Northwestern US Snowpack: Historically Low in April 2026
The Northwestern US is experiencing one of the worst snowpack seasons on record as of April 10, 2026. As of April 7, the Pacific Northwest region-level Snow Water Equivalent (SWE) sits at just 50% of median, according to the NRCS SNOTEL network — and conditions across most individual states are even more alarming.[1][2]
State-by-State Breakdown
Here's the picture across the key Northwestern states as of early April 2026:
State | SWE (% of Normal/Median) | Record Status | % of Stations in Snow Drought |
Washington | 52–53% of median | 5th percentile — lowest since 2015 [3] | 88% [4] |
Oregon | ~12% of median peak | Lowest on record (since 1981) [4] | 100% [4] |
Idaho | ~52% of median peak | Second lowest on record (since 1982) [4] | 76% [4] |
Montana | ~72% of median peak | Near normal in north; low elsewhere [5] | 55% [4] |
What's Driving This
The primary culprit is record-shattering warmth, not a lack of precipitation. Washington, for example, received 104% of normal precipitation from October through February, but too much fell as rain rather than snow. March 2026 was the warmest March on record for the contiguous US, reaching 9.4°F above the 20th-century average, which triggered a "snow-eater heat wave" that accelerated early meltout across the region.[6][7][1]
Peak SWE across Western states occurred an average of 21–34 days earlier than normal. In Washington, peak SWE likely occurred in mid-March — about 3 weeks early. In Oregon, it peaked in late February — a full month early.[4][8]
The Oregon and Washington Crisis in Focus
Oregon's situation is the most severe in the region. Statewide average SWE hit just 2.1 inches — the lowest on record since monitoring began in 1981 — with SWE in some basins like the John Day River at 0% of median. Nearly three-quarters of Oregon's SNOTEL stations have already lost all snow, more than a month ahead of schedule.[4]
Washington declared a statewide drought emergency on April 8 — despite the wet winter. Governor Bob Ferguson noted: "If you look at our mountains, the challenge we are facing is clear.". Only the northernmost Cascades (upper Skagit, Methow) are reporting near-normal snowpack, at 70–95% of median.[3][7]
Idaho and Montana: Bad, But Relative Exceptions
Idaho set the second-lowest statewide SWE on record at about 52% of median peak, with roughly 25% of SNOTEL stations already melted out — some 20 to 63 days early. The Upper Snake and Middle Snake-Boise Basins are in severe snow drought with SWE at or below 50% of median.[4]
Montana is the relative bright spot in the Northwest, with statewide SWE at about 72% of median peak. Northern Idaho and western and central Montana are reporting near or slightly below normal SWE at around 70–95% of median. However, even Montana saw 55% of its stations fall into snow drought, and peak SWE arrived roughly 30 days early.[5][3][4]
Downstream Consequences
The implications for water supply are severe. In the Yakima Basin — one of the Pacific Northwest's most important agricultural areas — the 2026 water forecast is just 44% of normal for junior water right holders, threatening crop plantings across the region. Washington state reservoir storage cannot compensate: snowmelt supplies approximately two-thirds of summer water demand that reservoirs alone cannot meet. Forecasters are also warning of an early and extended wildfire season for Washington and Oregon. The Climate Prediction Center's outlook calls for above-normal temperatures and below-normal precipitation through June, meaning no meaningful recovery is expected.[9][7][3][4]
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- https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/sites/default/files/2026-04/NWCC Water and Climate Update 2026-04-09.pdf
- https://goldrushcam.com/sierrasuntimes/index.php/news/local-news/77071-california-and-national-drought-summary-for-april-7-2026-10-day-weather-outlook-and-california-drought-statistics-56-of-state-abnormally-dry-a-weekly-increase-of-18
- https://climate.uw.edu/2026/04/06/march-2026-snowpack-and-drought-summary/
- https://www.drought.gov/drought-status-updates/snow-drought-current-conditions-and-impacts-west-2026-04-09
- https://www.wrds.uwyo.edu/wrds/nrcs/updatesur/update-mt.html
- https://coyotegulch.blog/2026/04/09/drought-news-april-9-2026-in-colorado-nrcs-is-reporting-statewide-snowpack-at-the-lowest-on-record-historically-median-peak-swe-in-colorado-occurs-on-april-8-however-this-year-peak-swe-occur/
- https://ecology.wa.gov/about-us/who-we-are/news/2026/april-8-statewide-drought-declared-due-to-dismal-snowpack
- https://myemail.constantcontact.com/April-2026-Snow-Drought-Status-Update.html?soid=1107257096495&aid=4IP_pzJ8a9k
- https://www.opb.org/article/2026/03/16/northwest-dry-spring-summer-fall-agriculture/
- https://www.opb.org/article/2026/02/11/oregon-record-low-snowpack-is-not-likely-to-recover-scientists-say/
- https://www.basinnow.com/nrcs-reports-lowest-ever-snowpack-conditions/
- https://powderchasers.com/blogs/powderchasers-forecasts/us-snowpack-update-where-do-things-stand-heading-into-2026
- https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/USDAFARMERS/bulletins/4037fbe
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mWTSD7h7CK8
- https://theconvergencezone.com/2026/01/19/pnw-snowpack-approaches-record-lows/
- https://www.reddit.com/r/Seattle/comments/1rj62ey/a_look_at_current_snowpack_basin_conditions_for/
- https://www.drought.gov/drought-status-updates/snow-drought-current-conditions-and-impacts-west-2026-01-08
- https://www.facebook.com/friendsgnfac/posts/april-2-2026-the-new-snow-is-stacking-up-across-the-forecast-area-in-cooke-city-/1401287245368092/
- https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/USDAFARMERS/bulletins/40e024b
- https://kpq.com/wa-winter-weather-snow-forecast-2026/
- https://wcc.sc.egov.usda.gov/reports/UpdateReport.html?report=Idaho&format=SNOTEL+Snowpack+Update+Report
- https://wcc.sc.egov.usda.gov/reports/UpdateReport.html?report=Montana&format=SNOTEL+Snowpack+Update+Report
- https://www.kuow.org/stories/warm-winter-liquidates-nearly-half-of-washington-state-snowpack
- https://komonews.com/news/local/washington-state-snowpack-noaa-forecast-rain-snow-winter-season-outlook-mountain-cascades
- https://idwr.idaho.gov/water-data/water-supply/snow-water-equivalency/
- https://www.facebook.com/EcologyWA/posts/its-time-for-a-washington-water-supply-updatein-short-theres-still-not-enough-sn/1393586099479930/
- https://wcc.sc.egov.usda.gov/reports/UpdateReport.html?report=Montana
- https://climate.uw.edu/2026/04/07/pacific-northwest-water-year-2025-impacts-assessment-released/
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