Warm, Dry Weather Chases Snow into Waiting Reservoirs

Spring Melt Recorded in Real-Time as Online NRCS Snow Survey Data
 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact information:
Jon Lea, USDA NRCS Snow Survey Team Leader: (503) 414-3267, Jon.Lea@or.usda.gov

PORTLAND, OR, May 19, 2008 – It’s been a long, cold spring waiting for Oregon’s record snowpacks to begin a notable melt-off. This past weekend’s hot, dry weather, however, finally sent some of Oregon’s abundant and lingering winter white into waiting reservoirs.

“This flash of hot, dry weather put some of this year’s abundant snow safely into lakes and river basins, some of which were low for this time of year,” said Jon Lea, Snow Survey Team Leader with the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). “Overall, however, Oregon is on track to see adequate water supplies for most water users this coming summer.”

According to the Oregon Snow Survey Web site, snowpack at the Mt. Hood test site on May 12 measured a depth of 194 inches and was down to 164.9 inches on Monday, May 19. During that time, the snow’s water content decreased from 88.5 to 80.1 inches at the same site. Real-time snowpack and precipitation data for sites across Oregon can be accessed at: http://www.or.nrcs.usda.gov/snow/index.html

“With record snowpacks remaining in the mountains into mid-May, recent conditions have shown good outcomes,” Lea explained. “Warm, rainy weather when there is a lot of snow can trigger excessive runoffs – and that did not happen.”

According to the current NRCS Water Supply Outlook Report, record-setting snow water content was measured on May 1 at 19 Oregon monitoring sites along the Cascade crest, with 11 of those in the Willamette Basin. New records were set this year for the highest level of snow ever measured at a number of sites. Also unusual, this year’s peak snow levels occurred 20 to 60 days later than normal with cooler than normal March and April temperatures delaying the melt-off.

Despite record snowpacks at low and middle elevations, some parts of eastern Oregon have seen precious little precipitation below the snow zone. In the Owyhee Basin, where the growing season is now underway, March/April precipitation was below normal, and a cold spring has delayed snowmelt from replenishing irrigation reservoirs. This leaves some irrigators and water managers looking to the summer water supply forecast to plan ahead.

Since snow survey sites are not as numerous in parts of eastern Oregon as other areas, however, forecasting water supplies can be more difficult. “More data collection points would result in more accurate water forecasts. Right now, forecast models are still showing a lot of variability considering the late date in the water year,” Lea explained. “Areas with more data collection points generally have less variability in their water supply forecasts.”

With current data, NRCS is forecasting near normal water supplies for the Owyhee this year.

The full NRCS Water Supply Forecast Report with snowpack data, streamflow forecasts, and reservoir storage can be viewed in the online at: ftp://ftp.wcc.nrcs.usda.gov/support/water/basin_outlook/oregon/wy2008/boror5.htm

NRCS provides voluntary technical and financial assistance to people interested in protecting and enhancing soil, water, and related natural resources on non-federal lands. NRCS staffs work in every county in the state and directly assist farmers, ranchers, and others. NRCS, an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, is an equal opportunity provider and employer. Local contact information is located in the telephone book under the federal government listing or can be found online at: http://www.or.nrcs.usda.gov

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