Fuel moisture at the beginning of the fire season was evaluated by following the seasonal trend of moisture content of large forest fuels under a snowpack. Moisture contents at three sites throughout the period of snow cover provided data for linear regression models. The fuels approached fiber saturation during the snowpack accumulation period. The short melt period provided very little water for further moisture uptake. Large, dead, forest fuels thus emerge from a snowpack at approximately 32 percent moisture content by weight, with a range of 23 to 39 percent.