It’s snowing less than it used to in Oregon. There’s less rain falling, too. That’s going to be the case for the immediate — and potentially long-term — future, according to the Seventh Oregon Climate Assessment, which was compiled by dozens of scientists who specialize in Oregon’s climate. 

The report was issued last January after the state of Oregon mandated a climate study in 2007, according to the Idaho Capital Sun. The results paint a picture of a future much drier and less snowy than Oregonians are accustomed to. 

What’s happening?

Simply put, it’s getting warmer in Oregon. The average temperature has risen more than 2 degrees Fahrenheit in the past 100 years. It’s forecast to rise as much as 7.5 degrees in the next 75 years if humanity fails to reduce carbon emissions considerably. 

While researchers have generally understood the principles behind the greenhouse effect and had data showing the planet was warming, climate modeling has progressed to the point where scientists are predicting more than they’re guessing. 

“There’s less uncertainty,” Erica Fleishman, director of the Oregon Climate Change Research Institute, told the Capital Sun. “We are increasingly confident this is the way things are headed.”

Why is this important?

Increased warming means a change in precipitation. It means longer periods of drought, broken up by short, intense rain storms. That sets the stage for flooding and boom-and-bust cycles of precipitation. 

It also means more precipitation falls in the form of rain than snow. This is a significant problem as rain runs off to the ocean, where a snowpack acts as a time-released reservoir. In all but six of the past 24 years, annual rainfall has been below average. Snowfall is expected to drop 50% by 2100, according to the Capital Sun.

What’s being done to curb rising temperatures?

There are ways to slow global warming. Some, such as offshore wind farms, show great potential but require buy-in from local environmental and municipal groups. But there are also ways to lessen carbon in the atmosphere that are well within humanity’s technological and economic grasp.

Planting and managing forests is the easiest and least expensive. Trees are incredibly efficient at capturing and storing carbon and require no maintenance or supplied energy. Wouldn’t it be ironic if, after abusing the planet with the burning of fossil fuels, nature itself — the endless forests Oregon is known for — ends up saving us?

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