FILE: In this provided photo, whale watchers walk along the coastline at Boiler Bay State Scenic Viewpoint in Oregon on Dec. 28, 2022. The state could be in store for a warmer-than-usual winter.
Stefanie Knowlton/Oregon Parks and Recreation Department via AP / AP
It’s warmer than usual across Oregon, especially east of the Cascades, and forecasters think it’s unlikely to change over the rest of the winter.
According to National Weather Service records, Pendleton’s average temperature was higher than normal most days through Dec. 21.
The service’s Pendleton station covers a large swath of the inland Northwest from Bend to Yakima, Washington. Meteorologist Colby Goatley said most communities across that region recorded temperatures 1 to 3 degrees warmer than average in November.
The region is also getting less snow than usual. Although U.S. Department of Agriculture records show that many Eastern Oregon snowpacks are at or above their normal levels, few communities have seen significant snowfall in the region.
Goatley said the culprit is El Niño, a atmospheric phenomenon in the Pacific Ocean that leads to warmer, drier winters in the Northwest.
“Overall, even if we do get any more chances at (precipitation), it would end up with more rainfall, less snow,” he said.
The weather service’s most recent projection shows a 50-60% chance that Oregon temperatures will remain above average through February. The precipitation forecast is still up in the air, with there being an equal chance of high or low precipitation trends.
Rain and snowpack play a crucial role in Eastern Oregon, where the high desert climate averages less rainfall than in the Willamette Valley. A warmer, drier winter could hurt agricultural production or increase the risk of wildfires in the warm weather months.
It can also lead to flooding. In February 2020, a strong storm poured warm water over the snowpack in the Blue Mountains. The resulting runoff overwhelmed the banks of the Umatilla River, leading to significant flooding in Pendleton and across Umatilla County.
In the short term, the stakes are smaller but still keenly felt. In Baker County, Anthony Lakes Mountain Resort announced it was closing for four days because of the poor skiing conditions. Mt. Bachelor in Central Oregon has also had a stumbling start to its skiing season.
“While high elevation has been beneficial in maintaining our base through this wind and warming, we feel it is best to stay off the snow for the next few days,” the Anthony Lakes resort website states. “The coverage is still great, but the current skiing conditions, not so much.”
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