Reseviors in Washington State Hit an All Time Record

Reservoirs in the Yakima River Basin in Washington state set records during this past weekend's storm. Never in 94 years of record-keeping has so much rain and snow fallen at the five Yakima- area reservoirs during the penultimate month of the year. Officials who manage the reservoirs are calling this a good start for the 2007 summer irrigation season. Heavy rains early this month gave the ground a good drink of water, and the snow that has since fallen is more likely to stick and be there in the spring to feed rivers and the reservoirs, said Chuck Garner, the bureau's acting field office manager. The pattern of this kind of weather will continue at least through March. The pacific northwest region is in the middle of an El Nino the periodic weather phenomenon which normally results on above-normal temperatures and below-normal precipitation.

This year's mountain snowpack is building too. Automated data stations in the Cascades are showing a snowpack that is more than 160 percent of normal for this time of year.

The area just experienced another storm and another is expected later in the week. It will be interesting to see what happens. In this part of the U.S. though, this is great news for next summer. With the snowpack and resevoirs so full it means water will be plentiful for fields, irrigation and drinking!