The snowpack depth in the Olympic Peninsula as we head into summer is excellent. On May 1st, the last month until next November that the snowpack is measured, showed that we were 103% of normal for the year. This is still below last years snowpack but dramatically above the snowpack experienced in 2005, when the pack was only at 25% of normal. In 2006, the Makah Tribe ran very low on water supplies in their reservoirs All measurements for the Cascades are also above normal. This is in contrast with drought conditions continuing across approx 60% of the country and especially the southwest and central Rockies. Severe to execptionally severe drought (the highest level measured), continues to plague key farming areas from California to the Central Plains. Costs last year to farming were estimated to be between $50 and 200 B, which is higher than the estimated damage of Hurricane Sandy, according to the Center for Investigative Reporting
Given concerns about global warming, the understanding is that many areas will continue to experience wild weather swings, storms with increased strength (as Oklahoma hurricanes and Hurricane Sandy have shown recently, along with historic flooding in Texas) and prolongued drought. The drought of last year was epic, on a scale of the Dustbowl of the Great Depression. This year is expected to be close if not worse.
In the Northwest, we seem to be beneficiares of a pocket of ‘good’ weather. As global temperatures continure to rise, with little sign of a downturn in the trend (the trend is variable, as are most trends).
Filed under: Olympic Peninsula | Tagged: climate, climate change, environment, global warming, makah tribe | 1 Comment »
