GRANTS PASS, Ore. — Oregon’s mountain snowpack, vital for farms, fish and ski resorts, is in the midst of another miserable year, posting record low depths despite normal precipitation.
The reason is persistent warm weather, which is turning into the new normal as the climate heats up.
Precipitation throughout Oregon has been normal or near normal since the Oct. 1 start of the water year.
Current snowpack measurements show 16 percent of normal for the Willamette Valley, 28 percent for central Oregon, 18 percent for the Rogue-Umpqua region, and 17 percent for the Klamath Basin.
Natural Resources Conservation Service hydrologist Julie Koeberle (KOE-ber-lee) says there is time for things to improve, but expectations are low. Long-range forecasts call for warm weather, with no clear indication whether it will be wetter or drier than normal.
