April snowpack at 53% of median statewide — summer streamflows projected well below normal across most basins. Washington’s April 1 snowpack measured 53% of median, falling near the 5th percentile — lower than 95% of years on record. The Olympics and Blue Mountains are at 35–60% of median. Multiple Okanogan stations are below 10%. Peak snowpack occurred approximately two weeks early due to mid-March melt events. April–September water supply forecasts show the Yakima Basin at 55–75% of normal, with Cascades, Olympics, and Spokane-area basins below 85%. Seasonal outlooks indicate elevated odds of warmer-than-normal temperatures and below-normal summer precipitation.
What this means for restoration portfolios. Summer streamflows determine in-water work windows for restoration entities across Washington. When flows drop, work windows compress or close, and entities carrying seasonal deadline clusters face compounding pressure. In Freehold’s dataset of 50 Washington restoration entities, 57% show deadline clustering in the same seasonal windows. This is the fourth consecutive year of drought conditions — what was once an exceptional event is becoming the operating baseline that restoration portfolios are built around.
Source: UW Climate Impacts Group, April 6, 2026; WA Dept of Ecology
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Washington declares fourth consecutive statewide drought emergency · 57% of restoration entities have deadlines clustering in the same seasonal windows
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