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DROUGHT Rogue snowpack is heavy heading into critical month Water content is far above average heading into critical month Comment By Mark Freeman Mail Tribune Follow @@MTwriterFreeman MailTribune.com By Mark Freeman Mail Tribune Follow @@MTwriterFreeman Posted Feb. 1, 2016 at 3:21 PM Updated Feb 1, 2016 at 3:41 PM By Mark Freeman Mail Tribune Follow @@MTwriterFreeman Posted Feb. 1, 2016 at 3:21 PM Updated Feb 1, 2016 at 3:41 PM » Social News The Rogue River Basin's snowpack is well above average and is in good shape to anchor a potentially healthy water year that could help wash away southwest Oregon's drought status. The federal Natural Resources Conservation Service today listed the snowpack in the Rogue and Umpqua basins at 128 percent of average, but the key value — the amount of water stored in that snowpack — was listed at 138 percent of average. "If we were not to get any more snow, the snow level would still be up to 93 percent of its peak," says Julie Koeberle from the NRCS snow survey program in Portland. Still, there are no absolutes when it comes to snow prediction, especially in early February. "If we get some unusually warm rainstorms and a big atmospheric river event, that could change things," Koeberle says. "That (current snowpack) is promising, but long-term, the three-month outlook is for warm temperatures and precipitation that could go either way." The snowpack around Oregon remains above average, including the Coast Range, with some of the deepest snow in Southern Oregon. NRCS reports the Klamath Basin snowpack is at 128 percent of average, but its snow-water equivalent rating of 142 percent of average slightly eclipses both the Rogue and Umpqua basins. In the Rogue Basin, King Mountain in the Siskiyou Mountain Range is literally carrying the water for the basin, and its values show how the snowpack has captured January rains like a natural reservoir. The snowpack was listed today at 124 percent of average there, but it has the snow-water equivalency of 324 percent of average, according to NRCS. Another big producer is Fish Lake, where the snowpack is 147 percent of average and has a water equivalency of 168 percent of average. Based on those numbers and other factors, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Climate Prediction Center says it's "likely" that southwest Oregon's drought status will end. Whether the center hits the "delete" key on the D-word could be clear within a few weeks. "A general rule is that in mid-February we really know where were headed," Koeberle says. "We'll see how it plays out in the next couple weeks." Reach Mail Tribune reporter Mark Freeman at 541-776-4470 or [email protected] . Follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/MTwriterFreeman . By Mark Freeman Mail Tribune Follow @@MTwriterFreeman MailTribune.com By Mark Freeman Mail Tribune Follow @@MTwriterFreeman Posted Feb. 1, 2016 at 3:21 PM Updated Feb 1, 2016 at 3:41 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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