By Rod Hill on 2014-01-02
The numbers for December, the calendar year of 2013 and the Mt. Hood snow pack are no where close to normal and leave our region on the dry end of the stick. Portland's 2013 precipitation was 26.72 inches, more than 9 inches below normal and the 5th driest year at PDX since records began back in 1941. The number is a big departure from the more than 50 inches of moisture that fell in 2012. Our recent dry weather is a reminder that a dry year eventually follows a real soaker. In other words a period of heavy rain often is trailed by a period of dry days as the atmosphere naturally evens out the totals over time.
December made the record books in two categories. With a temperature average of 4 degrees below normal, the month is the 5th coldest on record at PDX. The rain total of less than 2.00 inches is the 2nd driest on record.
Up on Mt. Hood the news is just as dry. As of December 31st, the snow pack is just over 40% of normal with a snow depth of only two feet that would melt into 10 inches of water stored. While it is true that the mountain has until May 1st to catch up, recent years have never finished the snow year more that 75% of normal with such a dry start. To date, this is the first low snow year on Mt. Hood since the winter of 2004-2005 when the snow pack finished at 44% of normal.
The possible silver lining in the current dry report is that our weather seems to be showing a transition to heavier spring precipitation over the months of March and April. A wet spring will be needed to "right" the ship. Current forecast outlooks show below normal valley rainfall through the first two weeks of January and little confidence points toward a wet finish to winter, but as always we will have to wait and see.
Dry start to the water year, has skiers hoping for snow