MEDFORD, Ore. – With all the storms in our region and across the state we are getting some much-needed snow.
A Water Outlook report from January 1, by the US Department of Agriculture, shows that most of Oregon was in a snow drought. Snowpack levels in southwestern Oregon specifically, were well below normal.
Matt Warbritton, a Hydrologist from the agency, says now we’re seeing levels much closer to normal.
“What we’re really looking for now is for that temperature to be near normal and the precipitation forecasts continue to be above normal. But right now both the seasonal outlook and the outlook for the remainder of January is calling for a higher probability of above normal temperatures,” says Warbritton. He adds that peak snow accumulation for Oregon is towards the end of March.
Atmospheric Science Professor Nick Siler at Oregon State says the snow we’re getting is important because it may not last very long as we get deeper into winter.
“The forecast models are projecting a shift toward warmer-than-average temperatures, not necessarily below-average precipitation, but probably not as favorable for snowpack accumulation is what we’ve seen over the last couple of weeks,” says Siler.
If you’re interested in looking at the progress of the snowpack in our area or where you may be traveling, you can look up NRCS Oregon Snow Survey in your search engine, or you can visit their website: https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/.
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