SPOKANE, Wash. – What happens in winter can have a huge effect on what happens in the summer.
“Rainfall – while beneficial in the short-term, is not what we need,” Washington Department of Natural Resources Wildfire Meteorologist Matthew Dehr says. “We need that snowpack… for snow depth, we’re between 40 to 50 percent of normal and most areas are 20 to 30 inches below average.”
A larger snowpack keeps highly flammable fuels from drying out earlier, and a light snowpack makes for a longer and hotter wildfire season. Luckily, some snow is in the upcoming forecast.
“If we’re bringing our snow totals up to near normal for the middle of January it’s a little bit of a relief but there’s still a long way to go in the winter,” Dehr said. “If we’re sitting at near-record lows in the middle of April and May, it definitely a sign that wildfire season could be early and fast.”
The warm winter is caused primarily by the El Nino season, which has created a similar problem throughout the western part of North America.
“Washington, Oregon, Idaho (and) Montana (are affected by El Nino),” Dehr said. “A big fire season in those four states alone is enough to spread resources thin.”
While Dehr says it’s a little too early to sound the alarms, if there’s no major turn-around, this summer could be a dangerous one.
“The concern for next summer is legit.”
