PORT ANGELES — Snowpack levels in the Olympic Region are running well below normal as the region heads into the spring melt season, raising concerns about water supply later this year.
According to the latest Washington Water Supply Outlook Report from the Natural Resources Conservation Service, snowpack statewide was at just 54 percent of normal as of this month, with many sites reporting near-record lows.
That trend is reflected on the Olympic Peninsula, where warmer-than-normal winter conditions have limited snow accumulation, especially at lower elevations.
The report shows projected streamflows in the Olympic Basin between 72 and 74 percent of normal for the April through September period.
That could mean reduced water availability for rivers like the Elwha and Dungeness during the summer months.
Hydrologists say much of the winter precipitation fell as rain instead of snow, leaving less water stored in the mountain snowpack to gradually feed rivers through the dry season.
While some basins in north-central Washington saw closer-to-normal conditions, the Olympic Region remains among those with below-average snowpack heading into spring.