Drought Threatens Northwest Crops

While concerns linger about major river flooding in the Midwest and northern plains following above-normal precipitation this winter, the Northwest has a problem quite the opposite: drought. AccuWeather.com reports that much of the Northwest has been in the throes of a dry spell following a winter of below-normal rain and snow.

The lack of snowpack over the area is leaving farmers worried about their crops. Walla Walla, WA, has only recorded 55% of its normal precipitation since November and only 4.5 inches of snowfall.

A weak El Niño has given the continental U.S. a more southerly storm track the past few months, so many storms with significant precipitation have missed the Northwestern states.

AccuWeather.com Senior Meteorologist Dave Houk said this sort of dry pattern in the Northwest is not unusual for an El Niño winter. Farmers in the northwest depend on snowpack to keep their maintain their reservoirs.

The United States drought monitor has the entire state of Idaho and most of Oregon, Washington, Wyoming, and Utah as being at least abnormally dry.

Source: AccuWeather press release