Drought Information Statement for Eastern Washington & North Idaho Valid March 28, 2024 Issued By: NWS Spokane, WA Contact Information: w-otx.webmaster@noaa.gov This product will be updated when drought conditions change significantly. Please see all currently available products at https://drought.gov/drought-information-statements. Please visit https://www.weather.gov/otx/DroughtInformationStatement for previous statements. U.S. Drought Monitor Image Caption: U.S. Drought Monitor valid 7am EDT March 26, 2024 Drought intensity and Extent D2 (Severe Drought): the Central Idaho Panhandle, near 9% D1 (Moderate Drought): Near the Cascade Crest, parts of northeast WA, and areas of the ID Panhandle, near 23% D0: (Abnormally Dry): Parts of east slopes of Cascades, Blue Mountains, and a sliver of extreme eastern WA, near 31% NONE: Near 37% in central & eastern WA! Recent Change in Drought Intensity Four Week Drought Monitor Class Change No Change: Extreme northeast WA, east slopes of north Cascades, and much of Idaho Panhandle. Drought Improved: Crest of Cascades and far north Idaho. Drought degraded: none Areas of D2 decreased by 7% Areas of D1 increased by 5% Areas of D0 increased by 2% Precipitation Last 30 Days The rounds of precipitation benefited the northern mountains and the northern ID panhandle over the last month. Meanwhile, precipitation was below normal across the Cascades, Columbia Basin and central ID Panhandle. Precipitation For the Water Year - since Oct 1, 2023 Water Year Precipitation reflects the trend of the last several months with the abundance in moisture for central WA. The deficits in precipitation are more noticeable near the Cascade crest and the central Idaho Panhandle. Temperature Last 30 Days Temperatures trended warmer than normal for the last 30 days, especially in the lee of the Cascades. Summary of Impacts Hydrologic Impacts Most stream flows have varied with near, above and below levels on the rivers and streams in the region. Below normal flows experienced across the eastern Columbia Basin and Palouse region where reports of rivers and streams were lower compared to last spring. Agricultural Impacts Crop conditions were normal for this time of the year. Earlier green-up reported parts of south-central Washington due to the mild temperatures. Anticipate later planting in north Idaho due to the wet conditions. Snowpack Impacts Below normal mountain snowpack remains across the region. The mild March temperatures led to rapid snowmelt at the mid slope elevations. Hydrologic Conditions and Impacts Stream flows over the past 7 days have been above normal in the lee of the Cascades, north central Washington, and northern ID Panhandle given the mild temperatures and snow melt along with recent precipitation. Below normal flows seen on the Palouse and parts of the eastern Columbia Basin, where reports of rivers and streams running lower compared to last spring. More variable steam flows were seen on the controlled rivers like the mid Columbia River. Agricultural Conditions and Impacts Soil moisture remains drier than normal over the Cascades and the central Idaho Panhandle. Crop moisture was near normal for most areas except above normal for the northern Idaho Panhandle. Crop conditions were normal for this time of the year. Earlier green-up reported parts of south-central Washington. Mountain Snowpack Conditions and Impacts Much of the snowpack remains below normal across the Inland NW spanning from 63% to near 84% of normal for Snow Water Equivalent. The mild temperatures in March led to rapid snowmelt especially at the mid slope elevations. Snow at the higher peaks remain. Seven Day Precipitation Forecast Mild and drier weather expected for the last days of March. Expect a return of rain and high mountain snow by the first week of April. The 8-14 day outlook leans toward slightly below normal temperatures and above normal precipitation into the second week of April. The monthly outlook for April leans toward milder temperatures with near seasonal precipitation. Long-Range Outlooks The April - May - June outlook leans toward a 50-60% chance of above normal temperatures. Precipitation is leaning toward 33-40% of below normal for the Cascades. Equal chance of near, below, to above normal precipitation seen to the east. The June - July - August outlook leans toward a 50-60% chance of above normal temperatures. Precipitation is leaning toward 40-50% of below normal for below normal precipitation. Drought Outlook Where there is drought in the Cascades and north Idaho, it’s likely to persist for the month and the season.