U.S. Forest Service officials say heavy snow and a cold spring means several campgrounds in northern Idaho and Eastern Washington will be opening later than usual.

Some sites may not be open by Memorial Day, the traditional start of the heavy camping season in the Pacific Northwest, and snowdrifts could block access to lookout tower rentals well into July.

Roads to many destinations in the Idaho Panhandle forests remain impassable. Windy Ridge at the gateway to the Coeur d’Alene River Ranger District had 12 feet of snow last week, four times the typical amount for this time of year.

Officials on the Colville National Forest in northcentral Washington say roads to several lakes remain closed because of deep snow and won’t be plowed in time for the start of the fishing season this weekend.

Rentals of old government fire lookout towers may be unavailable well into the summer. With about 10 feet of snow, the Lunch Peak Lookout Tower northeast of Sandpoint might not be open by July 1 as scheduled.

The outlook is better for state parks and lower elevation federal campgrounds, as Riverside State Park west of Spokane will be open for the three-day weekend, and Heyburn and Farragut state parks in Idaho have campsites available earlier.

(AP)