Dec 31 2005
A closing blast
And so 2005 comes to a close … with a lot of rain.
Metaphors aside, that’s a good thing, however tired some of us may be getting at the steady rainfall and periodic light flooding. The flooding, we can at least console ourselves, hasn’t done much damage or overflowed many critical waterways. And as for the rainfall … well, we just need to take care as we go out to celebrate tonight.
And there is something in this to celebrate.
According to the national snowpack recordkeepers, the region is more or less on track for a good, solid snowpack this year, something we haven’t been able to say for quite a few seasons.
As see below. (The standalone numbers refer to percentage of norm, which loosely means that 100% means an average and adequate snow supply.)
IDAHO
PANHANDLE REGION ....................... 13 of 17 64 83
CLEARWATER BASIN ............................. 14 of 15 77 93
SALMON BASIN ................................. 22 of 22 118 117
WEISER BASIN ................................. 3 of 4 113 130
PAYETTE BASIN ................................ 9 of 11 122 124
BOISE BASIN .................................. 10 of 11 129 133
BIG WOOD BASIN ............................... 9 of 9 137 132
LITTLE WOOD BASIN ............................ 4 of 5 135 137
BIG LOST BASIN ............................... 4 of 5 134 126
LITTLE LOST, BIRCH BASINS .................... 4 of 4 101 100
MEDICINE LODGE, BEAVER, CAMAS BASINS ......... 6 of 6 111 122
HENRYS FORK, TETON BASINS .................... 9 of 9 115 123
SNAKE BASIN ABOVE PALISADES .................. 17 of 18 110 113
WILLOW, BLACKFOOT, PORTNEUF BASINS ........... 5 of 5 101 115
OAKLEY BASIN ................................. 3 of 3 143 145
SALMON FALLS BASIN ........................... 5 of 5 128 126
BRUNEAU BASIN ................................ 5 of 5 127 122
OWYHEE BASIN ................................. 7 of 8 98 120
BEAR RIVER BASIN ............................. 14 of 15 116 112
OREGON
OWYHEE ....................................... 7 of 7 98 120
MALHEUR ...................................... 2 of 3 168 140
GRAND RONDE, POWDER, BURNT, IMNAHA ........... 13 of 14 102 105
UMATILLA, WALLA WALLA, WILLOW ................ 6 of 9 84 94
JOHN DAY ..................................... 9 of 10 140 118
DESCHUTES, CROOKED ........................... 11 of 11 127 117
LOWER COLUMBIA, HOOD RIVER ................... 6 of 7 86 100
COAST RANGE .................................. 1 of 2 80 97
WILLAMETTE ................................... 17 of 18 86 107
ROGUE, UMPQUA ................................ 7 of 10 96 146
KLAMATH ...................................... 9 of 14 148 151
LAKE COUNTY, GOOSE LAKE ...................... 5 of 9 134 158
HARNEY ....................................... 6 of 7 139 133
WASHINGTON
PRIEST, COEUR D'ALENE, ST.
JOE, SPOKANE, PALOUSE BASINS .............. 12 of 13 61 82
COLUMBIA ABOVE METHOW ........................ 3 of 5 79 88
CHELAN, ENTIAT, WENATCHEE .................... 8 of 8 80 85
UPPER YAKIMA ................................. 5 of 5 84 81
LOWER YAKIMA ................................. 7 of 7 102 99
WALLA WALLA, TOUCHET ......................... 2 of 4 83 93
LEWIS, COWLITZ ............................... 7 of 10 83 91
WHITE, GREEN, PUYALLUP ....................... 5 of 8 84 86
CEDAR, SNOQUALMIE, SKYKOMISH, TOLT ........... 9 of 9 73 78
All of which means that Idaho is running just slightly ahead of the norm, Oregon is just about at the norm (with variations from basin to basin) and Washington just a little behind, but not by a lot.
It’s not all over yet, of course. Another four months or so, and we’ll see just how well off we are next summer.
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