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48 °F 5 Day Forecast Saturday, December 6, 2003 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | eSouthernOregon | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find a Rental Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Email Story to a Friend December 3, 2003 Water, water everywhere ... except here November’s rainfalls mostly missed valley — but that doesn’t spell doom for winter By BILL KETTLER Mail Tribune It’s too early to use the "d" word just yet, but some folks are starting to wonder when the real rain will come. Medford’s precipitation for November 2003 totaled 2.38 inches. That’s .55 inches below the normal average for the first of Medford’s four wettest months. After a truly dry October, (just .05 inch of rain), the region has received about 65 percent of the average moisture for the three months from Sept. 1 to Nov. 30. November’s big storms mostly bypassed Southern Oregon, drenching California and Washington with heavy rain and plenty of early-season snow. Cold temperatures brought some snow to the Cascades and Siskiyous, but a warm storm that blew through the region over the Thanksgiving weekend shrank the snowpack at most elevations. On Tuesday morning, for example, the Mount Ashland ski area had 17 inches of snow, compared to 21 inches just before Thanksgiving. Advertisement Skiers and snowmobilers have had little reason to smile so far, but they can take some solace from the fact that dry Novembers in Southern Oregon aren’t unusual. Since 1912 (when record-keeping began here) there have been at least 13 years when less than 1 inch of rain fell at the Medford airport, including a minuscule .01 inch in 1936. Too little rain in November is far more common than too much. Since 1912, there have been just five years when at least 6 inches of rain (twice the normal monthly average) fell during the month. A dry November could presage another dry month ahead. Of Medford’s 13 driest Novembers, nine were followed by significantly below-average rainfall the following month. Just don’t bet the farm on a dry December. One of Medford’s driest Novembers (.02 inch in 1929) was followed by one of its wettest Decembers (6.45 inches). To keep weather watchers better informed about all of this, the National Weather Service station in Medford has expanded its telephone forecast to include conditions on the coast and in the mountains. When you dial 779-5990, you can press 1 for current weather conditions; 2 for the short-term forecast for Medford; 3 for the long-term forecast for Jackson County; 4 for Medford’s daily climate information; 5 for marine weather forecasts for the Southern Oregon and Northern California coast; and 6 for forecasts for the Cascades and Siskiyous. You don’t have to listen to the whole forecast for any area. If you’ve heard enough about Medford, you can jump to any other forecast by pressing the appropriate number. The tape doesn’t include road reports, but it provides telephone numbers to get road information for Oregon (800-977-6368) and for California from outside the state (916-445-7623). Just press 7. Reach reporter Bill Kettler at 776-4492, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2003 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback 3 WEEKS FREE! ADVERTISERS SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Real Estate Showcase Food for Thought Hike of the Week Wellness Connection Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Openings Prime Times