Drought Information Statement for Eastern Washington & North Idaho Valid May 17, 2024 Issued By: NWS Spokane, WA Contact Information: w-otx.webmaster@noaa.gov This product will be updated by June 21, 2024 or sooner if 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. Please visit https://www.drought.gov/drought-status-updates for regional drought status updates. DROUGHT CONTINUES ACROSS THE INLAND NW Expansion of Abnormally Dry conditions in central WA Little change to the Moderate Drought in the Cascades and Severe Drought across much of north ID U.S. Drought Monitor Drought intensity and Extent D3 (Extreme Drought): a portion of central Idaho Panhandle, less than 1% D2 (Severe Drought): central Idaho Panhandle, 10% D1 (Moderate Drought): Near the Cascade Crest, parts of northeast WA, and areas of the ID Panhandle, 23% D0: (Abnormally Dry): Parts of east slopes of Cascades, Blue Mountains, and parts of extreme eastern WA, 43% NONE: Near 23% in central & eastern WA! Recent Change in Drought Intensity Four Week Drought Monitor Class Change No Change: parts of extreme northeast WA, east slopes of north Cascades, and much of Idaho Panhandle. Drought Improved: Northeast WA, north central ID. Drought degraded: part of central WA and southeast WA. Precipitation Last 30 Days Last 30 Days were much drier across the Inland NW with less than a 0.5” across central WA which is 25% or less than normal for this time of the year. Precipitation Last 90 Days Last 90 Days also exhibited below normal precipitation across the Inland NW from mid March through mid May. Temperature Last 7 Days and 30 Days Temperatures for the last week were warmer than normal across the Inland NW, meanwhile temperatures were near normal from mid April to mid May. Summary of Impacts Hydrologic Impacts Stream flows have been near normal across the rivers across north-central WA and far north ID due to the high elevation snowmelt, meanwhile below normal flows were seen across southeast WA and the central ID Panhandle. Agricultural Impacts Soil moisture is low yet crop moisture is near normal. Most spring planted is done. Fire Hazard Impacts The significant wildland fire potential looks normal for Inland NW through July. Mountain Snow Impacts Mountain snowpack peaked in early April. Only high elevations have snow which is quickly melting off. Mitigation Actions WA declared a Drought Emergency for much of the state on April 16th due to the low mountain snowpack and projected decrease in water supply. Hydrologic Conditions and Impacts Stream flows over the past 7 days have been near normal across much of north central WA and far north ID due to the mountain snowmelt. Yet many rivers and streams were running below normal across Palouse, southeast WA, and the central ID Panhandle. More variable steam flows were seen on the controlled rivers like portions of the mid Columbia, Pend Oreille, and lower Snake Rivers. Agricultural Conditions and Impacts Soil moisture remains drier than normal across much of the Inland NW, especially over the Cascades and the ID Panhandle. Crop moisture index was near normal for many areas. Most spring crops were planted in east central Washington and southeast Washington except for some areas with corn planting still underway. Fire Hazard Impacts The June and July outlook for significant wildland fire potential looks normal for the Inland NW with an elevated risk in western WA by July. Mountain Snowpack Conditions and Impacts Snowpack peaked in early April, and only the higher elevations of the northern Cascades and ID Panhandle mountains still have snow which ranged from 50% to 60% of normal. Mild temperatures over the last month has led to continued snowmelt and higher flows on several of the northern river basins. Seven Day Precipitation Forecast Here is a forecast of precipitation for the Pacific NW for the upcoming week. Rounds of showers are expected for most of the mountain areas through the weekend, while another round of showers is expected region-wide by the middle of next week. The 8-14 day outlook favors above normal precipitation and near to below normal temperatures to close out the end of May. Monthly Outlook The latest monthly and seasonal outlooks can be found on the CPC homepage JUNE is favoring below normal precipitation and above normal temperatures for the Inland NW. Long-Range Outlooks The latest seasonal outlooks can be found on the CPC homepage JUNE JULY AUG continues the trend of below normal precipitation and above normal temperatures for the next three months. Drought Outlook The Monthly Outlook, drought is likely to persist across the Cascades and ID Panhandle. The Seasonal Outlook suggests that will likely expand across the Inland NW.