SALEM â More than three-fourths of Oregon is in some stage of drought entering May â and forecasters expect it to stay that way into the summer.
The National Weather Serviceâs Climate Prediction Center projects drought will persist across Southern, Central and Eastern Oregon and even the Willamette Valley throughout the summer. The centerâs latest monthly drought outlook released Friday, April 30, also shows drought is likely to develop in the northeast corner of the state.
âDrought varies from year to year in its coverage and severity,â said Brad Pugh, a meteorologist with the Climate Prediction Center. âBut during the past decade, across the Western U.S., drought has become more common and more intense as well.â