The Wet Spring Helped, But Drought Persists In Oregon, Idaho
April and May combined for the 4th wettest on record for Oregon. But that doesn’t mean the region is done with drought. Dr. Joe Casola, NOAA’s Western Regional Climate Services Director, said all of that moisture helped.
“Streams had a lot of drought improvement. However, there is drought persistent in southern parts of Oregon and southern parts of Idaho, and that is anticipated to continue throughout the summertime.”
He added it’s just a numbers game at this point. Central and southern Oregon, specifically, won’t get enough rain to recover from three years of persistent drought.
“Given that the average precipitation for July and August are so little, the numbers that you’d need would be astronomical for, let’s say, southern Oregon. The reality is they’re not going to recover from drought this water year.”
Casola predicts most of the west will see above average temperatures with below average rainfall this summer.
If you have a story idea for the PNW Ag Network, call (509) 547-1618, or e-mail glenn.vaagen@townsquaremedia.com