Idaho was drier than normal in 2024. What could next year look like?

BOISE (Idaho Capital Sun) – This year was abnormally dry for Idaho, with places in northern and central Idaho experiencing moderate to severe drought, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.

“We were the 33rd driest year since 1896,” David Hoekema with the Idaho Department of Water Resources said on Tuesday at the agency’s office in Boise, where he and other water experts met to discuss the 2024 water year and Idaho’s forecasted water supply.

This year was also Idaho’s fourth warmest year on record since 1896. The warmest year in Idaho was 1934, followed by 2015 and 1940.

While Idaho experienced a drier-than-usual year, and North Idaho has experienced two consecutive years of drought, water experts believe forecasted snow and rainfall this winter could offset drought conditions from 2024.

Idaho’s water and weather outlook for 2025

There is a 57% chance of La Niña conditions developing this winter, according to Troy Lindquist, senior service hydrologist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and National Weather Service.

This means Idaho could experience a cooler winter than last year, which experienced El Niño conditions, characterized by warmer-than-normal temperatures.

La Niña, the opposite phase, brings colder and wetter than usual conditions in the Pacific Northwest. During La Niña, the snowiest months are December and January, and conditions fade after spring, Lindquist said.

In terms of drought outlook, forecasted snowpack could lead to improvements or even the elimination of drought in the central and northern part of Idaho, Lindquist said.

Erin Whorton, a water supply specialist with the Natural Resources Conservation Service, said most Idaho reservoirs have near normal levels of water storage.

“Irrigation is looking quite good there in terms of storage users, waters, storage rights for the Upper Snake,” Whorton said.