Rains a Good Sign for Next Year

I'm Bob Larson. The state of Washington's got a running-start on winter precipitation with the wettest October on record for many areas.

WSU meteorologist Nic Lloyd says last month's rains have given growers a good base for next year ...

NIC LLOYD "For irrigated ag folks, the snow pack is going to be something we're all going to be watching during the course of this winter even though, when it comes to the river levels and soil moisture and reservoir levels and things like that, all this rain is good. Looking ahead to next growing season, while all this water now helps, it's probably not guaranteed to be a great substitute for snow pack which is going to be potentially water in the bank for later next year when we need it."

Lloyd says the good news is there's been very little flooding...

NIC LLOYD-WO-6A = 14 sec ... "Absolutely, I think a lot of absorption, you know soil moisture levels, obviously much higher than they were even a month ago. Even other sources, reservoirs, river levels, much higher. So, we're certainly starting the historical wet season on a wet note."

Lloyd says the next few months are important ...

NIC LLOYD ... "I'm certainly hopeful, you know, from a snow pack perspective, It would be nice if we could get into a lasting at least a weak La Nina conditions that'll, historically, when we look at composites for different years, weak La Nina years are certainly better when we look at snow pack and things like that than neutral years. So where we end up will make quite a difference. We're right on the border right now."

The Service's Climate Prediction Center is calling for near normal temps through November, but increased chances of above normal precipitation December through February.