The North Olympic Peninsula’s snowpack is now above average, but is expected to sink to about average by May. That’s a vast improvement to the drought of 2005.
“There’s definitely no concerns or worries this season,” said Scott Pattee, National Resources Conservation Service water supply specialist in Mount Vernon, on Tuesday.
“There’s a good snowpack and we have really good soil conditions, so the moisture is in good shape,” he said, “so as long we get what Mother Nature intended the next couple months.”
Pattee said early snowstorms in November, December and early January laid a good foundation for the current snowpack, despite a lack of snow in the past month.
The Peninsula’s snowpack as of Feb. 1 was 148 percent of average – and 159 percent of last year’s total – according to the state Water Supply Outlook report for February,
But Pattee predicted that will drop off more toward normal by May as the snow season winds down.
“At the end of the season, we should be pretty darn close to normal instead of above normal as we are now,” Pattee said.
