PORTLAND, Ore. (KATU) — As we approach the fall season, we are preparing for a drought in the state of Oregon.
We received about half the rainfall expected in the past two seasons, leading to three-quarters of the state abnormally dry or a level of drought.
“This is the driest we have been in over a century, and it is the third driest, and third warmest April-through-August, since records began in 1895,” said Oregon State University’s climatologist Larry O’Neill.
In addition to precipitation, one of the largest providers of water to the region is the snowpack accumulated from the winter prior. This year, we had a healthy snowpack, with normal and above normal amounts of snow in the Cascades. However, higher temperatures earlier in the season led to the snowpack melting earlier than usual, leaving our streams and rivers at record low water levels.
What makes a drought a concern for the well-being of our state is the increased number of wildfires ignited from overly dry vegetation and the increase of obstacles for the salmon runs, such as low water levels or higher water temperatures.
Oregon is not alone in this drought threat. Bordering states, Washington and Idaho are also in the same predicament.
“We’ll need more than one storm to fully quench fire season, and we’ll need a wet winter to make up for this year. If we get a dry winter, next year could be much more severe,” O’Neill said.