Old Man Winter Hammers Idaho Drought
Let’s offer prayers for a couple more months of winter and some spring rains. Over the last two weeks, the drought plaguing Idaho has been in steady retreat. You may recall that a few weeks ago I was writing about the entire stretch of the southern state line was still in severe drought. Then there was improvement last week. There was an improvement in Owyhee County and in the east near Bear Lake. This week, there are parts of just five counties still under the severe designation. You can see the actual map by clicking here.
The updates are collected on Tuesdays and then released weekly on Thursday mornings.
We Need Time to Assess
This isn’t to say that we’re out of danger. The moisture deficit has been ongoing for two decades. Recall that last winter, we got off to a strong start with snowfall. Then things simply petered out. We need a few more of what used to be known as typical winters and springs.
California is Getting a Silver Lining
Meanwhile, the “monsoons” that have been ravaging California have removed the entire state from severe drought! The snowpack in the Golden State is historic.
As of this writing, the snowpack in Idaho is 108 percent above average for late January.
If the next couple of years show the dry spell was cyclical or an anomaly, can we expect the climate change crowd to back off on some of its ideas to reshape civilization? Probably not, but it will bolster arguments about rushing headlong into some very, very costly changes.