12/06/05 November snowpack good in most basins

We're off to a good start in some of Idaho's basins where the rain and plenty of snow fell in November. ABROMOVICH "Currently the snow pack in the Boise basin is 130 percent of average, 131 in the Big Wood basin. Those are about the highest in the state right now." Ron Abromovich of the NRCS Snow Survey team looking at November figures. Timely rain and snow fell last month in southern Idaho but in the Panhandle it didn't. The snowpack today is only 70 percent of normal. ABROMOVICH "The Clearwater basin snow is 85 percent, Salmon basin 122, Weiser is 107, Payette basin is 124, Little Wood 115, the Big Lost basin snowpack is 119, Henry's Fork and Teton are 118 percent, and the Snake Basin above Palasades is 114 percent of average today. Low elevations, Willow, Blackfoot and Portneuf are 108 percent, Oakley basin is 136, Salmon Falls 128, the Bruneau is 126, the Owyhee is 82 and the Bear River is 121 percent of average. Because right now around December first we're only about 20 percent of the way into the winter. We still have 80 percent of the winter to come." Abromovich says it's a good start is most areas but we need a lot more snow this winter to satisfy all of the needs next spring, summer and fall. Today's Idaho Ag News Bill Scott