Was Low Snowpack a Significant Contributor to Recent Northwest Wildfires? The Answer is Clearly No

This summer, wildfire activity east of the Cascades has been above normal. Several media outlets and activist websites are claiming that this year's low snowpack is a major cause of the wildfires (see example below). Poor mountain snowpack and early melt-offs have translated to low reserves, drying out grasses, trees, and shrubs that easily ignite and spread wildfires. The facts are clear: such…