Panhandle drought conditions continue
BILL BULEY | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 2 days, 14 hours AGO
Hydrologist Pete Youngblood takes the March 1 snowpack measurements at the Skitwish Ridge Snow Course in the Coeur d’Alene-St. Joe Basin.
Photo courtesy of Ashley Evans
Bill Buley covers the city of Coeur d'Alene for the Coeur d’Alene Press. He has worked here since January 2020, after spending seven years on Kauai as editor-in-chief of The Garden Island newspaper. He enjoys running. | March 7, 2026 1:06 AM
The Panhandle region is looking at an "unprecedented" fourth straight year with below normal snowpack and drought conditions, according to the Natural Resources Conservation Service.
"With only one month left in the typical snow accumulation season, it is extremely unlikely that we’ll reach a normal snowpack unless the area receives record high amounts of snow," the Idaho Water Supply Outlook Report released Friday said.
In February, precipitation was near or above normal in most of the state, while the Panhandle and Clearwater basins still received below normal precipitation at 85% of normal.
Idaho’s snowpack was well below normal March 1. Normally by this time of year, the snowpack would have accumulated 80% of its typical peak amount, but this year, it's only about 60% of the way there, the report said.
The Panhandle’s snowpack saw some minor gains in February, helping lift most snow measurement sites away from record-low conditions. However, the area’s snowpack is still well below normal at only 60%, and there are three sites that are at or near record lows.
Snow below 7,500 feet is well below normal, and many snow course sites are setting record or near record lows.
Snowpack at the higher elevations is near or above normal.
"Given there’s only about a month left in the snowpack accumulation, it’s very unlikely that the basins with low snowpack conditions could recover by April," the report said.
Warm temperatures this winter caused precipitation to fall as rain most of the time, except in the higher-elevation central mountains and the Snake River headwaters.
Climatologist Cliff Harris said it snowed 5 inches in February in Coeur d'Alene, most of that, 3.33 inches, falling Feb. 18. Normal is nearly 12 inches of snow.
NOAA is predicting a dry and warm spring, which could further strain water supplies this irrigation season.
Reservoir storage in the Panhandle lakes is near or above normal: Coeur d’Alene is 144% of normal (61% full), Pend Oreille is 99% of normal (43% full), and Priest Lake is 118% of normal (55% full), the report said.
Streamflow forecasts for April through July in the Panhandle are low.
"Even though total water year precipitation is near normal, the lack of snow, especially at the lower and mid-elevation bands, is why (the Panhandle) remains in moderate to severe drought," the report said.
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Panhandle drought conditions continue
Report: Snowpack well below normal at 60%
Idaho’s snowpack is well below normal on March 1. Normally by this time of year, the snowpack would have accumulated 80% of its typical peak amount, but this year, is only about 60% of the way there, the report said.
Panhandle drought conditions continue
Report: Snowpack well below normal at 60%
Idaho’s snowpack is well below normal on March 1. Normally by this time of year, the snowpack would have accumulated 80% of its typical peak amount, but this year, is only about 60% of the way there, the report said.