Washington declares statewide drought, marks fourth year of drought in some agricultural areas

https://www.nwpb.org/local/2026-04-08/washington-state-declares-fourth-consecutive-statewide-drought

Washington declares statewide drought, marks fourth year of drought in some agricultural areas

Northwest Public Broadcasting | By Anna King
Published April 8, 2026 at 2:43 PM PDT

(Audio at link)

After several drought-ridden years, Washington state declared another statewide drought on Wednesday morning. State leaders called for improved water resiliency plans, as droughts become more common in the future.

“We expect to see more snow droughts in the future,” said Karin Bumbaco, deputy state climatologist at the University of Washington. “On average, in the past, they happened two times per decade. Today, they’re happening about four times per decade and by the 2050s, we expect to see them about seven times per decade on average.”

April 1 is when Washington should have hit its snowpack peak, but officials said snowpack is below normal, and many basins throughout the state are facing drier conditions.

This snow drought likely means trouble for farms, fish and fires later this year. Officials also highlighted the necessity of longer-term plans for water usage within the state.

… more …