No Drought and Normal Fire Season Expected in NW.
For the first time since 2011, the Pacific Northwest isn’t showing any signs of drought.
Kathie Dello, deputy director of Oregon’s climate office, says the Northwest saw lots of precipitation during the water year that began in October.
She says snow and rain came earlier and stayed later.
Idaho had its wettest January to April on record, breaking the previous record set in 1904.
Seattle also broke its record for wettest April.
Dello says reservoirs are full and the region has ample mountain snowpack.
In it’s latest report, the the center credits the wet and cool weather for keeping the threat of potentially large fires low until late June or early July.
Current projections do not indicate an early arrival for fire season.
However, if July and August turn out to be warmer and drier than typical, the region may see normal or even heavier-than-normal large fire activity late in fire season depending upon the amount of lightning received.