Oregon Snowpack Looks Good, Dry Weather Expected To Close January

The higher elevations of Oregon have received much needed snow this fall and winter, leading to very good snowpack numbers across the state.  Matt Warbritton with NRCS said right now, the statewide snowpack is 142% of normal.

“Snowpack is probably most notable across many parts of Southern Oregon, Eastern Oregon, where it's now well above normal. Snowpack in those regions is doing quite well for this time of year.”

Conversely, the area where the snowpack is the weakest, the Willamette Basin in the northern Cascades, as well as the Hood-Sandy-Lower Deschutes Basin.

And with these solid snowpack numbers across the state, Warbritton said things are looking good for the upcoming irrigation season.  But, he pointed out, area mountains could use more snow.  But the question is when is the next opportunity for meaningful snow in those higher elevations?

Warbritton said the expectation is for dry weather over the next two weeks, meaning below normal precipitation.

“The good thing is the forecasts are also calling for greater chances of below normal temperatures, so that will help sustain snowpack where it's at now.  So, we may still see declining snowpack as a percent of normal, but we shouldn't see really any significant snow melt during this period because of those colder temperatures.  And then after this two-week period, there's more chances for moisture that enter into the region.  So, hopefully once this sort of dry stretches over in January, we start to see some additional storms and continued beneficial snowpack build up.”

If you have a story idea for the PNW Ag Network, call (509) 547-1618, or e-mail glenn.vaagen@townsquaremedia.com