Oregon
Oregon’s snowpack is historically poor. That could change in a big way
Video: When was the last time Oregon had a statistically ‘cool’ year?
Explore Oregon Podcast host Zach Urness talks with Oregon state climatologist Larry O’Neill about Oregon’s string of historically hot years.
Weather forecasters are increasingly optimistic that Oregon’s historically low snowpack could start to see a big turnaround beginning in about a week.
State climatologist Larry O’Neill said forecast models are showing a “pattern shift” from warm and dry weather to wet and cool conditions beginning around Feb. 7-8.
This week is forecast to remain far warmer than normal, with temperatures into the 60s. By the weekend, a system arrives with the potential to bring a lot of mountain snow in a season that has been historically bad thus far.
“It’s still a ways out, but this pattern looks really good and there is a lot of agreement in the forecast models for a setup that historically brings a lot of snow,” O’Neill said.
It’s needed.
Oregon’s mountains have never had this little snow, statewide, as of Feb. 2 in recorded history. In the Cascade Mountains specifically, the snowpack is only slightly better than 2015.
Statewide, snowpack is 30% of normal.
What’s in the forecast for Oregon?
Currently, there is a high pressure ridge across the West Coast that has deflected storms from the Pacific Ocean and kept the weather dry and, this week, very warm.
Forecast models show that ridge breaking down beginning this weekend and opening a “trough” that should allow storms back into Oregon. Often, this sort of trough, when it comes with northwest flow, brings both wet and cool conditions ripe for mountain snow.
Indeed, some of the forecast models are predicting as much as 44-72 inches in the Cascade Mountains by Feb. 18.
O’Neill said that level of snow might not happen, “but it gives you a sense of what’s possible with the system that is coming in,” he said.
Snow badly needed at Oregon ski areas
Mountain snow is badly needed for winter recreation and building up a snowpack that can slow the onset of wildfire season and provide drinking water statewide.
Some of Oregon’s smaller and lower elevation ski areas have announced suspended or scaled back operations.
“Everybody is hoping for snow,” O’Neill said. “And we don’t know the specifics of what we’re going to get — but at this point, this one actually looks pretty good.”
Zach Urness has been an outdoors reporter in Oregon for 18 years and is host of the Explore Oregon Podcast. He can be reached at zurness@StatesmanJournal.com or (503) 399-6801. Find him on X at @ZachsORoutdoors and BlueSky at oregonoutdoors.bsky.social
Oregon
Oregon City health care facility sees measles exposure, Oregon Heath Authority warns
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Oregon
Oregon Top High School Baseball Players For 2026
The 2026 MLB Draft is approaching, and Baseball America is providing a comprehensive, state-by-state look at the talent across the country with our rankings of the the top 2026 high school baseball players by state.
Our state lists collectively include rankings for more than 1,000 players from across the United States, Puerto Rico and Canada, offering an in-depth look at the 2026 high school class. Players are listed in the state where they attend high school, with the depth of each list varying depending on the level of talent in each state.
More MLB Draft Rankings
These rankings are based on Baseball America’s extensive scouting coverage, combining first-hand evaluations and industry feedback to line up players based on their projected future talent. The rankings reflect the full spectrum of talent in the 2026 class. The players who project to be the best major league players—and thus will likely end up being high draft picks—are at the top of our rankings.
In addition to elite draft prospects, these lists include high-end college recruits, many of whom project to be impact college players who could raise their MLB prospect profiles after getting to campus. They also include other players who have the potential to be quality Division I regulars.
The players at the top of the lists stand out right now with the highest long-term major league projection, but there are future major leaguers throughout these lists. Player further down the rankings have a greater chance of getting to college, where they have the potential to emerge after more development at that level.
These lists offer a resource for tracking the best 2026 high school baseball prospects who could shape the 2026 MLB Draft and make an impact on college baseball programs in the years ahead. For college programs, major league teams and fans, these lists provide a deeper look into the pipeline of talent that will shape the 2026 MLB Draft class, future draft classes and the next half decade of college baseball.
Oregon Class Of 2026 Baseball Rankings
| RANK | PLAYER | POS | SCHOOL | COMMIT |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Grady Saunders | RHP | Thurston | Oregon State |
| 2 | Sawyer Nelson | SS | South Salem | Loyola Marymount |
| 3 | Teagan Scott | C | South Salem | Oregon State |
| 4 | August Ware | LHP | Gencoe | Oregon State |
| 5 | Trenton Hertzog | C/3B | Tualatin | Oregon |
| 6 | Jake Rolling | SS | Jesuit | Gonzaga |
| 7 | Zack Hankins | LHP | Taft | Oregon |
| 8 | Ryan Hemsley | RHP | West Linn | Portland |
Oregon
Oregon tattoo artists push back on topical anesthetic ban
PORTLAND Ore. (KPTV) – Tattoo artists across Oregon are voicing concerns after a recent rule clarification from the Oregon Health Authority says topical anesthetics cannot be used by any tattoo artist.
Sean Lanusse has been tattooing for nearly two decades, and sits on the committee that reviews curriculum for Oregon tattoo schools. During their last committee meeting, a memo was introduced with little warning.
“They just kinda slid it out and said we are not going to talk about this because it does not pertain to this meeting but here is this information,” Lanusse said.
The practice clarification says under no circumstance can tattoo artists in Oregon apply topical anesthetics. The reasoning: it could constitute practicing medicine.
Only one other state in the U.S. bans all topical anesthetics for tattoo purposes.
Lanusse said it’s common to see a numbing agent like Bactine in a tattoo studio.
“I did use bactine for a while just to ease it up a little bit, help the client through the extra 20 mins or whatever but generally I’m not using those things,” Lanusse said. “I don’t think it’s as big of a problem for us as it is for cosmetic tattooing.”
Cosmetic tattoo artists say ban will hurt business
At her private studio, Exuvium Studios Body Art & Beauty, Kaysie Anderson tattoos more than just permanent makeup. She does a lot of work with scar camouflaging and post-mastectomy areola reconstructing tattooing.
“I have used numbing creams up until this clarification for nearly every single service I perform,” Anderson said.
After the new rule came out, she sent a poll to her clients asking if they would be willing to get their tattoos without numbing cream. Since most of the tattoos Anderson applies are in very sensitive areas of the body, a vast majority of her clients said no.
“This will 100% drive business out of our state, this will also drive licensees out of our state so the HLO will loose that revenue too,” Anderson said. “If I am not able to get clarification on how this is to be enforced or applied then I would have to relocate.”
In an email from the Oregon Health Authority, the agency cited two instances of topical anesthetics being used during a cosmetic tattoo appointment that led to the client going to the hospital for eye irritations. Both of those cases were from more than 10 years ago. One happened in Albany in 2016, the other in Bend in 2012.
Both Lanusse and Anderson are hoping for more clarity from the Health Licensing Office as to why they are making these clarifications now.
“The ideal answer would be to have the HLO reconsider their interpretation of existing policy because it doesn’t seem to be supported by and existing statute,” Anderson said.
“I don’t like that they did it that way because this effects thousands of tattooers, cosmetic and artistic tattooers,” Lanusse said. “The rollout of this was very surprising, very sudden and not well communicated to everyone, it’s going to have far-reaching impact and no plan going forward.”
The organization “Reform Oregon Tattooing” said they will be lobbying this next legislative session to separate the licensing process for artistic tattooing and cosmetic tattooing.
Copyright 2026 KPTV-KPDX. All rights reserved.
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