Above average moisture in the mountains is expected to lead to a promising water season in North Idaho and bode well for recreation this summer.

Record-setting precipitation in March provided the Panhandle with more than twice the normal amount of moisture for the month as 13 measuring sites in the mountains broke records, according to an Idaho Natural Resources Conservation Service report released on Monday.

"Snowpacks increased from near average for the region (in February) to 114 percent of normal in the Spokane Basin and 132 percent in the Northern Panhandle," the report states. "Hopefully cool temperatures will allow the snow to melt gradually without flooding."

Flooding concerns, which included road washouts scattered in the region, have subsided in the past week.

March storms left the Panhandle snowpack at 120 percent of normal overall. Streamflow forecasts for this summer are above normal throughout the area as a result.

"The abundant carryover water stored in Idaho reservoirs may be a problem in some areas that received abundant March precipitation," the report states.

Despite the wet north, parts of southern Idaho were left dry. Some basins' snowpack is in the range of 40 to 60 percent of normal.

"Diverse conditions would be an understatement to describe the present snowpack situation in Idaho," said Jeff Anderson, NRCS hydrologist. "Since March 1, we've measured one of the greatest one-month changes in snowpack on record."

For a complete report, visit www.id.nrcs.usda.gov/snow and click on the 'Water Supply' link.