BOISE, Idaho — The Idaho Department of Water Resources Water Supply Committee met on Thursday to discuss the state-wide status of the snowpack, historically warm winter temperatures, and what the upcoming spring will bring in terms of stream flows.
Overall, the winter across Idaho has been marked by little to no snow at most low and mid-elevation locations. Thankfully, the soil moisture content remains high thanks to lots of rain in the fall and December.
That said, the low snow is expected to deliver "below normal" stream runoff across the state this upcoming spring and summer.
In addition to the low snow, 26 of the 44 counties in Idaho are experiencing their warmest winter on record. Most of those counties are located across the southern swath of the Gem State.
Water managers say there are only 6 weeks left to reverse the low snow, high temperature trend that has been in effect since late fall of 2025.
In terms of the reservoir levels, the Boise and Payette systems seem to be in decent shape in terms of water storage. On the other hand, the Snake River drainage typically needs 120% of its average snow water equivalent to fill the reservoirs in that system. Unfortunately, the main watershed for the Snake River is sporting just 93% of its Snow Water Equivalent for this time of year.
Over the next 6-10 days, Idaho is expected to see above average precipitation and above average temperatures.
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