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'Boomer' February Means Good News For Washington’s Water Supply

NRCS
The most recent water supply forecast for Washington state shows all basins across the state are above 90 percent of normal.

The latest Washington state water supply forecast is out and managers said Monday there’s no reason to believe the state might face drought this year.

Scott Pattee keeps track of the water supply in Washington for the USDA’s Natural Resource Conservation Service. He said things are looking good as Washington’s growing season approaches.

“Unless something really crazy and unworldly happens over this month or even April, I just don’t see there being really any shortages of water anywhere to speak of,” Pattee said.

While January was extremely dry, Pattee called February “a boomer.” He said snow and rain significantly increased the snowpack last month, so much that all basins statewide are above 90 percent of normal, which means there’s plenty of water to fill reservoirs as things begin to melt and runoff.

The NRCS does not do any flood forecasting.