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CLEAR Temp: 51 °F Wind: CLM at 0 mph Wednesday, February 5, 2003 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 February 1, 2003 Snowpack is low for most of Oregon Water content for this area is roughly on target, but other areas may suffer By BILL VARBLE Mail Tribune The Rogue region is in fair shape for snowpack — unlike most of Oregon. But a lot is riding on the next two months. Water content of snowpack in the Medford-Ashland area was 69 percent of average at the end of January, said Stan Fox, the snow surveyor for the U.S. Natural Resources Conservation Service. Water content is measured at eight sites locally and 72 sites in Oregon. Water content of snowpack in the state as a whole was just 46 percent. "That tells you what the streams are going to do," said Steve Johnson, a snow surveyor for the Ashland Ranger District. Johnson has just completed the measurements he’s been doing at this time of year for 14 years. "What’s interesting is that the Siskiyou Mountains from Mount Ashland are quite a bit above normal," Johnson said. "The reason is that the Siskiyous were at the northern end of the storms we got in December. They never hit farther north." Water content at four sites on or near Mount Ashland was 116 percent of normal. The sites are known as Ski Bowl Road, Mount Ashland Switchback, Caliban and Siskiyou Summit. Water content is above normal above 6,000 feet elevation and below normal below 6,000 feet. "The upper elevation snowpack has acted like a giant sponge for the month of January," Johnson said. "But the lower snowpacks have vanished." At the 4,600-foot Siskiyou summit, for example, water content was 5 inches a month ago and 1 inch this week. The Ski Bowl Road site (at 6,000 feet) had 17 inches of water, or 104 percent of normal. In contrast, Diamond Lake at 5,300 feet was at 36 percent of normal. Fourmile Lake at 6,000 feet was 76 percent of normal. The warm weather has left much of the Pacific Northwest with the lowest snowpack in nearly 30 years. There has been plenty of rain, but not enough cold weather to make it stick. While there’s a chance of making up ground, the lack of snow could prove troublesome for irrigators, dam operators, anglers, hydropower producers and others who will rely on snowmelt for water — not to mention fish and migrating birds. The snow at a Mount Hood measuring site at 5,400 feet has dropped in a month from about 55 inches to 36 inches deep, or 34 percent of average. A typical snowpack this time of year is more than 100 inches. Snowpacks in parts of Eastern Oregon are better but not good, with most running 60 percent to 70 percent of average. About 70 percent of Oregon’s snowpack is usually on the ground by Feb. 1. Oregon’s snowpack is the second worst in the West at 49 percent of average. Arizona (at 39 percent) is last. Oregon state climatologist George Taylor is predicting a wet and cold February and March. Fox said streamflow forecasts, due out next week, will be lower than those of just a month ago. The forecast then was for 80 or 90 percent of normal in the Rogue River. Johnson said he’s not worried yet. "Last year we had a big December, and then it dried up," he said. "But it’s certainly not too late to catch up." Reach reporter Bill Varble at 776-4478 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