No Snow in Washington? Here’s Why That’s Concerning

The lack of a heavy snowfall here in the Pacific Northwest has its pros and cons. Right now, most of us are enjoying the pros, but we’ll be facing the fallout of no snow falling very soon. We’ll discuss this below.

Still Too Early To Say Winter’s Over!

My wife was commenting on how she’s glad winter’s almost over, and with current lows in the Yakima Valley and Central Washington staying above freezing on average, I can understand her comment.

Technically, the last day of winter is March 20th, so we still have some time before thinking we’re out of the snowy danger zone. Although Mother Nature has proven that it doesn’t care about dates. I remember in 2012, while looking for wedding venues on March 30th, there was a good foot of Snow on the ground, whereas on March 30th 2013 (the wedding day) it was a beautiful sunny day with perfect weather.

Or even more recently, in 2019, when Seattle went from barely any white stuff to getting nearly 2 feet of snow in just over a week!

The Pros Of Little Snow This Year

So while we still are in winter, the light and almost lack of snow (for us in the PNW) has been a blessing for many (sorry skiers and snowboarders). People who drive for a living, people who have a hard time moving around (elderly, etc.), and people who make their living outside.

But this good fortune will be biting us soon, figuratively and literally.

The Cons Of Little Snow This Year

I already apologized to the fans of skiing and snowboarding, as this season will be a sad one for the record books. I’m sure seeing the Winter Olympics right around the corner is like salt in the wounds. But the lack of snow is going to be a bigger problem for more than winter sports fans.

We are looking to face some serious water supply and drought conditions across the state (NOAA / National Integrated Drought Information System). Reports are saying that we’re about 50% lower than what we should be at this time of year.

READ MORE: Washington's Most Charming Towns For A Calm Wintery Getaway

Another concern (and this goes back to the literal “biting us”) is the number of insects. We usually rely on the cold and freezing temps and snow to thin out insects, but without that, during the warmer months, you may want to keep your spray and swatter handy.

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