HOOD RIVER â For decades, climate researchers have warned that as atmospheric temperatures continue to rise, the Pacific Northwest will have less snow and consequently less water to irrigate its crops. As if to hammer the point home, this year Oregon experienced yet another drought due in part to rising temperatures and melting snow.
In 2020, Oregon experienced some of its driest conditions on record. And yet, despite the overall lack of precipitation, the stateâs mountains received more or less normal amounts of snow.
However, above-average spring temperatures melted mountain snow several weeks earlier than normal in several Oregon basins. This led to water flushing through local rivers and streams before it could be used for irrigation during the late spring and summer growing seasons. As temperatures continued to rise throughout the summer, water shortages and drought declarations followed.