is that we are in exceptionally good shape regarding water for the upcoming summer and early fall, with no sign of drought or water shortages. With well-filled reservoirs, lots of snow, and much more precipitation in our near future, there is little likelihood of water issues later this year.
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