(Jim Havard/Flickr) We’re not going to complain that Washington didn’t get any snow this winter.
The kicker is that this dry winter followed an exceptionally dry fall in which Washington tallied only 4.16 inches of rain, compared with its typical 10.3 inches.
In fact, in a total reversal of fortune, the D.C. region’s drought is now just as bad as California’s.
The capital might be experiencing a shortfall in precipitation this winter, but the West Coast arguably had way too much.
Meanwhile in the District, a measly 1.4 inches of snow fell this winter.
“The fact that we’re missing water has less of an impact than if it were at the start of the growing season.” He added that if we continued to get less-than-average rainfall through the winter, the situation would become more serious.
In mid-February, the National Weather Service in Sterling, Va., issued a cautionary drought impact statement.
“Given the time of year, impacts are fairly minimal,” the Feb. 16 statement said.
“However, with warm weather upcoming and the potential for plant growth to begin, impacts may begin to increase soon due to seasonably low groundwater and streamflow conditions.” In the following days, the temperature would spike to record highs in the D.C. region, including an incredible 80 degrees on March 1.
This doesn’t bode well for the 2017 growing season, unless the weather pattern over the Eastern United States reverses in the next two to three weeks.

This spring in South Dakota is expected to be wet, and that’s good news for West River ranchers who have been dealing with drought conditions since early last growing season.
The latest climate outlook from the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration predicts a wetter than average spring, especially in western and central South Dakota.
The types of grasses that cover the hills of western South Dakota rely on spring moisture, and April precipitation is important for pasture conditions and summer forage production, Edwards said.
Winter snows and spring rains are likely to put an end to drought conditions in the state.
Much of western South Dakota was listed under a moderate drought or abnormally dry conditions, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor from mid-February.
“We are going to need that spring moisture.” The Cottonwood area east of Wall is especially in need of precipitation to help it recover from a fire that scorched more than 41,000 acres and killed cattle last October.
Snow cover has been sparse in eastern South Dakota this winter, but precipitation came as rain and is pretty much on track with average.
Soil moisture was above normal across the eastern two-thirds of the state, according to the National Weather Service.
In northern Iowa, there was 9-18 inches of frost in the ground by the end of February, which is below normal.
Some areas of southern Iowa have been frost-free all winter.

Snowpack levels surge in the Sierra Nevada, help power California out of drought.
New measurements taken Wednesday show that California’s incredibly wet winter has resulted in historically high snowpack levels in the Sierra Nevada, underscoring the state’s rapid march out of drought conditions.
The Sierra Nevada mountains provide about a third of California’s water when the snow melts in the spring and summer.
The average snowpack across the entire range was at 185% of normal conditions Wednesday, the Department of Water Resources said.
By region, the Northern Sierra Nevada snowpack was at 159%, the Central was at 191% and the Southern was at a whopping 201% of average for this date, data showed.
This winter has been California’s wettest in at least 20 years, and in some parts of the state, it may be the rainiest in history, according to state data.
Parts of Northern California are on track to record their wettest winter on record, with a series of powerful atmospheric river storms causing flooding, levee breaks and avalanche conditions.
The federal drought monitor shows the vast majority of the state is out of its five-year-long drought.
For breaking California news, follow @JosephSerna on Twitter.
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However, among references to snow drought, we observe conditions that reflect a lack of winter precipitation or a lack of snow accumulation during near-normal winter precipitation We propose a new classification to differentiate “dry snow drought” from “warm snow drought.” These two uses of snow drought have different scientific underpinnings and different implications for water supply forecasting and management.
Despite large differences in the amounts and timing of winter precipitation, the snow water equivalent (SWE) in both regions was less than average.
Snow drought in the Pacific Northwest reflected a lack of snow accumulation due to warm temperatures that increased rainfall and melted snowpacks, despite near-normal precipitation.
With less precipitation and warmer temperatures, streamflow in the Sierra Nevada lacked both large winter flows and its usual spring snowmelt pulse and fell to extremely low levels early in the summer.
However, the same term, snow drought, was used to describe snow conditions in both regions.
Defining and Quantifying Snow Drought We propose more precise terms to distinguish between the two different snow droughts observed in the Pacific coast states in winter 2015: dry snow drought for precipitation-driven snow drought and warm snow drought for temperature-driven snow lack.
If the SWE and precipitation are nearly equal (SWE:P is close to 1) and SWE is below normal, winter precipitation must also be below normal, and the lack of SWE is likely a reflection of low precipitation—a dry snow drought.
During a dry snow drought, streamflows are low, and inflows to reservoirs are reduced all year long.
In the case of the Oroville Dam, water managers are currently battling with a reservoir that is now filled to (and beyond) capacity but that contained only 46% as much water on the same date in 2015 in the midst of the snow drought described above (and only 30% as much water by water year’s end).
The (Unknown) Hydrological Effects of Snow Drought The definitions of warm and dry snow drought help to frame science that is fundamental to water management challenges facing snow-dominated regions: Which form of snow drought (dry or warm) is likely to dominate in different areas under future climate scenarios?

Drought-busting winter storms have another upside: cleaner air.
The epic rainfall that has pummeled Southern California this winter has lifted the area out of extreme drought – and it’s also been great for air quality.
Strong winds blow smoke, soot and particulates out of the L.A. basin, while rain rinses the air clean.
Air pollution has exceeded federal standards for particulate matter on just 7 days since November 2016.
Compare that to 35 days in the same period in 2014-2015, the worst winter of the drought.
During the drought, pollutants built up in stagnant, dry air.
Summer in Southern California is smog or “ozone” season.
Winter, meanwhile, is particulate-matter season because of the added pollution from wood-burning stoves.
Seasonal fog and cloud help particulates form in the air.
The SCAQMD issues burn bans throughout the winter when the agency thinks particulate matter is going to reach unhealthy levels.

2017 Asia spring forecast: Winter to linger from Russia to Turkey; Drought may build in southern India.
Spring will get off to a slow start over much of northern Asia and in part of the Middle East, while more typical conditions are in store for most areas farther to the south and east.
Meanwhile, drought conditions may worsen in southern India, while the potential exists for abnormally dry conditions in part of Southeast Asia.
Additional storms will bring locally heavy rain and mountain snow from Turkey and the northern Caucasus region of Georgia and southern Russia to the Hindu Kush during March and the first part of April.
Much of the southern and western part of the Arabian Peninsula will be dry as is typically the case during the spring.
Drought conditions may continue to build over southern India Spring is typically dry and hot over much of India ahead of the summer monsoon.
"Last year, the western Pacific typhoon season got off to a very slow start," Douty said.
Ample rainfall may diminish in part of Southeast Asia Much of central and southwestern China, Japan and South Korea can expect above-average warmth and typical rainfall this spring.
A portion of the Yangtze River Basin in China will be wetter than average during March and perhaps into April.
If the rainfall from this summer’s monsoon are lean, there is a chance part of Southeastern Asia may meander back toward drought conditions later in the year.

Low rainfall slaps Frederick County with five months of drought.
Frederick County and central Maryland have been dry this winter, and officials are looking to traditionally wet months ahead to alleviate the drought.
The Maryland Department of the Environment placed central and western Maryland on a drought watch last Nov. 30 and began monitoring rainfall, stream flow, groundwater and reservoirs on a biweekly basis, said MDE spokesman Jay Apperson.
Central Maryland had 63 percent of its normal rainfall over the past 5 1/2 months.
Frederick County had a little more rain than its neighbors and is at 72 percent of normal rainfall.
MDE ranks drought conditions as normal, watch, warning or emergency.
The area’s drought status is expected to be removed soon, he wrote.
Stream flow and reservoir conditions are normal in central Maryland, Apperson said.
People can help conserve water by being aware of how bathroom, laundry and kitchen uses consume water, Apperson said.
Homeowners can also fix leaks and upgrade to more efficient fixtures.