Statewide drought declared due to dismal snowpack

After a warm winter left Washington's mountains largely bare this spring, the Washington Department of Ecology issued a statewide emergency drought declaration as projected water supplies are likely to fall far short of the state's summer demand.

This is the fourth year in a row that part or all of Washington will be under a drought declaration, and it is the fourth statewide drought emergency since 2015. Seven of the past 10 years have seen drought in parts or all of the state.

The drought emergency comes despite a wet winter that delivered 104% of normal precipitation from October to February. Too much of that precipitation fell as rain instead of snow, leaving the state with about half of its usual snowpack. Looking ahead, long-term weather forecast predicts above-normal temperatures and below-normal precipitation through June.

"If you look at our mountains, the challenge we are facing is clear," Governor Bob Ferguson said. "We're taking emergency action to protect fish, farmers and communities across Washington."

Washington relies on deep mountain snows to accumulate over the winter, then gradually melt during spring and summer. That slow snowmelt helps fill streams and rivers and replenish reservoirs. Without sufficient snowpack, rivers will run low and water temperatures will climb, creating harsh conditions for fish and other aquatic species.

In Washington, drought is declared when there is less than 75% of normal water supply and there is the risk of undue hardship or impacts on water users and the environment. Low snowpack and the impacts of past droughts means that the entire state has met that threshold.

The impacts of the drought will vary in different parts of the state. In some areas, agricultural producers anticipate the need to reduce irrigation or they may refrain from planting some fields altogether. Low streamflows and higher water temperatures may impact fish. And the low snowpack and early melt off raises concerns about wildfire risks.

"Going into April with half of our usual snowpack is alarming," said Casey Sixkiller, Ecology's director. "Without enough snow in the mountains, we must prepare for widespread shortages and challenges across our state. Issuing a drought emergency now helps water users prepare for what is likely to be a very difficult summer. This is becoming an all-too-common experience and is another example of how climate change is visibly reshaping our landscape."

Snowpack has been a concern throughout the winter. In December 2025, heavy rains led to widespread flooding across the state. The storms did help fill some of the state's reservoirs, but the warm rains wiped out most of the early winter snowpack. And, as the floodwaters receded, most of that water made its way to the ocean.

Winter storms in January and March did bring heavy snows and helped to build snowpack in some of the state's river basins, but frequent stretches of warm temperatures chipped away at those gains. Statewide temperatures between October and February were the third highest on record, going back to 1895, while snowpack averaged across the state as of late March was the fourth lowest in the past 40 years.

Karin Bumbaco, deputy state climatologist with the Washington State Climate Office at the University of Washington, said that not only is Washington lacking snowpack, the snow that we do have is expected to melt out rapidly as spring temperatures rise.

"Precipitation has been basically normal when averaged statewide, but it's been really warm," Bumbaco said. "After our warmest December on record, we finally began to build snowpack in early January before an extended mid-winter dry spell through early March stopped snow accumulation in its tracks.

"Even the heavy snowfall in mid-March was not enough to make up multiple months of poor snowpack growth, and early spring warmth has melted much of those gains," she said. "The weather progression this winter has lined up to deliver very challenging conditions going into spring and summer."

This "snowpack drought" is a more severe version of the conditions Washington saw in 2025, when Ecology declared a drought in the Yakima River Basin in early April, then expanded the drought emergency in June to cover about half the state after unusually warm days led to an early, sudden snowmelt.

As climate change boosts winter temperatures, snowpack droughts are becoming a common feature of Washington winters. For example, in the 1990s, on average, these were occurring about one in every five years. Today they are happening about 40% of the time. This change is accelerating. By the 2050s, research projects that seven out of every 10 years will see snow droughts, on average.

Ecology's Sixkiller said preparation and conservation will be the keys to minimizing drought impacts.

"Water is a precious resource, and we all have a role to play in protecting it," Sixkiller said. "We need to plan ahead and work together so that we're ready for a warmer future."

Declaring a drought emergency allows Ecology to distribute drought emergency response grants and to expediate processing of emergency water right permits and transfer applications.

This drought declaration supports the continued availability of drought emergency relief tools to water users throughout the state. Ecology is making up to $3 million available in drought emergency response grants to eligible public entities to respond to water supply impacts from the current drought conditions.

Drought impacts on residential water users

The areas served by Seattle, Tacoma and Everett water utilities planned for drought conditions early in the winter and do not anticipate any impacts for their customers.

Throughout the state, drought conditions may show themselves in different ways. Customers should check with their local water utilities to understand what conservation measures may be in place.