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
PORTLAND, Ore. (KATU) — As the five year anniversary of the tragic 2021 heat dome in Oregon approaches, lawmakers will hear from advocates about the need to renew funding for programs to help cool homes for people that cannot afford it.
The anniversary of the month that saw triple-digit temperatures for multiple days in a row and took the lives of over 100 people comes amid one of the season’s first heat waves in the metro area.
“Beyond the immediate impact to individuals, there’s also other impacts of extreme heat to our economy, our infrastructure, the broader environment. We’re here today to say, ‘hey, look, we are already facing breaking, record breaking temperatures this summer. We’re on track to be the second warmest sort of year on record and we need to prepare our homes, our buildings, our communities for this extreme heat,’” said Ben Brint, Senior Climate Program Director at Oregon Environmental Council ahead of the Tuesday hearing.
He noted that the informational hearing will be a way to call lawmakers attention to the issue and raise awareness about some climate programs that have either already expired or are set to.
“Lawmakers should feel really good about responding to that heat dome and passing really impactful state programs like a community and rental home heat pump program, community resilience hubs, a healthy homes program. And what these all do are offer, you know, basically incentives to say, ‘let’s get this lifesaving technology in your home,’ or ‘let’s give you a place to go for your community. If you need to go cool down, or maybe you don’t live in a home or have access to cooling, here’s a central place that you can go to.’ And so we’re here saying, please, please reinvest in these programs,” Brint said.
The community and rental home heat pump programs are both set to expire.
You can watch the full hearing using this link or below:
Portland brought home awards in both national and regional categories 2026 James Beard Awards gala on Monday, June 15. Popular subterranean bar Scotch Lodge clinched a win in the Outstanding Bar category, while Ryan Roadhouse of multi-course Japanese restaurant Nodoguro snagged the medal in the Best Chef: Northwest & Pacific category.
“Without sounding like Tony Robbins, if you can dream it, it can happen,” Roadhouse said during his acceptance speech. “So never stop dreaming. If you stop dreaming, it’s time to die.” Nodoguro emerged as a pop-up in 2014, and that same year, Roadhouse was named a Rising Star Chef by Portland Monthly. The pop-up eventually settled into a restaurant space before relocating to a new address in 2022. Roadhouse, who was also under consideration in the category in 2025, was joined in the regional category by fellow Portland-based chef Thomas Pisha-Duffly of pan-Asian restaurant Gado Gado.
Overall, the mood on Monday evening was celebratory. Many speeches throughout the night championed the achievements and contributions of immigrants and women within the hospitality industry. Portland Monthly was up for a media award on Saturday evening, but the category ultimately went to Roads & Kingdoms.
When Scotch Lodge’s team took the stage on Monday night to accept their award in the national category, one of the group noted emphatically, “We’ll see you at karaoke afterward. The gauntlet’s been thrown down.”
Disclosure: Some Vox Media staff members are part of the voting body for the James Beard Foundation Awards.
EUGENE, Ore. — A crash has shut down a stretch of Highway 126 west of Eugene, and transportation officials say the closure could last for an extended period.
The Oregon Department of Transportation said OR 126 is closed 1 mile west of the intersection with Beltline Highway because of the crash.
Drivers are urged to use an alternate route and expect delays.
Crash closes Hwy 126 near Beltline Highway
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