12/03/07 Its a La Nina year, where's the rain, snow?

November rain and snow did not fall in any great amounts in Idaho. ABROMOVICH "Precipitation in November ranged from near average in the Weiser and Payette basins to only 30 percent of average in Salmon Falls, Bruneau and the Bear River basins." Ron Abromovich of the NRCS Snow Survey says the snowpack levels are below normal everywhere, starting with the Clearwater basin at 49 percent. ABROMOVICH "The Weiser basin is 45 percent of average, the Payette and Boise basins are 58, Big Wood is 67, Little Wood is 44, Big Lost 55, Little Lost is 61 percent, upper Snake basin is at 73, Teton Henry's Fork is 69, Willow, Blackfoot, Portneuf the low elevations are only 21 percent, Oakley and Salmon Falls basin are only 35 along with the Bruneau basin, Owyhee basin is only 11 percent of average and the Bear River basin is 30 percent of average for the snow water content." In some areas snows melted because of warm weather, putting that water into the soil, meaning it won't be there next spring for runoff. In what is supposed to be a La Nina year the big storms certainly haven't materialized yet. Voice of Idaho Agriculture Bill Scott