River Rafting in Washington

Leavenworth, Washington What should we expect for Washington rivers and river rafting ? Sunny on the east side of the Cascades, soggy on the west.  That is what is always expected out of rivers located within an easy drive of Seattle. Wenatchee River - Drunkard's Drop Sunshine on the eastern slopes, and moist marine air backed up from the passes to the sound on the west side.  Spring is in full bloom on both sides of the mountain divide and our healthy snow pack continues to settle amidst the vales and forests deep in the heart of the North Cascades. In other words, the spring melt off is still to come. Temperatures will be rising over the next few days, touching the 80s in Leavenworth and, it is possible, the white water game will be on.  Last season, turbulent and cold spring conditions persisted right into and throughout June, and the snow melt never built to a crescendo.  River water levels - on both sides of the mountains - were sustained...

River rafting in Washington state peaks during the month of July, in terms of the number of people getting out and white water rafting. However, every season, regardless of the depth of Washington state's snowpack, the peak flows happen much earlier. I have been organizing, leading and rafting rivers in the state of Washington since 1975. I have seen every imaginable description of the snowpack. I have been rafting for so long in the Pacific Northwest, I remember when they changed (read: downgraded) the definition of 'average' snowpack in the Cascades because the snowpack was no longer accumulating to the extent it once did in earlier part of the 20th century. I have also been guiding and rafting for long enough in the Northwest to report that, no matter what the snowpack is in February, or March, you would be presumptuous to state that the white water rafting season is doomed to bad water level conditions. This is because the spring could be colder than normal, drier ...