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June water supply outlook: Excellent

BOISE– The Natural Resources Conservation Service in Idaho has released the June Water Supply Outlook Report for the 2020 water year. 

As of June 16, the National Weather Service's Boise branch had measured 2.50 inches of precipitation at its office near the Boise Airport. That was boosted by near-record rainfall on Saturday, when Boise saw 1.21 inches of rain, second only to the single-day June rainfall record of 1.91 set on June 12, 1958.

Last weekend Bogus Basin Ski Area, along with Brundage received up to 7 inches of snow while other central basins and Eastern Idaho also got significant late spring snowfall.

The report shows widespread mountain snowmelt began in April and continued throughout May. Complete snowmelt has occurred at all SNOTEL sites in the Wood and Lost, Owyhee, Bruneau, and Salmon Falls basins.

“Snowpack conditions in the Panhandle, Clearwater, and Upper Snake are near or exceed the normal snowpack, while the Salmon, West Central, and Bear basins are below normal for June 1, said Daniel Tappa, Supervisory Hydrologist with the Idaho Natural Resources Conservation Service. “As a result, aside from northern Idaho (Panhandle & Clearwater) and far eastern Idaho (Upper Snake & Bear River) where remainder season streamflow is forecast to be near normal, the rest of Idaho should anticipate lower than normal runoff (~30 to 80%).”

Median streamflow forecasts in the Wood & Lost basins continue to range from ~10 to 55% of normal, and water shortages will occur there. While SW Idaho should have an adequate water supply well into late summer.

Daily conditions updates are available on the Real-Time Conditions page from the NRCS Idaho Snow Survey web page.

For information on specific basins, streams, and reservoirs, please view the full report online at June Water Supply Outlook Report.