WA is seeing a dry winter, including fifth-driest January on record. Here’s why it matters

In late February, the Washington state Department of Ecology released an update on the drought that’s been plaguing the state since 2023.

Citing the Washington State Climate Office, the update revealed that Washington saw its fifth-driest January on record in 2025.

According to Caroline Mellor, statewide drought lead at the Department of Ecology, that statistic isn’t concerning if you separate it from its current context. But state officials were hoping to chip away at, not add to, the water shortage that led to a drought that covered all of Washington state aside from the Seattle, Tacoma and Everett.

In that context, the dry winter becomes cause for concern.

“The fifth-driest January statistic on its own is not tremendously concerning for Ecology, as water supply is also impacted by precipitation and temperature patterns (in) other winter months,” Mellor told McClatchy in an email. “However, situating this statistic in the context that some regions of the state are facing compounding deficits from back-to-back drought in 2023 and 2024 is more concerning.”

What fifth-driest January means for WA

Since the start of the current “water year” in October, precipitation is 20% below the levels it would typically reach by mid-February, the report said. The state’s snow pack, meanwhile, is 13% below normal levels.

The dry winter has come during a La Niña year, which usually means there’s a higher chance of rainy, cold weather. However, the La Niña pattern was weak this year, and those effects never materialized.

“While it is true that La Niña generally brings wetter and colder patterns, historically there is still a range of weather patterns that occurred under a La Niña,” Mellor said. “Additionally, this La Niña came late and (was) considered weak overall. While we were surprised to see such a dry January and start to February, by the time La Niña arrived, we did not expect to see major impacts to temperature or precipitation.”

Some regions were hit particularly hard. The northern and central parts of the Cascade Mountains, as well as the Olympic Peninsula, all saw precipitation levels at or below 30% of a typical year, according to the Department of Ecology. The northern Cascades saw a snowpack that was between 20% and 30% lower than typical levels, while the central Cascades saw their snowpack fall 40% below normal.

The news wasn’t all bad, though. The outlook in eastern Washington is “slightly more optimistic,” according to the report, as both Spokane and the Tri-Cities area saw “near normal” precipitation levels.

How is WA drought recovery going?

In Washington, a drought can be declared when the water supply falls below 75% of normal levels. Last year’s drought declaration expires in April, when officials will reevaluate conditions and decide whether to extend it.

“There is not an exact amount of precipitation or snow that we need for drought recovery,” Mellor said. “Temperature is a major factor for snowpack building, as well as the rate of snowmelt come this spring.”

Mellor said that Ecology is particularly concerned with the Yakima reservoir system, which the report says is only 34% full. The reservoir system would need “significantly above normal snowpack,” to recover from the drought conditions.

However, Mellor said that there is still time for the snowpack to build.

“We are also closely watching the North and Central Cascades, Okanogan and Methow areas,” Mellor said. “November, December and January are usually the months we receive the most precipitation in Washington. April 1 is considered peak for snowpack. We will know more as we approach April.”

Will the snowpack recover by then? Citing the state’s Water Supply Availability Committee, the Department of Ecology summed up the current outlook as “we really need more snow and we’re probably not going to get it.”

If the department decides that it’s necessary, it will extend the drought declaration, which would allow it to expedite water transfers and open grant funds to local government drought relief efforts.

“If conditions indicate, Ecology may consider extending the drought declaration for the areas of concern this spring or summer. These areas include the Yakima basins, the North and Central Cascades, Okanogan and Methow,” Mellor said.

This story was originally published March 1, 2025 at 5:00 AM.