... If Pat had a true happy place, it was with friends and family at Priest Lake, Idaho. He loved the beauty of the lake, the warmth of the community, pulling grandkids behind the boat, and gathering at the bar at Milly's or Hill's after a round of golf. In the winters, he traded the water for the mountains, venturing into snowmobile terrain that frequently left the family amazed-and relieved-that he made it back.
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Services will be held March 24th at 2:00 PM
Immaculate Heart Retreat Center
6910 S. Ben Burr Rd. - Spokane, WA 99223
Photo Troy Gilbert
March 13, 2026 This winter has brought warmer than normal temperatures, which has led to more precipitation falling as rain, especially at lower and mid elevations.
IDWR staff are watching two SNOTEL sites, Bunchgrass Meadow and Hidden Lake. Both sites are at an elevation of about 5,000 feet. The Bunchgrass Meadow site is currently hovering around record low Snow Water Equivalent (SWE), and the Hidden Lake site is currently below normal SWE. Peak accumulation typically occurs mid-April at both sites, so there is some time for things to recover. However, because of how far behind snowpack accumulation is, a full recovery is highly unlikely.
Bunchgrass Meadow: AWS Plot
Hidden Lake: AWS Plot
The current water level for Priest Lake is 1.00 feet:
As Idaho Code 70-507 specifies, the type-of-year designation determines whether the lake level will be stabilized at 3.0 feet (for wet years) or between 3.0 to 3.5 feet (for dry years). We reviewed the information shown below from several agencies to make the type-of-year determination.
The National Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) forecast issued in early March shows well below average values of streamflow volume are expected for the Priest River basin.
In accordance, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Seasonal Outlook for temperature and precipitation predict normal conditions for North Idaho in the March-April-May timeframe.
The US Drought Monitor’s weekly report released on March 5th, reports Abnormally Dry to Moderate Drought for the Idaho panhandle.
Furthermore, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) reports soil moistures of 10% or less in the Idaho Panhandle, suggesting very dry conditions.
As of March 1st, the Northwest River Forecast Center of NOAA water supply forecast for the USGS “Priest River near Priest River” site for the months of April through September is 69% of normal (or below average).
Predictions point to a “dry” or a “very dry” type of year, and current conditions confirm we’re in a dry to very dry type of year. In fact, the Bunchgrass SNOTEL site reported the lowest observed SWE for the last 44 years for March 10th. Priest Lake is in its fourth consecutive year of drought or dryer-than-normal conditions (2023-2026). Conditions may improve in the next month, but it would take a drastic increase in snowpack accumulation to change the classification of this year out of “dry” or “very dry”.
In an effort to conserve water in the lake basin for a dry summer, dam gate operations have already begun to slowly raise the lake level, with the goal to bring the lake up to between 2.5 and 3.0 feet by May 10th (assuming runoff does not take lake level higher). Per Idaho Code §70-507, we will also aim to raise the lake level to between 3.0 and 3.5 feet by May 22nd.
Another update will be released in the April timeframe.For questions contact Bill Cresse, Engineer, Associate, IDWR Northern Region, northerninfo@idwr.idaho.gov or
(208) 762-2800.
