PENDLETON â One month beyond the winter solstice, Oregonâs mountain ranges are all below normal for annual snowpack averages.
A look at USDA Natural Resource Conservation District Snotel sites that track snowfall and snow water equivalent from Oct. 1 to Sept. 30 each year show more detailed reports of regional precipitation and snowpack.
The Umatilla, Walla Walla and Willow river basins are currently measuring 85% of the annual snowpack average, as of Wednesday, Jan. 27.
The Emigrant Springs Snotel on Mount Emily, at an elevation of 3,800 feet, started recording the first measurable precipitation of the water year Nov. 8, 2020. As of Jan. 27, 13.6 total inches have fallen, the snow depth is currently 6 inches and the snow water equivalent is 1.3 inches, 23% of the average.