New month, old story: Ore. snowpack at record lows

Oregon’s mountains continue to experience record low snowpack levels, according to snow survey data from the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service reported Friday.

Warm February temperatures have resulted in more rain than snow in the mountains. While February brought a few snow events across the state, the snow accumulation was not enough to significantly improve conditions.

The agency said 45 percent of Oregon’s long-term snow monitoring sites are at or near the lowest snowpack levels on record.

“Without snowpack in the mountains to support spring runoff, many streams and rivers across Oregon will likely experience below normal flows this year,” said Scott Oviatt, NRCS Oregon snow survey supervisor.

“Low-flowing rivers in the summer have many implications affecting fish, wildlife, irrigation, livestock, city municipalities and hydropower operations. Reservoir operators have at least been able to take advantage of the rain by increasing reservoir storage in many locations.”

As of March 1, 32 snow measuring sites with long-term records are experiencing all-time record low snowpack.

“Most of these sites are spread throughout the Cascades, however, as the dry and warm conditions have continued, records have spread eastward in the state,” Oviatt said. “These record lows have not been observed since the SNOTEL monitoring network was installed in the late 1970s and early 1980s.”

The latest information on Oregon’s streamflow forecasts can be found in the March Water Supply Outlook Report, available on the NRCS Snow Survey website at www.or.nrcs.usda.gov/snow.

The NRCS Snow Survey is the federal program that measures snow and provides streamflow forecasts and snowpack data for communities, water managers and recreationalists across the West.

In Oregon, snow measurements are collected from 81 SNOTEL sites, 42 manually measured snow courses, and 26 aerial markers. Water and snowpack information for all SNOTEL sites nationwide are available on the Snow Survey website in a variety of formats.

The reports are updated every hour and are available at: http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/main/or/snow/.

NRCS publishes six monthly Oregon Water Supply Outlook Reports between Jan. 1 and June 1 every year. Look for next month’s report from NRCS for the latest information on water supply forecasts in Oregon.

A digital copy of the March NRCS Oregon Basin Outlook Report, can be found at the following link:

http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/main/or/snow/

To regularly receive this information as an email announcement, contact Julie Koeberle at julie.koeberle@or.usda.gov or 503-414-3272 to subscribe.