Washington declares statewide drought emergency after warm winter cuts snowpack in half

They cite an “exceptionally warm winter” and warmer-and drier-than-normal forecasts through early summer.

“There is no way to sugar-coat what is happening today,” Washington Department of Ecology Director Casey Sixkiller said. “We have entered April with roughly half of our normal snowpack. In Washington, our summer water supply is stored in winter snowpack.”

Sixkiller said emergency drought declarations are made when the water supply is below 75% of normal. He does not expect the Seattle–Tacoma metro area to have any water supply issues this summer.

“But let me be clear,” he said. “We are all in this together.”

Near-normal rain, far-below-normal snowpack

Many of the state’s river basins are below 50% of normal.

“This is the fourth year in a row that part or all of Washington will be under a drought declaration, and it is the fourth statewide drought emergency since 2015,” a news release from the Washington Department of Ecology stated. “Seven of the past 10 years have seen drought in parts or all of the state.”

Even though Washington experienced 104% of normal precipitation from October to February, too much of it fell as rain instead of snow, officials said. Through June, forecasters expect above-normal temperatures and below-normal precipitation.

“If you look at our mountains, the challenge we are facing is clear,” Washington Governor Bob Ferguson said. “We’re taking emergency action to protect fish, farmers, and communities across Washington.”

State climatologists say the problem is temperature, not precipitation.

“Precipitation has been basically normal when averaged statewide, but it’s been really warm,” Karin Bumbaco, deputy state climatologist with the Washington State Climate Office at the University of Washington, said. “After our warmest December on record, we finally began to build snowpack in early January before an extended mid-winter dry spell through early March stopped snow accumulation in its tracks.”

What the drought means for wildfire season

Washington Public Lands Commissioner Dave Upthegrove is bracing for an intense wildfire season.

“Four straight years of drought means we are at a higher risk of wildfires this summer,” he said at a news conference Wednesday morning. “Fires will be more prone to start and will spread faster.”

More than 90% of wildfires are human-caused, according to Upthegrove.

“So in drought conditions like this, it’s more important than ever that Washington state residents follow the rules,” he said. “I like to quote Smokey Bear: ‘Only you can prevent forest fires.’”

The ecology department says this “snowpack drought” is a more severe version of the conditions Washington faced last year. The department declared a drought in the Yakima River Basin in early April, then expanded the drought emergency in June to cover about half the state. Unusually warm days led to an early, sudden snowmelt, officials said.

Sixkiller is urging people to conserve water this summer.

“Water is a precious resource, and we all have a role to play in protecting it,” Sixkiller said. “We need to plan ahead and work together so that we’re ready for a warmer future.”

Frank Lenzi is the News Director for KIRO Newsradio. Read more of his stories here.