![]() ![]() ![]() Loebsack says, if Mother Nature cooperates and there are no equipment issues or other unforeseen delays, the North Cascades Highway should be reopen by next weekend (Friday, May 12), just in time for Mother's Day. That part of the highway is open and this is that rare window for recreationists to get out there and bike behind the closure points before we open for vehicles." "For bicyclists who enjoy recreation behind the closure points, you are going to be able to get all the way across Rainy and Washington Passes. The snowpack of the Cascades typically builds to a maximum depth near timberline of about 10-15 ft (3-4.5 m) by April each year, but it can approach 30 ft (9 m). So clearing work is going to require the rest of this work week and take us into next week."Ĭrews must also clear debris from the roadway and replace or repair guard railing and signage before reopening the highway.ĭespite the road's unreadiness for vehicle traffic, Loebsack says a good portion of it is open to recreationists. “It seems like we’re way above normal, but it’s not as much the case, and it’s more about the timing of the melt."There was some avalanche control work done up there on Tuesday which brought down a substantial amount of snow with several slides that crossed the roadway, including one that was about 25 feet deep. “Our melt-out should be at least two to three weeks later than normal,” Pattee said. Typically, the snowpack in the North Puget Sound region peaks right around April 15 each year, Pattee said, but this year, the snowpack peaked May 5. While the snowpack levels may seem high, in reality, the region’s melt was just delayed by the cold spring conditions. “It looks like there should be plenty of water this year for all uses.” “It’ll help sustain stream flows longer and better throughout the spring and summer, which is going to be great for fisheries and recreationists,” Pattee said. This year, the late melt will contribute to higher stream flows later in the summer. Drought Monitor, produced by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, the United States Department of Agriculture and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), shows risks of severe drought across central Washington, though no risk in western Washington, including in Whatcom County. Drought Monitor, produced by the University of Nebraska, the USDA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) said Thursday there are no drought conditions in Western Washington. Pattee said there are no forecast models predicting another unusually hot summer this year, and the U.S. “The water levels dropped down really early because it got really hot.” “Last year, we did have a problem,” Pattee said. When temperatures spiked to more than 100 degrees last June, the snowpack melted rapidly, and drought devastated the region’s farms and fish populations. The late snowpack in the region is good news for local fish populations and farmers, Pattee said, who both struggled significantly during last summer’s heat wave and drought. In Whatcom County, that runoff contributes to the Nooksack River and all the surrounding bodies of water, providing much-needed water for farming, irrigation and daily consumption. (Graphic courtesy of the United States Department of Agriculture)Īccording to the Environmental Protection Agency, snowpack plays “a key role in the water cycle in western North America, storing water in the winter when the snow falls and releasing it as runoff in spring and summer when the snow melts.” This means more water in the rivers as the snow melts and great news for farmers and fish. Snowpack in North Puget Sound is significantly higher than normal following a cold, wet spring. ![]()
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