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Southern Oregon snowpack up 25% in two weeks By Nick Morgan Updated: Apr 18, 2022 12:56 PM A A Weather.jpg More precipitation to fall this week, but snows expected at higher elevations than last week Owing to a storm system that brought unseasonably cold, wet weather to Southern Oregon, local meteorologists say southwest Oregon’s snowpack has improved by 25% since the start of the month. The region, however, remains drier than it was this time last year, and warmer forecast temperatures mean less fresh snowpack is on the horizon. Southwest Oregon — a region that comprises everything south of the Umpqua divide and west of the cascades, rose from 44% of normal snowpack April 1 to 69% Monday, according to numbers provided by National Weather Service meteorologist Dan Weygand at the Medford weather station. Weygand said the improvement is not enough to reverse the drought conditions stemming largely from an unusually dry January and February, but the late snows are beneficial because of their timing. "Around April 1 is usually when the mountains reach their peak snowpack,“ Weygand said. Weygand said snow this week is expected to fall predominantly at elevations between 4,000 and 5,000 feet compared to the 2,000 to 2,500 feet snows last week. “We’re trending warmer,” Weygand said. The weather service issued a winter weather advisory for high elevation portions of the Siskiyou Mountains and Southern Oregon cascades that lasts from 5 p.m. Monday through midnight. Motorists traveling on higher portions of Highway 140 and the Siskiyou summit on Interstate 5 near the California border should prepare for potential slippery road conditions. The Monday evening advisory warns of snows between 4 to 8 inches above 5,000 feet, 9 to 12 inches above 55000 feet, and winds of up to 35 mph in exposed areas. If snows combine with gusty winds, motorists may face near white out conditions at times Monday evening. The weather service advises that motorists slow down, carry tire chains and be prepared for snow-covered roads and limited visibility. The Medford area saw nearly an inch of precipitation this past week, improving from 10.52 inches of precipitation recorded April 11 to 11.50 inches on April 18. At 11.50 inches, the region is still “extremely dry,” according to Weygand — down 22% for this point in a normal water year, and down more than a third of an inch behind the 11.86 inches the region was at on April 18, 2021. The 1.52 inches of precipitation recorded for the month of April, however, is well above the 0.93 inches meteorologists typically expect. “That’s 163% of normal for the month,” Weygand said. “We’re actually ahead of normal for this month.” Precipitation for the year remains well below normal. For the calendar year, meteorologists have recorded 3.59 inches of rainfall since Jan. 1, which is 48% of the typical 7.42 inches they’d normally expect for the Medford area. More precipitation is expected in the Medford area this week, but Weygand said the unseasonably cold temperatures are expected to stay above freezing. The five-day forecast shows lows through Friday in the high 30s and highs in the low 60s Monday afternoon and in the high 50s for the rest of the week. Rain showers between a tenth and a quarter inch are possible Monday night, according to the forecast and Weygand. Additional frontal systems are expected through Friday night. The next system is expected Tuesday afternoon, a series of weaker systems are expected late Wednesday into Thursday, and another stronger front is expected late Thursday into Friday. “There’ll be some light to moderate amounts,” Weygand said of the precipitation forecast. The storm system could bring “just a slight chance” of thunderstorms in Southern Oregon Thursday afternoon into the evening. Meteorologists are watching for storms Wednesday in coastal areas north of Cape Blanco, and believe they could spread to other parts of southwest Oregon the following day. “With the front coming through on Thursday, there may be a broader slight chance through much of our area,” Weygand said. Next week’s forecast is more difficult for meteorologists to predict, according to Weygand, but local meteorologists expect the weather pattern bringing cool, wet weather to “remain active” but "shift a little higher north.” If the forecast holds, Weygand described additional rains “on the lighter side” and temperatures “more likely to be near normal.” “Not high and dry, but not really wet either,” Weygand said. Reach web editor Nick Morgan at 541-776-4471 or [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @MTwebeditor.