The Five Idaho Counties Still in Severe Drought

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I happen to live in one of those dry places.  Two-thirds of Twin Falls County remains in severe drought.  Nothing has changed for the last few weeks according to the U.S. Drought Monitor, which updates every Thursday.  Portions of Owyhee, Cassia, Oneida, and Lemhi Counties are all in severe drought.  Geographically, most of the state is in moderate drought.  The rest is mostly listed as abnormally dry.

We had a wetter-than-average February and some rain expected in March could be helpful.  The real telling story will be snow melt.  The mountains and the South Hills have some impressive totals.

There has been a lot of moisture in the air.  The morning I write this, I wake up and walk outside into a fog as thick as chowder.  I should note, I live next to the Snake River, and about four blocks to the south, the fog lifted like a veil being pulled away.

Mega droughts last on average 30 years.  We’re in year number 23.  Keep in mind, average means some can stay 37 and some our current number.  There’s no way to know the dry spell is over until we’re well out of the way.

My best guess as a layman is that we won’t face any extreme water restrictions when summer arrives.  Now that the snowpack has lasted well into March, the timing for spring planting is pretty darn good.

Let me share something just between all of us.  Even if it’s dry here, there aren’t many places I would trade for Idaho.