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M/CLOUDY Temp: 41 °F Wind: CLM at 0 mph Saturday, December 21, 2002 SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA HomeLife Magazine W3 Magazine Jobs @ Mail Tribune Tempo A & E Oregon CarZone Wellness Connection Real Estate Newspaper in Education Prime Times Outdoor Journal Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find Everything E SOUTHERN OREGON Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar ABOUT US FAQ What's New Advertise Home Delivery Classified Ad Contact Us Media Kit Email Story to a Friend December 6, 2002 There’s wet weather ahead, say the experts By ANITA BURKE Mail Tribune Irrigators, hydroelectric generators and fishery managers across the Northwest fear this fall’s dry season could mean drought, but meteorologists predict rain in the next week in the Rogue Valley. Recent months have been drier than normal, but there’s still plenty of time for wet, wintry weather, said Chuck Glaser, a meteorological technician at the National Weather Service’s Medford office. From September, when seasonal rainfall recording starts each year, through mid-week, Medford got 4.13 inches of rain, compared with the average of 5.42 inches, Glaser said. A ridge of high pressure settled along the Oregon Coast in mid-November and prevented wet weather from flowing into the region, he said. Now, that ridge is weakening and likely will start to give way within days. Forecasts expect a westerly flow to sweep in a series of storm systems. Showers are likely by Sunday night and things should get wetter as the week goes on, Glaser said. "We’ll see stronger systems coming through as time goes on," he said. "It doesn’t take long to catch up" to normal rainfall amounts. In a long-range forecast, state climatologist George Taylor predicts an average amount of precipitation in December and slightly more than average in January. Late January and early February could bring a chance of low-elevation snow, he said. Precipitation should be average in February and March. Reach reporter Anita Burke at 776-4459, or e-mail [email protected] Printer Friendly Version Email Story to a Friend Subscribe Archive: Click to Search Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright 1997-2002 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy webmaster feedback A D V E R T I S E R S