Bonners Ferry Local Guide including all of Boundary County Idaho

Mt. snowpack running below normal in area

Thursday, February 8, 2007; DB

All that standing water on sidewalks, gutters and in your driveway doesn't necessarily mean spring runoff will be any higher than normal in the Coeur d'Alene area. The National Resource Conservation Service says snowpacks are at slightly below average levels and runoff should be about average as well. Water isn't soaking into the ground now because soils are saturated from abundant rains in November and December last year. Frozen soils could also play a role in the amount of standing water, said Ron Abramovich, water supply specialist with the NRCS. Runoff levels in spring will depend upon how much precipitation there is the rest of the season, spring rains and timing, he said. "What we need now is a gradual warm up," he said. The snowpack on Jan. 1 was 88 percent of average for the Coeur d'Alene area. For Priest River, it was 97 percent and for the Moyie River it was 118 percent. - Full Story